Xanlar Rayonu, Xizi Rayonu, Xocali Rayonu, Xocavand Rayonu, Yardimli
Rayonu, Yevlax Rayonu, Yevlax Sahari*, Zangilan Rayonu, Zaqatala
Rayonu, Zardab Rayonu
Independence: 30 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday: Independence Day, 28 May
Constitution: adopted 12 November 1995
Legal system: based on civil law system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Heydar ALIYEV (since 18 June 1993)
head of government: Prime Minister Artur RASIZADE (since 26 November
1996)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president and
confirmed by the National Assembly
elections: president elected by popular vote to a five-year term;
election last held 11 October 1998 (next to be held October 2003);
prime minister and first deputy prime ministers appointed by the
president and confirmed by the National Assembly
election results: Heydar ALIYEV elected president; percent of
vote—Heydar ALIYEV 76%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Milli Mejlis
(125 seats; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 12 and 26 November 1995 (next to be held NA
2000)
election results: percent of vote by party—NA; seats by party—NAP
and allies 115, APF 4, PNIA 3, Musavat Party 1, vacant 2
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: New Azerbaijan Party or NAP
ELCHIBEY, chairman]; Party for National Independence of Azerbaijan
Political pressure groups and leaders: self-proclaimed Armenian
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic; Talysh independence movement; Sadval,
Lezgin movement
International organization participation: BSEC, CCC, CE (guest),
CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM
(observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Hafiz Mir Jalal PASHAYEV chancery: (temporary) Suite 700, 927 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 or P. O. Box 28790, Washington, DC 20038–8790
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Stanley T. ESCUDERO embassy: Azadliq Prospekt 83, Baku 370007 mailing address: American Embassy Baku, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521–7050
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), red, and green; a crescent and eight-pointed star in white are centered in red band
Economy
Economy—overview: Azerbaijan is less developed industrially than either Armenia or Georgia, the other Caucasian states. It resembles the Central Asian states in its majority Muslim population, high structural unemployment, and low standard of living. The economy's most prominent products are oil, cotton, and natural gas. Production from the Caspian oil field declined through 1997 but registered an increase in 1998. Negotiation of more than a dozen production-sharing arrangements (PSAs) with foreign firms, which have thus far committed $30 billion to oil field development, should generate the funds needed to spur future industrial development. Oil production under the first of these PSAs, with the Azerbaijan International Operating Company, began in November 1997. Azerbaijan shares all the formidable problems of the former Soviet republics in making the transition from a command to a market economy, but its considerable energy resources brighten its long-term prospects. Baku has only recently begun making progress on economic reform, and old economic ties and structures are slowly being replaced. A major short-term obstacle to economic progress, including stepped up foreign investment, is the continuing conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Trade with Russia and the other former Soviet republics is declining in importance while trade is building up with Turkey, Iran, the UAE, and the nations of Europe. A serious long-term challenge is the maintenance of the competitiveness of non-oil exports in world markets.
GDP: purchasing power parity—$12.9 billion (1998 est.)
GDP—real growth rate: 10% (1998 est.)
GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity?$1,640 (1998 est.)
GDP—composition by sector: agriculture: 22% industry: 18% services: 60% (1997 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): −7.6% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 2.9 million (1997)
Labor force—by occupation: agriculture and forestry 32%, industry and construction 15%, services 53% (1997)
Unemployment rate: 20% (1996 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $565 million
expenditures: $682 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1996 est.)
Industries: petroleum and natural gas, petroleum products, oilfield equipment; steel, iron ore, cement; chemicals and petrochemicals; textiles
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity—production: 16.035 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—production by source: fossil fuel: 90.55% hydro: 9.45% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Electricity—consumption: 16.8 billion kWh (1997)
Electricity—exports: 600 million kWh (1996)
Electricity—imports: 745 million kWh (1996)
Agriculture—products: cotton, grain, rice, grapes, fruit, vegetables, tea, tobacco; cattle, pigs, sheep, goats
Exports: $781 million (f.o.b., 1997 est.)
Exports—commodities: oil and gas, chemicals, oilfield equipment, textiles, cotton
Exports—partners: CIS, European countries, Turkey
Imports: $794 million (c.i.f., 1997 est.)
Imports—commodities: machinery and parts, consumer durables, foodstuffs, textiles
Imports—partners: CIS, European countries, Turkey
Debt—external: $100 million (of which $75 million to Russia)
Economic aid—recipient: ODA, $113 million (1996)
Currency: manat=100 gopiks
Exchange rates: manats per US$1—3,865.00 (November 1998), 3,985.38 (1997), 4,301.26 (1996), 4,413.54 (1995), 1,570.23 (1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 1.414 million (1998)
Telephone system: Azerbaijani telecommunications fall under the Ministry of Communications; Azerbaijan's telephone system is a combination of old Soviet era technology used by Azerbaijani citizens and small- to medium-size commercial establishments, and modern cellular phones used by an increasing middle class, large commercial ventures, international companies,