Azerbaijan

Location

• Southwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Russia, with a small European portion north of the Caucasus range
• both the main area of the country and the Naxcivan exclave are landlocked

Population

Notable Population Centers

City	Population	Note
Baku	1,116,513	Capital
Sumqayıt	358,675
Ganja	335,600
Lankaran	240,300
Tovuz	177,200
Yevlakh	127,400
Mingachevir	106,048
Naxçıvan	97,200
Saatlı	87,000
Lerik	87,000

Size

• 33,436 square miles
• 86,600 square kilometers
• about three-quarters the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Maine

History

Azerbaijan -- a secular nation with a majority-Turkic and majority-Shia Muslim population -- was briefly independent (from 1918 to 1920) following the collapse of the Russian Empire; it was subsequently incorporated into the Soviet Union for seven decades. Beginning in 1988, Azerbaijan and Armenia fought over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which was populated largely by ethnic Armenians but incorporated into Soviet Azerbaijan as an autonomous oblast in the early 1920s. In the late Soviet period, an ethnic-Armenian separatist movement sought to end Azerbaijani control over the region. Fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh escalated after Armenia and Azerbaijan gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. By the time a ceasefire took effect in 1994, separatists with Armenian support controlled Nagorno‑Karabakh and seven surrounding Azerbaijani territories. After decades of cease-fire violations and sporadic flare-ups, a second sustained conflict began in 2020 when Azerbaijan tried to win back the territories it had lost in the 1990s. After significant Azerbaijani gains, Armenia returned the southern part of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding territories to Azerbaijan. In September 2023, Azerbaijan took military action to regain the rest of Nagorno-Karabakh; after a conflict that lasted only one day, nearly the entire ethnic Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh fled to Armenia.Since gaining its independence in 1991, Azerbaijan has significantly reduced the poverty rate and has directed some revenue from its oil and gas production to develop the country’s infrastructure. However, corruption remains a burden on the economy, and Western observers and members of the country’s political opposition have accused the government of authoritarianism. The country’s leadership has remained in the ALIYEV family since Heydar ALIYEV, the most highly ranked Azerbaijani member of the Communist Party during the Soviet period, became president during the first Nagorno-Karabakh War in 1993. 

Climate

dry, semiarid steppe

Terrain

large, flat Kur-Araz Ovaligi (Kura-Araks Lowland, much of it below sea level) with Great Caucasus Mountains to the north, Qarabag Yaylasi (Karabakh Upland) to the west; Baku lies on Abseron Yasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula) that juts into Caspian Sea

Languages

Azerbaijani (Azeri) (official) 92.5%, Russian 1.4%, Armenian 1.4%, other 4.7% (2009 est.)major-language sample(s): Dünya fakt kitabı, əsas məlumatlar üçün əvəz olunmaz mənbədir (Azerbaijani)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.note: Russian is widely spoken

Religions

Muslim 97.3% (predominantly Shia), Christian 2.6%, other <0.1, unaffiliated <0.1 (2020 est.)note: religious affiliation for the majority of Azerbaijanis is largely nominal, percentages for actual practicing adherents are probably much lower

Government

presidential republic

• Constitution: history: several previous; latest adopted 12 November 1995amendment process: proposed by the president of the republic or by at least 63 members of the National Assembly; passage requires at least 95 votes of Assembly members in two separate readings of the draft amendment six months apart and requires presidential approval after each of the two Assembly votes, followed by presidential signature; constitutional articles on the authority, sovereignty, and unity of the people cannot be amended
• Political Parties and Leaders: n/a
• Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
• Legal System: civil law system
• Executive Branch: chief of state: President Ilham ALIYEV (since 31 October 2003)head of government: Prime Minister Ali ASADOV (since 8 October 2019)cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assemblyelection/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds (if needed) for a 7-year term; a single individual is eligible for unlimited terms; prime minister and first deputy prime minister appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assemblymost recent election date: 7 February 2024election results: 2024: Ilham ALIYEV reelected president; percent of vote - Ilham ALIYEV (YAP) 92.1%, Zahid ORUJ (independent) 2.2%; on 16 February 2024, Ali ASADOV reappointed prime minister by parliamentary vote, 105-12018: Ilham ALIYEV reelected president in first round; percent of vote - Ilham ALIYEV (YAP) 86%, Zahid ORUJ (independent) 3.1%, other 10.9%expected date of next election: 2031
• Judicial Branch: highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the chairman, vice chairman, and 23 judges in plenum sessions and organized into civil, economic affairs, criminal, and rights violations chambers); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges)judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges nominated by the president and appointed by the Milli Majlis; judges appointed for 10 years; Constitutional Court chairman and deputy chairman appointed by the president; other court judges nominated by the president and appointed by the Milli Majlis to serve single 15-year termssubordinate courts: Courts of Appeal (replaced the Economic Court in 2002); district and municipal courts
• Legislative Branch: legislature name: National Assembly (Milli Majlis)legislative structure: unicameralnumber of seats: 125 (all directly elected)electoral system: plurality/majorityscope of elections: full renewalterm in office: 5 yearsmost recent election date: 9/1/2024parties elected and seats per party: New Azerbaidjan Party (YAP) (68); Independents (44); Other (13)percentage of women in chamber: 20.8%expected date of next election: November 2029

Demographic Profile

n/a

Economy

• upper-middle income, oil-dependent Caucasus economy; minimal economic diversification and dominance of state-owned enterprises; growth and fiscal consolidation supported by oil revenues, but risks remain from demand shocks; potential economic gains from Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire; education investments to diversify and retain human capital
• Budget: revenues: $30.966 billion (2022 est.)expenditures: $22.95 billion (2022 est.)note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
• Credit Rating: n/a
• Natural Resources: petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, nonferrous metals, bauxite
• Industries: petroleum and petroleum products, natural gas, oilfield equipment; steel, iron ore; cement; chemicals and petrochemicals; textiles
• Agricultural Products: milk, wheat, barley, potatoes, tomatoes, watermelons, onions, apples, maize, cotton (2023)note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
• Land Use: agricultural land: 57.8% (2022 est.)arable land: 25.3% (2022 est.)permanent crops: 3.3% (2022 est.)permanent pasture: 29.2% (2022 est.)forest: 14% (2022 est.)other: 28.2% (2022 est.)
• Labor Force by Occupation: n/a
• Imports
• Imported Commodities: cars, crude petroleum, refined petroleum, broadcasting equipment, garments (2023)note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
• Import Partners: Russia 17%, China 16%, Turkey 14%, Georgia 4%, Germany 4% (2023)note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
• Exports
• Exported Commodities: crude petroleum, natural gas, refined petroleum, plastics, electricity (2023)note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
• Export Partners: Italy 37%, Turkey 19%, Israel 5%, Greece 4%, Russia 4% (2023)note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports