Azerbaijan - The World Factbook https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/azerbaijan/ Explore All Countries — Azerbaijan Middle East INTRODUCTION Background 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. Azerbaijan remains involved in the protracted Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Armenia. Nagorno-Karabakh was a primarily ethnic Armenian region that Moscow recognized in 1923 as an autonomous oblast within Soviet Azerbaijan. In the late Soviet period, a separatist movement developed which sought to end Azerbaijani control over the region. Fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh began in 1988 and escalated after Armenia and Azerbaijan attained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. By the time a ceasefire took effect in May 1994, separatists, with Armenian support, controlled Nagorno‑Karabakh and seven surrounding Azerbaijani territories. The 1994 ceasefire continues to hold, although violence continues along the line of contact separating the opposing forces, as well as the Azerbaijan-Armenia international border. The final status of Nagorno-Karabakh remains the subject of international mediation by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group, which works to help the sides settle the conflict peacefully. The OSCE Minsk Group is co‑chaired by the United States, France, and Russia. In the 25 years following its independence, Azerbaijan succeeded in significantly reducing the poverty rate and has directed revenues from its oil and gas production to develop the country’s infrastructure. However, corruption remains a problem, and the government has been accused of authoritarianism. The country’s leadership has remained in the Aliyev family since Heydar ALIYEV became president in 1993 and was succeeded by his son, President Ilham ALIYEV in 2003. Following two national referendums in the past several years that eliminated presidential term limits and extended presidential terms from 5 to 7 years, President ALIYEV secured a fourth term as president in April 2018 in an election that international observers noted had serious shortcomings. Reforms are underway to diversify the country’s non-oil economy and additional reforms are needed to address weaknesses in government institutions, particularly in the education and health sectors, and the court system. GEOGRAPHY Location Southwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Russia, with a small European portion north of the Caucasus range Geographic coordinates 1 of 19 4/27/2021, 8:46 AM Azerbaijan - The World Factbook https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/azerbaijan/ 40 30 N, 47 30 E Map references Asia Area total: 86,600 sq km land: 82,629 sq km water: 3,971 sq km note: includes the exclave of Naxcivan Autonomous Republic and the Nagorno-Karabakh region; the region's autonomy was abolished by Azerbaijani Supreme Soviet on 26 November 1991 country comparison to the world: 113 Area - comparative about three-quarters the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Maine Land boundaries total: 2,468 km border countries (5): Armenia 996 km, Georgia 428 km, Iran 689 km, Russia 338 km, Turkey 17 km Coastline 0 km (landlocked); note - Azerbaijan borders the Caspian Sea (713 km) Maritime claims none (landlocked) 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 Elevation mean elevation: 384 m lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m highest point: Bazarduzu Dagi 4,466 m Natural resources petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, nonferrous metals, bauxite Land use agricultural land: 57.6% (2018 est.) arable land: 22.8% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 2.7% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 32.1% (2018 est.) 2 of 19 4/27/2021, 8:46 AM Azerbaijan - The World Factbook https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/azerbaijan/ forest: 11.3% (2018 est.) other: 31.1% (2018 est.) Irrigated land 14,277 sq km (2012) Total renewable water resources 34.675 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) Population distribution highest population density is found in the far eastern area of the county, in and around Baku; apart from smaller urbanized areas, the rest of the country has a fairly light and evenly distributed population Natural hazards droughts Environment - international agreements party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping- London Convention, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Geography - note both the main area of the country and the Naxcivan exclave are landlocked PEOPLE AND SOCIETY Population 10,282,283 (July 2021 est.) country comparison to the world: 89 Nationality noun: Azerbaijani(s) adjective: Azerbaijani Ethnic groups Azerbaijani 91.6%, Lezghin 2%, Russian 1.3%, Armenian 1.3%, Talysh 1.3%, other 2.4% (2009 est.) note: the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region is populated almost entirely by ethnic Armenians Languages Azerbaijani (Azeri) (official) 92.5%, Russian 1.4%, Armenian 1.4%, other 4.7% (2009 est.) note: Russian is widely spoken Religions Muslim 96.9% (predominantly Shia), Christian 3%, other <0.1, unaffiliated <0.1 (2010 est.) note: religious affiliation for the majority of Azerbaijanis is largely nominal, percentages for actual practicing adherents are probably much lower Age structure 0-14 years: 22.84% (male 1,235,292/female 1,095,308) 15-24 years: 13.17% (male 714,718/female 629,494) 25-54 years: 45.29% (male 2,291,600/female 2,330,843) 3 of 19 4/27/2021, 8:46 AM Azerbaijan - The World Factbook https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/azerbaijan/ 55-64 years: 11.41% (male 530,046/female 634,136) 65 years and over: 7.29% (male 289,604/female 454,769) (2020 est.) Dependency ratios total dependency ratio: 43.4 youth dependency ratio: 33.7 elderly dependency ratio: 9.7 potential support ratio: 10.3 (2020 est.) Median age total: 32.6 years male: 31.1 years female: 34.2 years (2020 est.) country comparison to the world: 108 Population growth rate 0.71% (2021 est.) country comparison to the world: 135 Birth rate 14.03 births/1,000 population (2021 est.) country comparison to the world: 130 Death rate 6.93 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.) country comparison to the world: 120 Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.) country comparison to the world: 78 Population distribution highest population density is found in the far eastern area of the county, in and around Baku; apart from smaller urbanized areas, the rest of the country has a fairly light and evenly distributed population Urbanization urban population: 56.4% of total population (2020) rate of urbanization: 1.58% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.) note: data include Nagorno-Karabakh Major urban areas - population 2.371 million BAKU (capital) (2021) Sex ratio at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female 4 of 19 4/27/2021, 8:46 AM Azerbaijan - The World Factbook https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/azerbaijan/ 0-14 years: 1.13 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.14 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 0.84 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2020 est.) Mother's mean age at first birth 23.8 years (2017 est.) Maternal mortality rate 26 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.) country comparison to the world: 120 Infant mortality rate total: 24.1 deaths/1,000 live births male: 25.23 deaths/1,000 live births female: 22.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.) country comparison to the world: 71 Life expectancy at birth total population: 73.88 years male: 70.79 years female: 77.15 years (2021 est.) country comparison to the world: 144 Total fertility rate 1.87 children born/woman (2021 est.) country comparison to the world: 133 Contraceptive prevalence rate 54.9% (2011) Drinking water source improved: urban: 100% of population rural: 87.4% of population total: 94.1% of population unimproved: urban: 0% of population rural: 12.6% of population total: 4.9% of population (2017 est.) Current Health Expenditure 3.5% (2018) Physicians density 3.45 physicians/1,000 population (2014) Hospital bed density 5 of 19 4/27/2021, 8:46 AM Azerbaijan - The World Factbook https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/azerbaijan/ 4.8 beds/1,000 population (2014) Sanitation facility access improved: urban: 100% of population rural: 89.1% of population total: 95.1% of population unimproved: urban: 0% of population rural: 10.9% of population total: 4.9% of population (2017 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate 0.1% (2019 est.) country comparison to the world: 119 HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS 9,700 (2019 est.) country comparison to the world: 104 HIV/AIDS - deaths <500 (2019 est.) Obesity - adult prevalence rate 19.9% (2016) country comparison to the world: 106 Children under the age of 5 years underweight 4.9% (2013) country comparison to the world: 83 Education expenditures 2.5% of GDP (2018) country comparison to the world: 150 Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.8% male: 99.9% female: