Fact Sheet
Azerbaijan - a nation with a Turkic and majority - Muslim population - regained its independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Despite a 1994 cease-fire, Azerbaijan has yet to resolve its conflict with Armenia over the Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh enclave. Azerbaijan has lost 16% of its territory and must support some 800,000 refugees and internally displaced persons as a result of the conflict.
Geography
Location: Southwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Russia, with a small European portion north of the Caucasus range.
Geographic coordinates: 40 30 N, 47 30 E
Area: Total land area is 86,100 sq km including the exclave of Naxcivan Autonomous Republic and the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Total water area is 500 sq km.
Land boundaries: Total length is 2,013 km. Azerbaijan borders Armenia (with Azerbaijan-proper) 566 km, Armenia (with Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave) 221 km, Georgia 322 km, Iran (with Azerbaijan-proper) 432, Iran (with Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave) 179 km, Russia 284 km, Turkey 9 km.
Climate: dry, semiarid steppe
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, nonferrous metals, alumina
Population
Population: 7,830, 764 (July 2003 est.)
Religion: Muslim 93.4%, Russian Orthodox 2.5%, Armenian Orthodox 2.3%, other 1.8% (1995 est.)
Languages: Azerbaijani (Azeri) 89%, Russian 3%, Armenian 2%, other 6% (1995 est.)
Government
Government type: Republic
Capital: Baku
Independence: August 30, 1991 (from USSR).
Constitution: adapted on November 12, 1995
Legal system: based on civil law system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal.
Executive branch: President Ilham Aliyev (since October 31, 2003)
Legislative branch: Unicameral National Assembly or Milli Mejlis
Judicial branch: Supreme Court.