Azerbaijan

Map of Azerbaijan

Country name	Republic of Azerbaijan
Capital: name:	Baku (Baki, Baky)
Independence:	30 August 1991 (declared from the Soviet Union); 18 October 1991 (adopted by the Supreme Council of Azerbaijan)
National holiday:	Founding of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan, 28 May (1918)
Population	9,493,600 (July 2012 est.)
Sex ratio	1.14 male(s)/female Under 15 years: 1.16 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Nationality	Azerbaijani(s)
Religions	Muslim 93.4%, Russian Orthodox 2.5%, Armenian Orthodox 2.3%, other 1.8% (1995 est.)
Languages	Azerbaijani (Azeri) (official) 90.3%, Lezgi 2.2%, Russian 1.8%, Armenian 1.5%, other 3.3%, unspecified 1% (1999 census)
Literacy	Age 15 and over can read and write Total population: 99.8% Male: 99.9% Female: 99.7% (2010 census)
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
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
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Maine
Land boundaries	Total: 2,013 km Border countries: Armenia (with Azerbaijan-proper) 566 km, Armenia (with Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave) 221 km, Georgia 322 km, Iran (with Azerbaijan-proper) 432 km, Iran (with Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave) 179 km, Russia 284 km, Turkey 9 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) in west; Baku lies on Abseron Yasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula) that juts into Caspian Sea
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m highest point: Bazarduzu Dagi 4,485 m
Natural resources	petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, nonferrous metals, bauxite
Exports - commodities	Oil and gas 90%, machinery, cotton, foodstuffs
Imports - commodities	Machinery and equipment, oil products, foodstuffs, metals, chemicals
Land use	Arable land: 20.62% Permanent crops: 2.61% Other: 76.77% (2005)
Irrigated land	14,300 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources	30.3 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)	Total: 17.25 cu km/yr (5%/28%/68%) Per capita: 2,051 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards	Droughts
Environment - current issues	Local scientists consider the Abseron Yasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula) (including Baku and Sumqayit) and the Caspian Sea to be the ecologically most devastated area in the world because of severe air, soil, and water pollution; soil pollution results from oil spills, from the use of DDT pesticide, and from toxic defoliants used in the production of cotton
Environment - international agreements	party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, 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