Legal system:
based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Ilham ALIYEV (since 31 October 2003)
head of government: Prime Minister Artur RASIZADE (since 4 November
2003); First Deputy Prime Minister Yaqub EYYUBOV (since June 2006)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president and
confirmed by the National Assembly
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(eligible for unlimited terms); election last held on 15 October
2008 (next to be held in October 2013); prime minister and first
deputy prime minister appointed by the president and confirmed by
the National Assembly
election results: Ilham ALIYEV reelected president; percent of vote
- Ilham ALIYEV 89%, Igbal AGHAZADE 2.9%, five other candidates with
smaller percentages
note: several political parties boycotted the election due to unfair
conditions; OSCE observers concluded that the election did not meet
international standards
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Milli Mejlis (125 seats; members
elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 7 November 2010 (next to be held in November
2015)
election results: percent of vote by party - YAP 45.8%, CSP 1.6%,
Motherland 1.4%, independents 48.2%, other 3.1%; seats by party -
YAP 71, CSP 3, Motherland 2, Democratic Reforms 1, Great Creation 1,
Hope Party 1, Social Welfare 1, Civil Unity 1, Whole Azerbaijan
Popular Front 1, Justice 1, independents 42
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
Azerbaijan Democratic Party or ADP [Sardar JALALOGLU]; Civil
Solidarity Party or CSP [Sabir RUSTAMKHANLI]; Civil Unity Party
[Sabir HACIYEV]; Classic People's Front of Azerbaijan [Mirmahmud
MIRALI-OGLU]; Democratic Reform Party [Asim MOLLAZADE]; Great
Creation Party [Fazil Gazanfaroglu MUSTAFAYEV]; Hope (Umid) Party
[Iqbal AGAZADE]; Justice Party [Ilyas ISMAYILOV]; Liberal Party of
Azerbaijan [Lala Shovkat HACIYEVA]; Motherland Party [Fazail
AGAMALI]; Musavat (Equality) [Isa GAMBAR, chairman]; Open Society
Party [Rasul GULIYEV, in exile in the US]; Social Democratic Party
of Azerbaijan or SDP [Araz ALIZADE and Ayaz MUTALIBOV (in exile)];
Social Welfare Party [Hussein KAZIMLI]; United Popular Azerbaijan
Front Party or AXCP [Ali KARIMLI]; Whole Azerbaijan Popular Front
Party [Gudrat HASANGULIYEV]; Yeni (New) Azerbaijan Party or YAP
[President Ilham ALIYEV]
note: opposition parties regularly factionalize and form new parties
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Azerbaijan Public Forum [Eldar NAMAZOV]; Karabakh Liberation
Organization
International organization participation:
ADB, BSEC, CE, CICA, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, GCTU, GUAM, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM (observer),
OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Yashar ALIYEV
chancery: 2741 34th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 337-3500
FAX: [1] (202) 337-5911
Consulate(s) general: Los Angeles
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Matthew BRYZA
embassy: 83 Azadlig Prospecti, Baku AZ1007
mailing address: American Embassy Baku, US Department of State, 7050
Baku Place, Washington, DC 20521-7050
telephone: [994] (12) 4980-335 through 337
FAX: [994] (12) 4656-671
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), red, and green; a
crescent and eight-pointed star in white are centered in the red
band; the blue band recalls Azerbaijan's Turkic heritage, red stands
for modernization and progress, and green refers to Islam; the
crescent moon is an Islamic symbol, while the eight-pointed star
represents the eight Turkic peoples of the world
National anthem:
name: "Azerbaijan Marsi" (March of Azerbaijan)
lyrics/music: Ahmed JAVAD/Uzeyir HAJIBEYOV
note: adopted 1992; although originally written in 1919 during a
brief period of independence, "Azerbaijan Marsi" did not become the
official anthem until after the dissolution of the Soviet Union
Economy ::Azerbaijan
Economy - overview:
Azerbaijan's high economic growth during 2006-08 was attributable to
large and growing oil exports, but some non-export sectors also
featured double-digit growth, spurred by growth in the construction,
banking, and real estate sectors. In 2009, economic growth remained
above 9% even as oil prices moderated and growth in the construction
sector cooled. In 2010, economic growth slowed to approximately
3.7%, although the impact of the global financial crisis was less
severe than in many other countries in the region. The current
global economic slowdown presents some challenges for the
Azerbaijani economy as oil prices remain below their mid-2008 highs,
highlighting Azerbaijan's reliance on energy exports and lackluster
attempts to diversify its economy. Azerbaijan's oil production
increased dramatically in 1997, when Azerbaijan signed the first
production-sharing arrangement (PSA) with the Azerbaijan
International Operating Company. Oil exports through the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline remain the main economic driver while
efforts to boost Azerbaijan's gas production are underway. However,
Azerbaijan has made only limited progress on instituting
market-based economic reforms. Pervasive public and private sector
corruption and structural economic inefficiencies remain a drag on
long-term growth, particularly in non-energy sectors. Several other
obstacles impede Azerbaijan's economic progress: the need for
stepped up foreign investment in the non-energy sector and 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 with Turkey and the nations
of Europe. Long-term prospects will depend on world oil prices, the
location of new oil and gas pipelines in the region, and
Azerbaijan's ability to manage its energy wealth to promote
sustainable growth in non-energy sectors of the economy and spur
employment.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$90.15 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73
$86.93 billion (2009 est.)
$79.54 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$52.17 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3.7% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 90
9.3% (2009 est.)
10.8% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$11,000 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 102
$10,600 (2009 est.)
$9,700 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 5.5%
industry: 61.4%
services: 33.1% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
5.874 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 38.3%
industry: 12.1%
services: 49.6% (2008)
Unemployment rate:
0.9% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 3
6% (2009 est.)
Population below poverty line:
11% (2009 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 6.1%
highest 10%: 17.5% (2005)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
36.5 (2001)
country comparison to the world: 81
36 (1995)
Investment (gross fixed):
17.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 116
Public debt:
4.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 128
6.7% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5.1% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 146
1.5% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
2% (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 53
8% (31 December 2008)
note: this is the Refinancing Rate, the key policy rate for the
National Bank of Azerbaijan
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
20.03% (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 20
19.76% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$7.34 billion (31 December 2010 est)
country comparison to the world: 77
$6.519 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$11.64 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 96
$10.54 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$8.135 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100
$5.726 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Agriculture - products:
cotton, grain, rice, grapes, fruit, vegetables, tea, tobacco;
cattle, pigs, sheep, goats
Industries:
petroleum and natural gas, petroleum products, oilfield equipment;
steel, iron ore; cement; chemicals and petrochemicals; textiles
Industrial production growth rate:
3.5% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91
Electricity - production:
18.6 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 72
Electricity - consumption:
18 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 71
Electricity - exports:
786 million kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
548 million kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
1.011 million bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23
Oil - consumption:
136,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70
Oil - exports:
528,900 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 29
Oil - imports:
2,848 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 169
Oil - proved reserves:
7 billion bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19
Natural gas - production:
23 billion cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30
Natural gas - consumption:
10.12 billion cu m (2008)
country comparison to the world: 47
Natural gas - exports:
5.564 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 25
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 72
Natural gas - proved reserves:
849.5 billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 27
Current account balance:
$15.96 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19
$10.18 billion (2009 est.)
Exports:
$28.07 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63
$21.1 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
oil and gas 90%, machinery, cotton, foodstuffs
Exports - partners:
Italy 20.69%, India 10.67%, US 9.24%, France 8.15%, Germany 7.62%,
Indonesia 6.63%, Canada 5.13% (2009)
Imports:
$7.035 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 103
$6.514 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, oil products, foodstuffs, metals, chemicals
Imports - partners:
Turkey 18.69%, Russia 16.98%, Germany 7.87%, Ukraine 7.3%, China
6.18%, UK 5.73% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$6.33 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 62
$5.364 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$3.221 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 124
$3.44 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$8.918 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 80
$8.318 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$6.058 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 58
$5.558 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
Azerbaijani manats (AZN) per US dollar - 0.8035 (2010), 0.8038
(2009), 0.8219 (2008), 0.8581 (2007), 0.8934 (2006)
Communications ::Azerbaijan
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.397 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 68
Telephones - mobile cellular:
7.757 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 74
Telephone system:
general assessment: requires considerable expansion and
modernization; fixed-line telephony and a broad range of other
telecom services are controlled by a state-owned telecommunications
monopoly and growth has been stagnant; more competition exists in
the mobile-cellular market with four providers in 2009
domestic: teledensity of 17 fixed lines per 100 persons;
mobile-cellular teledensity has increased and is rapidly approaching
100 telephones per 100 persons; satellite service connects Baku to a
modern switch in its exclave of Nakhchivan
international: country code - 994; the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE)
fiber-optic link transits Azerbaijan providing international
connectivity to neighboring countries; the old Soviet system of
cable and microwave is still serviceable; satellite earth stations -
2 (2009)
Broadcast media:
1 state-run and 1 public television channel; 4 domestic commercial
TV stations and about 15 regional TV stations; Turkish, Russian, and
Iranian TV and radio broadcasts are available, especially in border
regions; cable TV services are available in Baku; 1 state-run and 1
public radio network operating; a small number of private commercial
radio stations broadcasting; local FM relays of Baku commercial
stations are available in many localities; local relays of several
international broadcasters had been available until late 2008 when
their broadcasts were banned from FM frequencies (2008)
Internet country code:
.az
Internet hosts:
22,737 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 105
Internet users:
2.42 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 70
Transportation ::Azerbaijan
Airports:
35 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 109
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 27
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 13
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 1 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 8
under 914 m: 8 (2010)
Heliports:
1 (2010)
Pipelines:
condensate 1 km; gas 3,361 km; oil 1,424 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 2,918 km
country comparison to the world: 57
broad gauge: 2,918 km 1.520-m gauge (1,278 km electrified) (2009)
Roadways:
total: 59,141 km
country comparison to the world: 76
paved: 29,210 km
unpaved: 29,931 km (2004)
Merchant marine:
total: 92
country comparison to the world: 54
by type: cargo 27, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 9, petroleum tanker
48, roll on/roll off 3, specialized tanker 3
foreign-owned: 1 (Turkey 1)
registered in other countries: 2 (Malta 1, Panama 1) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Baku (Baki)
Military ::Azerbaijan
Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
men between 18 and 35 are liable for military service; 18 years of
age for voluntary military service; length of military service is 18
months and 12 months for university graduates (2006)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,336,611
females age 16-49: 2,329,275 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,753,878
females age 16-49: 1,958,408 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 84,441
female: 78,905 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
2.6% of GDP (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 54
Transnational Issues ::Azerbaijan
Disputes - international:
Armenia supports ethnic Armenian secessionists in Nagorno-Karabakh
and since the early 1990s has militarily occupied 16% of Azerbaijan;
over 800,000 mostly ethnic Azerbaijanis were driven from the
occupied lands and Armenia; about 230,000 ethnic Armenians were
driven from their homes in Azerbaijan into Armenia and
Nagorno-Karabakh; Azerbaijan seeks transit route through Armenia to
connect to Naxcivan exclave; Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) continues to mediate dispute;
Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia have ratified Caspian seabed
delimitation treaties based on equidistance, while Iran continues to
insist on an even one-fifth allocation and challenges Azerbaijan's
hydrocarbon exploration in disputed waters; bilateral talks continue
with Turkmenistan on dividing the seabed and contested oilfields in
the middle of the Caspian; Azerbaijan and Georgia continue to
discuss the alignment of their boundary at certain crossing areas
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 2,400 (Russia)
IDPs: 580,000-690,000 (conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh)
(2007)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Azerbaijan is primarily a source and transit
country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of
commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor; women and some
children from Azerbaijan are trafficked to Turkey and the UAE for
the purpose of sexual exploitation; men and boys are trafficked to
Russia for the purpose of forced labor; Azerbaijan serves as a
transit country for victims from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan,
and Moldova trafficked to Turkey and the UAE for sexual exploitation
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Azerbaijan is on the Tier 2 Watch
List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to
combat trafficking in persons, particularly efforts to investigate,
prosecute, and punish traffickers; to address complicity among law
enforcement personnel; and to adequately identify and protect
victims in Azerbaijan; the government has yet to develop a
much-needed mechanism to identify potential trafficking victims and
refer them to safety and care; poor treatment of trafficking victims
in courtrooms continues to be a problem (2008)
Illicit drugs:
limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for
CIS consumption; small government eradication program; transit point
for Southwest Asian opiates bound for Russia and to a lesser extent
the rest of Europe
page last updated on January 18, 2011
======================================================================
@Bahamas, The (Central America and Caribbean)
Introduction ::Bahamas, The
Background:
Lucayan Indians inhabited the islands when Christopher COLUMBUS
first set foot in the New World on San Salvador in 1492. British
settlement of the islands began in 1647; the islands became a colony
in 1783. Since attaining independence from the UK in 1973, The
Bahamas has prospered through tourism and international banking and
investment management. Because of its geography, the country is a
major transshipment point for illegal drugs, particularly shipments
to the US and Europe, and its territory is used for smuggling
illegal migrants into the US.
Geography ::Bahamas, The
Location:
Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast
of Florida, northeast of Cuba
Geographic coordinates:
24 15 N, 76 00 W
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 13,880 sq km
country comparison to the world: 160
land: 10,010 sq km
water: 3,870 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Connecticut
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
3,542 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream
Terrain:
long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Alvernia on Cat Island 63 m
Natural resources:
salt, aragonite, timber, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 0.58%
permanent crops: 0.29%
other: 99.13% (2005)
Irrigated land:
10 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
NA
Natural hazards:
hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind
damage
Environment - current issues:
coral reef decay; solid waste disposal
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain
of which 30 are inhabited
People ::Bahamas, The
Population:
310,426
country comparison to the world: 177
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2010 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 25.3% (male 39,493/female 38,355)
15-64 years: 68.7% (male 103,889/female 107,528)
65 years and over: 5.9% (male 6,998/female 11,289) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 29.9 years
male: 28.8 years
female: 31 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.935% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126
Birth rate:
16.25 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 128
Death rate:
6.89 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 140
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 98
Urbanization:
urban population: 84% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 13.68 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 129
male: 13.68 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 13.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.84 years
country comparison to the world: 140
male: 68.48 years
female: 73.27 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 128
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
3% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 24
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
6,200 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 118
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 200 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105
Nationality:
noun: Bahamian(s)
adjective: Bahamian
Ethnic groups:
black 85%, white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3%
Religions:
Baptist 35.4%, Anglican 15.1%, Roman Catholic 13.5%, Pentecostal
8.1%, Church of God 4.8%, Methodist 4.2%, other Christian 15.2%,
none or unspecified 2.9%, other 0.8% (2000 census)
Languages:
English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.6%
male: 94.7%
female: 96.5% (2003 est.)
Education expenditures:
3.6% of GDP (2000)
country comparison to the world: 127
Government ::Bahamas, The
Country name:
conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas
conventional short form: The Bahamas
Government type:
constitutional parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
Capital:
name: Nassau
geographic coordinates: 25 05 N, 77 21 W
time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard
Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends
first Sunday in November
Administrative divisions:
31 districts; Acklins Islands, Berry Islands, Bimini, Black Point,
Cat Island, Central Abaco, Central Andros, Central Eleuthera, City
of Freeport, Crooked Island and Long Cay, East Grand Bahama, Exuma,
Grand Cay, Harbour Island, Hope Town, Inagua, Long Island, Mangrove
Cay, Mayaguana, Moore's Island, North Abaco, North Andros, North
Eleuthera, Ragged Island, Rum Cay, San Salvador, South Abaco, South
Andros, South Eleuthera, Spanish Wells, West Grand Bahama
Independence:
10 July 1973 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 10 July (1973)
Constitution:
10 July 1973
Legal system:
based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: