ABOUT AZERBAIJAN

 

Official name: The Republic of Azerbaijan
Capital city: Baku
Main languages: the Azerbaijani, Russian
Main religion: Islam
Monetary unit: 1 manat = 100 gapiks
Main export articles: oil and oil products
Average annual per capita income: 1 364 dollars (2006)
GDP per capita : 2 373 dollars (2006)
National Domain: .az
International telephone code: +994

Territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan: 86,6 thousand square kilometers. Azerbaijan is situated in the geographical coordinates of 440 and 520 eastern longitude, 380 and 420 northern latitude. Baku is situated in 40th parallel. Azerbaijan has common boundaries with: Iran in the south along the perimeter 765 km, with Turkey – 15 km, with Russia in the north – 390 km, with Armenia in the west 1007 km. The length odf the coastal line is 713 km.

Population of the Republic of Azerbaijan – 8 million and 593 thousand people (for 01.01.2007).

The Azerbaijani language has the status of the official language of the Republic of Azerbaijan. It is the native language of more than 30 million of Azerbaijanis residing in different parts of the world.

In addition to Islam, Christianity represented in Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant confessions and Judaism are practiced in Azerbaijan.

In conformity with its constitutional characteristics the Azerbaijan state is a democratic, jural, secular and unitary state. The unitarity is of a specific character: the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is an autonomous state in the composition of the Republic of Azerbaijan. According to its form of government the Republic of Azerbaijan is a presidential republic (government). The system of ruling is regulated by the principle of dividing the powers into legislature, executive power and judicial authority. The bodies of the local self-government – municipalities - hold a special place in the political system of Azerbaijan. The party and political system of Azerbaijan is characterised by pluralism.

Azerbaijan is a member of the following international organisations:

- The Organisation of United Nations (UN)

- The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS),

- The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE),

- The Organization for Democracy and Economic Development (GUAM),

- The Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC),

- The Organisation for the Black sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC),

- The Organisation for Economic Cooperation (ECO).

Azerbaijan cooperates with the European Union, the NATO, the International Monetary Fund, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Islamic Development Bank and other organisations.