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Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan
General information
Common nameAzerbaijan
Local name 
Name 
AnthemAzərbaycan marşı
( )

CapitalBaku
Largest citycapital
Official languagesAzerbaijani
DemonymAzerbaijani
Government
GovernmentPresidential republic
PresidentIlham Aliyev
Prime MinisterArtur Rasizade
Statehood formationStatehood formation
Atabegs of Azerbaijan
1135
Azerbaijan Democratic Republic
28 May 1918
Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic
28 April 1920
Independence
from the Soviet Union
Declared
Completed


30 August 1991
18 October 1991
Geography
Total Area33436 sq mi (86599.2 km2) (113th)
Water %1.6%
Demography
Population Est.9165000 (89th)
Population census7953438 (1999)
Density (pop.)105.8/km2 (103th) (274.1/sq mi)
Economy
GDP PPP$94.318 billion (2011)
GDP (PPP) per capita$10,340
GDP (nominal)$72.189 billion (2011)
GDP (nominal) per capita$7,914
Other information
Gini36.5 (2001) (medium)
HDI(+) 0.713 (2010) (high) (67th)
CurrencyManat (AZN)
Time zoneAZT (UTC+04) (UTC)
Drives on theright
Internet TLD.az
Calling code994

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Azerbaijan (c-enaudio=en-us-Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan ( ) is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to the south. The exclave of Nakhchivan is bounded by Armenia to the north and east, Iran to the south and west, while having a short borderline with Turkey to the northwest.

The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the first democratic and secular republic in the Muslim world, was established in 1918, but was incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1920. Azerbaijan regained independence in 1991. Shortly thereafter, during the Nagorno-Karabakh War, neighboring Armenia occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, its surrounding territories and the enclaves of Karki, Yukhary Askipara, Barkhudarly and Sofulu. The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, which emerged in Nagorno-Karabakh, continues to be not diplomatically recognized by any nation and the region is still considered a de jure part of Azerbaijan, despite being de facto independent since the end of the war.

Azerbaijan, a nation with a majority Turkic and Shia population, is a secular and a unitary republic with an ancient and historic cultural heritage. Azerbaijan is one of the six independent Turkic states as well as the active members of the Turkic Council and the TÜRKSOY community. Azerbaijan has diplomatic relations with 158 countries and holds membership in 38 international organizations. It is one of the founding members of GUAM and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, and in December 1991 the country became a founding member of the Commonwealth of Independent States. On May 9, 2006 Azerbaijan was elected to membership in the newly established Human Rights Council by the United Nations General Assembly. The term of office began on June 19, 2006. A Special Envoy of the European Commission is present in the country, which is also a member of the United Nations, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, and the NATO Partnership for Peace (PfP) program. Azerbaijan is a correspondent at the International Telecommunication Union and member of the Non-Aligned Movement and holds observer status in World Trade Organization.

Being one of the five most developed countries among CIS members, Azerbaijan has the 67th highest human development level in the world. In 2009 the country had an unemployment rate of 6% and a low crime rate compared to other CIS and Eastern European countries.


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