style="font-size:15px;"> 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, alumina
Land use: arable land: 19.63% permanent crops: 2.71% other: 77.66% (2001)
Irrigated land:
14,550 sq km (1998 est.)
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 as a 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, 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
People Azerbaijan
Population:
7,911,974 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 26.4% (male 1,063,731/female 1,028,684)
15–64 years: 65.7% (male 2,533,762/female 2,665,381)
65 years and over: 7.8% (male 245,758/female 374,658) (2005 est.)
Median age:
total: 27.53 years
male: 26.09 years
female: 29 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.59% (2005 est.)
Birth rate:
20.4 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate:
9.86 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate:
−4.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 81.74 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 83.58 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 79.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 63.35 years
male: 59.24 years
female: 67.66 years (2005 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.44 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
1,400 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2001 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Azerbaijani(s)
adjective: Azerbaijani
Ethnic groups:
Azeri 90.6%, Dagestani 2.2%, Russian 1.8%, Armenian 1.5%, other
3.9% (1999 census)
note: almost all Armenians live in the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh
region
Religions:
Muslim 93.4%, Russian Orthodox 2.5%, Armenian Orthodox 2.3%, other
1.8% (1995 est.)
note: religious affiliation is still nominal in Azerbaijan;
percentages for actual practicing adherents are much lower
Languages:
Azerbaijani (Azeri) 89%, Russian 3%, Armenian 2%, other 6% (1995
est.)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.8%
male: 99.5%
female: 98.2% (1999 est.)
Government Azerbaijan
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Azerbaijan
conventional short form: Azerbaijan
local long form: Azarbaycan Respublikasi
local short form: none
former: Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic
Government type:
