Azerbaijan - A Brief Profile

Overview

A country of rugged mountains and river valleys bordering the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan has been renowned for its oil and natural gas reserves since ancient times. Lying at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, the country has a unique geographical position, and retains its significance for world economic and cultural links.

The main contrasts in the nature of Azerbaijan come from the difference between humid mountains and dry plains. The landscape varies from dry, hot semi-deserts, to snow-capped highlands and glaciers. The unique diversity of Azerbaijan's nature is a result of its geographical position and diverse relief (there are 9 out of 11 climatic zones in the country). The present-day panoramic view of Azerbaijan, with its high mountains, volcanic highlands, deep canyons, plains, valleys and coastlines has been forming over millions of years.

Azerbaijan is rich in mineral resources, the most important of which is oil. The main oil fields are on Apsheron Peninsula and the Caspian Shelf. Azerbaijan is one of the world's oldest oil-producing countries. The country's oil industry experienced a boom at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. During World War II, the Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan produced approximately 500,000 barrels per day.

The 70 years, during which it formed part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), marked a new, important stage in the development of the Azerbaijani statehood, during which the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic forged ahead in its social, economic and cultural development. At the same time, however, the Soviet period also saw many negative trends emerge in Azerbaijan, as elsewhere throughout the USSR.

At the economic level, the country became a reservoir of fuel, raw materials and agricultural produce for the Soviet economy. At the cultural level, the imposition of the Cyrillic alphabet in place of the Latin alphabet severed the country's ties with the fountainhead of Azerbaijani literature and culture. The Soviet regime was at pains to suppress any efforts by the Azerbaijani intelligentsia to manifest their separate ethnic identity and to study the true history of their country.

In 1988-1990, the national democratic movement in Azerbaijan campaigned vigorously for the restoration of the country's independence. On September 23, 1989 Azerbaijan was among the first Soviet republics to adopt its own decision on Sovereignty. The act establishing the State independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan, which completed its passage on October 18, 1991, set out the foundations for the statehood of an independent Azerbaijan and determined the principles of its political and economic structure.

Political Context

The structural formation of Azerbaijan's political system was completed by way of the acceptance of the new Constitution of Azerbaijan on November 12th, 1995. The constitution established Azerbaijan as a democratic, legal, secular and unitary republic. State power is based on the principle of division of powers: Milli Majlis (National Parliament) exercises legislative power; executive power belongs to the President, the Head of the Azerbaijani state, who is elected for a 5-year term by way of general, direct and equal elections, with free, personal and secret ballot; and law courts (Constitutional Court, Supreme Court, Courts of Appeal, ordinary and other specialized law courts) exercise judicial power.  

Self-governing municipalities also play an important role in the political system of Azerbaijan. These are newly established, yet highly prospective institutions.

Like all contemporary political systems, the political system of Azerbaijan is characterized by pluralism - the existence of more than one political party. The political parties participate in political life through representatives in the legislative and local self-governing bodies. The Republic of Azerbaijan currently accounts for 42 political parties registered by the state.  

Economy

After the restoration of its independence in 1991 the Republic of Azerbaijan faced numerous and new problems regarding the establishment of a market economy. Transition to free market principles in parallel with an ailing centrally planned economy management structure weakened the economy of Azerbaijan, especially during the early years of independence up to 1994. However the period from 1996 could be characterized as a period of stabilization of the economy of the country. Production growth was achieved as a result of the successful work of state owned electric power, fuel, chemistry and oil chemistry enterprises, as well as enterprises in the private sector. At present 381 enterprises with foreign investment, representing 37 countries are functioning in the industrial sector; accordingly, thousands of new work places have been created.

Oil is the main national wealth of the country. The oil industry was, and still is, the leading sector of the country’s economy. The most important event of the previous decade is the “Contract of the Century” signed in September 1994 with the leading foreign companies. In recent years the domestic production of cash registers, micro calculators, telephones, and household appliances has begun.

The production of certain types of products previously imported into the country has been initiated. In addition, many foreign enterprises and joint ventures now manufacture products to international standards and supply the domestic market with their products, so allowing for import substitution. This assists the balance of trade and has a good influence on the balance of payments. 

There have been many private company formations and a considerable expansion of small entrepreneurship, leading to dynamic development in the size and the role of the private sector. Together with an increase in new private enterprises, the privatization process, as part of the country’s broad economic reforms, has given a strong impetus to the growth of private sector.

Situation Assessment

Over the past twenty years, there has been a trend away from a traditional preference for large families to smaller ones. The economic difficulties of the transition period have intensified this change in preferences. The total fertility rate has been decreasing along with the birth rate until the year 2002, which was the turning-point. Starting from 2002, these indicators have tended to change slightly, increasing from 1.8 to 2.3 children per woman in 2007.

The only group for which the fertility rate has not declined in recent years is young women (15-19 years of age). This may be associated with early marriage - since the number of women marrying under the age of 20 has increased in recent years - and with poor fertility education.

Increase of both marriages and divorces has been observed in last several years. Approximately 63% of women aged 16 and above are married. The average age at marriage for women is approximately 23 and for men about 28.

Over the last five years the number of childbirths and abortions under 19 years old has been on an upward trend. The same tendency is observed with a number of registered cases of STIs in adolescents. 

In Azerbaijan, as in other countries of the region, measuring maternal mortality is difficult and complex. Use of administrative data leads to problems of under-reporting and misclassification, while estimates based on household surveys are often subject to wide margins of error because of sample size issues. This is mainly due to several reasons: problems in collecting administrative data; the definition of “maternal mortality” used in the country; the fact that local health units also try to conceal maternal deaths due to fear of penalization.

The significant difference between official and international definitions of maternal mortality, together with the different methodologies and techniques used in collecting and evaluating the data, makes the use of maternal mortality data very difficult.

The same is with the infant mortality. The Demographic and Health Survey, 2006 (DHS) indicated that the average infant mortality rate (IMR) was 43 deaths per 1,000 live births (with 95% confidence interval ranging from 32 to 54 per 1,000) as opposed to 12,1 according to official statistics in 2007.

However, the protection of maternity and childhood is in the focus of state attention: the State programme of activities on protection of maternity and childhood was adopted in 2006. Family planning programs started to be developed in Azerbaijan in 1996 with support from international organizations (UNFPA).

Decline in fertility over the recent years and low level of mortality will slowly lead, over the coming decades, to the process of population aging. In other words, Azerbaijan Republic, having a young population structure in comparison with both Eastern and Western European countries, in the next decades will experience the same problems of population ageing process already faced by these developed or developing countries. Increase in the life expectancy resulting from the future social-economic development will be one of forces contributing to this process. According to above-stated forecasts, the total life expectancy at birth in the country will reach 72.87 years in 2010, 74.21 years in 2015, and 75.52 years in 2020. As a result of these increases and other contributing factors, the proportion of those over 65 in the whole population is expected to increase from 6.9 percent to 8.2 percent in 2020.

Since its independence in 1991, the Republic of Azerbaijan has been striving to overcome migration related challenges it has faced. At present, as a result of the rapid socio-economic progress and the realization of important projects in the fields of energy, transport and in other sectors, Azerbaijan is being transformed into an attractive destination country for international migrants.

As both official and independent sources report, it is economic migration that has prevailed over other types of migration from Azerbaijan in recent years. Labour migration has raised expectations in the country; a large number of highly qualified professionals, failing to find employment opportunities in Azerbaijan, started looking towards labour markets outside the country where they can get engaged in income generating activities in turn of putting their skills in use. Internal migration is particularly significant among people of working age.

As mentioned above, because of the very high level of economic growth Azerbaijan has been performing in the first decade of the 21st Century, Azerbaijan has begun transforming itself from primarily a country of origin of migrants to a destination country for international migrants (both regular and irregular) in the region. Apart from regular transit and foreign labour migrants registered by relevant authorities, hundreds of foreigners, mainly from Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and the Russian Federation (Chechnya), arrive in Azerbaijan every year with the intention either to stay for an uncertain period of time or to move on to Europe using neighbouring Georgia, Russia and Turkey as transit countries. Irregular migrants from other countries include (although are not limited to) Bangladeshis, Indians, Iraqis, Somalians and Sri-Lankans.

In 1995, Azerbaijan participated in the World Conference on Women in Beijing, and ratified, with no reservations, the Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) on 30th June 1995 and the Optional Protocol to the Convention in 2001. On 14th January 1998 the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan signed an order ‘On increasing women’s role in Azerbaijan’ putting obligations on relevant structures to prepare proposals for strengthening women’s social protection with focus on refugees and IDPs. On 6th March 2000, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan signed a decree on ‘Implementation of Women Policy in the Republic of Azerbaijan’, aimed to protect better women’s rights, to bring relevant legislation and amend existing ones to ensure equality between women and men, especially equality in decision –making positions.

The State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs was established according to the Presidential Decree dated 6th February, 2006 with leading responsibility within the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan for policy on women and gender equality and replaced the State Committee for Women’s Issues of the Republic of Azerbaijan, which had been operating as a state body on women’s issues since 1998.

Although equal rights for both men and women are guaranteed under the Constitution of the Republic as well as in numerous decrees and international treaties subscribed by the country, de facto they are not applied and violations of women’s rights and gender disparities remain widespread in the country.  The key gender issues in the country can be categorised as follows: government obligations and institutional mechanisms, violence against women, early marriages, trafficking of women, empowerment of women, education, health and economic insecurity. Azerbaijan society shows certain sensitivity related to gender equality; it has reached a number of positive advancements in granting equal rights to women in the field of legislation, education and employment, however there are still strong patriarchal tendencies within society rooted to the traditions and customs and number of CEDAW Committee recommendations remain unfulfilled. The Government recognizes that women in Azerbaijan still face a number of challenges and still faces a range of difficulties in the provision to certain women of qualitative education, healthcare services and employment.

Basic Indicators

Total population - 8.63 million

Life expentancy at birth

Printable Version