3 GeoFroggy

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

Administrative Divisions

59 rayons (rayonlar; rayon - singular), 11 cities* (saharlar; sahar - singular), 1 autonomous republic** (muxtar respublika)

Independence

30 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National Holiday

Founding of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaidzhan, 28 May (1918)

Constitution

Adopted 12 November 1995

Legal System

based on civil law system

International Law Organization Participation

Citizenship

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 Abbas ABBASOV (since 10 November 2003)

Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly

Elections: president elected by popular vote to a five-year term; election last held 15 October 2003 (next to be held NA October 2008); prime minister and first deputy prime ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly

Election results: Ilham ALIYEV elected president; percent of vote - Ilham ALIYEV 76.8%, Isa GAMBAR 14%

Legislative Branch

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Milli Mejlis (125 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

Elections: last held 4 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2005)

Judicial Branch

Supreme Court

Political Parties and Leaders

Array

Political Pressure Groups and Leaders

Sadval, Lezgin movement; self-proclaimed Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh Republic; Talysh independence movement; Union of Pro-Azerbaijani Forces (UPAF)

Flag Description

Three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), red, and green; a crescent and eight-pointed star in white are centered in red band

National Anthem

Year

Government Type

  • Republic

Capital

    Baku (Baki)

Diplomatic Representation in the US

  • Chief Of Mission
    Ambassador Hafiz PASHAYEV
  • Chancery
    2741 34th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  • Telephone
    [1] (202) 337-3500
  • FAX
    [1] (202) 337-5911

Diplomatic Representation from the US

  • Chief Of Mission
    Ambassador Reno L. HARNISH III
  • Embassy
    83 Azadlyg Prospecti, Baku AZ1007
  • Mailing Address
    American Embassy Baku, Department of State, 7050 Baku Place, Washington, DC 20521-7050
  • Telephone
    [9] (9412) 98-03-35, 36, 37
  • FAX
    [9] (9412) 656-671

International Organization Participation

  • AsDB
  • BSEC
  • CE
  • CIS
  • EAPC
  • EBRD
  • ECO
  • FAO
  • GUUAM
  • IAEA
  • IBRD
  • ICAO
  • ICFTU
  • ICRM
  • IDA
  • IDB
  • IFAD
  • IFC
  • IFRCS
  • ILO
  • IMF
  • IMO
  • Interpol
  • IOC
  • IOM
  • ISO
  • ITU
  • MIGA
  • OAS (observer)
  • OIC
  • OPCW
  • OSCE
  • PFP
  • UN
  • UNCTAD
  • UNESCO
  • UNIDO
  • UPU
  • WCO
  • WFTU
  • WHO
  • WIPO
  • WMO
  • WToO
  • WTrO (observer)