3 GeoFroggy

Country Name

Conventional long form: Republic of Azerbaijan

Conventional short form: Azerbaijan

Local long form: Azarbaycan Respublikasi

Local short form: Azarbaycan

Former: Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic

Administrative Divisions

66 rayons (rayonlar; rayon - singular), 11 cities (saharlar; sahar - singular);; <strong>rayons:</strong> Abseron, Agcabadi, Agdam, Agdas, Agstafa, Agsu, Astara, Babak, Balakan, Barda, Beylaqan, Bilasuvar, Cabrayil, Calilabad, Culfa, Daskasan, Fuzuli, Gadabay, Goranboy, Goycay, Goygol, Haciqabul, Imisli, Ismayilli, Kalbacar, Kangarli, Kurdamir, Lacin, Lankaran, Lerik, Masalli, Neftcala, Oguz, Ordubad, Qabala, Qax, Qazax, Qobustan, Quba, Qubadli, Qusar, Saatli, Sabirabad, Sabran, Sadarak, Sahbuz, Saki, Salyan, Samaxi, Samkir, Samux, Sarur, Siyazan, Susa, Tartar, Tovuz, Ucar, Xacmaz, Xizi, Xocali, Xocavand, Yardimli, Yevlax, Zangilan, Zaqatala, Zardab; ; <strong>cities:</strong> Baku, Ganca, Lankaran, Mingacevir, Naftalan, Naxcivan (Nakhichevan), Saki, Sirvan, Sumqayit, Xankandi, Yevlax;

Independence

30 August 1991 (declared from the Soviet Union); 18 October 1991 (adopted by the Supreme Council of Azerbaijan)

National Holiday

Republic Day (founding of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan), 28 May (1918)

Constitution

History: several previous; latest adopted 12 November 1995 (2017)

Amendments: proposed by the president of the republic or by at least 63 members of the National Assembly; passage requires at least 95 votes of Assembly members in two separate readings of the draft amendment six months apart and requires presidential approval after each of the two Assembly votes, followed by presidential signature; constitutional articles on the authority, sovereignty, and unity of the people cannot be amended; amended 2002, 2009, 2016 (2017)

Legal System

civil law system

International Law Organization Participation

Has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship

Citizenship by birth: yes

Citizenship by descent only: yes

Dual citizenship recognized: no

Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive Branch

Chief of state: President Ilham ALIYEV (since 31 October 2003); First Vice President Mehriban ALIYEVA (since 21 February 2017)

Head of government: Prime Minister Novruz MAMMADOV (since 21 April 2018); First Deputy Prime Minister Yaqub EYYUBOV (since June 2006)

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

Elections:

Election results: Ilham ALIYEV reelected president in first round; percent of vote - Ilham ALIYEV (YAP) 86%, Zahid ORUJ (independent) 3.1%, other 10.9%

Note: OSCE observers noted shortcomings in the election, including a restrictive political environment, limits on fundamental freedoms, a lack of genuine competition, and ballot box stuffing

Legislative Branch

Description: unicameral National Assembly or Milli Mejlis (125 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)

Elections: last held on 1 November 2015 (next to be held in November 2020)

Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - YAP 69, CSP 2, AVP 1, Civil Unity 1, CUP 1, Democratic Enlightenment 1, Democratic Reforms 1, Great Undertaking Party 1, National Renaissance Party 1, Social Democratic Party 1, Social Prosperity Party 1, Whole Azerbaijan Popular Front 1, independent 43, invalid 1; composition - men 104, women 21, percent of women 16.8%

Judicial Branch

Highest courts: Supreme Court (consists of the chairman, vice chairman, and 23 judges in plenum sessions and organized into civil, economic affairs, criminal, and rights violations chambers); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges)

Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges nominated by the president and appointed by the Milli Majlis; judges appointed for 10 years; Constitutional Court chairman and deputy chairman appointed by the president; other court judges nominated by the president and appointed by the Milli Majlis to serve single 15-year terms

Subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal (replaced the Economic Court in 2002); district and municipal courts;

Political Parties and Leaders

Civil Solidarity Party or CSP [Sabir RUSTAMKHANLI]Civil Unity Party or CUP [Sabir HAJIYEV]; Democratic Enlightenment [Elshan MUSAYEV]; Democratic Reforms Party [Asim MOLLAZADE]; Great Undertaking [Fazil MUSTAFA]; Musavat [Arif HAJILI]; Popular Front Party [Ali KARIMLI]; Motherland Party or AVP [Fazail AGAMALI]; National Renaissance Party; Social Democratic Party [Ayaz MUTALIBOV]; Social Prosperity Party [Khanhusein KAZIMLI]; Unity Party [Tahir KARIMLI]; Whole Azerbaijan Popular Front Party [Gudrat HASANGULIYEV]; Yeni (New) Azerbaijan Party or YAP [President Ilham ALIYEV];

Flag Description

Three equal horizontal bands of sky blue (top), red, and green; a crescent and eight-pointed star in white are centered in the red band; the blue band recalls Azerbaijan's Turkic heritage, red stands for modernization and progress, and green refers to Islam; the crescent moon and star are a Turkic insignia; the eight star points represent the eight Turkic peoples of the world

National Symbols

Flames of fire; national colors: blue, red, green

National Anthem

Lyrics:

Year

Government Type

  • Presidential republic

Capital

  • Name
    Baku (Baki, Baky)
  • Geographic Coordinates
    40 23 N, 49 52 E
  • Time Difference
    UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Diplomatic Representation in the US

  • Chief Of Mission
    Ambassador Elin SULEYMANOV (since 5 December 2011)
  • Chancery
    2741 34th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  • Telephone
    [1] (202) 337-3500
  • FAX
    [1] (202) 337-5911
  • Consulate(s) General
    Los Angeles

Diplomatic Representation from the US

  • Chief Of Mission
    Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires William GILL (since August 2016)
  • Embassy
    111 Azadlig Prospekti, Baku AZ1007
  • Mailing Address
    American Embassy Baku, US Department of State, 7050 Baku Place, Washington, DC 20521-7050
  • Telephone
    [994] (12) 488-3300
  • FAX
    [994] (12) 488-3330

International Organization Participation

  • ADB
  • BSEC
  • CD
  • CE
  • CICA
  • CIS
  • EAPC
  • EBRD
  • ECO
  • EITI (compliant country)
  • FAO
  • GCTU
  • GUAM
  • IAEA
  • IBRD
  • ICAO
  • ICC (NGOs)
  • ICRM
  • IDA
  • IDB
  • IFAD
  • IFC
  • IFRCS
  • ILO
  • IMF
  • IMO
  • Interpol
  • IOC
  • IOM
  • IPU
  • ISO
  • ITSO
  • ITU
  • ITUC (NGOs)
  • MIGA
  • NAM
  • OAS (observer)
  • OIC
  • OPCW
  • OSCE
  • PFP
  • SELEC (observer)
  • UN
  • UNCTAD
  • UNESCO
  • UNHCR
  • UNIDO
  • UNWTO
  • UPU
  • WCO
  • WFTU (NGOs)
  • WHO
  • WIPO
  • WMO
  • WTO (observer)