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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 districts (rayonlar; rayon - singular), 11 cities (saharlar; sahar - singular);rayons: 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, Zardabcities: 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

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

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 Ali ASADOV (since 8 October 2019); First Deputy Prime Minister Yaqub EYYUBOV (since June 2006)

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

Elections appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds (if needed) for a 7-year term; a single individual is eligible for unlimited terms; election last held on 11 April 2018 (next to be held in 2025); prime minister and first deputy prime minister appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly; note - a constitutional amendment approved in a September 2016 referendum expanded the presidential term from 5 to 7 years; a separate constitutional amendment approved in the same referendum also introduced the post of first vice-president and additional vice-presidents, who are directly appointed by the president

Election results: Ilham ALIYEV reelected president (11 April 2018) 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 early on 9 February 2020 (next to be held in 2025)

Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - YAP 69, CSP 3, AVP 1, CUP 1, ADMP 1, PDR 1, Great Order 1, National Front Party 1, REAL 1, VP 1, Whole Azerbaijan Popular Front 1, party unknown 1, independent 41; composition - men 103, women 22, percent of women 17.6%

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

Azerbaijan Democratic Enlightenment Party or ADMP [Elshan MASAYEV]Civic Solidarity Party or VHP [Sabir RUSTAMKHANLI]Civic Unity Party or CUP [Sabir HAJIYEV]Great Order Party [Fazil MUSTAFA]Islamic Party of Azerbaijan or AiP [Mavsum SAMADOV]Musavat [Arif HAJILI]Popular Front Party [Ali KARIMLI]Motherland Party or AVP [Fazail AGAMALI]National Front Party [Razi NURULLAYEV]National Revival Movement Party [Faraj GULIYEV]Party for Democratic Reforms or PDR [Asim MOLLAZADE]Republican Alternative Party or REAL [Ilgar MAMMADOV]Social Democratic Party [Ayaz MUTALIBOV]Social Prosperity Party [Asli KAZIMOVA]Unity Party or VP [Tahir KARIMLI]Whole Azerbaijan Popular Front Party [Gudrat HASANGULIYEV]New Azerbaijan Party (Yeni AzÉ™rbaycan Partiyasi) or YAP [Ilham ALIYEV]

Flag Description

Three equal horizontal bands of sky blue (top), red, and green; a vertical crescent moon and an 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

National Anthem

Lyrics music: Ahmed JAVAD/Uzeyir HAJIBEYOV

National Heritage