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Azerbaijan

Geography

South of Russia, north of Iran and east of Armenia.

Government

Azerbaijan is a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States, former republics within the Soviet Union that today are closely associated with Russia economically, in defense and foreign policy.

Economy

Figures unless otherwise stated are from the CIA Factbook.

Estimated per capita GDP :
2007 $9,000 (Ranks 103rd)

GDP annual growth rate estimated for 2007: 31 percent. (Ranks 1st.)

Military expenditures as a percentage of GDP: 2.6 (estimated for 2005).

CIA Factbook: "A consortium of Western oil companies began pumping 1 million barrels a day from a large offshore field in early 2006, through a $4 billion pipeline it built from Baku to Turkey's Mediterranean port of Ceyhan."

Estimated oil production for 2007: 834,400 barrel per day.

Estimated Deaths and Births per 1,000 persons

For 2008: Deaths 8.32. Births 17.52, down from 20.4 in 2005

Population

Estimated for July 2008:, 8.178 million. Growth estimated rate for 2008: 0.723 percent per year.

Migration estimated for 2008

More leaving than arriving, a net loss of 1.197 persons per 1,000 population.

Health

Infant mortality for 2008: 56.43, down from 58.31 in 2007 (deaths before the age of one year, per 1,000 live births).

Average life expectancy at birth estimated for 2008: 66.31 years, up from 63.35 in 2005

Living with HIV/AIDS, ages 15 to 49: 0.1percent (2003)

Religion

Azerbaijan is a secular society, but predominately Shi'a.

SOURCES:
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/

Copyright © 2008 by Frank E. Smitha. All rights reserved.