Country Profile: 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.

Factbook: "Azerbaijan's high economic growth during 2006-08 is attributable to large and growing oil exports, but the non-energy sector also featured double-digit growth in 2008, spurred by growth in the construction, banking, and real estate sectors."

Estimated per capita GDP (2009 U.S. dollars)

2009: $10,400
2008: $9,600
2007: $8,700

GDP annual real (not per capita) growth rate estimate

2009: 9.3%
2008: 10.8%
2007: 25%

Public debt

2009: 4.6% of GDP

Unemployment rate

2009: 6%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
2005: Top ten percent of the population, 17.5%; bottom 10%, 6.1%

Military expenditures as a percentage of GDP

2005: 2.6%

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 2008: 1.04 million barrels per day (rates 71st).

Population

Living in an urban area: 52% (2008)

July 2009: 8.238 million. Growth rate: 0.762%
July 2008: 8.178 million

Migration

2009: More leaving than arriving. A net loss of 1.69 persons per 1,000 population.

Health

Infant mortality (deaths before the age of one year per 1,000 live births)

2009: 54.6 (ranks 46th -- worse than average)
2008: 56.43
2007: 58.31

Average life expectancy at birth

2009: 66.66 years (ranks 157th -- worse than average)
2008: 66.31
2005: 63.35

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/