Terrain:

large, flat Kur-Araz Ovaligi (Kura-Araks Lowland) (much of it below
sea level) with Great Caucasus Mountains to the north, Qarabag
Yaylasi (Karabakh Upland) in west; Baku lies on Abseron Yasaqligi
(Apsheron Peninsula) that juts into Caspian Sea

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m
highest point: Bazarduzu Dagi 4,485 m

Natural resources:

petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, nonferrous metals, bauxite

Land use:

arable land: 20.62%
permanent crops: 2.61%
other: 76.77% (2005)

Irrigated land:

14,550 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

30.3 cu km (1997)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 17.25 cu km/yr (5%/28%/68%)
per capita: 2,051 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

droughts

Environment - current issues:

local scientists consider the Abseron Yasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula)
(including Baku and Sumqayit) and the Caspian Sea to be the
ecologically most devastated area in the world because of severe
air, soil, and water pollution; soil pollution results from oil
spills, from the use of DDT pesticide, and from toxic defoliants
used in the production of cotton

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

both the main area of the country and the Naxcivan exclave are
landlocked

People
Azerbaijan

Population:

8,177,717 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 24.6% (male 1,061,318/female 947,607)
15-64 years: 68.6% (male 2,753,277/female 2,855,406)
65 years and over: 6.8% (male 208,293/female 351,816) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 27.9 years
male: 26.3 years
female: 29.7 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.723% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

17.52 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

8.32 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

-1.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.14 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.12 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 56.43 deaths/1,000 live bi