Natural hazards: droughts; some lowland areas threatened by
rising levels of the Caspian Sea

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, water, and soil pollution; soil pollution
results from the use of DDT as a pesticide and also from toxic
defoliants used in the production of cotton

Environment--international agreements:
party to: Climate Change, Desertification, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity

Geography--note: landlocked

People

Population: 7,908,224 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 32% (male 1,292,018; female 1,240,745)
15-64 years: 61% (male 2,361,792; female 2,496,721)
65 years and over: 7% (male 202,755; female 314,193) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.63% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 21.58 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 9.5 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -5.76 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 82.52 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 63.08 years
male: 58.76 years
female: 67.63 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.67 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Azerbaijani(s)
adjective: Azerbaijani

Ethnic groups: Azeri 90%, Dagestani Peoples 3.2%, Russian 2.5%,
Armenian 2%, other 2.3% (1998 est.)
note: almost all Armenians live in the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh
region

Religions: Muslim 93.4%, Russian Orthodox 2.5%, Armenian Orthodox
2.3%, other 1.8% (1995 est.)
note: religious affiliation is still nominal in Azerbaijan;
percentages for actual practicing adherents are much lower

Languages: Azeri 89%, Russian 3%, Armenian 2%, other 6% (1995
est.)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97%
male: 99%
female: 96% (1989 est.)

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Azerbaijani Republic
conventional short form: Azerbaijan
local long form: Azarbaycan Respublikasi
local short form: none