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Compare Azerbaijan (2006) - Mauritania (2008)

Compare Azerbaijan (2006) z Mauritania (2008)

 Azerbaijan (2006)Mauritania (2008)
 AzerbaijanMauritania
Administrative divisions 59 rayons (rayonlar; rayon - singular), 11 cities (saharlar; sahar - singular), 1 autonomous republic (muxtar respublika)


rayons: Abseron Rayonu, Agcabadi Rayonu, Agdam Rayonu, Agdas Rayonu, Agstafa Rayonu, Agsu Rayonu, Astara Rayonu, Balakan Rayonu, Barda Rayonu, Beylaqan Rayonu, Bilasuvar Rayonu, Cabrayil Rayonu, Calilabad Rayonu, Daskasan Rayonu, Davaci Rayonu, Fuzuli Rayonu, Gadabay Rayonu, Goranboy Rayonu, Goycay Rayonu, Haciqabul Rayonu, Imisli Rayonu, Ismayilli Rayonu, Kalbacar Rayonu, Kurdamir Rayonu, Lacin Rayonu, Lankaran Rayonu, Lerik Rayonu, Masalli Rayonu, Neftcala Rayonu, Oguz Rayonu, Qabala Rayonu, Qax Rayonu, Qazax Rayonu, Qobustan Rayonu, Quba Rayonu, Qubadli Rayonu, Qusar Rayonu, Saatli Rayonu, Sabirabad Rayonu, Saki Rayonu, Salyan Rayonu, Samaxi Rayonu, Samkir Rayonu, Samux Rayonu, Siyazan Rayonu, Susa Rayonu, Tartar Rayonu, Tovuz Rayonu, Ucar Rayonu, Xacmaz Rayonu, Xanlar Rayonu, Xizi Rayonu, Xocali Rayonu, Xocavand Rayonu, Yardimli Rayonu, Yevlax Rayonu, Zangilan Rayonu, Zaqatala Rayonu, Zardab Rayonu


cities: Ali Bayramli Sahari, Baki Sahari, Ganca Sahari, Lankaran Sahari, Mingacevir Sahari, Naftalan Sahari, Saki Sahari, Sumqayit Sahari, Susa Sahari, Xankandi Sahari, Yevlax Sahari


autonomous republic: Naxcivan Muxtar Respublikasi
12 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 capital district*; Adrar, Assaba, Brakna, Dakhlet Nouadhibou, Gorgol, Guidimaka, Hodh Ech Chargui, Hodh El Gharbi, Inchiri, Nouakchott*, Tagant, Tiris Zemmour, Trarza
Age structure 0-14 years: 25.8% (male 1,046,501/female 1,011,492)


15-64 years: 66.3% (male 2,573,134/female 2,706,275)


65 years and over: 7.8% (male 246,556/female 377,661) (2006 est.)
0-14 years: 45.5% (male 744,995/female 741,369)


15-64 years: 52.4% (male 845,272/female 866,998)


65 years and over: 2.2% (male 28,564/female 42,867) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products cotton, grain, rice, grapes, fruit, vegetables, tea, tobacco; cattle, pigs, sheep, goats dates, millet, sorghum, rice, corn; cattle, sheep
Airports 36 (2006) 25 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 27


over 3,047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 7


1,524 to 2,437 m: 13


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 2 (2006)
total: 8


2,438 to 3,047 m: 3


1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 9


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 7 (2006)
total: 17


1,524 to 2,437 m: 9


914 to 1,523 m: 7


under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Area total: 86,600 sq km


land: 86,100 sq km


water: 500 sq km


note: includes the exclave of Naxcivan Autonomous Republic and the Nagorno-Karabakh region; the region's autonomy was abolished by Azerbaijani Supreme Soviet on 26 November 1991
total: 1,030,700 sq km


land: 1,030,400 sq km


water: 300 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Maine slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico
Background Azerbaijan - a nation with a Turkic and majority-Muslim population - was briefly independent from 1918 to 1920; it regained its independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Despite a 1994 cease-fire, Azerbaijan has yet to resolve its conflict with Armenia over the Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh enclave (largely Armenian populated). Azerbaijan has lost 16% of its territory and must support some 528,000 internally displaced persons as a result of the conflict. Corruption is ubiquitous, and the promise of widespread wealth from Azerbaijan's undeveloped petroleum resources remains largely unfulfilled. Independent from France in 1960, Mauritania annexed the southern third of the former Spanish Sahara (now Western Sahara) in 1976, but relinquished it after three years of raids by the Polisario guerrilla front seeking independence for the territory. Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA seized power in a coup in 1984 and ruled Mauritania with a heavy hand for over two decades. A series of presidential elections that he held were widely seen as flawed. A bloodless coup in August 2005 deposed President TAYA and ushered in a military council that oversaw a transition to democratic rule. Independent candidate Sidi Ould Cheikh ABDALLAHI was inaugurated in April 2007 as Mauritania's first freely and fairly elected president. The country continues to experience ethnic tensions among its black population (Afro-Mauritanians) and White and Black Moor (Arab-Berber) communities, although the new government is attempting to ameliorate some of these tensions.
Birth rate 20.74 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) 40.56 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $3.18 billion


expenditures: $2.986 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
revenues: $421 million


expenditures: $378 million (2002 est.)
Capital name: Baku (Baki, Baky)


geographic coordinates: 40 23 N, 49 51 E


time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)


daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
name: Nouakchott


geographic coordinates: 18 07 N, 16 02 W


time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate dry, semiarid steppe desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty
Coastline 0 km (landlocked); note - Azerbaijan borders the Caspian Sea (800 km est.) 754 km
Constitution adopted 12 November 1995 12 July 1991
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
conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Mauritania


conventional short form: Mauritania


local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Islamiyah al Muritaniyah


local short form: Muritaniyah
Death rate 9.75 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) 11.89 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $1.873 billion (2005 est.) $2.5 billion (2000)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Anne E. DERSE


embassy: 83 Azadliyg Prospecti, Baku AZ1007


mailing address: American Embassy Baku, US Department of State, 7050 Baku Place, Washington, DC 20521-7050


telephone: [994] (12) 4980-335 through 337


FAX: [994] (12) 4656-671
chief of mission: Ambassador Mark M. BOULWARE


embassy: 288 Rue Abdallaye (between Presidency building and Spanish Embassy), Nouakchott


mailing address: BP 222, Nouakchott


telephone: [222] 525-2660/525-2663


FAX: [222] 525-1592
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Yashar ALIYEV


chancery: 2741 34th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 337-3500


FAX: [1] (202) 337-5911


Consulate(s) general: Los Angeles
chief of mission: Ambassador Ibrahima DIA


chancery: 2129 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 232-5700, 5701


FAX: [1] (202) 319-2623
Disputes - international Armenia supports ethnic Armenian secessionists in Nagorno-Karabakh and since the early 1990s has militarily occupied 16% of Azerbaijan; over 800,000 mostly ethnic Azerbaijanis were driven from the occupied lands and Armenia; about 230,000 ethnic Armenians were driven from their homes in Azerbaijan into Armenia; Azerbaijan seeks transit route through Armenia to connect to Naxcivan exclave; Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) continues to mediate dispute; Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia ratify Caspian seabed delimitation treaties based on equidistance, while Iran continues to insist on an even one-fifth allocation and challenges Azerbaijan's hydrocarbon exploration in disputed waters; bilateral talks continue with Turkmenistan on dividing the seabed and contested oilfields in the middle of the Caspian; Azerbaijan and Georgia continue to discuss the alignment of their boundary at certain crossing areas Mauritanian claims to Western Sahara remain dormant
Economic aid - recipient ODA, $140 million (2000 est.) $190.4 million (2005)
Economy - overview Azerbaijan's number one export is oil. Azerbaijan's oil production declined through 1997, but has registered an increase every year since. Negotiation of production-sharing arrangements (PSAs) with foreign firms, which have thus far committed $60 billion to long-term oilfield development, should generate the funds needed to spur future industrial development. Oil production under the first of these PSAs, with the Azerbaijan International Operating Company, began in November 1997. A consortium of Western oil companies is scheduled to begin 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. Economists estimate that by 2010 revenues from this project will double the country's current GDP. Azerbaijan shares all the formidable problems of the former Soviet republics in making the transition from a command to a market economy, but its considerable energy resources brighten its long-term prospects. Baku has only recently begun making progress on economic reform, and old economic ties and structures are slowly being replaced. Several other obstacles impede Azerbaijan's economic progress: the need for stepped up foreign investment in the non-energy sector, the continuing conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, and the pervasive corruption. Trade with Russia and the other former Soviet republics is declining in importance while trade is building with Turkey and the nations of Europe. Long-term prospects will depend on world oil prices, the location of new pipelines in the region, and Azerbaijan's ability to manage its oil wealth. Half the population still depends on agriculture and livestock for a livelihood, even though many of the nomads and subsistence farmers were forced into the cities by recurrent droughts in the 1970s and 1980s. Mauritania has extensive deposits of iron ore, which account for nearly 40% of total exports. The nation's coastal waters are among the richest fishing areas in the world, but overexploitation by foreigners threatens this key source of revenue. The country's first deepwater port opened near Nouakchott in 1986. In the past, drought and economic mismanagement resulted in a buildup of foreign debt, which now stands at more than three times the level of annual exports. In February 2000, Mauritania qualified for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative and in December 2001 received strong support from donor and lending countries at a triennial Consultative Group review. A new investment code approved in December 2001 improved the opportunities for direct foreign investment. Ongoing negotiations with the IMF involve problems of economic reforms and fiscal discipline. In 2001, exploratory oil wells in tracts 80 km offshore indicated potential extraction at current world oil prices. Oil prospects, while initially promising, have failed to materialize. Meantime the government emphasizes reduction of poverty, improvement of health and education, and promoting privatization of the economy.
Electricity - consumption 20.25 billion kWh (2003) 230.6 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 700 million kWh (2003) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 2.35 billion kWh (2003) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 20 billion kWh (2003) 248 million kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m


highest point: Bazarduzu Dagi 4,485 m
lowest point: Sebkhet Te-n-Dghamcha -5 m


highest point: Kediet Ijill 915 m
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 as a pesticide, and from toxic defoliants used in the production of cotton overgrazing, deforestation, and soil erosion aggravated by drought are contributing to desertification; very limited natural fresh water resources away from the Senegal, which is the only perennial river; locust infestation
Environment - international agreements party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands


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


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups Azeri 90.6%, Dagestani 2.2%, Russian 1.8%, Armenian 1.5%, other 3.9% (1999 census)


note: almost all Armenians live in the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region
mixed Moor/black 40%, Moor 30%, black 30%
Exchange rates Azerbaijani manats per US dollar - 4,727.1 (2005), 4,913.48 (2004), 4,910.73 (2003), 4,860.82 (2002), 4,656.58 (2001)


note: on 1 January 2006 Azerbaijan revalued its currency, with 5,000 old manats equal to 1 new manat
ouguiyas per US dollar - NA (2007), 271.3 (2006), 267.04 (2005), 265.8 (2004), 263.03 (2003)
Executive branch chief of state: President Ilham ALIYEV (since 31 October 2003)


head of government: Prime Minister Artur RASIZADE (since 4 November 2003); First Deputy Prime Minister Abbas ABBASOV (since 10 November 2003)


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


elections: president elected by popular vote to a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 15 October 2003 (next to be held October 2008); prime minister and first deputy prime ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly


election results: Ilham ALIYEV elected president; percent of vote - Ilham ALIYEV 76.8%, Isa GAMBAR 14%
chief of state: Sidi Ould Cheikh ABDELLAHI (since 19 April 2007)


head of government: Prime Minister Zeine Ould ZEIDANE (since 20 April 2007)


cabinet: Council of Ministers


elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second consecutive term); election last held 11 March 2007 with a runoff between the two leading candidates held on 25 March 2007 (next to be held 2012); prime minister appointed by the president


election results: percent of vote - (second round) Sidi Ould Cheikh ABDELLAHI 52.8%, Ahmed Ould DADDAH 47.2%
Exports NA bbl/day 0 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities oil and gas 90%, machinery, cotton, foodstuffs iron ore, fish and fish products, gold
Exports - partners Italy 30.3%, France 9.4%, Russia 6.6%, Turkey 6.3%, Turkmenistan 6.3%, Georgia 4.8%, Israel 4.5%, Croatia 4.1% (2005) China 26.1%, Italy 11.7%, France 10.5%, Spain 6.9%, Belgium 6.8%, Japan 5.4%, Cote d'Ivoire 4.6% (2006)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), red, and green; a crescent and eight-pointed star in white are centered in red band green with a yellow five-pointed star above a yellow, horizontal crescent; the closed side of the crescent is down; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 14.1%


industry: 45.7%


services: 40.2% (2002 est.)
agriculture: 25%


industry: 29%


services: 46% (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 26.4% (2005 est.) 1.5% (2007 est.)
Geographic coordinates 40 30 N, 47 30 E 20 00 N, 12 00 W
Geography - note both the main area of the country and the Naxcivan exclave are landlocked most of the population concentrated in the cities of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou and along the Senegal River in the southern part of the country
Heliports 1 (2006) -
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 2.8%


highest 10%: 27.8% (1995)
lowest 10%: 2.5%


highest 10%: 29.5% (2000)
Illicit drugs limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for CIS consumption; small government eradication program; transit point for Southwest Asian opiates bound for Russia and to a lesser extent the rest of Europe -
Imports NA bbl/day 19,960 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, oil products, foodstuffs, metals, chemicals machinery and equipment, petroleum products, capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods
Imports - partners Russia 17%, UK 9.1%, Singapore 9.1%, Turkey 7.4%, Germany 6.1%, Turkmenistan 5.8%, Ukraine 5.4%, China 4.1% (2005) France 11.9%, China 8.1%, Belgium 6.8%, US 6.7%, Italy 5.9%, Spain 5.7%, Brazil 5.5% (2006)
Independence 30 August 1991 (from Soviet Union) 28 November 1960 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate 40% (2005 est.) 2% (2000 est.)
Industries petroleum and natural gas, petroleum products, oilfield equipment; steel, iron ore; cement; chemicals and petrochemicals; textiles fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum
Infant mortality rate total: 79 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 81.08 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 76.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
total: 68.07 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 71.07 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 64.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 9.6% (2005 est.) 7% (2003 est.)
International organization participation AsDB, BSEC, CE, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer) ABEDA, ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Irrigated land 14,550 sq km (2003) 490 sq km (2002)
Judicial branch Supreme Court Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Court of Appeals; lower courts
Labor force 5.45 million (2005 est.) 786,000 (2001)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 41%


industry: 7%


services: 52% (2001)
agriculture: 50%


industry: 10%


services: 40% (2001 est.)
Land boundaries total: 2,013 km


border countries: Armenia (with Azerbaijan-proper) 566 km, Armenia (with Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave) 221 km, Georgia 322 km, Iran (with Azerbaijan-proper) 432 km, Iran (with Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave) 179 km, Russia 284 km, Turkey 9 km
total: 5,074 km


border countries: Algeria 463 km, Mali 2,237 km, Senegal 813 km, Western Sahara 1,561 km
Land use arable land: 20.62%


permanent crops: 2.61%


other: 76.77% (2005)
arable land: 0.2%


permanent crops: 0.01%


other: 99.79% (2005)
Languages Azerbaijani (Azeri) 89%, Russian 3%, Armenian 2%, other 6% (1995 est.) Arabic (official), Pulaar, Soninke, French, Hassaniya, Wolof
Legal system based on civil law system a combination of Islamic law and French civil law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch unicameral National Assembly or Milli Mejlis (125 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: last held 6 November 2005 (next to be held in November 2010)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Yeni 58, Azadliq coalition 8, CSP 2, YES 2, Motherland 2, other parties with single seats 7, independents 42, undetermined 4
bicameral legislature consists of the Senate or Majlis al-Shuyukh (56 seats; members elected by municipal leaders to serve six-year terms; a portion of seats up for election every two years) and the National Assembly or Majlis al-Watani (95 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: Senate - last held 21 January and 4 February 2007 (next to be held 2009); National Assembly - last held 19 November and 3 December 2006 (next to be held in 2011)


election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Mithaq (coalition of independents and parties associated with the former regime) 37, CFCD (coalition of political parties) 15, representatives of the diaspora (yet to be chosen) 3, undecided 1; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Mithaq 51 (independents 37, PRDR 7, UDP 3, RDU 3, Alternative (El-Badil) 1), CFCD 41 (RFD 16, UFP 9, APP 6, Centrist Reformists 4, HATEM-PMUC 3, RD 2, PUDS 1), RNDLE 1, UCD 1, FP 1
Life expectancy at birth total population: 63.85 years


male: 59.78 years


female: 68.13 years (2006 est.)
total population: 53.51 years


male: 51.24 years


female: 55.85 years (2007 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 98.8%


male: 99.5%


female: 98.2% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 51.2%


male: 59.5%


female: 43.4% (2000 census)
Location Southwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Russia, with a small European portion north of the Caucasus range Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara
Map references Asia Africa
Maritime claims none (landlocked) territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Merchant marine total: 84 ships (1000 GRT or over) 405,395 GRT/436,666 DWT


by type: cargo 26, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 8, petroleum tanker 43, roll on/roll off 2, specialized tanker 3


registered in other countries: 4 (Georgia 2, Malta 2) (2006)
-
Military branches Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces Mauritanian Armed Forces: Army, Mauritanian Navy (Marine Mauritanienne; includes naval infantry), Air Force (Force Aerienne Islamique de Mauritanie, FAIM) (2007)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $121 million (FY99) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2.6% (FY99) 5.5% (2006)
National holiday Founding of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan, 28 May (1918) Independence Day, 28 November (1960)
Nationality noun: Azerbaijani(s), Azeri(s)


adjective: Azerbaijani, Azeri
noun: Mauritanian(s)


adjective: Mauritanian
Natural hazards droughts hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and April; periodic droughts
Natural resources petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, nonferrous metals, alumina iron ore, gypsum, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold, oil, fish
Net migration rate -4.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines gas 3,190 km; oil 2,436 km (2006) -
Political parties and leaders Azerbaijan Popular Front or APF [Ali KARIMLI, leader of "Reform" faction; Mirmahmud MIRALI-OGLU, leader of "Classic" faction]; Civic Solidarity Party or CSP [Sabir RUSTAMKHANLY]; Civic Union Party [Ayaz MUTALIBOV]; Communist Party of Azerbaijan or CPA [Ramiz AHMADOV]; Compatriot Party [Mais SAFARLI]; Democratic Party for Azerbaijan or DPA [Rasul QULIYEV, chairman]; Justice Party [Ilyas ISMAILOV]; Liberal Party of Azerbaijan [Lala Shovkat HACIYEVA]; Motherland Party; Musavat [Isa GAMBAR, chairman]; Yeni Azerbaijan Party; Party for National Independence of Azerbaijan or PNIA [Etibar MAMMADLI, chairman]; Social Democratic Party of Azerbaijan or SDP [Araz ALIZADE and Ayaz MUTALIBOV]


note: opposition parties regularly factionalize and form new parties
Alternative or El-Badil; Centrist Reformists (independent moderate Islamists); Coalition for Forces for Democratic Change or CFCD (coalition of political parties including APP, Centrist Reformists (independent moderate Islamists), HATEM-PMUC, PUDS, RD, RFD, UFP); Democratic and Social Republican Party or PRDS; Democratic Renewal or RD; Mauritanian Party for Unity and Change or HATEM-PMUC; Mithaq (coalition of independents and parties associated with the former regime including Alternative or El-Badil, PRDR, UDP, RDU); National Rally for Freedom, Democracy and Equality or RNDLE; Popular Front or FP [Ch'bih Ould CHEIKH MALAININE]; Popular Progressive Alliance or APP [Messoud Ould BOULKHEIR]; Rally of Democratic Forces or RFD [Ahmed Ould DADDAH]; Rally for Democracy and Unity or RDU [Ahmed Ould SIDI BABA]; Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal or PRDR [Boullah Ould MOGUEYA] (formerly ruling Democratic and Social Republican Party or PRDS); Socialist and Democratic Unity Party or PUDS; Union for Democracy and Progress or UDP [Naha Mint MOUKNASS]; Union of Democratic Centre or UCD; Union of the Forces for Progress or UFP
Political pressure groups and leaders Sadval, Lezgin movement; self-proclaimed Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh Republic; Talysh independence movement; Union of Pro-Azerbaijani Forces (UPAF) Arab nationalists; Ba'thists; General Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CGTM [Abdallahi Ould MOHAMED, secretary general]; Independent Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CLTM [Samory Ould BEYE]; Islamists; Mauritanian Workers Union or UTM [Mohamed Ely Ould BRAHIM, secretary general]
Population 7,961,619 (July 2006 est.) 3,270,065 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line 49% (2002 est.) 40% (2004 est.)
Population growth rate 0.66% (2006 est.) 2.867% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 10, FM 17, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 1, FM 14, shortwave 1 (2001)
Railways total: 2,957 km


broad gauge: 2,957 km 1.520-m gauge (1,278 km electrified) (2005)
717 km


standard gauge: 717 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)
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
Muslim 100%
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: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.005 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.975 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.666 male(s)/female


total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: inadequate; requires considerable expansion and modernization; teledensity of 14 main lines per 100 persons is low (2002)


domestic: the majority of telephones are in Baku and other industrial centers - about 700 villages still without public telephone service; satellite service connects Baku to a modern switch in its exclave of Naxcivan


international: country code - 994; the old Soviet system of cable and microwave is still serviceable; satellite earth stations - 2 (2005)
general assessment: limited system of cable and open-wire lines, minor microwave radio relay links, and radiotelephone communications stations; mobile-cellular services expanding rapidly


domestic: Mauritel, the national telecommunications company, was privatized in 2001 but remains the monopoly provider of fixed-line services; fixed-line teledensity 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular network coverage extends mainly to urban areas with a teledensity approaching 35 per 100 persons; mostly cable and open-wire lines; a domestic satellite telecommunications system links Nouakchott with regional capitals


international: country code - 222; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 2 Arabsat
Telephones - main lines in use 1,091,400 (2005) 34,900 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular 2.242 million (2005) 1.06 million (2006)
Television broadcast stations 2 (1997) 1 (2002)
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 mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills
Total fertility rate 2.46 children born/woman (2006 est.) 5.78 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 1.1% official rate (2005 est.) 20% (2004 est.)
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