Tweet
COUNTRY PROFILE: AZERBAIJAN
By Eoghan Macguire
CNN
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/11/10/world/europe/azerbaijan-country-profile/
Nov 11 2011
(CNN) -- Azerbaijan is an oil and gas rich nation that hugs the
western shore of the Caspian Sea.
Bordering Iran, Georgia, Russia and Armenia, it has a population of
8.3 million people, according to the CIA World Factbook.
Roughly a quarter of the country's residents live in the capital, Baku,
a cosmopolitan urban center that combines ultra-modern skyscrapers
with a historic Walled City that is recognized by UNESCO as a World
Heritage Site.
Islam is the most prominent religion in Azerbaijan although according
the country's government there are also minority Jewish and Orthodox
Christian communities.
Azerbaijan gained formal independence from the former USSR in 1991
after initially declaring its national sovereignty in 1988. Since
then it has been locked in a territorial dispute with ethnic Armenian
separatists.
A six year conflict from 1988 to 1994 saw the separatists -- backed
by troops from Armenia -- and Azerbaijani forces fight over the
Nagorno-Karabakh and Nakichevan regions in the Southwest of the
country.
A ceasefire was agreed in 1994 but by then the separatists, who
are seeking full independence from Azerbaijan, had taken control of
Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding provinces.
Azerbaijan still claims sovereignty over these areas but has tried to
resolve the issue via diplomatic means in the period since, according
to the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Much of Azerbaijan's history has revolved around its vast oil and
gas reserves.
The ancient fire worshiping civilization, the Zoroastrians, erected
temples in the vicinity of burning gas vents at various sites across
the country as far back as the third century, according to the
country's tourist board.
These temples are now popular tourist attractions with one of the
most well preserved situated in Surakhani on the outskirts of Baku.
At the beginning of the 20th century however Azerbaijani's landed on
a new use for their bountiful natural resources -- industrial fuel.
Vast sums of money poured into the country to fund oil exploration
and at one stage it was one of the world's major oil centers.
Nowadays, Azerbaijan has a major role in oil exporting and is a major
shareholder in an oil pipeline that runs from the Caspian Sea all
the way to Ceyhan in Turkey.
In recent years Azerbaijan has attempted to diversify its economy
and reduce its dependence on its natural resources.
The country has developed successful construction, banking, retail
and real estate sectors, although these have been hit by the global
financial downturn.
Economic growth reached double digit figures between 2006 and 2008
before sliding back to 3.7% in 2010, according to the CIA World
Factbook.
Like many emerging market economies experiencing rapid growth and
with access to vast natural resources, Azerbaijan has been impacted
by corruption.
Transparency International ranked the country 134th out of 178
countries in its Corruption Perceptions Index 2010, although the
Azerbaijani government maintains it is attempting to eradicate graft.
The World Bank named the country as one of the world's fastest
reforming nations in its 2009 "Doing Business" report as a result of
these efforts.
Criticism of corruption within the country is mirrored by international
concerns about Azerbaijan's commitment to democratic principles.
Current president, Ilham Aliyev, came to power in 2003 taking over
from his father, Heydar Aliyev, who had ruled the country since 1993.
Although President Ilham Aliyev secured a landslide electoral victory,
international observers criticized the fairness of the vote.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) cited
numerous cases of voter intimidation, unequal conditions for electoral
candidates and serious flaws with the counting of votes.
Subsequent elections in 2005, 2008 and 2010 have also been criticized
for falling below expected democratic standards by the OSCE and the
U.S. State Department. The government has denied electoral abuses
and insisted that democracy will be upheld in the country.
Despite being on the receiving end of foreign condemnation with regards
its political processes, Azerbaijan has managed to build closer ties
with regional and international partners in recent years.
The country joined the Council of Europe in 2001 -- which aims to
develop a common legal and democratic area across the continent --
and works in conjunction with a consortium of western oil companies
to extract its abundant natural resources. It is also working towards
legal and regulatory reforms that would enable accession to the World
Trade Organization, according to the U.S Department of State.
In October 2011 Azerbaijan was awarded one of the six non-permanent
seats on the U.N. Security Council. From January 2012, the country
will sit alongside permanent members of the Security Council -- France,
China, Russia, the U.K. and the U.S. -- for a period of two years.
Culturally, Azerbaijan has also looked to raise its profile
internationally. In 2011, the country won the Eurovision Song Contest,
a continent-wide musical competition.
As a result of this success, Azerbaijan will host the next Eurovision
event which has been scheduled to take place in Baku in May, 2012.
The country's state broadcaster that is hosting the event has said it
will give Azerbaijan the opportunity to further display its culture
and traditions to the whole of Europe.
From: Baghdasarian
By Eoghan Macguire
CNN
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/11/10/world/europe/azerbaijan-country-profile/
Nov 11 2011
(CNN) -- Azerbaijan is an oil and gas rich nation that hugs the
western shore of the Caspian Sea.
Bordering Iran, Georgia, Russia and Armenia, it has a population of
8.3 million people, according to the CIA World Factbook.
Roughly a quarter of the country's residents live in the capital, Baku,
a cosmopolitan urban center that combines ultra-modern skyscrapers
with a historic Walled City that is recognized by UNESCO as a World
Heritage Site.
Islam is the most prominent religion in Azerbaijan although according
the country's government there are also minority Jewish and Orthodox
Christian communities.
Azerbaijan gained formal independence from the former USSR in 1991
after initially declaring its national sovereignty in 1988. Since
then it has been locked in a territorial dispute with ethnic Armenian
separatists.
A six year conflict from 1988 to 1994 saw the separatists -- backed
by troops from Armenia -- and Azerbaijani forces fight over the
Nagorno-Karabakh and Nakichevan regions in the Southwest of the
country.
A ceasefire was agreed in 1994 but by then the separatists, who
are seeking full independence from Azerbaijan, had taken control of
Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding provinces.
Azerbaijan still claims sovereignty over these areas but has tried to
resolve the issue via diplomatic means in the period since, according
to the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Much of Azerbaijan's history has revolved around its vast oil and
gas reserves.
The ancient fire worshiping civilization, the Zoroastrians, erected
temples in the vicinity of burning gas vents at various sites across
the country as far back as the third century, according to the
country's tourist board.
These temples are now popular tourist attractions with one of the
most well preserved situated in Surakhani on the outskirts of Baku.
At the beginning of the 20th century however Azerbaijani's landed on
a new use for their bountiful natural resources -- industrial fuel.
Vast sums of money poured into the country to fund oil exploration
and at one stage it was one of the world's major oil centers.
Nowadays, Azerbaijan has a major role in oil exporting and is a major
shareholder in an oil pipeline that runs from the Caspian Sea all
the way to Ceyhan in Turkey.
In recent years Azerbaijan has attempted to diversify its economy
and reduce its dependence on its natural resources.
The country has developed successful construction, banking, retail
and real estate sectors, although these have been hit by the global
financial downturn.
Economic growth reached double digit figures between 2006 and 2008
before sliding back to 3.7% in 2010, according to the CIA World
Factbook.
Like many emerging market economies experiencing rapid growth and
with access to vast natural resources, Azerbaijan has been impacted
by corruption.
Transparency International ranked the country 134th out of 178
countries in its Corruption Perceptions Index 2010, although the
Azerbaijani government maintains it is attempting to eradicate graft.
The World Bank named the country as one of the world's fastest
reforming nations in its 2009 "Doing Business" report as a result of
these efforts.
Criticism of corruption within the country is mirrored by international
concerns about Azerbaijan's commitment to democratic principles.
Current president, Ilham Aliyev, came to power in 2003 taking over
from his father, Heydar Aliyev, who had ruled the country since 1993.
Although President Ilham Aliyev secured a landslide electoral victory,
international observers criticized the fairness of the vote.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) cited
numerous cases of voter intimidation, unequal conditions for electoral
candidates and serious flaws with the counting of votes.
Subsequent elections in 2005, 2008 and 2010 have also been criticized
for falling below expected democratic standards by the OSCE and the
U.S. State Department. The government has denied electoral abuses
and insisted that democracy will be upheld in the country.
Despite being on the receiving end of foreign condemnation with regards
its political processes, Azerbaijan has managed to build closer ties
with regional and international partners in recent years.
The country joined the Council of Europe in 2001 -- which aims to
develop a common legal and democratic area across the continent --
and works in conjunction with a consortium of western oil companies
to extract its abundant natural resources. It is also working towards
legal and regulatory reforms that would enable accession to the World
Trade Organization, according to the U.S Department of State.
In October 2011 Azerbaijan was awarded one of the six non-permanent
seats on the U.N. Security Council. From January 2012, the country
will sit alongside permanent members of the Security Council -- France,
China, Russia, the U.K. and the U.S. -- for a period of two years.
Culturally, Azerbaijan has also looked to raise its profile
internationally. In 2011, the country won the Eurovision Song Contest,
a continent-wide musical competition.
As a result of this success, Azerbaijan will host the next Eurovision
event which has been scheduled to take place in Baku in May, 2012.
The country's state broadcaster that is hosting the event has said it
will give Azerbaijan the opportunity to further display its culture
and traditions to the whole of Europe.
From: Baghdasarian