Population of the Republic of Azerbaijan: 7,798,497 (July 2002 est.) The Azeri constitute 90% of the population of the Republic of Azerbaijan and belong to the Caspian type of southern Europoid race. They are distinguished with sturdy build with a prevailing dark pigmentation, medium height and partially round shaped head, narrow face, rather narrow nose and in majority of cases big brown eyes. The Azeri are of mixed ethnic origin, the oldest element deriving from the indigenous population of eastern Transcaucasia and possibly from the Medians of northern Persia. This population was Persianized during the period of the Sasanian dynasty of Iran (3rd-7th century AD), but, after the region's conquest by the Seljuk Turks in the 11th century, the inhabitants were Turkicized, and further Turkicization of the population occorred in the ensuing centuries. Azerbaijan is the most populous country in the Caucasus. Although it contains people of many different nationalities, the republic has become more ethnically homogeneous in recent years. The proportion of Azeris, who have traditionally comprised about four-fifths of the population, has increased since the start of the conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh in 1988. Large numbers of Azeri refugees have flowed over the border from Armenia, and large numbers of Russians, Armenians, and other nationalities have left Azerbaijan. Today, about 13 percent of the population are refugees and IDPs. The Armenian community, which comprised 6 percent of the population in 1989, is now confined almost exclusively to the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave. Other nationalities include Lezgin, Talysh, Avar, Meskhetian Turks, Tatar, Tat, Tsakhur, Georgian and Kurd. Most ethnic groups have resided in the area of present-day Azerbaijan for centuries, although Slavs arrived in large numbers with the industrialization boom of the last century. Average population density of Azerbaijan is 86 pers/km2. The Absheron Peninsula is more densely populated (800 pers/km2). The country is still largely rural, with only 52 percent of the population residing in urban areas, and 47 percent in rural areas. Eighty percent of the population is concentrated on valleys and low lands that are more convenient for farming industry and where large industrial centres lie and irrigating agriculture is developed. This belt covers Kur-Araz, Samur-Devechi and Lankaran lowlands, and also Ganja-Gazakh and PriAraz valleys and Absheron Peninsula. 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; actual practicing adherents are much lower Age structure: - 0-14 years: 28.3% (male 1,122,340; female 1,082,355) - 15-64 years: 64.3% (male 2,441,830; female 2,577,109) - 65 years and over: 7.4% (male 228,735; female 346,128) (2002 est.) Life expectancy at birth: - total population: 63.06 years - female: 67.53 years - male: 58.8 years (2002 est.) For the foreign female visitor the experience will be rather different. Usually Azeri men will be very gallant considerate and gentle treating foreign women, which are normally considered more liberal. So if the occasion occurs don't be surprised if you feel overwhelmed with attention. Unlike for women, it's is not frowned upon for an Azeri man to get married to a foreign woman.

Telephones - main lines in use: 1,500,000 The quality of local calls varies considerably depending on which telephone exchange is used. All long distance calls must use Azertel's lines. The Nakhchivan exclave is connected to the 'mainland' via a satellite service. Cellular telephones can be purchased and used locally. Two companies share the market, Azercel - a subsidiary of Aztelecom - and Bakcell (Motorola). GSM coverage is still basic, but growing fast. Coverage includes the areas around Baku, Sumgait, Shemaka, Ganja, Astara, Mingecavir, Agstafa and Nakhichevan (see maps). To call cellular telephones from Baku: Azercell (GSM) phone: 0 50 + seven digit number - GSM Code 400 01 Bakcell (non-GSM) phone: 0 55 + six digit number Bakcell (GSM) phone: 055 + six digit number - GSM Code 400 02 (if calling a mobile phone from abroad, use +994 5... - omit the 0) SMS (short message service) is available for both Azercell and Bakcell mobile phones. There are only a few card operated public phones. These allow calls to any destination. The cards can be bought from central post and telephone offices and at the railway station. E-mail via several local internet service providers is available, as well as for public access from a number of internet cafés (please see the internet section).

Location:Azerbaijan occupies the southeastern part of the Caucasus, descending to the Caspian Sea, between Iran and the Russian Federation (Dagestan). The country is somewhere between Europe and Asia, as the Caucasus mountains are the conventional border between the two continents. So, the northeast half is in Europe and the southwest half is in Asia. Have this in mind, when looking for Azerbaijan, since you never know if it is classified under 'Europe' or under 'Asia'. (Azerbaijan is a member of the Council of Europe.) Azeris like to describe the country as 'shapped like an eagle', with its wings spread on the Caucasus and its head over the Caspian (its head being the Absheron peninsula). Try our sensitive map if you need inforation about Azeri cities and towns. Geographic co-ordinates: 40 30 N, 47 30 E (380 25"-410 55" of n.l. and 440 50"-500 52" e.l.) The time zone in Azerbaijan is GMT +4 see: maps, places, time zones Azerbaijan from space Photo: SRI (Moscow) Baku from space Photo: NASA Area: -total: 86,600 km2 -land: 86,100 km2 -water: 500 km2 -comparative: slightly smaller than Portugal The total area includes the exclave of Naxcivan Autonomous Republic as well as the Nagorno-Karabakh region (Daqliq Qarabaq); the autonomy of the latter was abolished by the Azerbaijani Supreme Soviet on 26 November 1991 (Nagorno-Karabakh and some adjacent areas are currently still not controlled by the Azeri government). In addition to the continental part, the republic's territory also includes several islands located along the Caspian coastline. Map of Azerbaijan

Elevation extremes: -lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m -highest point: Bazarduzu Dagi 4,466 m Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, non-ferrous metals, alumina Fauna: In the arid and semiarid lowlands a large portion of the animal life is reptilian, though in the mountains, goats, deer, lynx, bear and wild boar are found. Azerbaijan has over 12,000 animal species. There are gazelles (Jeyran) on the coastal plains, porcupines in the Talysh forests south of Lenkoran and camels in the Kura plain. Azerbaijan is home to a rare species of leopard found only in remote areas of the southern Caucasus Mountains and currently facing extinction (Caucasus Leopard / Panthera pardus ciscaucasica). The WWF considers it the most critically endangered species in the Caucasus Ecoregion. The species is threatened by poachers who kill the animals and sell their highly-prized skins on the black market. The southern part of the country used to have tigers, but the Caspian tiger (Panthera tigris virgata) is now almost certainly since the 1970s, in spite of some alleged sightings. There are 363 species are birds, from about 60 families. Around 40% of the bird species are resident. One of the most inspiring bird specie is the Golden Eagle which inhabits mainly mountainous areas such as Nakhichevan. If you love bird watching, head south: over 200 species of birds be seen in the Kizilagach / Kizilagadj Reserve (in the Lenkoran lowlands). The waters of the Caspian are abundant in sturgeon (four fifths of the world's sturgeon are found here - although stocks are dwindling), along with herring, salmon, the rare pike perch and other less important species. The marine mammal, the Caspian seal is now almost completely gone from the Azeri coast. Flora: There are over 4000 plant species in Azerbaijan, including 240 indigenous varieties. Due the unique climate in Azerbaijan, the flora is much richer in the number of species than the flora of the other republics of the South Caucasus. Oak (Quercus castaneifolia), hornbeam, beech, ash and maple forests cover the lower slopes of the mountain ranges, orange groves carpet the southern coastal lowlands and mulberry trees abound in the north. Land use: -arable land: 18% -permanent crops: 5% -permanent pastures: 25% -forests and woodland: 11% -other: 41% (1993 est.) -irrigated land: 10,000 km2 (1993 est.) Natural hazards: -prolonged droughts; -some lowland areas threatened by rising levels of the Caspian, -earthquakes occur on a regular basis: in 1667 a major earthquake destroyed Shemakha killing over 80,000. The most recent earthquake happened shook the country in November 2000, with magnitude 6.3 in the Richter scale, killing over 30, an causing significant material damage, particularly in Baku, Sumgait and the rest of the Absheron peninsula. -Azerbaijan also has a lot of "mud volcanoes", which are an interesting sight, but to which some distance is recommended due to their unpredictable behaviour. Should you interested, the best places to find these midget volcanoes are the areas near Alat and Gobustan. The elevation changes over a relatively short distance from lowlands to highlands; nearly half the country is considered mountainous. Notable physical features are the gently undulating hills of the subtropical southeastern coast, which are covered with tea plantations, orange groves, and lemon groves; numerous mud volcanoes and mineral springs in the ravines of Kobustan Mountain near Baku; and coastal terrain that lies as much as twenty-eight meters below sea level. Except for its eastern Caspian shoreline and some areas bordering Georgia and Iran, Azerbaijan is ringed by mountains. To the northeast, bordering Russia's Dagestan Autonomous Republic, is the Greater Caucasus range; to the west, bordering Armenia, is the Lesser Caucasus range. To the extreme southeast, the Talysh Mountains form part of the border with Iran. The highest elevations occur in the Greater Caucasus, where Mount Bazarduzu rises 4,740 meters above sea levelto the southwest is the massive Transcaucasian upland extending to Armenia and Georgia, mounted by the Lesser Caucasus, to the south the Talysh Mountains join them. Only about 15 percent of the land in Azerbaijan is arable. Baku lies on Abseron (Apsheron) Peninsula that juts into Caspian Sea. Eight large rivers flow down from the Caucasus ranges into the central Kura-Aras lowlands, alluvial flatlands and low delta areas along the seacoast designated by the Azerbaijani name for the Mtkvari River (Kura) and its main tributary, the Aras. The Kura, the longest river in the Caucasus region rises in Georgia and flows southeast , forms the delta and drains into the Caspian a short distance downstream from the confluence with the Aras. The lower 500km are navigable and prone to flooding. Large-scale canals divert water, primarily for agricultural purposes. The Aras rises in eastern Turkey, defines the Nakhchivan / Iran, Armenia / Iran and Azerbaijan / Iran borders before entering Azerbaijan southeast of Imishly, some historians argue that the Aras is the biblical river of Gihon. The Verkhne-Karabakhskiy Canal channels water from the Mingäçevir Reservoir on the upper Kura to the Aras River. The Samur-Apsheronskiy Canal redirects water from the Samur River on Azerbaijan's northern border to the Apsheron Peninsula. The Mingechaur Reservoir, with an area of 605 square kilometers that makes it the largest body of water in Azerbaijan, was formed by damming the Kura in western Azerbaijan. The waters of the reservoir provide hydroelectric power and irrigation of the Kura-Aras plain. Most of the country's rivers are not navigable.

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