conventional long form: Azerbaijani Republic
conventional short form: Azerbaijan
local long form: Azarbaycan Respublikasi
local short form: none
former: Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic

AJ

republic

Baku (Baki)

59 rayons (rayonlar; rayon - singular), 11
cities* (saharlar; sahar - singular), 1 autonomous republic** (muxtar
respublika); Abseron Rayonu, Agcabadi Rayonu, Agdam Rayonu, Agdas
Rayonu, Agstafa Rayonu, Agsu Rayonu, Ali Bayramli Sahari*, Astara
Rayonu, Baki Sahari*, Balakan Rayonu, Barda Rayonu, Beylaqan Rayonu,
Bilasuvar Rayonu, Cabrayil Rayonu, Calilabad Rayonu, Daskasan Rayonu,
Davaci Rayonu, Fuzuli Rayonu, Gadabay Rayonu, Ganca Sahari*, Goranboy
Rayonu, Goycay Rayonu, Haciqabul Rayonu, Imisli Rayonu, Ismayilli
Rayonu, Kalbacar Rayonu, Kurdamir Rayonu, Lacin Rayonu, Lankaran
Rayonu, Lankaran Sahari*, Lerik Rayonu, Masalli Rayonu, Mingacevir
Sahari*, Naftalan Sahari*, Naxcivan Muxtar Respublikasi**, Neftcala
Rayonu, Oguz Rayonu, Qabala Rayonu, Qax Rayonu, Qazax Rayonu, Qobustan
Rayonu, Quba Rayonu, Qubadli Rayonu, Qusar Rayonu, Saatli Rayonu,
Sabirabad Rayonu, Saki Rayonu, Saki Sahari*, Salyan Rayonu, Samaxi
Rayonu, Samkir Rayonu, Samux Rayonu, Siyazan Rayonu, Sumqayit Sahari*,
Susa Rayonu, Susa Sahari*, Tartar Rayonu, Tovuz Rayonu, Ucar Rayonu,
Xacmaz Rayonu, Xankandi Sahari*, Xanlar Rayonu, Xizi Rayonu, Xocali
Rayonu, Xocavand Rayonu, Yardimli Rayonu, Yevlax Rayonu, Yevlax
Sahari*, Zangilan Rayonu, Zaqatala Rayonu, Zardab Rayonu

30 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

Independence Day, 28 May (1918)

adopted 12 November 1995

based on civil law system

18 years of age; universal

chief of state: President Heydar ALIYEV (since 18 June 1993)
head of government: Prime Minister Artur RASIZADE (since 26 November
1996)
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;
election last held 11 October 1998 (next to be held October 2003);
prime minister and first deputy prime ministers appointed by the
president and confirmed by the National Assembly
election results: Heydar ALIYEV reelected president; percent of vote -
Heydar ALIYEV 76%

unicameral National Assembly or Milli Mejlis (125
seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 12 and 26 November 1995 (next to be held NA 2000)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NAP
and allies 115, APF 4, PNIA 3, Musavat Party 1, vacant 2

Supreme Court

Azerbaijan Democratic Party or ADP
; Azerbaijan Popular Front or APF [Abulfaz ELCHIBEY,
chairman]; Civic Solidarity ; Communist Party of
Azerbaijan or CPA-2 ; Democratic Party of
Independence of Azerbaijan ; Liberal Party of
Azerbaijan ; Motherland Party ; Musavat
Party ; New Azerbaijan Party or NAP [Heydar
ALIYEV, chairman]; Party for National Independence of Azerbaijan or
PNIA ; People's Democratic Party of
Azerbaijan ; Social Democratic Party of Azerbaijan
or SDP ; Vahdat Party [Leyla YUNUSOV,
Jabrayil ALIZADE]

Sadval, Lezgin movement;
self-proclaimed Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh Republic; Talysh
independence movement

BSEC, CCC, CE (guest), CIS,
EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, NAM (observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer)

chief of mission: Ambassador Hafiz Mir Jalal PASHAYEV
chancery: (temporary) Suite 700, 927 15th Street NW, Washington, DC
20005 or P. O. Box 28790, Washington, DC 20038-8790
telephone:  (202) 842-0001
FAX:  (202) 842-0004

chief of mission: Ambassador Stanley T. ESCUDERO
embassy: Azadliq Prospekt 83, Baku 370007
mailing address: American Embassy Baku, Department of State,
Washington, DC 20521-7050
telephone:  (9412) 98-03-35, 36, 37
FAX:  (9412) 90-66-71

three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), red, and
green; a crescent and eight-pointed star in white are centered in red
band