The 1999 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

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СКАЧАТЬ Nagorno-Karabakh Republic; Talysh independence movement; Sadval,

       Lezgin movement

      International organization participation: 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, ITU, NAM

       (observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,

       WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer)

      Diplomatic representation in the US: 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

      Diplomatic representation from the US: 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

      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

      Economy

      Economy—overview: Azerbaijan is less developed industrially than either Armenia or Georgia, the other Caucasian states. It resembles the Central Asian states in its majority Muslim population, high structural unemployment, and low standard of living. The economy's most prominent products are oil, cotton, and natural gas. Production from the Caspian oil field declined through 1997 but registered an increase in 1998. Negotiation of more than a dozen production-sharing arrangements (PSAs) with foreign firms, which have thus far committed $30 billion to oil field 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. 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. A major short-term obstacle to economic progress, including stepped up foreign investment, is the continuing conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Trade with Russia and the other former Soviet republics is declining in importance while trade is building up with Turkey, Iran, the UAE, and the nations of Europe. A serious long-term challenge is the maintenance of the competitiveness of non-oil exports in world markets.

      GDP: purchasing power parity—$12.9 billion (1998 est.)

      GDP—real growth rate: 10% (1998 est.)

      GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity?$1,640 (1998 est.)

      GDP—composition by sector: agriculture: 22% industry: 18% services: 60% (1997 est.)

      Population below poverty line: NA%

      Household income or consumption by percentage share:

       lowest 10%: NA%

       highest 10%: NA%

      Inflation rate (consumer prices): −7.6% (1998 est.)

      Labor force: 2.9 million (1997)

      Labor force—by occupation: agriculture and forestry 32%, industry and construction 15%, services 53% (1997)

      Unemployment rate: 20% (1996 est.)

      Budget:

       revenues: $565 million

       expenditures: $682 million, including capital expenditures of $NA

       (1996 est.)

      Industries: petroleum and natural gas, petroleum products, oilfield equipment; steel, iron ore, cement; chemicals and petrochemicals; textiles

      Industrial production growth rate: NA%

      Electricity—production: 16.035 billion kWh (1996)

      Electricity—production by source: fossil fuel: 90.55% hydro: 9.45% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)

      Electricity—consumption: 16.8 billion kWh (1997)

      Electricity—exports: 600 million kWh (1996)

      Electricity—imports: 745 million kWh (1996)

      Agriculture—products: cotton, grain, rice, grapes, fruit, vegetables, tea, tobacco; cattle, pigs, sheep, goats

      Exports: $781 million (f.o.b., 1997 est.)

      Exports—commodities: oil and gas, chemicals, oilfield equipment, textiles, cotton

      Exports—partners: CIS, European countries, Turkey

      Imports: $794 million (c.i.f., 1997 est.)

      Imports—commodities: machinery and parts, consumer durables, foodstuffs, textiles

      Imports—partners: CIS, European countries, Turkey

      Debt—external: $100 million (of which $75 million to Russia)

      Economic aid—recipient: ODA, $113 million (1996)

      Currency: manat=100 gopiks

      Exchange rates: manats per US$1—3,865.00 (November 1998), 3,985.38 (1997), 4,301.26 (1996), 4,413.54 (1995), 1,570.23 (1994)

      Fiscal year: calendar year

      Communications

      Telephones: 1.414 million (1998)

      Telephone system: Azerbaijani telecommunications fall under the Ministry of Communications; Azerbaijan's telephone system is a combination of old Soviet era technology used by Azerbaijani citizens and small- to medium-size commercial establishments, and modern cellular phones used by an increasing middle class, large commercial ventures, international companies, and most government officials; the average citizen waits on a 200,000-person list for telephone service; Internet and E-mail service are available in Baku domestic: local—the majority of telephones are in Baku or other industrial centers; intercity—about 700 villages still do not have public phone service; all long distance service must use Azertel's (Ministry of Communications) lines; satellite service connects Baku to a modern switch in its separated enclave to Nakhichevan international: the old Soviet system of cable and microwave is still serviceable; satellite service between Baku and Turkey provides access to 200 countries; additional satellite providers supply services between Baku and specific countries; Azerbaijan is a signator of the Trans-Asia-Europe Fiber-Optic Line (TAE); their lines are not laid but the Turkish satellite and a microwave between Azerbaijan and Iran can provide Azerbaijan worldwide access through this system

      Radio broadcast stations: AM 10, FM 17, shortwave 1 (Azerbaijan's single shortwave station transmits its programs to the Middle East in eight languages)

      Radios: NA

      Television broadcast stations: 2; note—the Ministry of

       Communications is the monopoly broadcaster and rebroadcaster of

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