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Antisemitism | Notes | Notes |
Antisemitism | References | References |
Antisemitism | Citations | Citations |
Antisemitism | Sources | Sources
Attribution
|
Antisemitism | Further reading | Further reading
online review
. 3 volumes.
online review of this book
Nirenberg, David. Anti-Judaism: The Western Tradition (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2013) 610 pp.
Poliakov, Léon. The History of Anti-Semitism, Volume 1: From the Time of Christ to the Court Jews, University of Pennsylvania Press: 2003
Poliakov, Léon. The History of Anti-Semitism, Volume 2: From Mohammad to the Marranos, University of Pennsylvania Press: 2003
Poliakov, Léon. The History of Anti-Semitism, Volume 4: Suicidal Europe 1870–1933, University of Pennsylvania Press: 2003
Poliakov, Léon (1997). "Anti-Semitism". Encyclopaedia Judaica (CD-ROM Edition Version 1.0). Ed. Cecil Roth. Keter Publishing House.
Porat, Dina. "What makes an anti-Semite?", Haaretz, 27 January 2007. Retrieved 24 November 2010.
Small, Charles Asher ed. The Yale Papers: Antisemitism In Comparative Perspective (Institute For the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy, 2015). online , scholarly studies.
Stav, Arieh (1999). Peace: The Arabian Caricature – A Study of Anti-semitic Imagery. Gefen Publishing House. .
Steinweis, Alan E. Studying the Jew: Scholarly Antisemitism in Nazi Germany. Harvard University Press, 2006. .
Stillman, Norman. The Jews of Arab Lands: A History and Source Book. (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society of America. 1979).
Stillman, N.A. (2006). "Yahud". Encyclopaedia of Islam. Eds.: P.J. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill. Brill Online
Tausch, Arno (2014). The New Global Antisemitism: Implications from the Recent ADL-100 Data (14 January 2015). Middle East Review of International Affairs, Vol. 18, No. 3 (Fall 2014). Available at SSRN or The New Global Antisemitism: Implications from the Recent ADL-100 Data
Tausch, Arno (14 August 2015). Islamism and Antisemitism. Preliminary Evidence on Their Relationship from Cross-National Opinion Data. Available at SSRN or Islamism and Antisemitism. Preliminary Evidence on Their Relationship from Cross-National Opinion Data
, United States Department of State, 2008. Retrieved 25 November 2010. See HTML version .
Vital, David. People Apart: The Jews in Europe, 1789–1939 (1999); 930pp highly detailed
Yehoshua, A.B., An Attempt to Identify the Root Cause of Antisemitism , Azure , Spring 2008.
Antisemitism on Social Media. United Kingdom, Taylor & Francis, 2022. (Editors: Monika Hübscher, Sabine von Mering )
Bibliographies, calendars, etc.
Anti-Defamation League Arab Antisemitism
Annotated bibliography of anti-Semitism hosted by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Center for the Study of Antisemitism (SICSA)
Council of Europe, ECRI Country-by-Country Reports |
Antisemitism | External links | External links
Category:Prejudice and discrimination by type
Category:Racism
Category:Orientalism |
Antisemitism | Table of Content | short description, Origin and usage, Etymology, Usage, Definition, Evolution of usage, Eternalism–contextualism debate, Manifestations, Religious antisemitism, Economic antisemitism, Racial antisemitism, Political antisemitism, Cultural antisemitism, Conspiracy theories, New antisemitism, History, Ancient world, Persecutions during the Middle Ages, Reformation, 17th century, Enlightenment, Voltaire, Louis de Bonald and the Catholic Counter-Revolution, Imperial Russia, Islamic antisemitism in the 19th century, Secular or racial antisemitism, 20th century, Contemporary antisemitism, Holocaust denial, Soviet antisemitism, 21st-century European antisemitism, 21st-century Arab antisemitism, 21st-century antisemitism at universities, Black Hebrew Israelite antisemitism, Antisemitism on the internet, Causes, Prevention through education, Geographical variation, ''Antisemitica'' collections, See also, Notes, References, Citations, Sources, Further reading, External links |
Economy of Azerbaijan | Short description | The economy of Azerbaijan is highly dependent on oil and gas exports, in particular since the completion of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline. The transition to oil production in the late 1990s led to rapid economic growth over the period 1995–2014. Since 2014, GDP growth has slowed down substantially.
Large oil reserves are a major contributor to Azerbaijan's economy. Gas and oil make up two-thirds of Azerbaijan's GDP, making it one of the top ten most fossil fuel-dependent economies in the world. Gas and oil make up 90% of Azerbaijan's export revenues and 60% of its finances.
Azerbaijan's economy is characterized by corruption and inequality. The country's oil wealth has significantly strengthened the stability of Ilham Aliyev's regime and enriched ruling elites in Azerbaijan. The country's oil wealth has enabled the state to host lavish international events, as well as engage in extensive lobbying efforts abroad.
The national currency is the Azerbaijani manat. The private sector is weak in Azerbaijan, as the economy is dominated by state-owned enterprises. More than half of the formal labor force works for the government in Azerbaijan. |
Economy of Azerbaijan | Economic history of Azerbaijan | Economic history of Azerbaijan |
Economy of Azerbaijan | Republic era | Republic era
Oil and gas are the most prominent products of Azerbaijan's economy. More than $60 billion was invested into Azerbaijan's oil sector by major international oil companies in AIOC consortium operated by BP. Oil production under the first of these production sharing agreements (PSAs), with the Azerbaijan International Operating Company, began in November 1997 and was about 500,000 barrels per day in 2006. People visit petroleum spas (or "oil spas") to bathe in the local crude in Naftalan.Azerbaijani answer to oil glut: Bathe in it – Asia – Pacific – International Herald Tribune A leading caviar producer and exporter in the past, Azerbaijan's fishing industry today is concentrated on the dwindling stocks of sturgeon and beluga in the Caspian Sea.
Azerbaijan shares all the problems of the former Soviet republics in making the transition from a command to a market economy, but its energy resources brighten its long-term prospects. Azerbaijan has begun making progress on economic reform, and old economic ties and structures are slowly being replaced. An obstacle to economic progress, including foreign investment, is the continuing conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
In 1992 Azerbaijan became a member of the Economic Cooperation Organization. In 2002, the Azerbaijani merchant marine had 54 ships.
In 2010 Azerbaijan entered into the top eight biggest oil suppliers to EU countries with €9.46 billion. In 2011, the amount of foreign investments in Azerbaijan was $20 billion, a 61% increase from 2010. According to Minister of Economic Development of Azerbaijan, Shahin Mustafayev, in 2011, "$15.7 billion was invested in the non-oil sector, while the restin the oil sector".
thumb|right|Azerbaijani exports in 2006
In 2012, because of its economic performance after the Soviet breakup, Azerbaijan was predicted to become "Tiger of Caucasus". In 2012, Globalization and World Cities Research Network study ranked Baku as a Gamma-level global city.
In 2015, Turkey and Azerbaijan agreed to boost mutual trade to US$15 billion by 2023. |
Economy of Azerbaijan | Macroeconomic trend | Macroeconomic trend
thumb|right|Change in per capita GDP of Azerbaijan since 1973. Figures are inflation-adjusted to 2011 International dollars.
The following is a chart of trend of gross domestic product of Azerbaijan at market pricesestimated by the International Monetary Fund with figures in USD.
Year Gross domestic product PPP Per capita income (as % of USA) 1995 19,497,000,000 8.78 2000 29,683,000,000 10.01 2005 59,087,000,000 15.52 2010 138,947,000,000 31.78 2015 169,789,000,000 32.15
For purchasing power parity comparisons, the US dollar was exchanged at 1,565.88 Manats only. Currently, the new Manat is in use, with an exchange rate of about 1 manat = $0.59. Mean graduate pay was $5.76 per man-hour in 2010.
The following table shows the main economic indicators in 1980–2017.
YearGDP (in bil. US$ PPP)GDP per capita (in US$ PPP)GDP
(in bil. US$ nominal)GDP growth (real)Inflation (in Percent)Government debt (in % of GDP)199327.43,6581.3−27.4%1,129.7%...199520.02,6102.4−13.0%411.8%19%200030.43,7815.36.2%1.8%23%200561.37,25213.328.0%9.6%14%200684.99,92721.034.5%8.2%11%2007109.312,61933.125.5%16.7%8%2008123.314,04649.010.6%20.8%7%2009135.915,23144.39.4%1.5%12%2010143.915,99552.94.6%5.7%13%2011144.515,86166.0−1.6%7.8%11%2012150.216,27169.72.1%1.1%14%2013161.617,27774.25.9%2.5%13%2014168.917,82475.22.7%1.5%14%2015171.817,91550.80.6%4.1%35%2016168.617,37837.8−3.1%12.6%51%2017171.817,49241.40.1%13.0%55%
Source: IMF
For more than a century the backbone of the Azerbaijani economy has been petroleum, which represented 50 percent of Azerbaijan's GDP in 2005, and is projected to double to almost 125 percent of GDP in 2007.Azerbaijan: Energy profile (Enerpub, 13 December 2007) Now that Western oil companies are able to tap deep-water oilfields untouched by the Soviets because of poor technology, Azerbaijan is considered one of the most important areas in the world for oil exploration and development. Proven oil reserves in the Caspian Basin, which Azerbaijan shares with Russia, Kazakhstan, Iran, and Turkmenistan, are comparable in size to the North Sea, although exploration is still in the early stages. |
Economy of Azerbaijan | Sectors of the economy | Sectors of the economy |
Economy of Azerbaijan | Agriculture | Agriculture
Azerbaijan has the largest agricultural basin in the region. About 54.9 percent of Azerbaijan is agricultural lands. At the beginning of 2007 there were of utilized agricultural area. In the same year, the total wood resources counted . Azerbaijan's agricultural scientific research institutes are focused on meadows and pastures, horticulture and subtropical crops, leaf vegetables, viticulture and wine-making, cotton growing and medicinal plants. In some lands, it is profitable to grow grain, potatoes, sugar beets, cotton and tobacco. Livestock, dairy products, and wine and spirits are also important farm products. The Caspian fishing industry is concentrated on the dwindling stocks of sturgeon and beluga.
Some portions of most products that were previously imported from abroad have begun to be produced locally (among them are Coca-Cola by Coca-Cola Bottlers LTD, beer by Baki-Kastel, parquet by Nehir and oil pipes by EUPEC Pipe Coating Azerbaijan).
A new program which is prepared by the European Union is aimed to supporting the economic diversification of Azerbaijan.https://ec.europa.eu/neighbourhood-enlargement/news_corner/news/eu4lankaran-%E2%80%93-new-eu-action-boost-rural-and-regional-competitiveness-azerbaijan_en |
Economy of Azerbaijan | Manufacturing | Manufacturing
thumb|Marauder (Mine Protected Vehicle) is manufactured in Azerbaijan.
In 2007, mining and hydrocarbon industries accounted for well over 95 percent of the Azerbaijani economy. Diversification of the economy into manufacturing industries remains a long-term issue.
As of the late 2000s, the defense industry of Azerbaijan has emerged as an autonomous entity with a growing defense production capability. The ministry is cooperating with the defense sectors of Ukraine, Belarus and Pakistan. Along with other contracts, Azerbaijani defense industries and Turkish companies, Azerbaijan will produce 40 mm revolver grenade launchers, 107 mm and 122 mm MLRS systems, Cobra 4×4 vehicles and joint modernization of BTR vehicles in Baku.Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense Industry plans to assume several projects on technical modernization of Armed Forces Azerbaijani Defense Industry Ministry conducts negotiations with Turkish "Otokar" Company on production of armored vehicles |
Economy of Azerbaijan | Financial and business services | Financial and business services
The banking sector remains small in relation to the size of the Azerbaijani economy. |
Economy of Azerbaijan | Telecommunications | Telecommunications
The Azerbaijan telecommunications sector is embroiled in corruption. Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev and his family own two of Azerbaijan's largest mobile providers (Azerfon and Azercell) through offshore companies and potentially control three-quarters of the mobile market in Azerbaijan. The third large mobile provider is Bakcell, which is registered as a company in an offshore tax haven and whose owners are unknown. Ownership of the mobile providers in Azerbaijan enables the ruling Aliyev family to monitor phone calls and internet activity.
Investigative reporting revealed that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his family made more than $1 billion when state shares of mobile operators were transferred to a purportedly "local partner" which was in reality owned by the Aliyev family's offshore companies.
Azerbaijan has relatively expensive call rates relative to comparable countries. The high prices are possibly due to consolidated control of the mobile market and a lack of competition.
The Azerbaijan government has stated that it wants to create a high-tech sector in Azerbaijan. |
Economy of Azerbaijan | Tourism | Tourism
thumb|Petroglyphs in Gobustan dating back to 10,000 BC indicating a thriving culture. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site considered to be of "outstanding universal value".
Tourism is an important part of the economy of Azerbaijan. The country was a well-known tourist spot in the 1980s. However, the fall of the Soviet Union, and the First Nagorno-Karabakh War during the 1988–1994 period, damaged the tourist industry and the image of Azerbaijan as a tourist destination.
It was not until the 2000s that the tourism industry began to recover, and the country has since experienced a high rate of growth in the number of tourist visits and overnight stays.Azərbaycan Qarabağın turizm imkanlarını təbliğ edir In recent years, Azerbaijan has also become a popular destination for religious, spa, and health care tourism. During winter, the Shahdag Winter Complex offers skiing.
The government of Azerbaijan has set the development of Azerbaijan as an elite tourist destination a top priority. It is a national strategy to make tourism a major, if not the single largest, contributor to the Azerbaijani economy. These activities are regulated by the State Tourism Agency and the Ministry of Culture.
The Formula One Grand Prix is held in Baku, the capital city, and has been held here for years. |
Economy of Azerbaijan | Currency system | Currency system
The Azerbaijani manat is the currency of Azerbaijani, denominated as the manat, subdivided into 100 qapik. The manat is issued by the Central Bank of Azerbaijan, the monetary authority of Azerbaijan. The ISO 4217 abbreviation is AZN. The Latinised symbol is (13px).
The manat is held in a floating exchange-rate system, managed primarily against the US dollar. The rate of exchange (Azerbaijani manat per US$1) for 28 January 2016, was AZN 1.60.
There is a complex relationship between Azerbaijan's balance of trade, inflation, measured by the consumer price index and the value of its currency. Despite allowing the value of the manat to "float", Azerbaijan's central bank has decisive ability to control its value in relationship to other currencies. |
Economy of Azerbaijan | Infrastructure | Infrastructure |
Economy of Azerbaijan | Energy | Energy
thumb|right|The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline (green) is one of several pipelines running from Baku.
Two-thirds of Azerbaijan is rich in oil and natural gas. The region of the Lesser Caucasus accounts for most of the country's gold, silver, iron, copper, titanium, chromium, manganese, cobalt, molybdenum, complex ore and antimony. In September 1994, a 30-year contract was signed between the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) and 13 oil companies, among them Amoco, BP, ExxonMobil, Lukoil and Statoil. As Western oil companies are able to tap deep-water oilfields untouched by the Soviet exploitation, Azerbaijan is considered one of the most important spots in the world for oil exploration and development. Azeriqaz, a sub-company of SOCAR, intends to ensure full gasification of the country by 2021. |
Economy of Azerbaijan | Transportation | Transportation
The convenient location of Azerbaijan on the crossroad of major international traffic arteries, such as the Silk Road and the south–north corridor, highlights the strategic importance of the transportation sector for the country's economy. The transport sector in the country includes roads, railways, aviation, and maritime transport.
Azerbaijan is also an important economic hub in the transportation of raw materials. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline (BTC) became operational in May 2006 and extends more than 1,774 kilometers through the territories of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey. The BTC is designed to transport up to 50 million tons of crude oil annually and carries oil from the Caspian Sea oilfields to global markets. The South Caucasus Pipeline, also stretching through the territory of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, became operational at the end of 2006 and offers additional gas supplies to the European market from the Shah Deniz gas field. Shah Deniz is expected to produce up to 296 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year. Azerbaijan also plays a major role in the EU-sponsored Silk Road Project.
In 2012, the construction of Kars–Tbilisi–Baku railway expected to provide transportation between Asia and Europe through connecting the railways of China and Kazakhstan in the east with Turkey's Marmaray to the European railway system in the west. Broad gauge railways in 2010 stretched for and electrified railways numbered . By 2010, there were 35 airports and one heliport. |
Economy of Azerbaijan | Regulation | Regulation
Single window system shares needed information through a single gateway with all organizations serving in trade field, as well as abolishes useless processes and raises the effectiveness of cooperation among different parties. 73 economies implement single window system in the world. Azerbaijan started to implement this system in 2009. It implemented an E-Government portal as well.
A single-window system was established by a decree of the Azerbaijani President issued in 2007, 30 April, in order to simplify export-import procedures, innovate customs services, and improve the trade environment. The president appointed the State Customs Committee as the leading body of controlling goods and transportation passing through the borders of the country in 2008.
The State Migration Service issues appropriate permits for foreigners and stateless persons coming to Azerbaijan to live and work. The "single window" principle has been applied on migration management processes starting from 1 July 2009 according to the Decree. |
Economy of Azerbaijan | Poverty | Poverty |
Economy of Azerbaijan | Other economic indicators | Other economic indicators
Data from CIA World Factbook unless noted otherwise
Investment (gross fixed)
17% of GDP (2011 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 3.4%
highest 10%: 27.4% (2008)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1.1% (2012 est.)
Agriculture
utilized agricultural land: (2011)
total wood resources: 144,2 million cubic meters
crops: cotton, rice and other grains, grapes, fruit, vegetables, tea, tobacco
livestock products: beef, mutton, poultry, milk, eggs
Industrial production growth rate
-3% (2011 est.)
Electricity
production: 22,55 billion kWh (2008)
consumption: 18,8 billion kWh (2008)
exports: 812 million kWh (2008)
imports: 596 million kWh (2008)
Current account balance
$11,12 billion (2011 est.)
Exports commodities
petroleum and natural gas, petroleum products, oilfield equipment; steel, iron ore, cement; chemicals, petrochemicals, textiles, machinery, cotton, foodstuffs.
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$7,146 billion (2011 est.)
Debt external
$3.89 billion (2011 est.)
Currency
1 Manat = 100 gepik
Exchange rates
Azerbaijani manat per US dollar 1.7 (for 22 November 2020)http://www.cbar.az/ Central Bank of the Azerbaijan Republic, accessed 24 July 2015
Azerbaijani manat per Euro 2.01 (for 22 November 2020)
Fiscal year
Calendar year |
Economy of Azerbaijan | See also | See also
Azerbaijan and the International Monetary Fund
List of companies of Azerbaijan
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline
State Oil Company of Azerbaijan
Petroleum industry in Azerbaijan
Agriculture in Azerbaijan
Tourism in Azerbaijan
Sheep farming in Azerbaijan |
Economy of Azerbaijan | References | References |
Economy of Azerbaijan | Further reading | Further reading
Habibov, Nazim: "Poverty in Azerbaijan" in the Caucasus Analytical Digest No. 34
|
Economy of Azerbaijan | External links | External links
Hübner, Gerald: "As If Nothing Happened? How Azerbaijan's Economy Manages to Sail Through Stormy Weather" in the Caucasus Analytical Digest No. 18
Azerbaijan |
Economy of Azerbaijan | Table of Content | Short description, Economic history of Azerbaijan, Republic era, Macroeconomic trend, Sectors of the economy, Agriculture, Manufacturing, Financial and business services, Telecommunications, Tourism, Currency system, Infrastructure, Energy, Transportation, Regulation, Poverty, Other economic indicators, See also, References, Further reading, External links |
Geography of Azerbaijan | Short description | thumb|300px|Azerbaijan map of Köppen climate classification zones
Azerbaijan is a country in the Caucasus region, situated at the juncture of Eastern Europe and West Asia. Three physical features dominate Azerbaijan: the Caspian Sea, whose shoreline forms a natural boundary to the east; the Greater Caucasus mountain range to the north; and the extensive flatlands at the country's center. About the size of Portugal or the US state of Maine, Azerbaijan has a total land area of approximately 86,600 km2, less than 1% of the land area of the former Soviet Union. Of the three Transcaucasian states, Azerbaijan has the greatest land area. Special administrative subdivisions are the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, which is separated from the rest of Azerbaijan by a strip of Armenian territory, and the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region, entirely within Azerbaijan. The status of Nagorno-Karabakh is disputed by Armenia, but is internationally recognized as territory of Azerbaijan.
Located in the region of the southern Caucasus Mountains, Azerbaijan borders the Caspian Sea to the east, Georgia and Russia to the north, Iran to the south, and Armenia to the southwest and west. A small part of Nakhchivan also borders Turkey to the northwest. The capital of Azerbaijan is the ancient city of Baku, which has the largest and best harbor on the Caspian Sea and has long been the center of the republic's oil industry. |
Geography of Azerbaijan | Topography and drainage | Topography and drainage
thumb|300px|right|Topographic map of Azerbaijan
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 Bazardüzü rises 4,466 meters above sea level. 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 Mtkvari, the longest river in the Caucasus region, forms the delta and drains into the Caspian a short distance downstream from the confluence with the Aras. 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. About 15% of the land in Azerbaijan is arable. |
Geography of Azerbaijan | Mountains | Mountains
The country's highest peak, Bazardüzü, rises to 4,485 m in this range at the Azerbaijan-Russia border. |
Geography of Azerbaijan | Climate | Climate |
Geography of Azerbaijan | Temperature | Temperature
The climate varies from subtropical and humid in the southeast to subtropical and dry in central and eastern Azerbaijan, continental and humid in the mountains, and continental and dry in Nakhchivan. Baku, on the Caspian, enjoys mild weather that averages in January and in July. |
Geography of Azerbaijan | Precipitation | Precipitation
Physiographic conditions and different atmosphere circulations admit 8 types of air currents including continental, sea, arctic, tropical currents of air that formulates the climate of the Republic. The maximum annual precipitation falls in Lenkeran (1,600 to 1,800 mm.) and the minimum in Absheron (200 to 350 mm.). The maximum daily precipitation of 334 mm was observed at the Bilieser Station in 1955. |
Geography of Azerbaijan | Environmental problems <span class="anchor" id="Environmental issues"></span> | Environmental problems
thumb|300px|Subtle changes due to falling sea level (in the Caspian Sea) can be seen along this coastline.
Air and water pollution are widespread and pose great challenges to economic development. Major sources of pollution include oil refineries and chemical and metallurgical industries, which in the early 1990s continued to operate as inefficiently as they had in the Soviet era. Air quality is extremely poor in Baku, the center of oil refining. Some reports have described Baku's air as the most polluted in the former Soviet Union, and other industrial centers suffer similar problems.
The Caspian Sea, including Baku Bay, has been polluted by oil leakages and the dumping of raw or inadequately treated sewage, reducing the yield of caviar and fish. In the Soviet period, Azerbaijan was pressed to use extremely heavy applications of pesticides to improve its output of scarce subtropical crops for the rest of the Soviet Union. The continued regular use of the pesticide DDT in the 1970s and 1980s was an egregious lapse, although that chemical was officially banned in the Soviet Union because of its toxicity to humans. Excessive application of pesticides and chemical fertilizers has caused extensive groundwater pollution and has been linked by Azerbaijani scientists to birth defects and illnesses. Rising water levels in the Caspian Sea, mainly caused by natural factors exacerbated by man-made structures, have reversed the decades-long drying trend and now threaten coastal areas; the average level rose 1.5 meters between 1978 and 1993. Because of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, large numbers of trees were felled, roads were built through pristine areas, and large expanses of agricultural land were occupied by military forces.
Like other former Soviet republics, Azerbaijan faces a gigantic environmental cleanup complicated by the economic uncertainties left in the wake of the Moscow-centered planning system. The Committee for the Protection of the Natural Environment is part of the Azerbaijani government, but in the early 1990s it was ineffective at targeting critical applications of limited funds, establishing pollution standards, or monitoring compliance with environmental regulations. Early in 1994, plans called for Azerbaijan to participate in the international Caspian Sea Forum, sponsored by the European Union (EU).
Natural hazards
Droughts and floods; some lowland areas threatened by rising levels of the Caspian Sea
Environment—current issues
Local scientists consider the Abseron Yasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula) (including Baky and Sumqayit) and the Caspian Sea to be the ecologically most devastated area in the world because of severe air, water, and soil pollution; soil pollution results from the use of DDT as a pesticide and also from toxic defoliants used in the production of cotton.
Environment - international agreements
Party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands |
Geography of Azerbaijan | Area and boundaries | Area and boundaries
Area
Total: 86,600 km²
country rank in the world: 113rd
Land: 82,629 km²
Water: 3,971 km²
Note: Includes the exclave of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and the Nagorno-Karabakh region; the region's autonomy was abolished by Azerbaijani Supreme Soviet on November 26, 1991.
Area comparative
Australia comparative: approximately larger than Tasmania
Canada comparative: approximately larger than New Brunswick
United Kingdom comparative: slightly larger than Scotland
United States comparative: slightly smaller than Maine
EU comparative: slightly smaller than Portugal
Land boundaries
Total: 2,468 km
Border countries: Armenia (with Azerbaijan-proper) 566 km, Armenia (with Azerbaijan-Nakhchivan exclave) 221 km, Georgia 428 km, Iran (with Azerbaijan-proper) 432 km, Iran (with Azerbaijan-Nakhchivan exclave) 700 km, Russia 338 km, Turkey 17 km
Coastline
Mostly landlocked, but has a 713 km coastline with the Caspian Sea.
Maritime claims
None
Terrain
large, flat lowland (much of it below sea-level) with Great Caucasus Mountains to the north, uplands in the west
Elevation extremes
Lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m
Highest point: Bazardüzü 4,466 m (on the border with Russia)
Highest peak entirely within Azeri territory: Shah Dagi 4,243 m |
Geography of Azerbaijan | Islands | Islands |
Geography of Azerbaijan | Resources and land use | Resources and land use
Natural resources
Petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, nonferrous metals, bauxite
Land use
Arable land: 22.95%
Permanent crops: 2.79%
Other: 74.26% (2012 est.)
Irrigated land
14,250 km² (2010)
Total renewable water resources
34.68 km3 (2011)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
Total: 12.21 km3/yr (4%/18%/78%)
Per capita: 1,384 cu m/yr (2010) |
Geography of Azerbaijan | See also | See also
List of volcanoes in Azerbaijan |
Geography of Azerbaijan | References | References |
Geography of Azerbaijan | General references | General references
|
Geography of Azerbaijan | Table of Content | Short description, Topography and drainage, Mountains, Climate, Temperature, Precipitation, Environmental problems <span class="anchor" id="Environmental issues"></span>, Area and boundaries, Islands, Resources and land use, See also, References, General references |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Short description | The Azerbaijani Armed Forces () is the military of the Republic of Azerbaijan. It was re-established according to the country's Law of the Armed Forces on 9 October 1991. The original Azerbaijan Democratic Republic's armed forces were dissolved after Azerbaijan was absorbed into the Soviet Union as the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic from 28 April 1920. After the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991–92, Azerbaijan's armed forces were reformed based on the Soviet bases and equipment left on Azerbaijani soil.
The armed forces have three branches: the Azerbaijani Land Forces, the Azerbaijani Air Forces and the Azerbaijani Navy. Associated forces include the Azerbaijani National Guard, the Internal Troops of Azerbaijan, and the State Border Service, which can be involved in state defense under certain circumstances.
According to the Azerbaijani media sources, the military expenditure of Azerbaijan for 2009 was set at US$2.46 billion. However, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, only $1.473 billion was spent that year.Stockholm International Peace Research Institute The SIPRI Military Expenditure Database IISS also suggests that the defence budget in 2009 was $1.5 billion. The Ministry of Defence Industry of Azerbaijan supervises the design, manufacturing, regulation and maintenance of military equipment. In the future, Azerbaijan hopes to start building tanks, armored vehicles, military planes and military helicopters. and |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Overview | Overview
Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan has been trying to further develop its armed forces into a professional, well trained, and mobile military. Azerbaijan has been undergoing extensive modernization and capacity expansion programs, with the military budget increasing from around $300 million in 2005 to $2.46 billion in 2009. The total armed forces number 56,840 personnel in the land forces, 7,900 personnel in the air force and air defence force, and 2,200 personnel in the navy. There are also 19,500 personnel in the National Guard, State Border Service, and Internal Troops.C. W. Blandy Azerbaijan: Is War Over Nagornyy Karabakh a Realistic Option? Advanced Research and Assessment Group. Caucasus Series 08/17. — Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, 2008, p.12 In addition, there are 300,000 former service personnel who have had military service in the last 15 years. The military hardware of Azerbaijan consists of 220 main battle tanks, an additional 162 T-80 battle tanks were acquired between 2005 and 2010, 595 armored combat vehicles and 270 artillery systems. The air force has about 106 aircraft and 35 helicopters. The IISS list 37 fighter aircraft, 15 fighter-ground attack aircraft, four transport aircraft, 50 training aircraft (including five combat capable trainers), 15 attack helicopters, and 20 transport helicopters
Azerbaijan has acceded to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear weapons state. Azerbaijan participates in NATO's Partnership for Peace. Azerbaijan joined the multi-national force in 2003. It sent 150 troops to Iraq, and later troops to Kosovo. Azerbaijani troops have also served in Afghanistan.
Despite the rise in Azerbaijan's defence budget,Blandy, 'Azerbaijan: Is War Over Nagornyy Karabakh a Realistic Option?, 2008, p.6, quoting http://nvo.ng.ru/wars/2007-02-09/2_poroh.html Nezavisimoye Voyennoye Obozreniye 9 February 2007. the armed forces were assessed in 2008 as not having a high state of battle readiness and being ill-prepared for wide scale combat operations.Blandy, 2008, p.7 Azeri victory in the Second Karabakh War in late 2020 demonstrated how significantly Azerbaijan's military capabilities had grown. |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | History of the Azerbaijani armed forces | History of the Azerbaijani armed forces |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Azerbaijan Democratic Republic | Azerbaijan Democratic Republic
thumb|175px|left|Two Azerbaijani soldiers, members of the Guba military unit of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1919)
The history of the modern Azerbaijan army dates back to Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR) in 1918, when the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan were created on 26 June 1918. First de facto Minister of Defense of ADR was Dr. Khosrov bey Sultanov. When the Ministry was formally established, Gen. Samedbey Mehmandarov became the minister, and Lt-Gen. Ali-Agha Shikhlinski his deputy. Chiefs of Staff of ADR Army were Lt-Gen. Maciej Sulkiewicz (March 1919 – 10 December 1919) and Maj-Gen. Abdulhamid bey Gaitabashi (10 December 1919 – April 1920).Azerbaijani Army marks 91 years
The Red Army invaded Azerbaijan on 28 April 1920. Although the bulk of the newly formed Azerbaijani army was engaged in putting down an Armenian revolt that had just broken out in Karabakh, the Azerbaijanis did not surrender their brief independence of 1918–20 quickly or easily. As many as 20,000 of the total 30,000 soldiers died resisting what was effectively a Russian reconquest.Hugh Pope, "Sons of the conquerors: the rise of the Turkic world", New York: The Overlook Press, 2006, p. 116, The national Army of Azerbaijan was abolished by the Bolshevik government, 15 of the 21 army generals were executed by the Bolsheviks.
thumb|Officers of the army of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic in 1918 |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Russian Civil War | Russian Civil War
After the Sovietisation of Azerbaijan, the newly formed Azerbaijani Red Army replaced the previous army, taking part in the Russian Civil War, and the invasion of Georgia. |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | World War II | World War II
thumb|Cadets of the Baku Higher All-Arms Command School during a parade in Baku in 1960
During World War II, Azerbaijan played a crucial role in the strategic energy policy of Soviet Union. Much of the Soviet Union's oil on the Eastern Front was supplied by Baku. By a decree of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR in February 1942, the commitment of more than 500 workers and employees of the oil industry of Azerbaijan was recognised with orders and medals.
Operation Edelweiss carried out by the German Wehrmacht targeted Baku because of the importance of its oil fields to the USSR.Swietochowski, Tadeusz(1995) Russia and Azerbaijan: A Borderland in Transition, Columbia University, p. 133. Some 800,000 Azerbaijanis fought within the ranks of the Soviet Army of which 400,000 died. Azerbaijani national formations of the Red Army included the 223rd, 227th, 396th, 402nd, and 416th Rifle Divisions. Azerbaijani Major-General Hazi Aslanov was awarded a second Hero of the Soviet Union after a long post-war fight for recognition of his accomplishments. |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Dissolution of the Soviet armed forces | Dissolution of the Soviet armed forces
During the Cold War, Azerbaijan had been the deployment area of units of the Soviet 4th Army whose principal formations in 1988 included four motor rifle divisions (23rd Guards, 60th, 75th, and 295th). The 75th Motor Rifle Division was isolated in Nakhchivan. The 4th Army also included missile and air defense brigades and artillery and rocket regiments. The 75th Division's stores and equipment were apparently transferred to the Nakhchivan authorities.See reference at 7th Guards Army article. Azerbaijan also hosted the 49th Arsenal of the Soviet Main Agency of Missiles and Artillery, which contained over 7,000 train-car loads of ammunition to the excess of one billion units.
The first president of Azerbaijan, Ayaz Mutallibov, did not wish to build an independent army, wanting to rely instead largely on Soviet troops. Even when the Parliament decided that an army should be formed in September 1991, disagreements between the government and the opposition Azerbaijani Popular Front Party impeded creation of a unified force.International Crisis Group, Azerbaijan: Defence Sector Management and Reform Crisis Group Europe Briefing N°50, 29 October 2008, p.3 Around this time, the first unit of the new army was formed on the basis of the 18–110 military unit of mechanized infantry of the Soviet Ground Forces (probably part of the 4th Army) located in Shikhov, south of Baku. At the time of the parliamentary decision, Lieutenant-General Valeh Barshadli became the first Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan, from 5 September to 11 December 1991. Later from May to 4 September 1992 he served as Chief of General Staff of Azerbaijani Armed Forces. |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Newly formed military | Newly formed military
thumb|A Guard of Honor during a parade in Baku in 1966
In summer 1992, the nascent Defense Ministry received a resolution by the Azerbaijani president on the takeover of units and formations in Azerbaijani territory. It then forwarded an ultimatum to Moscow demanding control over vehicles and armaments of the 135th and 139th Motor Rifle Regiments of the 295th Motor Rifle Division.Vladimir Petrov, How South Caucasus was armed , Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (Moscow, Russia) In July 1992, Azerbaijan ratified the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), which establishes comprehensive limits on key categories of conventional military equipment.
The transfer of the property of the 4th Army (except for part of the property of the 366th Motor Rifle Regiment of the 23rd Guards Motor Rifle Division captured by Armenian armed formations in 1992 during the regiment's withdrawal from Stepanakert) and the 49th arsenal was completed in 1992. Thus, by the end of 1992, Azerbaijan received arms and military hardware sufficient for approximately four motor rifle divisions with prescribed army units. It also inherited naval ships. There are also reports that 50 combat aircraft from the disbanded 19th Army of the Soviet Air Defence Forces came under Azerbaijani control.
“Full-fledged work on the creation of a national army in Azerbaijan began only in November 1993, when the ..situation.. began to stabilize.”JPRS Report. Central Eurasia: Military Affairs, 1995 Articles for draft evasion and desertion were introduced.
The Azerbaijani armed forces took a series of devastating defeats by Armenian forces during the 1992–1994 Nagorno-Karabakh War, which resulted in the loss of control of Nagorno-Karabakh proper and seven surrounding rayons, comprising roughly 20% of the territory of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani sources insist that Armenian victory was largely due to military help from Russia and the wealthy Armenian diaspora. Armenians partially deny the allegation, claiming that Russian side was equally supplying Armenian and Azerbaijani sides with weapons and mercenaries. During the war, the Azerbaijani armed forces were also aided by Turkish military advisers, and Russian, Ukrainian, Chechen and Afghan mercenaries.
Azerbaijan approved the CFE flank agreement in May 1997. |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | 21st century | 21st century
A number of Azerbaijani human rights groups have been tracking non-combat deaths and have noted an upward trend in the early 2010s. Based on Defense Ministry statistics that had not been released to the public, the Group of Monitoring Compliance with Human Rights in the Army (GMCHRA) has recorded the deaths of 76 soldiers to date in non-combat incidents for 2011, and the injury of 91 others. In comparison, there were 62 non-combat deaths and 71 cases of injury in 2010. The string of non-combat deaths raises questions about the reform progress of the military. Factors behind the deaths include bullying, hazing, and the systemic corruption within the Azerbaijani Armed Forces (see Corruption in Azerbaijan).
In 2017, Azerbaijani authorities used large scale torture (the Tartar Case) on Azerbaijani military personnel accused of treason. Generals Nacmeddin Sadikhov and Hikmet Hasanov were accused of torturing Azerbaijani officers and soldiers and according to the authorities and human rights defenders, more than 400 people were subjected to torture in the course of the case. The Azerbaijani authorities claimed one person was killed as a result, while human rights defenders say the number is about 13, and many were wrongfully convicted and given hefty prison sentences. |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Second Karabakh War | Second Karabakh War
The Second Karabakh War (also known in Azerbaijan as "The Patriotic War" or "Operation Iron Fist") began on the morning of 27 September 2020 when Azerbaijan launched an offensive along the Line of Contact. On the seventh day of the war, a major offensive was launched by the ground forces, advancing in the north, making some territorial gains while the fighting gradually shifted to the south. Following the capture of Shusha, the second-largest settlement in Nagorno-Karabakh, by Azerbaijani forces, a ceasefire agreement was signed between Azerbaijan, and Armenia, ending all hostilities in the area. Under the agreement, Armenia returned the surrounding territories it occupied in 1994 to Azerbaijan while Azerbaijan gained land access to its Nakhchivan exclave. Total casualties were in the low thousands.
During the war, the Azerbaijani army was widely accused of committing war crimes against Armenian soldiers and civilians. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International both condemned Azerbaijan's “indiscriminate” shelling of Armenian civilians, including the use of cluster munitions. In addition, videos of Azerbaijani soldiers mistreating or executing captive Armenians were circulated online and received widespread condemnation.
On 10 December, a victory parade was held in honor of the Azerbaijani Army on Azadliq Square, with 3,000 soldiers marching alongside military equipment, unmanned aerial vehicles and aircraft.
In August 2022, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination expressed deep concern regarding "severe and grave human rights violations committed during 2020 hostilities and beyond by the Azerbaijani military forces against prisoners of war and other protected persons of Armenian ethnic or national origin, including extrajudicial killings, torture and other ill-treatment and arbitrary detention as well as the destruction of houses, schools, and other civilian facilities." |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Structure | Structure |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Command | Command
Since the fall of the Soviet Union, there have been attempts in the defence ministry to reform the military to be more in line with the Turkish/NATO model, resulting in Soviet-legacy officers such as Rovshan Akbarov and Najmeddin Sadikov being removed from power.
Azerbaijan periodically holds drills to improve interaction and combat coordination between the servicemen during operations, its military personnel's combat readiness, as well as to develop commanders' military decision-making and unit management skills. |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Land Forces | Land Forces
right|thumb|Azerbaijan has a dozen 300mm salvo rocket systems 9A52 "Smerch" with a range of 70-.
The Azerbaijani Land Forces number 85,000 strong, according to UK Advanced Research and Assessment Group estimates. The 2,500 men of the National Guard are also part of the ground forces. In addition, there are 300,000 former service personnel who have had military service in the last 15 years. Other paramilitary agencies consist of Interior Ministry Internal Troops of Azerbaijan, 12,000 strong, and the land component of the State Border Service, 5,000 strong.
Azerbaijan has signed numerous contracts to strengthen its armed forces and to train its military with Turkey's assistance. Over the last 15 years, Azerbaijan has been preparing its military for possible action against Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh.thumb|Azerbaijani Army order of battle
The Land Forces consist of five army corps:
1st Army Corps also known as Barda Army Corps (concentrated near Ganja)
2nd Army Corps also known as Beylagan Army Corps (concentrated against Armenian occupied territories and part is deployed on the Azerbaijan-Iranian border)
3rd Army Corps also known as Shamkir Army Corps (concentrated against Armenian occupied territories)
4th Army Corps also known as Baku Army Corps (covers Absheron Peninsula and the coast)
Nakhchivan Separate Combined Arms Army (deployed in Nakhchivan)
The Land Forces include 23 motor rifle brigades, an artillery brigade, a multiple rocket launcher brigade, and an anti-tank regiment. The IISS Military Balance reported in 2007 that the Land Forces had an estimated 40 SA-13 Gopher, SA-4 Ganef, and SA-8 Gecko air defence missile systems, with '80–240 eff.' to support the army in the battlefield. (IISS 2007, p. 157)
The peacekeeping forces of Azerbaijan are mostly supplied from the Land Forces, though the Internal Troops of Azerbaijan do also supply some. As of March 2011, 94 peacekeepers were deployed with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. In the past, it also actively supported the peacekeeping operation in Kosovo and Iraq.
The Azerbaijani peacekeeping unit deployed in Iraq consisted of 14 officers, 16 sergeants and 120 privates, a total of 150 troops. The unit secured the hydroelectric power station and reservoir in Al Haditha from August 2003. In December 2008, Azerbaijan withdrew the unit from Iraq.
Reportedly in December 2014 Azerbaijan created the Separate Combined Arms Army in Nakhchivan. Karam Mustafayev became commander of the corps. The army was created based on the Nakhchivan 5th Army Corps to strengthen defense capability of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, increase of combat capability of military units and formations of the Armed Forces, improve central control, reports quoting the Defence Ministry said. |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Air forces | Air forces
The Azerbaijani Air and Air Defence Force is a single unified service branch.Jane's Sentinel Security Assessments – Russia and the CIS: Air Force, dated 18 June 2009, and Some 8,000 men serve in the air force and air defence force. The Air and Air Defence Force has around 106 aircraft and 35 helicopters. The country has four major airbases. Nasosnaya (air base) has fighters, Kyurdamir Air Base a bomber regiment, Ganja Air Base transports, and Baku Kala Air Base the helicopter unit. There are also four other airbases which do not appear to have aircraft based there. These are Dollyar Air Base, Nakhchivan Airport, Sanqacal Air Base, and Sitalcay Air Base.
The Azerbaijani Air Force using MiG-21, Su-24 and Su-25 aircraft, as well as the MiG-29 purchased from Ukraine in 2006 and Il-76 transport aircraft. The MiG-29 have been designated as the standard aircraft for the AzAF. Azerbaijan is holding talks with either the People's Republic of China or Pakistan to purchase JF-17 Thunder aircraft. MiG-25s previously in service have been retired seemingly in the 2007–09 period.
Azerbaijan's helicopter force is concentrated at Baku Kala Air Base and according to the IISS consists of a single regiment with around 14–15 Mi-24, 12–13 Mi-8 and 7 Mi-2. Jane's Information Group and the IISS give figures which agree with only a single aircraft's difference. Recently, end of 2010 Russian Rosvertol announced that Azerbaijan armed forces signed a deal for 24 pieces of Mi-35M (Hind-E) gunships what would further enhance the Azerbaijani ground attack formations.
The Air Force has L-39 advanced training aircraft in store. The Azerbaijan Border Guard and Voluntary Society of Defense, Patriotism and Sport have Yakovlev light training aircraft.
thumb|S-300 PMU2 during a military parade in Baku 2011
Azerbaijan has missile and radar systems intended to defend Azerbaijani airspace. There are at least 2 divisions of S-300PMU2. Thereby the country has one of the most capable SAM surface-to-air missile system in the region. Azerbaijan also operates two S-200 (SA-5 GAMMON) batteries near Baku and Mingachevir; the S-300PMU-2 represents a logical replacement for these systems offering coverage of the majority of the nation. The country also has about 100 NATO designated SA-2 Guideline (original name S-75), SA-3 Goa (S-125 Pechora-2M), and the SA-5 Gammon (S-200) are in static installations.IISS Military Balance 2007, p. 158 These may be around Baku and the central part to cover the whole Azerbaijani aerospace.
However, August 2011 investigations shows that after purchase of S-300 surface-to-air missiles, the largest apparent gap in Azerbaijan's air defense system may have been filled.
Also in Azerbaijan there was a former Soviet early warning radar. The Gabala Radar Station was a bistatic phased-array installation, operated by the Russian Space Forces. The contract was signed in 2002 and was due to expire in 2012 where it was to be given back to the Azerbaijani government. The contract costed Russia $7 million per year. The radar station had a range of up to , and was designed to detect intercontinental ballistic missile launches as far as from the Indian Ocean. In December 2012 Russia announced that negotiations had been unsuccessful and that they had stopped using the radar station. The site was given back to Azerbaijan and all the equipment dismantled and transported to Russia. Nowadays, Russia covers the area from the Armavir Radar Station. |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Navy | Navy
The main naval base of the Soviet Union in the Caspian Sea was based in Baku. When the Soviet Union collapsed, Azerbaijan inherited the naval base and parts of the Caspian Sea Flotilla. The Azerbaijan Navy has about 2,200 personnel.Jane's Fighting Ships, 2010, accessed February 2010. IISS 2007 attributes 2,000 personnel. In 2010, the navy had a Petya class light frigate, Qusar (G 121), and a number of patrol craft, including one Turk class, Araz, P 223, one Brya (Project 722) class, P 218, one Shelon (Project 1388M) class, P 212, one Poluchat class (Project 368), P 219, one Luga class (Project 888), T 710, and four Petrushka (Polish UK-3 class), P 213, P 214, P 215, and P 216. There are four minesweepers consisting of 2 Sonya class minesweeper and 2 Yevgenya class minesweepers. (Jane's Fighting Ships 2010)
The Navy is also attributed with 5 landing craft, 3 Polnochny and 2 Vydra (IISS 2007), plus three research ships, 1 Project 10470, A 671, ex Svyaga, 1 Balerian Uryvayev class survey vessel (AG) and one Vadim Popov class survey vessel (AG).
The U.S. Navy has helped train the Azerbaijani Navy. There is also an agreement to provide US support to refurbish Azerbaijani warships in the Caspian Sea. In 2006, the US Government donated 3 motorboats to the Azerbaijani Navy. In 2007, an agreement between the Azerbaijani Navy and a US military company was concluded, which stated that a part of the Azerbaijani Navy would be equipped with advanced laser marksmanship systems. The US company specialists were also to give training on the use of the new equipment. A number of separate U.S. programmes are underway under the Caspian Guard Initiative, focused mostly on enhancing Azerbaijani and Kazakh maritime border security.
In May 2011, the president of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic Rovnag Abdullayev stated that Azerbaijan would start production of national warships after 2013.
The Naval Intelligence of Azerbaijan maintains the 641st Special Warfare Naval Unit. The special forces were trained by the U.S. Navy SEALs Unit 641 has several midget submarines such as Triton-1M and Triton 2 at their disposal as well as underwater tool motion for individual divers. The special unit is composed of 3 reconnaissance groups, 2 groups for mountainous warfare, and one diving group. Obligatory training includes parachute jumping day and night, on land and on water. |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Special forces | Special forces
The Special Forces of Azerbaijan are part of the Ministry of Defence. It was established in April 1999 with officers and warrant officers who had participated in the First Nagorno-Karabakh War of 1991–1994. The Turkish Special Forces Command played a role in the formation of the unit. During the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War, personnel of the Special Forces reclaimed the city of Jebrayil and nine surrounding villages from the Armenian Army. On November 8, Aliyev congratulated the commander of the Special Forces on their "liberation of Shusha". The war was considered to be first time Azerbaijan has actively used all of its special forces units.thumb|Members of the Azerbaijani Special Forces during a military parade in Baku 2011 |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Defense industry | Defense industry
thumb|The Marauder is a South African MRAP manufactured under license in Azerbaijan.
The Ministry of Defence Industry of Azerbaijan directs domestic military supplies for Azerbaijan. It was established in 2005. The Defence Industries Ministry subsumed the State Department for Military Industry and for Armaments and the Military Science Center, each of which was formerly a separate agency within the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.
The defense industry has emerged as an autonomous entity with a growing production capability. The ministry is cooperating with the defense sectors of Ukraine, Belarus and Pakistan. Along with other contracts, Azerbaijani defence industries and Turkish companies, Azerbaijan will produce 40mm revolver grenade launchers, 107mm and 122mm MLRS systems, Cobra 4×4 vehicles and joint modernization of BTR vehicles in Baku.Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense Industry plans to assume several projects on technical modernization of Armed Forces Azerbaijani Defense Industry Ministry conducts negotiations with Turkish "Otokar" Company on production of armored vehicles
The major military companies of Azerbaijan are:
RPE Iglim, aviation and shipbuilding
Radiogurashdirma, communication means and radio-electronic
RPE Neftgazavtomat, devices and automation systems for monitoring technological processes
RPE Automatic Lines, non-standard equipment and products for application in electrotechnical and machine engineering
Avia-Agregat, multi-purpose aviation equipment, various airdrome conditioners, universal container of board conductor, air-to-air radiators, fuel-oil, air-to-air heat exchangers and ventilatorsAircraft Repair Plant of Azerbaijan to be reconstructed
In early 2008, reports indicated that an agreement with Turkey had been signed which would lead to Azerbaijan producing armoured personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles, and small calibre artillery pieces. |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | International cooperation | International cooperation
Azerbaijan cooperates with about 60 countries in the military-technical sphere and has an agreement on military-technical cooperation with more than 30 countries. |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Turkey | Turkey
thumb|right|Azerbaijani Special Forces unit in Turkish manufactured Otokar Cobra
In December 2009, an agreement on military assistance was signed by Turkey and Azerbaijan. The agreement envisions Ankara supplying Azerbaijan with weapons, military equipment, and, if necessary, soldiers in case war with Armenia over Karabakh resumes.
Turkey has provided Azerbaijan with infantry weapons, tactical vehicles (jeeps, trucks, etc.) professional training, military organization, technology transfer, licensed military hardware production, and other services. Due to help from Turkish specialists and instructors, thousands of Azerbaijani officers have been trained to western standards.NATO, Azerbaijani troops part of the KFOR family
The military position as an area of international importance of Azerbaijan increased with an agreement between Azerbaijan and Turkey on the participation of an Azerbaijani peacekeeping platoon in the staff of the Turkish battalion in Kosovo.Azerbaijan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, List of the military documents signed between the Republic of Turkey and Republic of Azerbaijan
Since 1992, Azerbaijan and Turkey have signed more than 100 military protocols, some of the major protocols include:List of the military documents signed between the Republic of Turkey and Republic of Azerbaijan
Cooperation of staff members
National security cooperation in the topographical area
Forming and training of professional school of forces in Baku
Carrying out of the material and technical purchasing
Military industry cooperation
Development of the 5th Army Corps also known as Nakhchivan Army Corps in NakhchivanIn 2001, between the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the General Staff of the Republic of Turkey on development of Nakhchivan 5th army protocol
Cooperation in the area of military history, military archives and museum work and military publication
Assistance on training, material and technical between the Azerbaijan Border Guard and the Turkish Armed Forces.
Long-term economical and military cooperation and application of the financial aid
Application of material and technical provision
In May 2011, Azerbaijan had discussed the purchase of long-range rockets from two Chinese companies, the minister of the defence industry has said. Other arms deals were signed with Turkey. Turkish Defence Minister Vecdi Gonul and Yaver Jamalov signed a protocol of intent on future joint production of two types of output – 107-mm rockets and the national rifle, possibly the Mehmetçik-1. A protocol of intent was signed the same day with the Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation MKEK on the joint production of 120-mm mortar launchers. This project will come into force in a few months time. Agreement has also been reached with Turkish company Aselsan on the production of some types of defence output in Azerbaijan, specifically the latest types of weapons' sights. These projects will probably happen in the near future too. Recently, Turkish defense industries secretariat told that an export version of the T-155 Firtina self-propelled howitser is almost done and could start production. T-155 has been powered by a German MTU power pack, which restricts the sale to some countries like Azerbaijan. The Turkish manufacturer MKEK, has announced that they have found an alternate supplier for the power pack where Azerbaijan showed interest to buy the high tech, more capable 155mm 52 caliber from Turkish authorities. |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | United States | United States
thumb|Nasosnaya Air Base in Azerbaijan. Gen. Tom Hobbins, U.S. Air Forces in Europe commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Gary Coleman, USAFE command chief, Lt. Col. Elmar Hüseynov.
Section 907 of the United States Freedom Support Act bans any kind of direct United States aid to the Azerbaijani government. Since a waiver was made in 2001 there has been extensive U.S. military cooperation with Azerbaijan. This has included Special Forces and naval aid, consultations with United States European Command, and linkages through the U.S. National Guard State Partnership Program.
On 19 May 2006, Azerbaijani Defense Minister Safar Abiyev and the then commander of United States Air Forces in Europe General Tom Hobbins met in Baku to discuss military cooperation. He said the objective of his visit was to become familiar with the state of Azerbaijani armed forces. Hobbins pointed to the progress made in the NATO-Azerbaijan relations, saying that the successful implementation of the NATO Partnership for Peace program in Azerbaijan has brought the country even closer to the alliance. He said that the two countries' air forces will expand cooperation.
The U.S. state of Oklahoma is linked with Azerbaijan through the U.S. National Guard State Partnership Program (SPP). Oklahoma National Guard troops have been sent on training and humanitarian missions to Baku. |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Russia | Russia
Russia is one of Azerbaijan's main suppliers of arms. "As of today, military and technical cooperation with Russia is measured at $4 billion and it tends to grow further," President Ilham Aliyev said after meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Baku in 2013.Azeri-Russian Arms Trade $4 Billion Amid Tension With Armenia By Zulfugar Agayev 13 August 2013 |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Israel | Israel
Azerbaijan and Israel cooperate on numerous areas of the defense industry. Israel was Azerbaijan's largest weapon supplier with $4.85 billion in sales during 2016 alone. As of 2023, Turkey was Azerbaijan's largest weapon supplier. Azerbaijan has shown great interest in Israeli technology over the years. In particular, an agreement was reached over the construction of the factory of intelligence and combat drones in Azerbaijan.Washington briefing: Israel, Azerbaijan to step up military cooperation
The Israeli defense company Elta Systems Ltd has had cooperation from Azerbaijan in building the TecSAR reconnaissance satellite system, which can take high-definition photos of ground surfaces in all weather conditions.Ninan Koshy, "India and Israel Eye Iran ", Foreign Policy in Focus, 13 February 2008. According to Azerbaijani military experts, the TecSAR system will be indispensable for military operations in the mountainous terrains of Azerbaijan.
As of June 2009, Israel and Azerbaijan had been negotiating on the production of Namer armoured infantry fighting vehicles in Azerbaijan.Panarmenian.net panarmenian – Israel rearms Azerbaijani army , 30 June 2009 There is no further information as to whether any agreement has been made. |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | NATO | NATO
thumb|Azerbaijan deployed 150 peacekeepers during the Iraq War.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Azerbaijan cooperate. Azerbaijan's Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) and its Partnership for Peace (PfP) linkages lay out the programme of cooperation between Azerbaijan and NATO.
The Azerbaijani government has however delayed implementing IPAP-recommended reforms, however, in part at least because no decision had been taken to seek NATO membership. This is because Azerbaijan's foreign policy 'seeks to balance interests with the U.S., EU, Russia and Iran.'International Crisis Group, Azerbaijan: Defence Sector Reform and Management, Europe Briefing No.50, Baku/Tbilisi/Brussels, 29 October 2008, p.1
According to a NATO diplomatic source some key officials at NATO headquarters in Brussels were pushing hard for engaging Azerbaijan on the membership question. "Turkey, Romania, Italy, Poland, the United Kingdom and the Baltic states," are among the member-states also backing a fast track for Azerbaijan's NATO membership.
However, Azerbaijan made its policy of not being aligned with a geopolitical/military structure official when it became a full member of the Non-Aligned Movement in 2011.
There is also a limited amount of military cooperation with the other countries of GUAM: Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Moldova. |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Personnel | Personnel |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Educational system | Educational system
thumb|The Cadets of the Corps of Drums of the Jamshid Nakhchivanski Military Lyceum
thumb|Azerbaijani higher military cadets
The purpose of Azerbaijani military education and training is to train soldiers, officers, and non-commissioned officers to have independent and creative thinking and commitment to the Azerbaijani people and the government. Military education in the Azerbaijani Armed Forces have been described as either being secondary education, further education, or higher education.
Azerbaijani pilots were formerly trained in the Azerbaijan Air Force School, where they would then develop their skills in operational units. Azerbaijan has an experience exchange with Turkey, Ukraine, the United States and a number of NATO countries. The Turkish Air Force School has a great role in the training of Azerbaijani military pilots. Azerbaijani pilots are also trained in Ukraine's Pilot Training School.Azerbaijan’s military aviation opportunities
The following is a list of educational institutions in the armed forces, under the auspices of the National Defense University:
Military academies
War College of the Armed Forces
Training and Education Center of the Armed Forces
Azerbaijan Higher Military Academy
Azerbaijan Higher Naval Academy (former independent institution)
Azerbaijan High Military Aviation School (former independent institution)
Other educational institutions
Secondary Military Medical School of Azerbaijan
Military Medical Faculty of Azerbaijan Medical University
Military lyceums
Jamshid Nakhchivanski Military Lyceum
Heydar Aliyev Military Lyceum |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Conscription | Conscription |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Military Justice | Military Justice
Military Courts act as courts of first instance deals. The Military Court is composed of a President and judges. The following military courts exist in Azerbaijan:
Military Court of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic
Baku Military Court (formed in August 1992)
Ganja Military Court
Lankaran Military Court
Fuzuli-Gubadli Military Court
Tartar Military Court
Agdam Military Court
Gazakh Military Court
Sumgait Military Court |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Women and ethnic minorities in the armed forces | Women and ethnic minorities in the armed forces
During the first war, Russians, who were a large minority in Azerbaijan at the time, served in the units of the Azerbaijani Army, many of whom formerly served in the Soviet Army. According to the Russian Ministry of Defence more than 300 officers of the 7th Army, based in the capital of Baku, refused to leave Azerbaijan at the outset of the war. During the Second Karabakh War, the death of an ethnic Russian Azerbaijani soldier, Dmitry Solntsev, was reported.Ethnic Russian soldier dies in the battle to liberate Azerbaijani lands from Armenian occupation There was also Denis Aliyev (born as Denis Pronin) from the Xətai raion, who was killed in Jabrayil. He was later posthumously awarded the Medal "For the Liberation of Jabrayil" in December. Cossacks, associated with the Association of Cossacks of Azerbaijan, often join the Azerbaijani Armed Forces.
Female military personnel in the military are generally involved in education, office work, medical care, and the development of international cooperation. They also serve in the rear, signal troops, and intelligence forces. Women are exempt from conscription, which means that female service is purely on a voluntary basis. There are currently 1,000 female personnel in the Azerbaijani military, accounting for 3% of the armed forces. During the Karabakh Conflict, 2,000 of the 74,000 Azerbaijani soldiers were women, and 600 of them directly took part in military operations, with a women's battalion being established in 1992. The enrollment of females in Azerbaijani higher military schools began in 1999. According to soldier Tehrana Bahruzi in her book, “Zakir Hasanov: the Ideal Minister", Defence Minister Zakir Hasanov was responsible for launching the first female unit in the Special Forces of Azerbaijan. In October 2020, the first female military casualty was reported, a combat medic who died while taking wounded soldiers from the battlefield. |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Personnel medals and awards | Personnel medals and awards
Medal "For Bravery"
Medal "For Fatherland"
Medal "For Faultless Service"
Medal "For blameless service"
Medal "For distinction in military service"
Medal "For distinction in the border"
Medal "For merit in military collaboration"
Medal "For military merit"
Veteran of the Armed Forces Medal
Brave Warrior Medal
For Distinction in Battle Medal
For Heroism Medal
For military services medal
Herbi Xidmlete Gore Medal
Anniversary medals
"10th Anniversary of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan (1991–2001)" Medal
"90th Anniversary of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan (1918–2008)" Medal
"95th Anniversary of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan (1918–2013)" Medal
Azerbaijani Army 100th anniversary medal
Battle/war awards
Hero of the Patriotic War
Hero of the Patriotic War Medal
Participant of the Patriotic War Medal
For Services in the Rear in the Patriotic War Medal
For the Liberation of Aghdam Medal
For the Liberation of Fuzuli Medal
For the Liberation of Gubadly Medal
For the Liberation of Jabrayil Medal
For the Liberation of Kalbajar Medal
For the Liberation of Khojavend Medal
For the Liberation of Lachin Medal
For the Liberation of Shusha Medal
For the Liberation of Sugovushan Medal
For the Liberation of Zangilan Medal
Today 'National Hero of Azerbaijan' is the highest national title in the country, awarded for outstanding services of national importance to Azerbaijan in defense, as well as other deeds in other spheres. |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Traditions and military institutions | Traditions and military institutions |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Military oath | Military oath
The military oath () is taken by conscripts as a legal basis of the beginning of their military service. The oath is administered by the commanding officer of the unit. The following is the text for the current version of the oath: |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Battle flags and pennants | Battle flags and pennants
A battle flag for a military unit is a symbol of honor which remains forever in the unit unless it is dissolved. By military law, if the battle flag is lost in battle, the commander of the military unit and the servicemen under its command are brought to court, and the unit is abolished. Battle flags have the color of the State Flag, with the slogan "For Azerbaijan" being embroidered with golden silk on a blue stripe along the upper edge of the fabric. Outside the battle flag, the Azerbaijani military also utilizes the Turkish military tradition of pennants as symbols. |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Military holidays | Military holidays
These are the military holidays observed by all service personnel of the Armed Forces:
14 February – Air Force Day
9 May – Victory Day (Great Patriotic War)
26 June – Day of the Armed Forces
5 August – Day of the Azerbaijani Navy
27 September – Memorial Day
18 October – Day of the First Military Unit
8 November – Victory Day |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Azerbaijan Military History Museum | Azerbaijan Military History Museum
Azerbaijan Military History Museum is a structure under the Ministry of Defense. It was established on 10 December 1992 by the order of the Minister of Defense and in accordance with a decree signed on 29 October 1992 "On the transfer of the Museum of Combat Glory of the VI Army Garrison of the Commonwealth of Independent States". Today, the museum displays 5 tanks, 9 armored personnel carriers, 16 artillery pieces, 6 aircraft, 4 helicopters, 6 different military equipment of the Air Force. Currently, the number of exhibits totals 11,000.thumb|President Ilham Aliyev at the new building of the Organization of Veterans of War, Labor and Armed Forces |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Republican Veterans Organization | Republican Veterans Organization
After the Second World War, veterans movements were launched in Azerbaijan, with the Baku Veterans Committee being established on 10 June 1960. The activity of the committee was limited to Baku until the early 1970s. During the leadership of First Secretary Heydar Aliyev, there was a revival in the veteran movement, during which the committee gradually expanded to the republic. The establishment of the Republican Veterans Organization took place on 21 March 1987. Despite the official registration of the RVO with the Ministry of Justice, the activity of the organization was largely formal due to the tensions in the country with the Karabakh War, as well as the attitude of the government towards Red Army veterans in general. One of the first laws signed by the President Aliyev was the Law "On Veterans" (28 June 1994), which restored the mandate for the RVO. |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | See also | See also
Judiciary of Azerbaijan
Special Purpose Police Unit |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | References | References
(Official Website of Azerbaijan)
Chernyavsky, Azerbaijan's new path, 2002, 132, 352.
G. E. Curtiss (ed.), Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia Country Studies, Washington, DC: Federal Research Division, Library of Congress, 1995.
|
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Further reading | Further reading
U.S. Army War College Center for Strategic Leadership, Transformation of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, October 2008 |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | External links | External links
Official YouTube Channel of Azerbaijani Soldier program
Category:1918 establishments in Azerbaijan |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Table of Content | Short description, Overview, History of the Azerbaijani armed forces, Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, Russian Civil War, World War II, Dissolution of the Soviet armed forces, Newly formed military, 21st century, Second Karabakh War, Structure, Command, Land Forces, Air forces, Navy, Special forces, Defense industry, International cooperation, Turkey, United States, Russia, Israel, NATO, Personnel, Educational system, Conscription, Military Justice, Women and ethnic minorities in the armed forces, Personnel medals and awards, Traditions and military institutions, Military oath, Battle flags and pennants, Military holidays, Azerbaijan Military History Museum, Republican Veterans Organization, See also, References, Further reading, External links |
Geography of Armenia | Short description | thumb|300px|Armenia map of Köppen climate classification zones
thumb|300px|Satellite image of Armenia
Armenia is a landlocked country in the South Caucasus region of the Caucasus. The country is geographically located in West Asia, within the Armenian plateau.The UN classification of world regions places Armenia in West Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and Oxford Reference Online also place Armenia in Asia.Hewsen, Robert H. "The Geography of Armenia" in The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times Volume I: The Dynastic Periods: From Antiquity to the Fourteenth Century. Richard G. Hovannisian (ed.) New York: St. Martin's Press, 1997, pp. 1–17 Armenia is bordered on the north and east by Georgia and Azerbaijan and on the south and west by Iran, Azerbaijan's exclave Nakhchivan, and Turkey.
The terrain is mostly mountainous, with fast flowing rivers and few forests. The climate is highland continental: hot summers and cold winters. The land rises to above sea-level at Mount Aragats. |
Geography of Armenia | Physical environment | Physical environment
thumb|right|350px|Detailed map of Armenia
Armenia is located in the southern Caucasus, the region southwest of Russia between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. Modern Armenia occupies part of historical Armenia, whose ancient centers were in the valley of the Araks River and the region around Lake Van in Turkey. Armenia is bordered on the north by Georgia, on the east by Azerbaijan, on the south by Iran, and on the west by Turkey.
In Armenia forest cover is around 12% of the total land area, equivalent to 328,470 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, down from 334,730 hectares (ha) in 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 310,000 hectares (ha) and planted forest covered 18,470 hectares (ha). Of the naturally regenerating forest 5% was reported to be primary forest (consisting of native tree species with no clearly visible indications of human activity) and around 0% of the forest area was found within protected areas. For the year 2015, 100% of the forest area was reported to be under public ownership. |
Geography of Armenia | Topography and drainage | Topography and drainage
thumb|left|Topography of Armenia
Twenty-five million years ago, a geological upheaval pushed up the Earth's crust to form the Armenian Plateau, creating the complex topography of modern Armenia. The Lesser Caucasus range extends through northern Armenia, runs southeast between Lake Sevan and Azerbaijan, then passes roughly along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border to Iran. Thus situated, the mountains make travel from north to south difficult. Geological turmoil continues in the form of devastating earthquakes, which have plagued Armenia. In December 1988, the second largest city in the republic, Leninakan (now Gyumri), was heavily damaged by a massive quake that killed more than 25,000 people.
About half of Armenia's area of approximately has an elevation of at least , and only 3% of the country lies below . The lowest points are in the valleys of the Araks River and the Debed River in the far north, which have elevations of , respectively. Elevations in the Lesser Caucasus vary between . To the southwest of the range is the Armenian Plateau, which slopes southwestward toward the Araks River on the Turkish border. The plateau is masked by intermediate mountain ranges and extinct volcanoes. The largest of these, Mount Aragats, high, is also the highest point in Armenia. Most of the population lives in the western and northwestern parts of the country, where the two major cities, Yerevan and Gyumri, are located.
The valleys of the Debed and Akstafa rivers form the chief routes into Armenia from the north as they pass through the mountains. Lake Sevan, across at its widest point and long, is by far the largest lake. It lies above sea level on the plateau and is large. Other main lakes are: Arpi, , Sev, , Akna .
thumb|right|400px|Biogeographic regions of Europe
Terrain is most rugged in the extreme southeast, which is drained by the Bargushat River, and most moderate in the Araks River valley to the extreme southwest. Most of Armenia is drained by the Araks or its tributary, the Hrazdan, which flows from Lake Sevan. The Araks forms most of Armenia's border with Turkey and Iran, while the Zangezur Mountains form the border between Armenia's southern province of Syunik and Azerbaijan's adjacent Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.
thumb|left|200px|Armenian terrain |
Geography of Armenia | Climate | Climate
Temperatures in Armenia generally depend upon elevation. Mountain formations block the moderating climatic influences of the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea, creating wide seasonal variations with cold snowy winters, and warm to hot summers. On the Armenian Plateau, the mean midwinter temperature is to , and the mean midsummer temperature is to . Average precipitation ranges from per year in the lower Araks River valley to at the highest altitudes. Despite the harshness of winter in most parts (with frosts reaching and lower in Shirak region), the fertility of the plateau's volcanic soil made Armenia one of the world's earliest sites of agricultural activity. |
Geography of Armenia | Area and boundaries | Area and boundaries
Area:total: 29,743 km2
country comparison to the world: 143
land: 28,203 km2water: 1,540 km2
Area comparative
Australia comparative: about one third (33%) the size of Tasmania
Canada comparative: greater than half (56%) the size of Nova Scotia
Turkey comparative: about a quarter (24%) smaller than the size of Konya Province.
United Kingdom comparative: about one third larger (30%) than Wales
United States comparative: slightly smaller (7%) than Maryland
EU comparative: slightly smaller (8%) than Belgium
Land boundaries:total: 1,570 kmborder countries:
Azerbaijan 566 km, Azerbaijan-Nakhchivan exclave 221 km, Georgia 219 km, Iran 44 km, Turkey 311 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Elevation extremes:lowest point: 375mhighest point: Mount Aragats 4,090 m
Extreme points of Armenia:North:
Tavush ()South:
Syunik ()West:
Shirak ()East:
Syunik () |
Geography of Armenia | Resources and land use | Resources and land use
Natural resources:
deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, bauxite
Armenia has significant deposits of copper, molybdenum and gold, as well as smaller deposits of zinc, lead and silver. Some copper-molybdenum and polymetallic ore deposits are rich in elements such as bismuth, tellurium, selenium, gallium, indium, thallium, rhenium and germanium.
Land use:
arable land:4.456 km², 15.8%permanent crops: 1.9%permanent pastures: 4.2%forest (2018): 11.2%other: 31.2% (2011)
Irrigated land: 2.084 km2 (2018)
Total renewable water resources:
7.77 m3 (2011) Armenia is considered to be a big water “supplier” in the Caspian basin; as a result, the country lacks water, especially in summer when the rate of evaporation exceeds the amount of precipitation. That is the main reason why since ancient times inhabitants have built water reservoirs and irrigation canals in the area. Lake Sevan contains the largest amount of water in the country.
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):total: 2.86 km3/yr (40%/6%/54%)per capita: 929.7 m3/yr (2010) |
Geography of Armenia | See also | See also
Atlas of Armenia
Biogeographic regions of Europe
Geography of Asia
Geography of Europe
Geology of Armenia |
Geography of Armenia | References | References |
Geography of Armenia | Further reading | Further reading
|
Geography of Armenia | Table of Content | Short description, Physical environment, Topography and drainage, Climate, Area and boundaries, Resources and land use, See also, References, Further reading |
Demographics of Armenia | Short description | After registering steady increases during the Soviet period, the population of Armenia declined from its peak value of 3.633 million in 1992 to 3.075 million in 2025.
Whilst the country's population increased steadily during the Soviet Union as a result of periods of repatriation and low emigration rates, it has declined in recent times due to the exodus of peoples following the Soviet break-up. The rates of emigration and population decline, however, have decreased in recent years, and there has been a moderate influx of Armenians returning to Armenia. |
Demographics of Armenia | Historical statistics | Historical statistics
Citing Armenia's conquest and occupation by the Seljuks (11th century) and Mongols (13th–15th centuries), historians Edmund Herzig and Marina Kurkchiyan write "the combination of progressive Turkish (and Kurdish) immigration and Armenian decline, through massacre, famine and emigration, changed the demographic balance in a way that Arab immigration had never done".
As a result of "deliberate relocation policies employed by both the Ottomans and Safavids" during the Ottoman–Safavid War, there was a large-scale displacement of Armenians; Armenians also emigrated "to escape the insecurity and hardship of life in war-torn Armenia". Whilst Shah Abbas I relocated Armenians to Isfahan and "Armenian colonies in other parts of Iran" in 1604–1605, "the Ottomans also removed Armenian artisans to their capital".
Following the Russian annexation, 45,000 Armenians from Persia and 100,000 from the Ottoman Empire migrated to Eastern Armenia, with another 25,000 migrating following the 1878 Russo-Turkish war. As a result of the repatriation, Armenians had regained a majority in their homeland "for the first time in several hundred years". As a result of persecution and massacres in the Ottoman Empire, some 100,000 Armenians immigrated to Eastern Armenia between 1870 and 1910. The areas with Armenian-majorities would later "form the nucleus in the twentieth century of an independent Armenian state".
Historian Sen Hovhannisian writes that during the 80 years of peace during which Eastern Armenia was part of Russia, there was "unprecedented" population growth: it tripled from 161,700 to 496,100 between 1831 and 1873, and doubled in the following forty years until it reached 1,000,100 in 1913. The population between 1831 and 1913 increased 6.18 times, yielding an average annual growth rate of 10,200 people. Following the outbreak of World War I, the population, which was 1,014,300 in 1914, fell by 20,500 in 1916 due to the Christian population being drafted. As a result of "wars and civil clashes, hunger and diseases" of 1918–1920, 432,000 people (35.8 percent of the population) were "exterminated".
Upon its sovietisation, the territory of modern-day Armenia had a population of some 720,000, a decline of nearly 30 percent—"almost half" consisted of refugees. American historian Richard Pipes states that "according to Soviet estimates, the Armenian population of Transcaucasia declined between 1914 and 1920 by one half million: 200,000 in consequence of Turkish, and, presumably, Communist, massacres, and 300,000 from other causes, mostly famine and disease".
The drastic decline of the population was addressed by the Soviet Armenian government by repatriating displaced Azerbaijanis to districts where they had formed a significant population in Armenia. The Azerbaijani population of Armenia which numbered some 10,000 in 1920 (attributed to the ARF government's expulsion of at least 200,000 Turks and Kurds) rose to 72,596 in 1922 as a result of the return of 60,000 refugees. In addition to this, the Soviet government welcomed 44,000 Armenian refugees from Greece, Iraq, Turkey, and elsewhere throughout the 1920s and 1930s. In 1946–1948, 86,000 Armenians were repatriated to Soviet Armenia to offset the country's wartime losses. At the same time, by agreement of Armenian and Azerbaijani Soviet leaderships, tens of thousands of Azerbaijanis in Armenia were resettled to Azerbaijan to make room for the repatriates.
thumb|262px|Population growth rates in Armenia in years 1980–2016. Data from World Bank.|alt= |
Demographics of Armenia | Population size and structure | Population size and structure
According to the 2018 HDI statistical update (with data for 2017), compared to all its neighbouring countries Armenia has:
the lowest coefficient of human inequality,
the lowest gender inequality (ranked 55th on Gender Inequality Index),
highest percentage of men and highest percentage of women with at least some secondary education,
highest share of seats in parliament held by women,
highest share of women who reported to feel safe,
highest GDP growth rate.
Since 1990, Armenia recorded steady growth of average annual HDI scores in every reported period (1990–2000, 2000–2010, 2010–2017).
According to the 2016 Sustainable Society Index, Armenia has a higher rank of Human Wellbeing than all its neighbours. At the same time its Economic Wellbeing rank is below neighbouring countries.
The 2011 census counted 539,394 persons (19.4 percent of the population above 6 years of age) with higher professional education. |
Demographics of Armenia | Structure of the population | Structure of the population
The median age in 2020 was 36.6 years (male: 35.1, female: 38.3).
36.3 percent of women who gave birth in 2016 had higher education.thumb|450x450px|Pyramid Armenia 2012 http://www.armstat.am|alt=
Population by Sex and Age Group (Census 12.10.2011):
Age GroupMaleFemaleTotal% Total 1,398,052 1,620,802 3,018,854 100 0–4 105 565 102 007 207 572 6.88 5–9 91 429 88 500 179 929 5.96 10–14 90 458 88 179 178 637 5.92 15–19 107 938 125 137 233 075 7.72 20–24 133 897 158 337 292 234 9.68 25–29 122 109 149 820 271 929 9.01 30–34 103 114 119 891 223 005 7.39 35–39 89 073 98 348 187 421 6.21 40–44 82 502 94 462 176 964 5.86 45–49 98 064 112 996 211 060 6.99 50–54 109 294 125 238 234 532 7.77 55–59 80 989 96 769 177 758 5.89 60–64 56 189 71 410 127 599 4.23 65–69 28 020 37 353 65 373 2.17 70–74 44 041 63 637 107 678 3.57 75–79 30 734 44 643 75 377 2.50 80–84 18 662 30 244 48 906 1.62 85+ 5 974 13 831 19 805 0.66Age GroupMaleFemaleTotal% 0–14 287 452 278 686 566 138 18.75 15–64 983 169 1 152 408 2 135 577 70.74 65+ 127 431 189 708 317 139 10.51
Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2019):h
Age GroupMaleFemaleTotal% Total 1 399 368 1 563 114 2 962 482 100 0–4 102 588 92 078 194 666 6.57 5–9 111 879 98 348 210 227 7.10 10–14 103 991 90 955 194 946 6.58 15–19 88 582 77 838 166 420 5.62 20–24 90 776 88 311 179 087 6.05 25–29 115 826 127 910 243 736 8.23 30–34 124 127 138 753 262 880 8.87 35–39 111 345 123 527 234 872 7.93 40–44 87 619 100 891 188 510 6.36 45–49 74 528 90 316 164 844 5.56 50–54 73 562 93 943 167 505 5.65 55–59 91 952 116 734 208 686 7.04 60–64 81 199 105 827 187 026 6.31 65–69 55 578 76 627 132 205 4.46 70–74 29 945 46 812 76 757 2.59 75–79 23 192 37 510 60 702 2.05 80–84 21 287 37 958 59 245 2.00 85+ 11 392 18 776 30 168 1.02Age group MaleFemaleTotalPercent 0–14 318 458 281 381 599 839 20.25 15–64 939 516 1 064 050 2 003 566 67.63 65+ 141 394 217 683 359 077 12.12
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|}
In 2016, households with up to four members prevailed in urban areas throughout Armenia, with the share of such households coming to 70.2 percent in urban communities compared to 60.1 percent in rural communities. |
Demographics of Armenia | Vital statistics | Vital statistics |
Demographics of Armenia | Life expectancy | Life expectancy
thumb|262px|Life expectancy in Armenia since 1950
thumb|262px|Life expectancy in Armenia since 1960 by gender
According to the 2018 HDI statistical update, compared to all its neighbouring countries Armenia has the highest health expenditures as percentage of its GDP and the highest healthy life expectancy at birth.
In 2016, the average life expectancy at birth for males was 71.6 years and for females was 78.3 years, with the average at 75.0 years.
After a setback during 1986–1996, mostly due to the Spitak earthquake, and the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, Armenia regained its position and was consistently among the top three former Soviet republics during 1997–2016, topping the list in 2007.
During the Soviet period, life expectancy was traditionally high in Armenia and topped all other republics of the USSR, and most other countries in Eastern Europe between 1978 and 1980.
PeriodLife expectancy inYearsPeriodLife expectancy inYears1950–195562.81985–199068.41955–196064.91990–199568.11960–196567.01995–200070.21965–197069.22000–200572.41970–197570.82005–201072.71975–198070.62010–201574.01980–198570.9
Source: UN |
Demographics of Armenia | Reproduction indicators | Reproduction indicators
In 2016, natural increase of population comprised 12,366 persons and the crude rate of natural increase reached 4.1%, per 1000 population, decreasing by 0.4 percent compared to the previous year.
After double-digit crude natural increase rates between 1982 and 1992, rates did not exceed 5.5 after 1998. At a regional level, slightly better rates were recorded in the capital Yerevan, where the value of 5.5 is consistently being surpassed since 2009. Particularly weak is natural increase in Tavush and Syunik provinces, not much better off are Lori and Vayots Dzor provinces.
Fertility Rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) and CBR (Crude Birth Rate):
Year Total Urban Rural CBR TFR CBR TFR CBR TFR 2000 13.9 1.7 (1.5) 12.1 1.5 (1.3) 16.3 2.1 (1.7) 2005 14.6 1.7 (1.6) 14.5 1.6 (1.6) 14.9 1,8 (1,6) 2010 14.0 1.7 (1.6) 12.8 1.6 (1.5) 16.2 1.8 (1.8) 2015–2016 12.9 1.7 (1.7) 12.7 1.7 (1.6) 13.2 1.8 (1.8)
Armenia's Total Fertility Rate at 1.6 was lowest in the Caucasus region in 2017. TFR is expected to stay at 1.6 between 2015 and 2020, less from 1.7 in years 2010–2015.
The mean age of mothers at birth was 26.8 years and at first birth it was 24.7 years in 2016. Adolescent birth rate, as well as, share of women married aged 18 was lowest in Armenia compared to its neighbouring countries.
In 2016, infant mortality rate (in the first year of their life) was 8.6%, per 1,000 live births.
A study revealed that population growth rate changes were more favourable in Armenia than in its surrounding countries between 2005 and 2015.
Since the 1960s, Armenia has the highest share of urban population among South Caucasus countries. |
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