Background:

A nation with a Turkic and majority-Muslim population - regained its independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Despite a 1994 cease-fire, Azerbaijan has yet to resolve its conflict with Armenia over the Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh enclave (largely Armenian populated). Azerbaijan has lost 16% of its territory and must support some 571,000 internally displaced persons as a result of the conflict.

• Population: 7,911,974
• Ethnic Groups: Azeri 90.6%, Dagestani 2.2%, Russian 1.8%, Armenian 1.5%, other 3.9%
• Religions: Muslim 93.4%, Russian Orthodox 2.5%, Armenian Orthodox 2.3%, other 1.8%

Geography:

• Area: total: 86,600 sq km. water: 500 sq km, land: 86,100 sq km
• Borders: Armenia, Georgia, Iran, Russia, Turkey
• Climate: dry, semiarid steppe
• Terrain: large, flat Kur-Araz Ovaligi with Great Caucasus Mountains to the north.

• Ministry of Tourism
• Baku Today Newspaper
• Embassy in USA

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

• Import Partners: Russia 16.1%, UK 12.5%, Turkey 10.5%, Germany 7.8%, Ukraine 5.6%, Netherlands 4.9%, US 4.1%, Italy 4%

• Export Partners: Italy 26.6%, Czech Republic 11.9%, Germany 8.1%, Indonesia 6.4%, Romania 6.2%, Georgia 6%, Russia 5.3%, Turkey 5.2%, France 4.1%