Capital: Baku (Baki)
Location:
Southwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Russia (slightly smaller than Maine).
Registration Embassy and Consulate:
Americans living in or visiting Azerbaijan are encouraged to register at the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Baku and obtain updated information on travel and security within Azerbaijan. The U.S. Embassy is located at Prospect Azadlig 83; tel. (9-9412) 98-03-35, 36, or 37; (9-9412) 90-66-71. More information can be obtained from Embassy Baku’s Internet site at http://www.usembassybaku.org/.
Background:
Azerbaijan - a nation of Turkic Muslims - has been an independent republic since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Despite a cease-fire, in place since 1994, Azerbaijan has yet to resolve its conflict with Armenia over the Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh enclave (largely Armenian populated). Azerbaijan has lost almost 20% of its territory and must support some 750,000 refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) as a result of the conflict. Corruption is ubiquitous and the promise of widespread wealth from Azerbaijan's undeveloped petroleum resources remains largely unfulfilled.
Ethnic Groups:
Azeri 90%, Dagestani 3.2%, Russian 2.5%, Armenian 2%, other 2.3% (1998 est.)
note: almost all Armenians live in the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region
Language:
Azerbaijani (Azeri) 89%, Russian 3%, Armenian 2%, other 6% (1995 est.)
Currency:
AZM
Azerbaijani manat (AZM)
Azerbaijani manats per US dollar - 4,579 (1 February 2001), 4,342 (October 1999), 4,373 (1999), 3,869 (1998), 3,985.38 (1997), 4,301.26 (1996)
Climate:
Dry, semiarid steppe
Population:
7,771,092 (July 2001 est.)
Religion:
Muslim 93.4%, Russian Orthodox 2.5%, Armenian Orthodox 2.3%, other 1.8% (1995 est.)
note: religious affiliation is still nominal in Azerbaijan; percentages for actual practicing adherents are much lower
Medical:
A few Western-type medical clinics, the quality of which is comparable to those in Western countries, have recently opened in Baku. The quality of these clinics is good. However, medical facilities outside the capital remains inadequate, unsanitary, and unsafe. There is often a shortage of basic medical supplies, including disposable needles and vaccines.
U.S. medical insurance is not always valid outside the United States. U.S. Medicare and Medicaid programs do not provide payment for medical services outside the United States. Uninsured travelers who require medical care overseas may face extreme difficulties.
Safety:
As a result of conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh area of Azerbaijan, 20% of Azerbaijani territory (in the southwest along the borders with Iran and Armenia) is occupied by insurgent forces. A cease-fire has been in effect since 1994, although reports of armed clashes along the cease-fire line and along the border with Armenia continue. Anti-personnel mines are a danger in areas close to the front lines. It is not possible to enter the self-proclaimed "Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh" from Azerbaijan. Travelers are cautioned to avoid travel to Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding occupied areas. Because of the existing state of hostilities, consular services are not available to Americans in Nagorno-Karabakh.
T
raffic Safety:
While in a foreign country, U.S. citizens may encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those in the United States. The information below concerning Azerbaijan is provided for general reference only, and it may not be totally accurate in a particular location or circumstance.
Safety of Public Transportation:
Very poor
Urban Road Conditions/Maintenance:
Very poor
Rural Road Conditions/Maintenance:
Very poor
Availability of Roadside Assistance:
Very poor
Driving hazards such as open manholes, debris, and potholes are common. Drivers pay little heed to traffic regulations, signals, lanes, or other drivers. Drivers often travel at extremely high rates of speed, and accidents are frequent. Driving in Baku should be considered extremely hazardous. Outside the city, even where roads are present, conditions are similar. Roads are often in poor repair, unlit, and lack lane marking, traffic signs, and warnings. Many rural roads are unpaved and rarely traveled.
Public transportation throughout the country is overcrowded and poorly maintained. The U.S. Embassy strongly discourages use of the Baku Metro. Train travel in the Caucasus region is not secure. For additional information about road safety, including links to foreign government sites, please see the Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs home page at http://travel.state.gov/road_safety.html.
