BAKU, AZERBAIJAN
Date Established: April 1976, under Mayor Fred Hofheinz
President: Irada Akoundova, 281-492-1782, i_akhoundova@yahoo.com
GEOGRAPHY
Location: Azerbaijan borders Russia and Georgia on the north, Iran on the
south, Armenia on the west and the Caspain Sea on the east. Baku is on the
west coast of the Caspian Sea.
Description: Port city and capital of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
PEOPLE
Ethnicity: Azeris, Russians, Armenians, Lezgins, Ukranians and others
Language: Azeri Turkic (national language). Russian is also commonly spoken.
City Population: 2 million
Religion: Islam is the principal religion. Other religions represented
include Christianity, Judaism, Bahai'ism, and Buddhism
ECONOMY
Natural Resources:Vast oil and natural gas, mineral reserves
Industries: Oil-refining, oil-field equipment, electronics,
telecommunications, machine tools
Exports: Oil, cotton, tobacco, fruits, vegetables, wine
Imports: Mostly crude oil from Russia which is refined and exported
Currency: Manats per US$1 - 4,375 (April 1996)
HISTORY
Azerbaijan was part of the Roman empire. It was conquered by Russia in 1806
and 1813. It joined the U.S.S.R. in 1922 and declared its independence in
1991. Baku was founded in the 11th century and has palaces and mosques from
the 14th and 15th centuries. It is the oldest site of oil production, having
been discovered in Baku during the mid-nineteenth century. The discovery of
oil created a boom-town of this coastal city. Baku produced half of the
world's supply of oil at the turn of the century and is known as the
birthplace of the modern oil industry.
FACTS
* Baku manufactures 80% of Russia's oil equipment
* Baku is the cultural center for Azerbaijan, having both an opera and a
symphony
* Baku is a major center for scientific learning
NATIONAL GOVERNMENT
Head of State: President Heydar Aliyev
Type: Multi-party democracy divided into 59 rayons. Its constitution calls
for a president to be elected on five-year terms, a prime minister, and a
national assembly. The goverment is based on a separation of powers among
its three branches.
MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT
Head of City: Mayor Rafael Allakhverdiev
Term: Mayor is appointed; no term limits
