Country Profile
Azerbaijan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus Region of Eurasia,located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe.Azerbaijan is divided into 10 economic regions
Capital Baku
Currency Manat
Population 9 Million ( 2011 Estimate )
Official Language Azerbaijani
History
Azerbaijan, together with Armenia and Georgia became part of the short-lived Transcaucasian
Democratic Republic after the collapse of the Russian Empire during World War I.
The republic dissolved in May 1918 and Azerbaijan declared independence as the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR)which was the first modern Parliamentary Republic in the Muslim World.
Azerbaijan was the first Muslim nation to grant women equal political rights with men( in accomplishing this preceded USA and UK)Another important accomplishment of ADR was the establishment of Baku State University which was the first modern-type university founded in Muslim East.
Independent Azerbajian lasted only 23 months until the Bolshevik 11th Soviet Red Army invaded and established the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic on April 28, 1920.
On March 12, 1922, under heavy pressure from Moscow, the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenian, and Georgian Soviet Socialist Republics established a union known as the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic. This was the first attempt at a Union of Soviet Republics, preceding the USSR.In December 1922, again under pressure from Moscow, TSFSR agreed to join the union with Russia,Ukraine and Belarus thus creating the USSR which would last until 1991.
Following the politics of Glasnost initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev, civil unrest and ethnic strife grew in various regions of the Soviet Union, including Nagorno-Karabakh , a region of the Azerbaijan SSR. The disturbances in Azerbaijan, in response to Moscow's indifference to already heated conflict, resulted in calls for independence and secession, which culminated in Black January in Baku.
Later in 1990, the Supreme Council of the Azerbaijan SSR dropped the words "Soviet Socialist" from the title, adopted the Declaration of Sovereignty of the Azerbaijan Republic and restored flag of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic as a state flag.
On Oct 18,1991, the Supreme Council of Azerbaijan adopted a Declaration of Independence which was affirmed by a nationwide referendum in December 1991, when the Soviet Union was officially dissolved.
Government
The government of Azerbaijan is based on the separation of powers among - Legislative,Executive and Judicial Branches
The legislative power is held by Unicameral National Assembly consisting of 125 Members.Parliamentary elections are held every 5 years, on the first Sunday of November.
The Executive power is held by the President who is elected for a 5-year term by direct elections. The President is authorized to form the Cabinet, an inferior executive body, subordinated to him. The President does not have the right to dissolve the National Assembly, but he has the right to Veto its decisions.To override the presidential veto, the parliament must have a majority of 95 votes.
The Cabinet of Azerbaijan consists primarily of the PM, his Deputies and Ministers.
Religion
About 95% of the Population are Muslims of which 85% are Shia Muslims and 15% Sunni Muslims Azerbaijan has the Second highest Shia population percentage after Iran.
Presidents of Azerbaijan
Ayaz Niyazi oğlu Mütallibov was the 1st President of Azerbaijan holding office during the period Oct 30,1991 to March 6,1992
Abulfaz Elchibey was the 2nd President of Azerbaijan hodling office during the period June 16,1992 to Sep 1,1993
Heydar Alirza oglu Aliyev was the 3rd President of Azerbaijan hodling office during the period Oct 10,1993 to Oct 31,2003
2003 Presidential Elections
Ilham Heydar oglu Aliyev(New Azerbaijan Party) is the 4th and current President holding office from Oct 2003 after winning the October 15, 2003 Presidential Elections by securing 77% Votes and defeating Isa Yunis oglu Qambar (Equality Party)who secured 14% Votes
2008 Presidential Elections
Ilham Heydar oglu Aliyev(New Azerbaijan Party) was Re-elected in the Oct 15, 2008 Presidential Election as he secured 87 % Votes and defeated Igbal Aghazade( Azerbaijan Hope )who came in second with 2.82% of the votes.
2009 Azerbaijani Constitutional Referendum
A constitutional referendum was March 18,2009 which consisted of 29 measures voted on separately; the most controversial were a measure to abolish Presidential Term Limits and a measure to greatly restrict Press Freedom. The measures passed, with approval of measures between 87.14% and 91.76%, disapproval between 4.59% and 7.24% and invalid votes between 3.64% and 5.70%; turnout was 71.08%
2010 Parliamentary Elections - Nov 7,2010
Before 2005 100 members elected for a five year term in single-seat constituencies and 25 members elected by proportional representation.
Since 2005 all 125 members are elected in single-seat constituencies.Azerbaijan is a one party dominant state.Parties beside the New Azerbaijan Party are allowed but suppressed when in opposition.
President Ilham Aliyey's Ruling New Azerbaijan Party got a majority of 73 out of 125 seats.Nominally independent candidates, who were aligned with the government, received 38 seats, and 10 small opposition or quasi-opposition parties got the remaining 13 seats.
For the first time in Azerbaijani history, not a single candidate from the main opposition Azerbaijan Popular Front (AXCP) or Musavat parties was elected .
Prime Minister of Azerbaijan
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