Azerbaijan

C

Environmental Concerns

Severe pollution from heavy industries and agriculture has damaged the environment of Azerbaijan. The contamination of the Caspian Sea from oil drilling in Baku has been a problem since the 19th century, when the Russian Empire took control of the region and began to rapidly exploit its oil reserves. Although oil production waned during the Soviet period, petroleum waste was routinely dumped into the Caspian, and dilapidated and leaky pumps added to the problem. With the prospect of increased oil drilling in coming years, the industry may continue to pose an environmental hazard. In late 2003 a framework treaty was signed by the countries that border the Caspian Sea to reduce the amount of sewage and industrial waste pumped into waters.

Severe air pollution is a problem in Azerbaijan's major cities due to unregulated emissions from petroleum and chemical industries. During the Soviet period, dangerously high concentrations of pesticides and fertilizers were used to increase Azerbaijan's agricultural output. In the late 1980s, when environmental awareness began to surface, Azerbaijan's high infant mortality rate and high rates of infectious diseases were linked to toxic defoliants, fertilizers, and pesticides used in cotton growing. The use of these substances has also left much of the soil degraded and has destroyed fertile land. Although the people of Azerbaijan are generally aware of the need to protect their environment, the republic's environmental issues have not yet received significant attention from the government. Efforts to improve the environment are also hampered by Azerbaijan's ongoing conflict with Armenian separatists over the Nagorno-Karabakh (disputed) region. However, protected areas make up 5.5 per cent (1997) of Azerbaijan's total land area, and the government has ratified international environmental agreements pertaining to climate change, desertification, and ozone layer protection.

III

Population

Although it contains people of many different nationalities, the republic has become more ethnically homogeneous in recent years. The proportion of Azeris, who have traditionally comprised about four fifths of the population, has increased since the start of the conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh in 1990. Large numbers of Azeri refugees have flowed over the border from Armenia, and large numbers of Russians, Armenians, and other nationalities have left the country. The Armenian community, which comprised 6 per cent of the population in 1989, is now confined almost exclusively to the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave. Other nationalities include Lezgins, Kurds, Talysh, Tatars, Georgians, Ukrainians, and Avars. Most ethnic groups have resided in the area of present-day Azerbaijan for centuries, although Slavs arrived in large numbers with the industrialization boom of the last century. Lezgins, Kurds, and Talysh, who are geographically concentrated in the north, east, and south of the republic, have agitated for increased autonomy in recent years.

A

Population Characteristics

Azerbaijan is the most populous country in Transcaucasia, with a population of 8,177,717 (2008 estimate), giving a population density of 95 people per sq km (246 per sq mi). Life expectancy in 2008 was 62 years for men and 71 years for women.

B

Principal Cities

Azerbaijan is the least urbanized of the three Transcaucasia republics (the other two are Georgia and Armenia). Only 50 per cent of its population lived in cities in 2005. The largest city is Baku, the capital, with a population of 1,816,000 (2003 estimate). Other large cities include Gäncä, formerly Kirovabad, population 303,100 (2003 estimate), and Sumqait, 290,700 (2003 estimate).

C

Religion

The traditional religion of the Azeris is Shiite Islam, which has experienced a revival in recent years. Orthodox Christianity is practised to varying degrees among the Georgian, Armenian, and Slavic minorities.