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| Azerbaijan - 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 800,000 refugees and internally displaced persons as a result of the conflict. Corruption is ubiquitous and the promise of widespread wealth from Azerbaijan's undeveloped petroleum resources remains largely unfulfilled. |
| | Country | Surface Area: 86,600 square km
Population: 7,868,385 (July 2004 est.)
Located in: Southwestern Asia
Capital City: Baku (Baki)
Head of State: Ilham ALIYEV
Prime Minister: Artur RASIZADE
Independent since: 30 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Currency: Azerbaijani manat (AZM)
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