Capital: Baku (Baky)
Administrative divisions: 1 autonomous republic (avtomnaya respublika); Nakhichevan (administrative center at Nakhichevan)
note: all rayons except for the exclave of Nakhichevan are under direct republic jurisdiction

Independence: 30 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday: Novruz Bayram, 21-22 March

Constitution: adopted NA April 1978; writing a new constitution mid-1993

Legal system: based on civil law system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Heydar ALIYEV (since 18 June 1993 after President ELCIBEY left Baku for Nakhichevan); election last held 3 October 1993 (next to be held NA); results - Heydar ALIYEV won 97% of vote
head of government: Prime Minister Surat HUSEYNOV (since 30 June 1993)
cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president and confirmed by the Mejlas

Legislative branch: unicameral
National Assembly (Milli Mejlis): elections last held 30 September and 14 October 1990 for the Supreme Soviet (next expected to be held NA 1994 for the National Assembly); seats for Supreme Soviet - (360 total) Communists 280, Democratic Bloc 45 (grouping of opposition parties), other 15, vacant 20; note - on 19 May 1992 the Supreme Soviet was prorogued in favor of a Popular Front-dominated National Council; seats - (50 total) Popular Front 25, opposition elements 25

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: Azerbaijan Popular Front (APF), Ebulfez ELCIBEY, chairman; Musavat Party, Isa GAMBAR, chairman; National Independence Party, Etibar MAMEDOV, chairman; Social Democratic Party (SDP), Araz ALIZADE, chairman; Communist Party, Ramiz AKHMEDOV, chairman; People's Freedom Party, Yunus OGUZ, chairman; Independent Social Democratic Party, Arif YUNUSOV and Leila YUNOSOVA, cochairmen; New Azerbaijan Party, Heydar ALIYEV, chairman; Boz Gurd Party, Iskander HAMIDOV, chairman; Azerbaijan Democratic Party, Sardar MAMEDOV, chairman; Azerbaijan Democratic Independence Party, Qabil HUSELNLI, chairman; Islamic Party of Azerbaijan, Ali Akram, chairman
Other political or pressure groups: self-proclaimed Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh Republic; Talysh independence movement
Member of: BSEC, CCC, CIS, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, IBRD, ICAO, IDB, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NACC, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO

Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Hafiz Mir Jalal Ogly PASHAYEV
chancery: Suite 700, 927 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone: (202) 842-0001
FAX: (202) 842-0004
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Richard KAZLAURICH
embassy: Hotel Intourist, Baku
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: 7-8922-92-63-06 through 09, extension 441, 442, 446, 447, 448, 450
FAX: Telex 142110 AMEMB SU

Flag: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), red, and green; a crescent and eight-pointed star in white are centered in red band

NOTE: The information regarding Azerbaijan on this page is re-published from the 1995 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Azerbaijan Government 1995 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Azerbaijan Government 1995 should be addressed to the CIA.