3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from Spain 28 November 1821)
30 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Religions
Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 15%
Muslim 93.4%, Russian Orthodox 2.5%, Armenian Orthodox 2.3%, other 1.8% (1995 est.) note: religious affiliation is still nominal in Azerbaijan; percentages for actual practicing adherents are much lower
Languages
Spanish (official), English 14%; note - many Panamanians bilingual
Azerbaijani (Azeri) 90.3%, Lezgi 2.2%, Russian 1.8%, Armenian 1.5%, other 3.3%, unspecified 1% (1999 census)
Exports
oil and gas 90%, machinery, cotton, foodstuffs
External Debt
$9,552,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
Azerbaijani manats (AZN) per US dollar - 0.8219 (2008 est.), 0.8581 (2007), 0.8934 (2006), 4,727.1 (2005), 4,913.48 (2004) note: on 1 January 2006 Azerbaijan revalued its currency, with 5,000 old manats equal to 1 new manat
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
5.200%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
1
7
Location
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica
Southwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Russia, with a small European portion north of the Caucasus range
Area
75,420 km sq
86,600 km sq
Coastline
2,490 km
0 km
Climate
tropical maritime; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May)
Rankings + Records
