2. Science
3. Culture
4. Health
5. Ecology
6. Sport
7. Tourism
1. Education
According to a 1999 census 758
per 1000 of the population, age 15
and over, have completed secondary
education or higher. Literacy among
the same age group was 98% (men -
99.5%, women - 98.2%), with the
small number of illiterates in the
middle and upper age groups.
In 2000 there were 1,790
functioning preschool institutions
in Azerbaijan, serving 111,000, or
16.1 percent of children of the
respective age. In the Yevlakh and
Neftchala regions there are two
progressive "schools-kindergartens"
with 109 young children attending.
In addition, 1,265 children receive
education in the 1st
class program that runs in 71
preschool establishments. 82 percent
of preschool establishments for
first year pupils are located in
urban localities.
To complement the general
preschool facilities (99%) there are
five special purpose and five
sanatorium-type preschools for
physically or mentally impaired
children.
Furthermore, in six pre-school
establishments special units have
been established where 404 children
receive both education and
treatment. In 14 kindergartens
special groups exist for dumb, deaf
and blind children.
In 2003 1,690,000 children are
attending 4,561 general education
schools. Of these, 1,654,000 attend
during the day and 36,000 at night.
General education schools employ
172,000 teachers.
For 84,000 high academic
achievers, Azerbaijan has 225
specialized schools, including 7
gymnasiums and 33 Lyceums.
There are 702 schools for
refugees and internally displaced
persons, part of them being situated
in refugee camps and houses, some
are situated in buildings. Some
88,000 pupils from refugee families
study at these schools. For several
years the schools have been working
under overloaded conditions due to
the number of refugees. In 2003,
580,000 refugees (35%) study in the
second and third shifts.
Young people receive secondary
vocational education via a network
of multidirectional education
establishments.
At the beginning of the school
year 2000-2001 there were 68 state
specialized secondary schools,
attended by 41,000 students.
The reduction in admittance to
technical secondary schools during
the first half of the 1990s was
followed by a significant increase
from 1998. In accordance with the
data supplied by the State
Commission on Admission of Students,
there were 138 applications per 100
places seeking education in
vocational secondary schools. The
number of those students seeking
places at a medical education
facility is higher still, 186
persons per 100 places.
Higher vocational schools are
represented by the wide network of
state and non-state higher education
establishments.
In the Republic of Azerbaijan
at the beginning of the 2000/2001
school year there were 25 state high
schools, with 91,000 students. There
were also the following specialized
academies: Military Command Academy,
Naval College, Baky Police Academy,
and the National Security Academy.
The increase in admittance to
high schools since 1995 shows the
growth of interest to higher
vocational education. This is also
confirmed by the results of the poll
held by the State Statistical
Committee in November 2000 among
pupils of senior classes of
comprehensive schools. This poll
showed 90% of those who finish
secondary school wanted to continue
with their education in some form,
with 65% wishing to enter
university.
High school entry in 2000 was
20,500, some 33% (5,100) up on 1995,
with both the number of places and
the number of applicants increasing.
According to the State Commission on
Admission of Students there were, on
average, 275 applications for every
100 places. The following
specializations attracted most
interest: 3 applicants per place for
humanities, international relations,
music and arts; between 3 and 4
applicants per place for medicine,
chemistry and biology.
One of the innovations of the
reform of education in Azerbaijan is
the establishment of new types of
educational institution.
The number of the non-state
secondary vocational education
facilities is not high and this
influences the training of
specialists at this level. At the
beginning of the 2000/2001 school
year there were only three non-state
secondary vocational schools, with
1,439 students studied. Of these,
616 students were on teacher
training, 742 studied medicine, and
81 studied philology.
There are also a number of
non-state higher schools in the
country. At the beginning of the
2000/2001 school year 18 licensed
non-state higher schools were
operating. These were attended by
28,700 students, up from the
1995/1996 level of 12,500.
Specialist training to meet the
needs of the employment market is
given in commercial higher schools,
where 26% of students study
economics and 20% study law.
Education Attainment (2001),
per 1000 population persons age 15
and over
| Higher and secondary education of which: | 908 |
| Higher | 108 |
| Uncompleted higher | 9 |
| Vocational | 122 |
| Secondary | 511 |
| Uncompleted secondary | 158 |
Secondary Education (2001)
| Schools | 4528 |
| Pupils | 1,648,540 |
| Teachers | 159,745 |
Vocational Education (2001)
| Public | Private | |
| Schools | 68 | 3 |
| Pupils | 41200 | 1400 |
| Teachers | 5316 | 216 |
Higher Education (2001)
| Public | Private | |
| Institutions | 25 | 18 |
| Students | 91,000 | 28,700 |
| Professors, lectures | 10786 | 2,400 |
2. Science
A wide network of scientific
institutions has been established.
At the beginning of 2001 there were
137 scientific research institutes,
higher schools and other
establishments functioning in the
Republic attended by 26,400 students
carrying out scientific research.
Research
| 1990 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | |
| Institutions Total | 151 | 146 | 141 | 141 | 135 | 135 | 137 | 137 |
| Including: Scientific Re-search Institutions | 85 | 108 | 105 | 98 | 95 | 95 | 95 | 95 |
3. Culture
At the beginning of 2004
Azerbaijan had 3,354 clubs, 4,374
public libraries, 607 movie houses,
27 professional theaters, 4
philharmonic societies, 7 musical
collectives, and 155 museums.
Theater productions are performed in
Azeri, Russian and Lezgin languages.
4. Health
In 2000 there were 735
hospitals and 1,614 ambulatory
polyclinics operating in the
country. This compares with 731
hospitals and 1826 ambulatory
policlinics in 1990. The number of
doctors per 10,000 of the population
in 2000 was 36.5 compared to 38.7 in
1990.
The number of the population
that received medical treatment in
2000 was 2.7 million, 18.5 % lower
than in 1990. Of these, 1.2 million
people, or approximately every
seventh person, visited dispensaries
for medical examinations related to
chronic diseases.
Among those diseases registered
in 2001 as being prevalent were
those of the respiratory,
circulatory and digestive system,
diseases of the nervous system and
sense organs, infections and
parasitic diseases.
Main Indicators (2001)
| Doctors (as percentage of all professions) | 29.1 |
| Per 10,000 men | 36.3 |
| Hospitals | 735 |
| Beds in hospitals | 69,900 |
| Per 10,000 men | 86.0 |
| Ambulances | 1,618 |
5. Ecology
Every year 11-14 billion cubic
meters of drinking water is drawn
from the nation’s water resources,
some 34 percent of renewable
sources. Consumption is between 7-10
billion cubic meters; 60% being used
in agriculture, 35% in industry and
5% for household purposes.
The volume of foul water
generated each year is 138-180
million cubic meters, 91% of which
is produced from homes and offices.
Atmospheric pollutants from
ground sources amounted to 515,000
tons in 2000, or 64 kg per capita.
Motor vehicle exhaust is the major
contributor to air pollution,
constituting 43% of the total, or
393,000 tons in 2000. Another major
pollutant is toxic waste. Estimates
put current volumes of accumulated
toxic waste at 2,900 tons.
In contrast, 14 natural
reserves with a total territorial
area of 192,000 hectares are set
aside for the protection and
reproduction of flora and fauna in
Azerbaijan. In 2001, the sum spent
on protection of the environment and
management of the natural
environment was 104.2 billion
mantas. This expenditure was 0.4
percent of the total gross domestic
product.
Investment into environmental
protection reduced in the late
nineties in line with economic
difficulties being experienced in
the country. In 2000, only 8.6
billion manats was invested into
measures on environment protection.
6. Sport
Physical training and sports
are widely popular in Azerbaijan.
There are physical training chairs
in all Universities and colleges.
Physical training classes are
included in the curricula of the
secondary schools. All Universities
and schools have sports teachers and
facilities and various regional,
national and international sports
competitions are held on a regular
basis.
In rural areas traditional
national sports are preferred, which
include "gyulash" (wrestling), and "chovgan"
(a form of polo). Many Azerbaijanis
also enjoy playing "Nard"
(backgammon), making it one of the
most popular national pastimes.
Since independence Azerbaijani
sportsmen have been taking a much
more active part in international
sports competitions. In 1995 only
165 sportsmen took part in different
world and European competitions, but
in the following year this number
increased to 412. In 1995
Azerbaijani sportsmen won 22 gold,
15 silver and 27 bronze medals in
international competitions and 21
gold, 17 silver and 28 bronze medals
in 1996.
Azerbaijan was for the first
time represented by an independent
team in Olympic Games held in
Atlanta in 1996. Namig Abdullayev, a
wrestler, won a silver medal. In
1995 he became a European champion,
in 1996 - a bronze prize-winner and
in 1997 - a silver prize-winner of
the European championship.
Achievements by women in sports
in Azerbaijan are of special
importance. Along with all
traditional female sports,
Azerbaijani women also participate
in a form of sumo wrestling and
excel at shooting. Zulfiyya Hasanova
became a world champion in sumo
wrestling in 1995 and 1996, a
European champion in 1995 and a
silver prize-winner of the 1997
European championship, while Zemfira
Meftaheddinova has had remarkable
achievements in shooting. She took
first place in team competitions in
the European championship in 1990.
Later, in 1996, she broke the record
while taking first place in the
European championship.
Chess is also very popular in
Azerbaijan. Following in the
footsteps of world champion Gary
Kasparov, who was a native of Baky,
there have been Aynur Sofiyeva,
Firuza Velikhanli and Ilaha Gadimova,
who all achieved impressive results.
In 1991 12-year-old Ilaha Gadimova
became a champion among 16-year-old
chess-players. In 1992 she became a
silver prize-winner of the European
championship among juniors, in 1993
- a European champion among
students, in 1994 - a European
champion among 20-year-old
chess-players and in 1996 she took
third place in the International
Students Competition.
In 1998, the European Cadet
Boxing Championships were held in
Yurmala, Lithuania. Sportsmen from
29 countries participated in this
event and Azerbaijan was represented
by a full team. Facing tough
competition, the Azerbaijani
sportsmen Murad Chupalayev (69 kg),
Farkhad Ajalov (54 kg) and Etibar
Taqiyev (60 kg) won gold, silver and
bronze medals, respectively.
In 2000, Azerbaijan
participated in the Olympic Games
staged in Sydney. Azerbaijani
sportsmen won two gold and one
bronze medals. Zemfira
Meftahaddinova and Namig Abdullayev
both won gold medals in skeet
shooting and in freestyle wrestling
respectively. The young athlete
Vugar Alakbarov won a bronze medal
in boxing. In addition, eight other
athletes were awarded honorary
diplomas. Rasul Salimov and Ruslan
Khairov took the fifth, Islam
Dakhchiyev took the sixth, Elchin
Ismaylov, Zulfiya Huseynova, Natig
Eyvazov, and Shamil Afandiyev took
the seventh, and Elkan Suleymanov
took the eighth place.
On June 23, 2001 a XV Olympic
Day Run was held in Baky the capital
of Azerbaijan. The event was based
on 10km, 4km and 2 km runs, with
both men and women participating.
Several major cultural events were
included in the program. About 2,500
amateur runners from Sumgayit and
Baky, including foreign citizens,
took part in Olympic Day Race. The
first three place winners were
awarded special prizes and presented
with diplomas from the International
Olympic Committee. All participants
received certificates confirming
their participation in the race. The
oldest participant among the women
was 63-year-old Taisiya Nalivayko,
and 71-year-old Nicolay Kopalov was
the oldest male runner. The youngest
participants were Sabina Mursagulova,
8 years old, and Nihat Heydarov, 4
years old. A week later a similar
even was staged in Azerbaijan’s
second city Ganja.
Sport Facilities
| 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | |
| Sport Facilities total | 8,147 | 8,167 | 8,140 | 6,670 | 6,937 | 6,885 | 7,238 | 7,864 | 7,908 | 8,129 |
| Persons participating in sport thousand) | 392.0 | 376.0 | 370.0 | 394.1 | 298.7 | 353.4 | 329.6 | 352.6 | 355.2 | 400.5 |
7. Tourism
The policy of "Open Doors"
adopted by the government of
Azerbaijan, as well as social and
economic reforms and democratization
of society implemented in the
Republic, has allowed many citizens
of modern day Azerbaijan to expand
the scope of their ideas about the
world and to gain the opportunity to
visit foreign countries. In 1994 the
number of Azerbaijani tourists who
traveled abroad, was 35,786. In 1995
the figure rose to 104,439 but fell
back in 1996 to 74,045. In the first
quarter of 1997 those traveling
abroad were registered as 31,470.
The number of foreign tourists
coming to Azerbaijan was 43,551 in
1994, 44,934 in 1995, falling to
16,350 in 1996. Foreign visitors
during the first quarter of 1997
numbered 6,767. Azerbaijan earned
$181 million from tourism from 1994
to the end of the first quarter of
1997. In 2001 the number of foreign
tourist visited Azerbaijan was
6,300.
Agreements on cooperation in
the field of tourism have been
signed with the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland,
Greece, China, France, Islamic
Republic of Iran, Romania, Turkey
and the CIS countries. These
agreements provide for coordination
of cooperation on administrative
levels in this field, working out
joint projects aimed at the creation
of new kinds of services, personnel
training, exchange of
representatives, expert groups, as
well as literature, organization of
exhibitions, congresses, conferences
and cultural events, and realization
of measures reducing formalities
with regard to tourist exchanges. In
this respect, work on the
preparation of a package of
documents with representatives of a
number of states is being carried
out.
Since 1994 direct contacts have
been established with foreign
tourist companies. Some 41
agreements and contracts on the
exchange of tourists have been
signed. Azerbaijan is a member of
the Organization of Black Sea
Economic Cooperation and of the
international tourist organization
"Eurasia".
Azerbaijan has great potential
for the development of its tourism
industry - with its ancient cities,
fortresses, palaces, mausoleums,
mosques, towers, caravanserais
(ancient trading oases). There is a
museum at the unique Gobustan
reserve, and the Ateshgah fire
worshipper's temple. Also there is
the ancient Palace of the
Shirvanshahs, and the Maiden’s
Tower. There are more than 6,000
historical monuments of great
architectural heritage on the
territory of Azerbaijan.
Tourism Statistics
| 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | |
| Foreign tourists | 305,830 | 483,163 | 602,047 | 681,000 | 766,992 |
| Income from tourism million USD | 285.08 | 549.05 | 649.80 | 716.60 | 750.26 |