Political System of Azerbaijan Republic

State Leader: President. The president is selected by secret vote every five years. On 15 October 2003 llham Haydar Aliyev was selected as The President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, received the vote of 1 860 346 persons or out of 76.84% of voters, participated in the voiting.

The Legislative Power in Azerbaijan Republic realized the National Assembly of the Republic of Azerbaijan (Milli Mejlis). The National Assembly of the Azerbaijan Republic consists of 125 deputies.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Number of administrative units: Establishment date — May 28, 1918

Independence Day — October 18, 1991

Date of joining to the OSCE — January 30, 1992

Date of joining to the UN — March 2, 1992

Date of joining to Council of Europe — January 17, 2001

Territory, (thsd. km 2 ) — 86,6

Population, at the begin. of 2004 (thsd. person) — 8265,7

Population density (per km 2 ) — 95,5

Capital — Baku city

Official language — azerbaijani

Monetary unit — New Azerbaijan Manat Autonomous Republic — 1

Districts — 65

Towns — 69

District of cities — 13

Settlements — 226

Rural territorial division — 1587

Rural settlements — 4272

ATTRIBUTES
The Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan Article 23.

1. State symbols of the Azerbaijan Republic shall be: the Azerbaijan Republic Flag the Azerbaijan Republic Emblem, the Azerbaijan Republic National Anthem.

2. The Flag of the Azerbaijan Republic shall consist of three wide stripes. The upper stripe shall be of blue colour, the middle stripe shall be red and the lower one shall be green. There shall he a white crescent and eightpointed star in the middle of the red stripe on both sides of the Flag. The proportion of the width to the length shall be 1 by 2.

3. The design of the Azerbaijan Republic Flag and the Azerbaijan Republic State Emblem, the music and the text of the Azerbaijan Republic National Anthem shall be defined by the Constitutional Law.

The Three-colored State banner in Azerbaijan was first accepted on November 9, 1918 by the Government of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan. On April 28, 1920 after the fall of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan and establishment of Soviet rower this banner in Azerbaijan was refused. For the second time this banner was restored by the decision of the Supreme Medjlis of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic on November 17, 1990 and was accepted as the State banner of the Autonomous Republic. At the same time the Supreme Medjlis of the Autonomous Republic has proposed to Supreme Council of Azerbaijan SSR to recognize three-colored banner as the official banner of Azerbaijan. On February 5, 1991 the Supreme Council of the Republic of Azerbaijan has examined the proposal of the Supreme Medjlis of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and has adopted a Decree to recognise three-colored banner as the national banner of Azerbaijan.

National Anthem

Music by Uzeyir Hajibeyov
Words by Ahmed Javad

Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan!
You are the glorious motherland of heroes!
We are all ready to give our lives for you!
We are all able to shed a blood for you!
Long live your three-colouredbanner!
Thousands of people sacrificed their lives,
Chests turned to battlefield!
Every soldier who gave his life for you,
Has become a hero!
We pray for you prosperity,
We sacrifice our lives for you!
Our sincere love to you
Is established in our hearts!
To defend your honour,
To hoist your banner,
All the young people are ready!
Glorious motherland, glorious motherland!
Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan!

National Holidays

New Year — January, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
International Women's Day — March, 8
Novruz Bayramy — March, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Victory Day — May, 9
Republic Day — May, 28
National Salvation Day — June, 15
National Army Day — June, 26
State Independence Day — October, 18
Constitution Day — November, 12
National Revival Day — November, 17
Solidarity Day of all Azeri people — December, 31
Ramazan Bayram — Every year the date moves (2 days)
Gurban Bayram — Moved (2 days)