Azerbaijan

Azeri is the official language. This is a Turkic language, related to Turkish itself. Hovever, English is spoken in some places frequented by Westerners. Many people also speak Russian (which is now declining and slowly being replaced by English), especially in the capital city, Baku.

Cabbage, grape leaves, and eggplant wrapped meat (kelem, yarpaq, badimjan - dolmasi), kabab (kebab), rice with chicken and other stuff (plov - It is said that plov is the king of Azerbaijani cuisine), gutabs and meatballs (kufta) are some of the specialties of Azerbaijan. Often foods, no matter what it is, are referred to as the national dishes. Bread is a staple, and is quite revered by the people of Azerbaijan.

Some local drinks include ayran (a yogurt drink based on sour milk), sherbet (made from rose petals or saffron). There are also different sorts of quite decent wines produced from local grapes, and a wide array of mineral waters from natural springs. In some areas of Azerbaijan the markets offer lemonades (limonat/dushes)made from pears, antibiotics, and green tea.

Currency: New Azerbaijani manat (Yeni Manat) Currency code: AZN Exchange rates' (approximate, mid-December 2007):

• €1 = 1.25 manat
• US$1 = 0.85 manat

Economy - overview: Azerbaijan's number one export is oil. Azerbaijan's oil production declined through 1997 but has registered an increase every year since. Negotiation of production-sharing arrangements (PSAs) with foreign firms, which have thus far committed $60 billion to oilfield development, should generate the funds needed to spur future industrial development. Oil production under the first of these PSAs, with the Azerbaijan International Operating Company, began in November 1997. Azerbaijan shares all the formidable problems of the former Soviet republics in making the transition from a command to a market economy, but its considerable energy resources brighten its long-term prospects. Baku has only recently begun making progress on economic reform, and old economic ties and structures are slowly being replaced. An obstacle to economic progress, including stepped up foreign investment in the non-energy sector, is the continuing conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Trade with Russia and the other former Soviet republics is declining in importance while trade is building with Turkey and the nations of Europe. Long-term prospects will depend on world oil prices, the location of new pipelines in the region, and Azerbaijan's ability to manage its oil wealth.