Administrative divisions of Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan is administratively divided into 67 districts (rayon ) and 11 cities (şəhər ) that are subordinate to the Republic. Out of these districts and cities, 7 districts and 1 city are located within the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic . The districts are further divided into municipalities (bələdiyyə ).
Additionally, the districts of Azerbaijan are grouped into 14 Economic Regions (İqtisadi Rayon ).[ 1] On 7 July 2021, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed a decree "On the new division of economic regions in the Republic of Azerbaijan".[ 2]
Administrative divisions
Contiguous Azerbaijan
Map of administrative divisions of Azerbaijan.
The list below represents the districts of contiguous Azerbaijan. For those of the Nakhchivan exclave, see further below.
Map ref.
Administrative division
Azerbaijani name
Capital
Area[ 3] (km2 )
Population census (2019)[ 4]
Note
1
Absheron District
Abşeron
Xırdalan
1,360
476,819
Includes an exclave in Baku
2
Aghjabadi District
Ağcabədi
Aghjabadi
1,760
149,660
3
Aghdam District
Ağdam
Aghdam
1,076
78,323
4
Agdash District
Ağdaş
Agdash
1,050
103,267
5
Aghstafa District
Ağstafa
Agstafa
1,500
84,918
6
Agsu District
Ağsu
Agsu
1,020
77,712
7
Şirvan (city)
Şirvan
30
82,135
Known as Ali Bayramli (Əli Bayramlı) until 2008
8
Astara District
Astara
Astara
620
105,083
9
Baku (city)
Bakı
2,130
2,616,948
Capital and largest city of Azerbaijan
10
Balakan District
Balakən
Balakan
920
107,870
11
Barda District
Bərdə
Barda
960
182,633
12
Beylagan District
Beyləqan
Beylagan
1,130
91,619
13
Bilasuvar District
Biləsuvar
Bilasuvar
1,400
113,412
14
Jabrayil District
Cəbrayıl
Jabrayil
1,050
81,700
15
Jalilabad District
Cəlilabad
Jalilabad
1,440
207,565
16
Dashkasan District
Daşkəsən
Dashkasan
1,050
33,797
17
Shabran District
Şabran
Shabran
1,090
56,482
Known as Davachi (Dəvəçi) until 2010
18
Fuzuli District
Füzuli
Füzuli
1,390
63,582
19
Gadabay District
Gədəbəy
Gadabay
1,290
95,756
20
Ganja (city)
Gəncə
110
352,196
21
Goranboy District
Goranboy
Goranboy
1,760
104,916
22
Goychay District
Göyçay
Goychay
740
115,213
23
Hajigabul District
Hacıqabul
Hajiqabul
1,640
73,634
24
Imishli District
İmişli
Imishli
1,820
129,259
25
Ismayilli District
İsmayıllı
Ismayilli
2,060
79,223
26
Kalbajar District
Kəlbəcər
Kalbajar
2,314
19,818
27
Kurdamir District
Kürdəmir
Kurdamir
1,630
111,483
28
Lachin District
Laçın
Lachin
1,840
11,673
29
Lankaran District
Lənkəran
Lankaran
1,540
220,413
30
Lankaran (city)
Lənkəran
70
(83,300)
2019 Census figure included in Lankaran District
31
Lerik District
Lerik
Lerik
1,080
80,735
32
Masally District
Masallı
Masally
720
219,607
33
Mingachevir (city)
Mingəçevir
130
119,977
34
Naftalan (city)
Naftalan
30
9,291
35
Neftchala District
Neftçala
Neftchala
1,450
83,792
36
Oghuz District
Oğuz
Oghuz
1,220
42,424
37
Qabala District
Qəbələ
Qabala
1,550
101,580
38
Qakh District
Qax
Qakh
1,490
51,519
39
Qazax District
Qazax
Qazax
700
92,912
Partly under de facto control of Armenia
40
Gobustan District
Qobustan
Gobustan
1,370
44,348
41
Quba District
Quba
Quba
2,580
161,631
42
Qubadli District
Qubadlı
Qubadli
800
(36,700)
43
Qusar District
Qusar
Qusar
1,540
98,307
44
Saatly District
Saatlı
Saatly
1,180
104,801
45
Sabirabad District
Sabirabad
Sabirabad
1,470
177,137
46
Shaki District
Şəki
Shaki
2,430
178,648
47
Shaki (city)
Şəki
9
(63,700)
48
Salyan District
Salyan
Salyan
1,790
136,917
49
Shamakhi District
Şamaxı
Shamakhi
1,610
102,494
50
Shamkir District
Şəmkir
Shamkir
1,660
212,427
51
Samukh District
Samux
Samukh
1,450
56,696
52
Siyazan District
Siyəzən
Siyazan
700
40,896
53
Sumgait (city)
Sumqayıt
80
491,068
54
Shusha District
Şuşa
Shusha
290
5,396
55
Tartar District
Tərtər
Tartar
109
85,426
56
Tovuz District
Tovuz
Tovuz
1,900
164,119
57
Ujar District
Ucar
Ujar
850
82,949
58
Khachmaz District
Xaçmaz
Khachmaz
1,050
170,022
59
Khankendi (city)
Xankəndi
8
58,322
60
Goygol District
Göygöl
Goygol
1,030
66,774
Known as Khanlar (Xanlar) until 2008
61
Khizi District
Xızı
Khizi
1,850
17,903
62
Khojaly District
Xocalı
Khojaly
940
17,050
63
Khojavend District
Xocavənd
Khojavend
1,460
(42,100)
64
Yardimli District
Yardımlı
Yardimli
670
64,027
65
Yevlakh District
Yevlax
Yevlakh
1,540
130,741
66
Yevlakh (city)
Yevlax
95
59,036
67
Zangilan District
Zəngilan
Zangilan
710
(40,500)
68
Zagatala District
Zaqatala
Zaqatala
1,350
125,831
69
Zardab District
Zərdab
Zardab
860
57,022
70
Aghdara District
Ağdərə
1161
Became a district in December 2023.
TOTAL
81,100
9,634,154[ note 1]
^ Including an estimated 148,795 for Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) estimated for 2019 by the Artsakh Statistical Service.
Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic
The subdivisions of Nakhchivan
The seven districts and one municipality of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic are listed below.
Map ref.
Administrative division
Azerbaijani name
Capital
Area[ 3] (km2 )
Population census (2019)[ 4]
Note
1
Babek District
Babək
Babek
900
76,002
Known as Nakhchivan until 1991
2
Julfa District
Culfa
Julfa
1,000
46,970
3
Kangarli District
Kəngərli
Qıvraq
680
32,621
Split from Babek in March 2004
4
Nakhchivan (city)
Naxçıvan
130
94,318
Split from Nakhchivan (Babek District) in 1991
5
Ordubad District
Ordubad
Ordubad
970
50,156
Split from Julfa in 1965[ 5]
6
Sadarak District
Sədərək
Sadarak
150
16,036
Split from Sharur in 1990; includes the Karki exclave under de facto control of Armenia
7
Shahbuz District
Şahbuz
Şahbuz
920
25,233
Split from Nakhchivan (Babek) in 1965[ 5]
8
Sharur District
Şərur
Sharur
810
117,263
Known as Norashen until 1964 and Ilyich until 1990[ 5]
TOTAL
5,560
458,599
Economic regions
Map of economic regions of Azerbaijan (July 2021)
Economic region [ 6]
Area (km2 ) [ 7]
Population estimate (2021) [ 7]
Population density per km2 (2021)
Note
Baku
2,140
2,300,500
1,075
Includes Baku itself. It is the main economic centre of Azerbaijan.
Main industries: international trade, oil refining, chemical, machine-building, food, tourism, textiles.[ 8]
The military industry, high-tech industries, and information technologies are being developed.[ 9]
Absheron-Khizi
3,730
578,800
155
Includes the Absheron and Khizi administrative districts and the city of Sumgait .
The main industries are petrochemical, chemical, heavy industry , ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, energy, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, light and food, construction, transport infrastructure.
Ganja-Dashkasan
5,270
611,300
116
Includes Dashkasan , Goranboy , Goygol , Samukh administrative districts and the cities of Ganja , Naftalan .
Shaki-Zagatala
8,840
630,400
71
Includes Balakan , Qakh , Qabala , Oghuz , Zagatala , Shaki administrative districts.
Main industries: light, tourism and food.[ 10]
Lankaran-Astara
6,070
953,600
157
Includes Astara , Jalilabad , Lerik , Yardimli , Lankaran administrative districts.
Main industry: food and tourism.
Guba-Khachmaz
6,960
558,700
80
Includes Shabran , Khachmaz , Guba , Qusar , Siyazan administrative districts.
Main industries: agriculture, light, tourism, food.[ 11]
Central Aran
6,690
740,000
111
Includes Agdash , Goychay , Kurdamir , Ujar , Yevlakh , Zardab administrative districts, and the city of Mingachevir .[ 12]
Karabakh
8,990
904,500
101
Includes Agjabadi , Aghdam , Barda , Fuzuli , Khojaly , Khojavend , Shusha , Tartar administrative regions and the city of Khankendi (Stepanakert).
East Zangezur
7,470
343,500
46
Includes Jabrayil , Kalbajar , Qubadli , Lachin , Zangilan administrative districts.
Mountainous Shirvan
6,130
324,800
53
Includes Agsu , Ismayilli , Gobustan , Shamakhi administrative districts.
Main industries: light and food.
Nakhchivan
5,500
461,500
84
Includes the whole territory of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic .
Main industries: light and food.
Gazakh-Tovuz
7,030
687,600
98
Includes Aghstafa , Gadabay , Gazakh , Shamkir , Tovuz administrative districts.
Mil-Mughan
5,670
522,600
92
Includes Beylagan , Imishli , Saatly , Sabirabad administrative districts.
Shirvan-Salyan
6,080
501,300
82
Includes Bilasuvar , Hajigabul , Neftchala , Salyan administrative districts and the city of Shirvan .
TOTALS
86,570
10,119,100
111
Nagorno-Karabakh
The territory of former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast presently consists of the districts of Khojavend , Shusha , Khojaly , the eastern portion of Kalbajar and the western portion of Tartar . The Autonomous Oblast was abolished on 26 November 1991, by the Supreme Soviet of the Azerbaijan SSR . Since then, the territory of the autonomous oblast has been administratively split between the aforementioned districts.
As a result of the First Nagorno-Karabakh War , most of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts came under the occupation of ethnic Armenian forces.[ 13] The self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh also controlled a large part of southwestern Azerbaijan outside Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan regained control of all of the surrounding districts and large parts of Nagorno-Karabakh following the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war . Azerbaijan regained control of all of Nagorno-Karabakh following 2023 Nagorno-Karabakh clashes .
See also
References