Administrative Division of Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan Republic comprises Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, 66 administrative regions, 70 towns, and 4,272 villages. President appoints the governors of administrative regions. The cities in Azerbaijan are: Baku, Ali-Bayramly, Ganja, Khankandi, Lankaran, Mingachevir, Naftalan, Quba, Shaki, Shusha, and Sumgayit. The local governments of cities Khankandi and Shusha and of the districts of Aghdam, Fьzuli, Jabrail, Kalbajar, Lachin, Qubadly and Zangilan, which are presently under occupation by Armenia, continue to function in exile.
There are 70 towns, including eight with more than 50,000 inhabitants. Slightly over half of the population lives in urban areas. The capital, Baku, located on the western shore of the Caspian Sea, has a population of over two million. Azerbaijan’s two other main cities are Ganja (307,500) and Sumgayit (296,900). Other notable cities include Mingachevir (95,500) and Ali Bayramly (74,600).
Within Azerbaijan, Nakhchivan is an autonomous republic and consists of eight districts: Babak, Julfa, Kangarli, Nakhichevan city, Ordubad, Sadarak, Shahbuz, and Sharur. Nakhchivan has its own Parliament (Ali Majlis), as well as the Cabinet of Ministers and Supreme Court. The Constitution of Azerbaijan and its laws are all valid in Nakhchivan, and laws and resolutions enacted there must not contradict national laws and resolutions.
Local government officials are elected in direct elections. The first municipal elections in Azerbaijan were held in December 1999. The municipal government is authorized to impose local taxes and payments, approve a local budget, and implement local programs of social security and economic development.
