Administrative divisions of Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan is administratively divided into 66 districts (rayon) and 11 cities (şəhər) that are subordinate to the Republic. Out of these, 7 districts and 1 city is 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 July 7, 2021, the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed Decree "On the new division of economic regions in the Republic of Azerbaijan".[2]
Administrative divisions
Contiguous Azerbaijan

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.[3] The self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh also controlled a large part of southwestern Azerbaijan outside Nagorno-Karabakh. The Azerbaijani districts completely or partially controlled by Artsakh are noted in the list. Artsakh does not recognise these districts and has its own system of administrative division. Azerbaijan regained control of all of the surrounding districts and large parts of Nagorno-Karabakh following the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war.
The list below is for the main part of Azerbaijan, excluding the districts of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.
Map ref. | Administrative division | Azerbaijani name | Capital | Area[4] (km2) |
Population[4] (2011 est.) |
Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Absheron District | Abşeron | Xirdalan | 1,360 | 192,900 | Includes an exclave in Baku |
2 | Aghjabadi District | Ağcabədi | Aghjabadi | 1,760 | 124,000 | |
3 | Agdam District | Ağdam | Alibeyli | 1,150 | 180,600 | |
4 | Agdash District | Ağdaş | Agdash | 1,050 | 100,600 | |
5 | Agstafa District | Ağstafa | Agstafa | 1,500 | 81,400 | |
6 | Agsu District | Ağsu | Agsu | 1,020 | 72,100 | |
7 | Shirvan (city) | Şirvan | 30 | 78,700 | Named Ali Bayramli (Əli Bayramlı) until April 24, 2008 | |
8 | Astara District | Astara | Astara | 620 | 98,300 | |
9 | Baku (city) | Bakı | 2,130 | 2,092,400 | Comprising 12 districts it is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan | |
10 | Balakan District | Balakən | Balakan | 920 | 91,100 | |
11 | Barda District | Bərdə | Barda | 960 | 143,900 | |
12 | Beylagan District | Beyləqan | Beylagan | 1,130 | 87,900 | |
13 | Bilasuvar District | Biləsuvar | Bilasuvar | 1,400 | 90,300 | |
14 | Jabrayil District | Cəbrayıl | Jabrayil | 1,050 | 72,700 | |
15 | Jalilabad District | Cəlilabad | Jalilabad | 1,440 | 196,500 | |
16 | Dashkasan District | Daşkəsən | Daşkəsən | 1,050 | 33,200 | |
17 | Shabran District | Şabran | Shabran | 1,090 | 53,000 | Named Davachi (Dəvəçi) until 2010 |
18 | Fuzuli District | Füzuli | Füzuli | 1,390 | 118,900 | |
19 | Gadabay District | Gədəbəy | Gadabay | 1,290 | 95,000 | Borders an exclave of Armenia |
20 | Ganja (city) | Gəncə | 110 | 316,300 | Comprising 2 districts and Azerbaijan's second-largest city | |
21 | Goranboy District | Goranboy | Goranboy | 1,760 | 96,200 | |
22 | Goychay District | Göyçay | Goychay | 740 | 111,100 | |
23 | Hajigabul District | Hacıqabul | Hajiqabul | 1,640 | 67,300 | |
24 | Imishli District | İmişli | Imishli | 1,820 | 116,600 | |
25 | Ismayilli District | İsmayıllı | Ismayilli | 2,060 | 80,900 | |
26 | Kalbajar District | Kəlbəcər | Kalbajar | 3,050 | 83,200 | |
27 | Kurdamir District | Kürdəmir | Kurdamir | 1,630 | 105,700 | |
28 | Lachin District | Laçın | Lachin | 1,840 | 70,900 | |
29 | Lankaran District | Lənkəran | Lankaran | 1,540 | 209,900 | |
30 | Lankaran (city) | Lənkəran | 70 | 83,300 | ||
31 | Lerik District | Lerik | Lerik | 1,080 | 76,400 | |
32 | Masally District | Masallı | Masally | 720 | 202,500 | |
33 | Mingachevir (city) | Mingəçevir | 130 | 97,800 | ||
34 | Naftalan (city) | Naftalan | 30 | 9,100 | ||
35 | Neftchala District | Neftçala | Neftchala | 1,450 | 81,300 | |
36 | Oghuz District | Oğuz | Oghuz | 1,220 | 40,900 | |
37 | Qabala District | Qəbələ | Qabala | 1,550 | 95,600 | |
38 | Qakh District | Qax | Qakh | 1,490 | 53,900 | |
39 | Qazakh District | Qazax | Qazakh | 700 | 90,800 | Includes two exclaves in Armenia |
40 | Gobustan District | Qobustan | Gobustan | 1,370 | 41,100 | |
41 | Quba District | Quba | Quba | 2,580 | 155,600 | |
42 | Qubadli District | Qubadlı | Qubadli | 800 | 36,700 | |
43 | Qusar District | Qusar | Qusar | 1,540 | 89,300 | |
44 | Saatly District | Saatlı | Saatly | 1,180 | 95,100 | |
45 | Sabirabad District | Sabirabad | Sabirabad | 1,470 | 155,400 | |
46 | Shaki District | Şəki | Shaki | 2,430 | 173,500 | |
47 | Shaki (city) | Şəki | 9 | 63,700 | ||
48 | Salyan District | Salyan | Salyan | 1,790 | 124,900 | |
49 | Shamakhi District | Şamaxı | Shamakhi | 1,610 | 93,700 | |
50 | Shamkir District | Şəmkir | Shamkir | 1,660 | 196,100 | |
51 | Samukh District | Samux | Nebiagali | 1,450 | 54,600 | |
52 | Siyazan District | Siyəzən | Siyazan | 700 | 38,400 | |
53 | Sumqayit (city) | Sumqayıt | 80 | 314,800 | ||
54 | Shusha District | Şuşa | Shusha | 290 | 32,800 | |
55 | Tartar District | Tərtər | Tartar | 960 | 98,400 | Partly under de facto control of the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh |
56 | Tovuz District | Tovuz | Tovuz | 1,900 | 160,700 | Borders an exclave of Armenia |
57 | Ujar District | Ucar | Ujar | 850 | 79,800 | |
58 | Khachmaz District | Xaçmaz | Khachmaz | 1,050 | 162,100 | |
59 | Khankendi (city) | Xankəndi | 8 | 55,200 | Under de facto control of the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh as its capital (where it's called Stepanakert) | |
60 | Goygol District | Göygöl | Goygol | 1,030 | 58,300 | Formerly Khanlar |
61 | Khizi District | Xızı | Khizi | 1,850 | 14,700 | |
62 | Khojaly District | Xocalı | Khojali | 940 | 26,500 | Mostly under de facto control of the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh |
63 | Khojavend District | Xocavənd | Khojavend | 1,460 | 42,100 | Partly under de facto control of the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh |
64 | Yardimli District | Yardımlı | Yardimli | 670 | 59,600 | |
65 | Yevlakh District | Yevlax | Yevlakh | 1,540 | 119,600 | |
66 | Yevlakh (city) | Yevlax | 95 | 59,036 | ||
67 | Zangilan District | Zəngilan | Zangilan | 710 | 40,500 | |
68 | Zaqatala District | Zaqatala | Zaqatala | 1,350 | 120,300 | |
69 | Zardab District | Zərdab | Zardab | 860 | 54,000 | |
Total | 81,100 | 8,700,600 | ||||
Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic

1. Babek District 2. Julfa District 3. Kangarli District 4. Nakhchivan (city) |
5. Ordubad District 6. Sadarak District 7. Shahbuz District 8. Sharur District |
The seven districts and one municipality of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic are listed below.
Map ref. | Administrative division | Azerbaijani name | Capital | Area[4] (km2) |
Population[4] (2011 est.) |
Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Babek District | Babək | Babek | 900 | 65,100 | Formerly known as Nakhchivan; renamed after Babak Khorramdin in 1991 |
2 | Julfa District | Culfa | Julfa | 1,000 | 42,600 | Also spelled Jugha or Dzhulfa. |
3 | Kangarli District | Kəngərli | Givraq | 680 | 28,600 | Split from Babek in March 2004 |
4 | Nakhchivan (city) | Naxçıvan | 130 | 84,700 | Split from Nakhchivan (Babek District) in 1991 | |
5 | Ordubad District | Ordubad | Ordubad | 970 | 46,100 | Split from Julfa during Sovietization[5] |
6 | Sadarak District | Sədərək | Sədərək | 150 | 14,400 | Split from Sharur in 1990; includes the Karki exclave in Armenia |
7 | Shahbuz District | Şahbuz | Shahbuz | 920 | 23,200 | Split from Nakhchivan (Babek) during Sovietization[5] |
8 | Sharur District | Şərur | Sharur | 810 | 105,400 | Formerly known as Bash-Norashen during its incorporation into the Soviet Union and Ilyich (after Vladimir Ilyich Lenin) from the post-Sovietization period to 1990[5] |
Total | 5,560 | 410,100 | ||||
Economic Regions
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Economic region[6] | Total area
(thousand km²)[7] |
Population
(2021) in thousands of people.[7] |
Population
density (2021, per 1 sq. km, person) |
Brief information |
Baku | 2,140 | 2300,5 | 1075 | Includes Baku itself. It is the main economic centre of Azerbaijan.
Main industries: international trade, oil refining, chemical, machine-building, food, textile industry.[8] The military industry, high-tech industries, and information technologies are being developed.[9] |
Absheron-Khizi | 3,730 | 578,8 | 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 industry, construction industry, transport infrastructure. |
Ganja-Dashkasan | 5,270 | 611,3 | 116 | Includes Dashkasan, Goranboy, Goygol, Samukh administrative districts and the cities of Ganja, Naftalan. |
Shaki-Zagatala | 8,840 | 630,4 | 71 | Includes Balakan, Qakh, Qabala, Oghuz, Zagatala, Shaki administrative districts.
Main industries: light and food industry.[10] |
Lankaran-Astara | 6,070 | 953,6 | 157 | Includes Astara, Jalilabad, Lerik, Yardimli, Lankaran administrative districts.
Main industry: food industry. |
Guba-Khachmaz | 6,960 | 558,7 | 80 | Includes Shabran, Khachmaz, Guba, Qusar, Siyazan administrative districts.
Main industries: agriculture, light, and food industry.[11] |
Central Aran | 6,690 | 740,0 | 111 | Includes Agdash, Goychay, Kurdamir, Ujar, Yevlakh, Zardab administrative districts, and the city of Mingachevir.[12] |
Karabakh | 8,990 | 904,5 | 101 | Includes Agjabadi, Aghdam, Barda, Fuzuli, Khojaly, Khojavend, Shusha, Tartar administrative regions and the city of Khankendi (Stepanakert). |
East Zangezur | 7,470 | 343,5 | 46 | Includes Jabrayil, Kalbajar, Qubadli, Lachin, Zangilan administrative districts. |
Mountainous Shirvan | 6,130 | 324,8 | 53 | Includes Agsu, Ismayilli, Gobustan, Shamakhi administrative districts.
Main industries: light and food industries. |
Nakhchivan | 5,500 | 461,5 | 84 | Includes the whole territory of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.
Main industries: light and food industries. |
Gazakh-Tovuz | 7,030 | 687,6 | 98 | Includes Aghstafa, Gadabay, Gazakh, Shamkir, Tovuz administrative districts. |
Mil-Mughan | 5,670 | 522,6 | 92 | Includes Beylagan, Imishli, Saatly, Sabirabad administrative districts. |
Shirvan-Salyan | 6,080 | 501,3 | 82 | Includes Bilasuvar, Hajigabul, Neftchala, Salyan administrative districts and the city of Shirvan. |
In total | 86,570 | 9593,00 |
References
- "Azerbaijan Regions" Archived 2016-02-24 at the Wayback Machine, Regional Development Center in Azerbaijan.
- "New economic regions of Azerbaijan – LIST". Report News Agency. Retrieved 2021-07-09.
- "The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov.
- "Territories, number, density of population and territorial units by economic and administrative regions of Azerbaijan Republic" Archived January 7, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, The State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
- Hewsen, Robert H. (2001). Armenia: A Historical Atlas. University of Chicago Press.
- "Azərbaycan Prezidentinin Rəsmi internet səhifəsi - SƏNƏDLƏR » Fərmanlar". president.az (in Azerbaijani). Retrieved 2021-09-26.
- "Territories, number and density of population by economic and administrative regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan". The State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan. 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
- "10.2 An Overview - Baku: City that Oil Built - by Farid Alakbarov". azer.com. Retrieved 2021-07-09.
- "В Баку началось серийное производство боевых машин типа". ИА REGNUM (in Russian). Retrieved 2021-07-09.
- "Demography". Archived from the original on 2015-09-20.
- "Мамедов Р.М. (2011) Анализ и оценка хозяйственных комплексов экономических районов Азербайджана". Издательство Креативная экономика (in Russian). Retrieved 2021-07-09.
- "Aran economic region". Archived from the original on 2017-05-30.