FACTBOX: Key facts about oil-producing Azerbaijan

Oil-producing Azerbaijan was holding a referendum on Wednesday on whether to scrap the country’s two-term presidential limit and give Ilham Aliyev the chance to rule beyond 2013. The opposition and rights groups have criticized the move.

Here are some key facts about the country:
GEOGRAPHY: Azerbaijan, a former Soviet republic, lies at a strategic crossroads between East and West, sandwiched between Iran and Russia and straddling a region emerging as a key transit route for oil and gas from Central Asia to Europe. It also borders Georgia, Armenia and Turkey.

POPULATION: 8.7 million, mostly Shi’ite Muslims. They speak Azeri, which is closely related to Turkish. Russian is also widely spoken as a legacy of the Soviet Union and business ties with Russia, particularly in the capital, Baku.

ECONOMY: With a BP-led oil and gas pipeline to the Mediterranean, Azerbaijan is a hub for exporting Caspian Sea crude and natural gas to world markets. Energy markets see Caspian oil and gas as key to Europe’s policy of diversifying energy supplies.

Reuters