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Updates: 

I moved information about the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic to this page, since it now seems unlikely that it will unite with Armenia.

Update 10 to Geopolitical Entities and Codes (formerly FIPS 10-4) is dated 2012-12-31. It corrects the spelling of Mingəçevir.

Update 9 to Geopolitical Entities and Codes is dated 2012-09-01. It includes changes to the codes for Azerbaijan.

ISO 3166-2 Newsletter II-3 is dated 2011-12-15. It makes a couple of adjustments to the list of rayons and to rayon names, and to the codes where appropriate. For specifics, see Change history.

ISO 3166-2 Newsletter Number I-2 was published on 2002-05-21. It changes the ISO code for Naxçıvan from MM to NX. It also corrects the diacritical marks on four district names. Finally, it identifies the six rayons that are part of Naxçıvan.

International standard ISO 3166-2 was published on December 15, 1998. It superseded ISO/DIS 3166-2 (draft international standard), which came out in fall 1996. Change Notice 1 for FIPS PUB 10-4 is dated December 1, 1998. All three of these documents show Azerbaijan divided into units of three kinds: one autonomous republic, ten or eleven cities, and sixty-some rayons, or districts. They differ on the exact numbers.

Country overview: 

Short name	AZERBAIJAN
ISO code	AZ
FIPS code	AJ
Language	Azeri (az)
Time zone	+4
Capital	Baku

 

Modern Azerbaijan corresponds quite closely to the Russian districts of Baku, Elizabethpol, and Zakataly at the beginning of the 20th century. The Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan declared its independence on 1918-05-28. It was reconquered and incorporated into the Soviet Union on 1922-12-30, becoming part of the Transcaucasian Soviet Socialist Republic. Under the Soviets, the territory of Zangezur (27,400 km.²) was transferred from Azerbaijan to Armenia, separating Nakhichevan from the rest of Azerbaijan. In 1936, Azerbaijan became a separate republic within the U.S.S.R. Azerbaijan declared its independence from the U.S.S.R. on 1991-08-30. Later that year, it abolished the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region as a separate entity.

Other names of country: 

1. Azeri: Azərbaycan Respublikası (formal)
2. Danish: Aserbajdsjan
3. Dutch: Azerbaidzjan, Azerbeidzjan, Republiek Azerbeidzjan (formal)
4. English: Azerbaijani Republic (formal)
5. Finnish: Azerbaidžan
6. French: Azerbaïdjan m
7. German: Aserbaidschan n
8. Icelandic: Aserbaídsjan
9. Italian: Azerbaigian
10. Norwegian: Aserbajdsjan, Republikken Aserbajdsjan (formal)
11. Portuguese: Azerbaidjão (Brazil), Azerbaijão (Portugal), República f do Azerbaijão m (formal)
12. Russian: Азербайджан, Азербайджанская Республика (formal)
13. Spanish: Azerbaiyán, República f Azerbaiyana (formal)
14. Swedish: Azerbajdzjan
15. Turkish: Azerbaycan, Azerbaycan Cumhuriyeti (formal)

Origin of name: 

Named for Atropates, one of Alexander the Great's generals

Primary subdivisions: 

Azerbaijan is divided into 66 rayons (districts) and 12 cities.

Rayon	Typ	HASC	ISO	FIPS	Post	Population	Area(km.²)	Area(mi.²)	Capital	ISO Name
Absheron	r	AZ.AR	ABS	AJ01	01	81,798	1,360	525	Xirdalan	Abşeron
Aghdam	r	AZ.AM	AGM	AJ03	02	153,292	1,150	444	Aghdam	Aǧdam
Aghdash	r	AZ.AS	AGS	AJ04	03	89,214	1,050	405	Aghdash	Aǧdaş
Aghjabedi	r	AZ.AC	AGC	AJ02	04	107,833	1,760	680	Aghjabedi	Aǧcabədi
Aghstafa	r	AZ.AF	AGA	AJ05	05	73,944	1,500	579	Aghstafa	Aǧstafa
Aghsu	r	AZ.AU	AGU	AJ06	06	62,281	1,020	394	Aghsu	Aǧsu
Astara	r	AZ.AA	AST	AJ08	07	84,319	620	239	Astara	Astara
Babek	r	AZ.BK	BAB	AJ72	67	71,396	1,170	452	Babek	Babək
Baku	c	AZ.BA	BA	AJ09	10-11	1,788,854	2,130	822	Baku	Bakı
Balaken	r	AZ.BL	BAL	AJ10	08	83,732	920	355	Balaken	Balakən
Barda	r	AZ.BR	BAR	AJ11	09	129,600	960	371	Barda	Bərdə
Beilagan	r	AZ.BQ	BEY	AJ12	12	78,458	1,130	436	Beilagan	Beyləqan
Bilasuvar	r	AZ.BS	BIL	AJ13	13	74,906	1,400	541	Bilasuvar	Biləsuvar
Dashkesan	r	AZ.DS	DAS	AJ16	16	30,418	1,050	405	Dashkesan	Daşkəsən
Fizuli	r	AZ.FU	FUZ	AJ18	19	136,481	1,390	537	Fizuli	Füzuli
Gabala	r	AZ.QA	QAB	AJ38	36	82,803	1,550	598	Gabala	Qəbələ
Gadabey	r	AZ.GD	GAD	AJ19	21	86,193	1,290	498	Gadabey	Gədəbəy
Gakh	r	AZ.QX	QAX	AJ39	34	51,161	1,490	575	Gakh	Qax
Ganja	c	AZ.GA	GA	AJ20	20	299,342	110	42	Ganja	Gəncə
Gazakh	r	AZ.QZ	QAZ	AJ40	35	81,015	700	270	Gazakh	Qazax
Geranboy	r	AZ.GR	GOR	AJ21	22	86,645	1,790	691	Geranboy	Goranboy
Gobustan	r	AZ.QO	QOB	AJ41	37	34,184	1,370	529	Maraza	Qobustan
Goychay	r	AZ.GY	GOY	AJ22	23	100,511	740	286	Goychay	Göyçay
Goygol	r	AZ.XR	GYG	AJ62	25	53,266	1,030	398	Goygol	Göygöl
Guba	r	AZ.QB	QBA	AJ42	40	136,845	2,580	996	Guba	Quba
Gubadly	r	AZ.QD	QBI	AJ43	39	32,949	800	309	Gubadly	Qubadlı
Gusar	r	AZ.QR	QUS	AJ44	38	80,816	1,540	595	Gusar	Qusar
Hacuqabul	r	AZ.HA	HAC	AJ23	24	57,944	1,640	633	Hacuqabul	Hacıqabul
Imishli	r	AZ.IM	IMI	AJ24	30	104,026	1,820	703	Imishli	İmişli
Ismailly	r	AZ.IS	ISM	AJ25	31	72,144	2,060	795	Ismailly	İsmayıllı
Jalilabad	r	AZ.CL	CAL	AJ15	15	169,960	1,440	556	Jalilabad	Cəlilabad
Jebrail	r	AZ.CB	CAB	AJ14	14	59,318	1,050	405	Jebrail	Cəbrayıl
Julfa	r	AZ.CF	CUL	AJ73	72	35,896	1,000	386	Julfa	Culfa
Kangarli	r	AZ.KG	KAN	AJ74					Givrakh	Kəngərli
Kelbajar	r	AZ.KA	KAL	AJ26	32	66,211	3,050	1,178	Kelbajar	Kəlbəcər
Khachmaz	r	AZ.XZ	XAC	AJ60	27	144,332	1,050	405	Khachmaz	Xaçmaz
Khankendy	c	AZ.XA	XA	AJ61	26	54,515	8	3	Khankendy	Xankəndi
Khojaly	r	AZ.XC	XCI	AJ64	29	23,757	940	363	Khojaly	Xocalı
Khojavend	r	AZ.XD	XVD	AJ65	28	39,620	1,460	564	Khojavend	Xocavənd
Khyzy	r	AZ.XI	XIZ	AJ63		13,080	1,850	714	Khyzy	Xızı
Kyurdamir	r	AZ.KU	KUR	AJ27	33	92,230	1,630	629	Kyurdamir	Kürdəmir
Lachin	r	AZ.LC	LAC	AJ28	41	63,162	1,840	710	Lachin	Laçın
Lenkaran	r	AZ.LN	LAN	AJ29	42	189,929	1,540	595	Lenkaran	Lənkəran
Lenkaran	c	AZ.LA	LA	AJ30	42				Lenkaran	Lənkəran
Lerik	r	AZ.LE	LER	AJ31	43	63,314	1,080	417	Lerik	Lerik
Masally	r	AZ.MA	MAS	AJ32	44	173,937	720	278	Masally	Masallı
Mingechevir	c	AZ.MI	MI	AJ33	45	94,039	130	50	Mingechevir	Mingəçevir
Naftalan	c	AZ.NA	NA	AJ34	46	7,551	2	1	Naftalan	Naftalan
Nakhchivan	c	AZ.NX	NV	AJ75	70	63,196	130	50	Nakhchivan	Naxçıvan
Neftchala	r	AZ.NE	NEF	AJ36	47	71,480	1,450	560	Neftchala	Neftçala
Oghuz	r	AZ.OG	OGU	AJ37	48	36,488	1,220	471	Oghuz	Oǧuz
Ordubad	r	AZ.OR	ORD	AJ76	69	40,596	970	375	Ordubad	Ordubad
Saatly	r	AZ.ST	SAT	AJ45	49	82,702	1,180	456	Saatly	Saatlı
Sabirabad	r	AZ.SB	SAB	AJ46	54	136,933	1,470	568	Sabirabad	Sabirabad
Salyan	r	AZ.SL	SAL	AJ49	52	111,973	1,790	691	Salyan	Salyan
Samuh	r	AZ.SX	SMX	AJ52	51	49,697	1,450	560	Nabiagali	Samux
Sedarak	r	AZ.SD	SAD	AJ77	73	11,996	150	58	Sedarak	Sədərək
Shabran	r	AZ.DV	SBN	AJ17	17	45,999	1,090	421	Shabran	Şabran
Shahbuz	r	AZ.SH	SAH	AJ78	71	20,296	920	355	Shahbuz	Şahbuz
Shamakhy	r	AZ.SI	SMI	AJ50	56	80,625	1,610	622	Shamakhy	Şamaxı
Shamkir	r	AZ.SM	SKR	AJ51	57	173,401	1,660	641	Shamkir	Şəmkir
Sheki	r	AZ.SK	SAK	AJ47	55	157,353	2,430	938	Sheki	Şəki
Sheki	c	AZ.SA	SA	AJ48	55				Sheki	Şəki
Sherur	r	AZ.SE	SAR	AJ79	68	110,696	1,160	448	Sherur	Şərur
Shirvan	c	AZ.AB	SR	AJ07	18	69,524	30	12	Shirvan	Şirvan
Shusha	r	AZ.SU	SUS	AJ55	58	24,340	290	112	Shusha	Şuşa
Shusha	c	AZ.SS			58				Shusha	Şuşa
Siazan	r	AZ.SY	SIY	AJ53	53	33,462	700	270	Siazan	Siyəzən
Sumgayit	c	AZ.SQ	SM	AJ54	50	283,184	80	31	Sumgayit	Sumqayıt
Terter	r	AZ.TA	TAR	AJ57	59	92,201	960	371	Terter	Tərtər
Tovuz	r	AZ.TO	TOV	AJ58	60	142,854	1,900	734	Tovuz	Tovuz
Ujar	r	AZ.UC	UCA	AJ59	61	71,327	850	328	Ujar	Ucar
Yardymly	r	AZ.YR	YAR	AJ66	65	49,039	670	259	Yardymly	Yardımlı
Yevlakh	r	AZ.YV	YEV	AJ67	66	108,188	1,540	595	Yevlakh	Yevlax
Yevlakh	c	AZ.YE	YE	AJ68	66				Yevlakh	Yevlax
Zagatala	r	AZ.ZQ	ZAQ	AJ70	62	107,240	1,350	521	Zagatala	Zaqatala
Zangilan	r	AZ.ZG	ZAN	AJ69	64	35,336	710	274	Zangilan	Zəngilan
Zerdab	r	AZ.ZR	ZAR	AJ71	63	46,091	860	332	Zerdab	Zərdab
78 divisions						7,953,438	86,530	33,410
Type: r = rayon; c = city. Sumqayıt is a rayon according to FIPS. HASC: Hierarchical administrative subdivision codes. ISO: District codes from ISO 3166-2. For full identification in a global context, prefix "AZ-" to the code (ex: AZ-SAL represents Salyan). FIPS: Codes from FIPS PUB 10-4, a U.S. government standard. Where this column is blank, FIPS has no listing. Post: Azerbaijan has adopted a new system of postal codes. They have the format AZ nnnn, where the n's represent digits, and the first two digits correspond to the rayon. Population: 1999-01-27 census (source [1]). Area: Provided by Mario Pezza. ISO Name: Name according to the ISO standard.

Further subdivisions:

Nakhchivan autonomous republic is a unit that incorporates the rayons of Babek, Julfa, Kangarli, Ordubad, Sedarak, Shahbuz, and Sherur, and Nakhchivan city. It has an ISO 3166-2 code, AZ-NX.

Territorial extent: 

Nakhchivan autonomous republic is separated from the rest of Azerbaijan by a strip of Armenian territory. It includes a tiny exclave inside Armenia, near Ararat. The chief village in this exclave is Kiarki (Tigranashen), which belongs to Sedarak rayon. Azerbaijan also has two small exclaves inside Armenia, north of Idzhevan. They contain the Azerbaijani villages of Yukhari Askipara and Barkhudali (Sofulu), respectively, and are part of Gazakh rayon. There are also two even tinier exclaves in Armenia belonging to Tatly, Azerbaijan.

Nagorno-Karabakh is a part of Azerbaijan largely populated by Armenians. The Soviet Union created Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region (avtonomnaya oblast', NKAO) on 1923-07-07. This was a "matryoshka region" within Azerbaijan S.S.R. In the breakup of the Soviet Union (1991), it became part of independent Azerbaijan and lost its territorial integrity, as far as the government of Azerbaijan and the international community were concerned. However, on 1991-09-02, the councils of the NKAO and Shahumyan declared an independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR, also known as Artsakh). There was a conflict and a cease-fire, and now the NKR controls the territory, although it lacks international recognition.

Armenia and the NKAO had no common border, but were only separated by a few kilometers of Azerbaijani territory. This was by design of the Soviet government. The NKR now extends to the borders of Armenia and Iran, having gained territory from Azerbaijan, while losing three smaller areas that were part of the NKAO. According to the government of the NKR, it is divided into seven regions and one city.

Region	Population	Area(km.²)	Capital	Azerbaijan
Askeran	18,251	1,222	Askeran	Khojaly, part of Aghdam
Hadrut	13,163	1,877	Hadrut	Jebrail, parts of Fizuli and Khojavend
Kashatagh	9,656	3,377	Berdzor	Gubadly, Lachin, Zangilan
Martakert	20,185	1,795	Martakert	parts of Aghdam, Kelbajar, Terter
Martuni	23,888	951	Khodjavend	remainder of Khojavend
Shahumyan	3,521	1,830	Kalbajar	part of Kelbajar
Shushi	5,599	383	Shushi	Shusha
Stepanakert	52,310	26	Stepanakert	Khankendy
8 divisions	146,573	11,460
Region: Except for Stepanakert, which is a city. Population: 2013-01-01 estimate (Stepanakert is 2010). Azerbaijan: Azerbaijani districts approximately corresponding to this area.

The UN LOCODE page  for Azerbaijan lists locations in the country, some of them with their latitudes and longitudes, some with their ISO 3166-2 codes for their subdivisions. This information can be put together to approximate the territorial extent of subdivisions.

Origins of names: 

Nakhchivan: = City of Nakhich (man's name)

Change history: 

Under the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan was the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic (Азербайджанская Советская Социалистическая Республика). Nakhichevan was an Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (Нахичеванская Автономная Советская Социалистическая Республика). Nagorno-Karabakh was an autonomous oblast (Нагорно-Карабахская Автономная Область) with Stepanakert as its capital.

1. 1991-11-26: Nagorno-Karabakh autonomous region abolished. Its territory was redistributed to rayons.
2. 2004-03-14: Kangarli rayon formed from parts of Babek (former HASC code AZ.BB) and Sherur (AZ.SR).
3. 2008: Name of Ali-Bairamly (Əli Bayramlı) city (former ISO code AZ-AB) changed to Shirvan (Şirvan).
4. 2008-04-25: Name of Khanlar (Xanlar) rayon (former ISO code AZ-XAN) and its capital changed to Goygol (Göygöl).
5. 2010: Name of Devechi (Dəvəçi) rayon (former ISO code AZ-DAV) and its capital changed to Shabran (Şabran).
6. 2011-12-15: ISO 3166-2 standard updated. Compared to the previous version, it implements the changes of 2004-2010. It also adds Naxçıvan city and drops Şuşa city (former ISO code AZ-SS, FIPS AJ56). (Naxçıvan city and Naxçıvan autonomous republic both existed then, and still exist. The first was a subdivision of the second. Only the second was listed in the standard. I used its code for the first, faute de mieux.)
7. 2012-09-01: FIPS standard updated. It implements the three name changes of 2008-2010. It also deletes the code AJ35, which represented Naxçıvan autonomous republic, adds AJ75 for Naxçıvan city, and adds new codes for the rayons that didn't yet have them.

Other names of subdivisions: 

The Azeri alphabet includes some characters from the Turkish alphabet, as well as the schwa (Ə, ə). The Azerbaijan post office website listed names using the order ... D, Ə, F, ....

The FIPS standard spells one name slightly differently from ISO: Mingəcevir instead of Mingəçevir. The Azerbaijani postal site spells several names differently from ISO. It shows Göranboy instead of Goranboy, Səlyan instead of Salyan, and Tər-Tər instead of Tərtər. The postal site identifies Cəbrayıl, Füzuli, Kəlbəcər, Laçın, Qubadlı, Şuşa, Xankəndi, Xocalı, Xocavənd, and Zəngilan as RRQ. Dominic Heaney, of Europa Publications (now owned by Routledge), suggests that RRQ may designate areas not under the control of the central government.

1. Aghdam: Agdam (variant)
2. Aghdash: Agdas, Agdash (variant)
3. Aghjabedi: Agcabadi, Agdjabadi (variant)
4. Aghstafa: Agstafa (variant)
5. Aghsu: Agsu (variant)
6. Ali-Bairamly: Ali Bayramli (variant)
7. Babek: Babak (variant)
8. Baku: Bakı (Azeri); Bakú (Spanish); Bakü (Turkish)
9. Balaken: Balakan (variant)
10. Beilagan: Beylagan, Beylaqan (variant)
11. Dashkesan: Dashkasan, Daskasan (variant)
12. Devechi: Davachi (variant)
13. Fizuli: Füzuli (variant)
14. Gadabey: Gadabay (variant)
15. Gakh: Qax (variant)
16. Ganja: Ganca (variant)
17. Gazakh: Qazax (variant)
18. Geranboy: Goranboy (variant)
19. Guba: Quba (variant)
20. Gubadly: Gubadli, Qubadli (variant)
21. Hacuqabul: Haciqabul, Hajigabul (variant)
22. Imishli: Imisli (variant)
23. Ismailly: Ismayilli (variant)
24. Jalilabad: Calilabad (variant)
25. Jebrail: Cabrayil, Jabrail (variant)
26. Julfa: Culfa (variant)
27. Kelbajar: Kalbacar, Kalbajar (variant)
28. Khachmaz: Xaçmaz (variant)
29. Khankendy: Khankendi, Xankandi (variant); Stepanakert (obsolete, Armenian); Xankəndi (Azeri)
30. Khanlar: Xanlar (variant)
31. Khojaly: Xocali (variant)
32. Khojavend: Khojavand, Xocavand (variant)
33. Khyzy: Khyzi, Xizi (variant)
34. Kyurdamir: Kurdamir, Kürdamir (variant)
35. Lachin: Laçin (variant)
36. Lenkaran: Lankaran (variant)
37. Masally: Masalli (variant)
38. Mingechevir: Mingacevir (variant)
39. Nagorno-Karabakh: Artsakh, Arzach (Armenian); Нагорно-Карабахская Республика (formal) (Russian)
40. Nakhchivan: Nahcivan (Turkish); Nakhichevan (variant); Нахичевань (Russian)
41. Neftchala: Neftçala (variant)
42. Oghuz: Oguz (variant)
43. Saatly: Saatli (variant)
44. Samuh: Samukh (variant)
45. Sedarak: Sadarak (variant)
46. Shahbuz: Sahbuz (variant)
47. Shamakhy: Samaxi (variant)
48. Shamkir: Samkir (variant)
49. Sheki: Shaki (variant)
50. Sherur: Sarur, Sharur (variant)
51. Shusha: Susa (variant)
52. Siazan: Siyazan (variant)
53. Sumgayit: Sumgait, Sumqayit (variant)
54. Terter: Tartar (variant)
55. Ujar: Ucar (variant)
56. Yardymly: Yardimli, Yardimliy (variant)
57. Yevlakh: Yevlax (variant)
58. Zerdab: Zardab (variant)

Sources: 

1. [1] "The Population Census of the Azerbaijan Republic 1999", State Statistical Committee of the Azerbaijan Republic. Note: this source combined the populations of the six rayons and one city of Nakhchivan into a single figure for the whole region. Mario Pezza supplied a spreadsheet that shows the populations of the component divisions separately, but they are all rounded to the nearest 100. To make the populations add up to the correct total, I subtracted 4 from the population of each of the seven divisions in Nakhchivan.
2. [2] Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Department in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic  (retrieved 2009-01-27) confirmed the existence of Kəngərli rayon.
3. [3] Azerbaijan Post Office postal code list (http://www.azerpost.bakinter.net/htmlaz/indexler.html, obsolete, dead link, retrieved 2003-12-12). It had a slightly different list of rayons from any of the other sources. In those cases where a rayon and a city have the same name, it only listed the rayon. That may only mean that they were combined for postal purposes. The postal site also listed the autonomous republic (MR) of Naxçıvan as being divided up into seven rayons, one of which was also named Naxçıvan.
4. [4] De Jure Population by Administrative Territorial Distribution and Density . Census 2005 (retrieved 2014-10-15).
5. [5] Government: Regions . Government of NKR website (retrieved 2014-10-15).