areas represents the features of several suburban districts like Nizami, Bilajari, Patamdar,
Sulutepe, Bail, Yeni Nizami, Gunashli, Gunashli, but it happens also in some new residential
areas. Limitations on further construction of residential buildings must be defined in the
mentioned areas where landslips is continuously taking place as a result of which the
population suffers, and economy is seriously being damaged.
It is necessary to implement different works of prevention referring to the territorial enlargement
of the settlements within the agglomeration. Improving the planning works within the
boundaries of the settlements is necessary as well. The development of the settlements
located inside the recreational areas as well as the population growth in these areas must be
strictly controlled in particular. At present, most de facto recreational areas have turned into
permanent residential areas.
The joining between the settlements and Baku took place a few years before the collapse of
the USSR. Bilajari, Bakikhanov, Sabunchu, Bulbula, Garachukhur, Amirjan settlements
de-facto became a part of Baku. 1-2 storey buildings constructed in these settlements were
added to the previously constructed ones as a result of which the situation became more
complicated in the Greater Baku.
The growth rate of the demographic enlargement of the surrounding settlements is higher
compared to Baku in the recent years. Garachukhur (81.1 thousand people), Bakikhanov (70.6
thousand people), Bilajari (45.8 thousand people), Amirjan (29.8 thousand people) and
Badamdar (21.6 thousand people) settlements are already a component part of Baku. As these
settlements are still administratively independent, the situation results in the disorderly
expansion of their territories.
In 2003-2008, the newly created working places in the economic regions of Azerbaijan have
not positively affected the balanced development of the Baku agglomeration. The main
proportion (41.6%) of the newly created jobs, information based on the “State Program on
social and economic development of regions (2004-2008)”, was created by private individuals.
The following places are occupied by companies functioning in agriculture and forest industry
(11.1%), machinery industry (10.3%), construction (9.0%), and wholesale and retail (8.4%).
The labour-intensive industries are growing with lower rates. The number of companies in
machinery, chemical, light- and food industries engaged in processing of agricultural products
is very small. Only 8-13% of the permanent jobs in the regions are concentrated in the
industries.
The new workplaces are distributed unevenly by the regions of the country. Most of them are
shared by Absheron (Greater Baku), Aran and Ganja-Gazakh economic regions. 61.4% of all
workplaces, including 65.1% of constant ones, fall to the share of these three regions. The
share of Baku may grow further, and such situation is not desirable.
Although Greater Baku is a highly concentrated industrial area, this concentration is still a
continuing process. 27.6% of the permanent work places (153.2 thousand) that were created
fall to the share of Baku, according to the State Program. The development of other regions is
lagging behind Absheron considerably. The intensity of migration is unfavourably increasing. At
the same time, there are big gaps between the regions and the capital cities in terms of social
and economic development. The previously shown processes complicate the use of the natural
resources and the economic and demographic potentials of the regions.
The statistic data on employment in Greater Baku and the regions are also very different.
67.2% of the industrial workers are employed in the Absheron peninsula (Greater Baku). Since
2003, the number of the workers in the secondary sector has increased in Absheron,
Nakhchivan, Guba-Khachmaz, Daglig Shirvan and Lankaran-Astara regions. Baku exceeds
Economic and Geographic Factors Affecting the Development of Greater Baku
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other regions of the country by several times in the absolute number of doctors and nurses,
and also when considering these indicators per 10 000 people. In 2007, 62.1% of the doctors
and 37.9% of the nurses represented the medical enterprises staff of Baku.
The development of the labour-intensive areas of economy is going slowly in the regions of
Azerbaijan. Many industrial facilities benefit from the favourability of their functioning in the
suburban areas and the surroundings of Baku. The number of workplaces created in Absheron
administrative region exceeds the corresponding figure, fixed for Baku by 2.0 times. The
number of workplaces in the processing industry of Absheron is 2.4 times much more than the
one of Baku. These processes entailed the expansion of the housing areas in the surrounding
areas of Baku. As we think, it is necessary to give the agricultural lands in the Absheron region
to the administration of Binagadi and Surakhani settlements. This is necessary in order to
prevent the land deficit that will arise in Baku in the next decade. Both land deficiency and
shortage in water supply have turned to serious problems. The non-populated favourable areas
are decreasing. The water supply should be organized in a better way in the Absheron
peninsula. The surface of the useful lands is small because most unpopulated land reserves
were polluted by the oil industry and the sewage or solid wastes thrown inside the territory.
At present, in terms determining the development priorities of Greater Baku, 4 functional zones
(areas) can be distinguished in the studied territory. This division is based on the economic and
geographic position, specialization of economic areas, and also local on the natural and
economic potential, including the recreational resources (Fig. 5):
1.North-Eastern zone located in the districts of Khazar and the newly created Pirallahi.
Recreational business, services and agriculture could be the leading directions of economic
development;
2. South-Western zone located in the Garadagh region. The development of industrial
and transportation areas could be prioritized here. The construction of shipbuilding- and ship-
repairing factories as well as the foundation of the new port on the bay of the Caspian Sea
would positively affect the economic development of this zone;
3. North-Western zone which includes Sumgait city. Industry and recreational business
can be developed as main economic areas here;
4. Western zone within Absheron administrative region. Agriculture should be developed
as the main economic field in this zone.
Conclusion
In order to prevent the territorial expansion of Greater Baku and the overloading of the city,
scientific and public explanations as well as economic, administrative and demographic
regulations must be conducted. The administrative subordination of Greater Baku to a unique
center is seen as advisable in terms of solving the existing problems.
It is the time to liquidate the status of (urban-type) settlements of Ahmadli, Keshla, Bibi-Heybat,
Bilajari, Bakikhanov, Garachukhur and Badamdar at present. Connected to Baku, the noted
settlements should be included into the city as its integral parts.
The prevention of mass migration of the population to Great Baku necessitates also the rapid
development of the large cities due to their advantageous economic potential.
The industrial areas operating on the basis of bringing, storage and procession of agricultural
products must be removed not only from Baku but from Absheron itself. The displacement must
be related also to the enterprises whose functioning is not in harmony with the economic
structure of Baku. This displacement would facilitate the functioning of Baku as a city, and it
would give an impetus to the development of small and medium cities.
Vusat AFANDIYEV,
Zakir EMINOV,
Saleh NAGIYEV
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