The Academic Council of the Institute of Geography named after acad. H.Aliyev of MSE AR heard the report on the scientific and scientific-organizational activities of the Department of Demography and Geography of Population for 2024.

The head of the department, general director of the Institute of Geography, Professor Zakir Eminov, spoke about the research work “Priority directions of demographic development and settlement of the East Zangezur economic region” on the topic “Priority directions of demographic development and settlement of the territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan liberated from the occupation”.

According to him, currently the majority of the population of the East Zangezur economic region (237.9 thousand people or 78.6%) is rural, consisting of internally displaced persons. The region includes 511 rural settlements, and in terms of the number of villages, this economic region occupies one of the last places in the republic. In 1989, the first place in terms of population was occupied by villages with a population of 100-500 people (287 villages), in which 71.9 thousand people lived. The state policy of the "Great Return" provides for the reduction of 936 settlements of Karabakh before occupation to 316 in the future.

The demographic decline that began in the 1990s continued until 2005, and the growth observed again in 2005-2016 began to decline after this period. Today, the population growth of the region is at a very low level. Currently, the registered residents of Eastern Zangezur, who compose the majority of the population, live in conditions of forced displacement. The process of their gradual return to their native places is underway. The population growth of the region is very low.

In 2023, the birth and natural growth rates for the total, urban, and rural population are above the national average.

There is a need to plan and implement a new settlement system based on the functional relations of “city-village” in administrative districts, taking into account the suitability of natural and geographical conditions for the development of the territory, the potential of natural resources, the availability of human resources, socio-economic and efficient factors, and the national and strategic interests of the country.

Z.Eminov provided detailed information about the department’s unscheduled work, publishing activities, interaction between science and education, international relations, projects and grants, participation in conferences and seminars, as well as the scientific activities of the department’s employees.