Sumgait city was given city status on November 22, 1949. The initial settlement at the present territory of the city belongs to the IX century. There are historical monuments in Sumgait city which are protected by the state and concerns that period.

Sumgait city is situated on the northern shore of the Apsheron peninsula and 25 km far from the capital city of the Baku. The area of Sumgait is 108 km2. Sumgait city, Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev and Jorat districts are included to the territory of the city. Sumgait city has relations with other regions and cities of the country and also it has of republican importance of automobile and railroads with foreign countries. Airways connections are realized through the airport of Baku city Bina.

There are nature reserves in the territory of Sumgait city for the production of building materials (brick, light fillers).

Populations and Labour Resources

291.300 people, about 47.000 refugees and forced emigrants live in Sumgait city and in its districts. The density of population is 2682 in 1 km2. In 1995 population is significantly increased. The number of people who are able to work is 147.000, but the number of working people is 70.000. 34.000 of them work at production spheres and 36.000 work at organizations based on budget and at non-production spheres.

Social

Sumgait city has the developed network of social establishments, trading and utility enterprises.

57 kindergartens, 49 general education schools, an independent Turkish college, 4 technical-vocational colleges, 5 musical, 4 middle professional schools, Sumgait State University, Azerbaijan Teachers Institute Sumgait city branch and 4 scientific research institutes operate in the city.

Cultural sphere of Sumgait consists of 20 libraries, 9 clubs, 2 cultural palaces and the Historical Museum of the city. The State Musical Drama after H. Arablinsky also operates in the city.

There are 14 hospitals, 16 polyclinics and 63 drug-stores in the city. Sports sphere of the city consists of 2 stadiums, 75 simple sports installations and 66 covered sports halls. Generally, educational, health, cultural and sports spheres of Sumgait city belongs to the State. But there are also some clinics, educational establishments and sports complexes that operate independently in the city.

Trading and utility enterprises of the city have their own sector.

City housing foundation is 1,8 thousand km2 and consists of 1225 living buildings, 13 hostels. The base of the housing foundation is two, five and nine-storey buildings. There are about 51.000 apartments in these buildings and 59% of them have been privatized by people. There are 10,6 thousand garden fields in the city.

Housing, public economy, postal and communication systems of Sumgait city belong to the state. Water and gas supplies of the city are realized by joint-stock companies. Electric networks of the city are run by “Barmek-Azerbaijan” LTD. Collecting industrial and living wastes, their transportation and rendering harmless are realized by independent enterprise “ADES” established with the participation of firm “Aikher” of Germany.

There are 602 hectares greenness fields and 4 parks in the city. There are also a hotel “Dalgha”, railway and bus stations in Sumgait city.

Economy

Sumgait is the second biggest industrial center of the Azerbaijan Republic. The economy of the city consists of chemical and oil-chemical, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, heat power engineering, machine-building and instrument-making, building materials and products, light and food industrial enterprises. The foundation of the city economy was laid down with building of Heat Electric Center 1 in 1938. In the next periods, economy consisting of main and subsidiary enterprises has been created in the city has expanded infrastructure. The base of Sumgait city economy is “Azerpipe” Open Joint-Stock Company, “Azeraluminium” Open Joint-Stock Company “Sumgait-aluminium” industrial plant, Etilen-Politelen, Synthetic caoutchouc, Organic synthesis, Superficial Active Matters, Mechanical repair plant, “Sumgait-Superphosphate”, “Sumgait-Ashgarlar” and “Sumgait Compressors” Open Joint-Stock Companies. Also “Neftgazavtomat” Scientific Production Association, “Khazar” Joint-Stock Company (on glass production), “Sumgait Knitted-Goods Factory”, “Sumgait Fleecy Cotton”, and “Sumgait-Weaver” Joint-Stock Companies operate in the city.

Majority of the industrial enterprises are privatized.

There are developed bank sectors in Sumgait city. The Sumgait branches of the Azerbaijan International Bank, United Universal Bank, “Rabite” Bank, Caucasus Development Bank, “Zamin” Bank, Para Bank, Azdemiryol Bank, Tekhnica Bank, Atra Bank and Debut Bank operate in the city.