Claim: Azerbaijan has those who can read.

Literacy is traditionally understood as the ability to read , write , and use arithmetic . The modern term 's meaning has been expanded to include the ability to use language , numbers , images , computers , and other basic means to understand , communicate , gain useful knowledge and use the dominant symbol systems of a culture . The concept of literacy is expanding in OECD countries to include skills to access knowledge through technology and ability to assess complex contexts . A person who travels and resides in a foreign country but is unable to read or write in the language of the host country would also be regarded by the locals as being illiterate .   The key to literacy is reading development , a progression of skills that begins with the ability to understand spoken words and decode written words , and culminates in the deep understanding of text . Reading development involves a range of complex language underpinnings including awareness of speech sounds -LRB- phonology -RRB- , spelling patterns -LRB- orthography -RRB- , word meaning -LRB- semantics -RRB- , grammar -LRB- syntax -RRB- and patterns of word formation -LRB- morphology -RRB- , all of which provide a necessary platform for reading fluency and comprehension .   Once these skills are acquired , the reader can attain full language literacy , which includes the abilities to apply to printed material critical analysis , inference and synthesis ; to write with accuracy and coherence ; and to use information and insights from text as the basis for informed decisions and creative thought . The inability to do so is called illiteracy or analphabetism .   The United Nations Educational , Scientific and Cultural Organization -LRB- UNESCO -RRB- defines literacy as the `` ability to identify , understand , interpret , create , communicate and compute , using printed and written materials associated with varying contexts . Literacy involves a continuum of learning in enabling individuals to achieve their goals , to develop their knowledge and potential , and to participate fully in their community and wider society '' .