World Countries Info Armenia prides itself on being the first nation to formally adopt Christianity (early 4th
century). Despite periods of autonomy, over the centuries Armenia came under the sway of
various empires including the Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Persian, and Ottoman. It was
incorporated into Russia in 1828 and the USSR in 1920. Armenian leaders remain preoccupied
by the long conflict with Muslim Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, a primarily
Armenian-populated region, assigned to Soviet Azerbaijan in the 1920s by Moscow. Armenia
and Azerbaijan began fighting over the area in 1988; the struggle escalated after both
countries attained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. By May 1994, when a
cease-fire took hold, Armenian forces held not only Nagorno-Karabakh but also a
significant portion of Azerbaijan proper. The economies of both sides have been hurt by
their inability to make substantial progress toward a peaceful resolution. Turkey imposed
an economic blockade on Armenia and closed the common border because of the Armenian
occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas.
Geography of Armenia
|
Location:
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Southwestern Asia, east of
Turkey |
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Geographic coordinates:
|
40 00 N, 45 00 E |
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Area:
|
total: 29,800 sq km
water: 1,400 sq km
land: 28,400 sq km |
|
Area - comparative:
|
slightly smaller than
Maryland |
|
Land boundaries:
|
total: 1,254 km
border countries: Azerbaijan-proper 566 km, Azerbaijan-Naxcivan
exclave 221 km, Georgia 164 km, Iran 35 km, Turkey 268 km |
|
Coastline:
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0 km (landlocked) |
|
Maritime claims:
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none (landlocked) |
|
Climate:
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highland continental, hot
summers, cold winters |
|
Terrain:
|
Armenian Highland with
mountains; little forest land; fast flowing rivers; good soil in Aras
River valley |
|
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest point: Debed
River 400 m
highest point: Aragats Lerrnagagat' 4,090 m |
|
Natural resources:
|
small deposits of gold,
copper, molybdenum, zinc, alumina |
|
Land use:
|
arable land: 17.52%
permanent crops: 2.3%
other: 80.18% (1998 est.) |
|
Irrigated land:
|
2,870 sq km (1998 est.) |
|
Natural hazards:
|
occasionally severe
earthquakes; droughts |
|
Environment - current issues:
|
soil pollution from toxic
chemicals such as DDT; the energy crisis of the 1990s led to
deforestation when citizens scavenged for firewood; pollution of Hrazdan
(Razdan) and Aras Rivers; the draining of Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan), a
result of its use as a source for hydropower, threatens drinking water
supplies; restart of Metsamor nuclear power plant in spite of its
location in a seismically active zone |
|
Environment - international agreements:
|
party to: Air
Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous
Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants |
|
Geography - note:
|
landlocked in the Lesser
Caucasus Mountains; Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan) is the largest lake in this
mountain range
|
More Geography
Population of Armenia
|
Population:
|
2,991,360 (July
2004 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years: 22.7% (male 357,094;
female 323,396)
15-64 years: 66.7% (male 929,719; female 1,065,505)
65 years and over: 10.6% (male 128,027; female 187,619) (2004 est.) |
|
Median age:
|
total: 29.7 years
male: 27.1 years
female: 32.4 years (2004 est.) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
-0.32% (2004 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
11.43 births/1,000 |
|
Death rate:
|
8.12 deaths/1,000 |
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Net migration rate:
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-6.47 migrant(s)/1,000 |
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
total: 24.16 deaths/1,000 live
births
female: 18.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 29.32 deaths/1,000 live births |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population: 71.23 years
male: 67.73 years
female: 75.36 years (2004 est.) |
|
Total fertility rate:
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1.31 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.2% (2001 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
|
less than 2,400 (2001 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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less than 100 (2001 est.) |
|
Nationality:
|
noun: Armenian(s)
adjective: Armenian |
|
Ethnic groups:
|
Armenian 93%, Azeri 1%, Russian 2%, other
(mostly Yezidi Kurds) 4% (2002)
note: as of the end of 1993, virtually all Azeris had emigrated from Armenia |
|
Religions:
|
Armenian Apostolic 94%, other Christian 4%,
Yezidi (Zoroastrian/animist) 2% |
|
Languages:
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Armenian 96%, Russian 2%, other 2% |
|
Literacy:
|
definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 98.6%
male: 99.4%
female: 98% (2003 est.)
|
Government
|
Country name:
|
conventional long form: Republic of
Armenia
conventional short form: Armenia
local short form: Hayastan
former: Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic; Armenian Republic
local long form: Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun |
|
Government type:
|
republic |
|
Capital:
|
Yerevan |
|
Administrative divisions:
|
11 provinces (marzer, singular - marz);
Aragatsotn, Ararat, Armavir, Geghark'unik', Kotayk', Lorri, Shirak, Syunik', Tavush,
Vayots' Dzor, Yerevan |
|
Independence:
|
21 September 1991 (from Soviet Union) |
|
National holiday:
|
Independence Day, 21 September (1991) |
|
Constitution:
|
adopted by nationwide referendum 5 July
1995 |
|
Legal system:
|
based on civil law system |
|
Suffrage:
|
18 years of age; universal |
|
Executive branch:
|
chief of state: President Robert
KOCHARIAN (since 30 March 1998)
head of government: Prime Minister Andranik MARKARYAN (since 12 May 2000)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last
held 19 February and 5 March 2003 (next to be held NA 2008); prime minister appointed by
the president; the prime minister and Council of Ministers must resign if the National
Assembly refuses to accept their program
election results: Robert KOCHARIAN reelected president; percent of vote - Robert
KOCHARIAN 67.5%, Stepan DEMIRCHYAN 32.5% |
|
Legislative branch:
|
unicameral National Assembly (Parliament)
or Azgayin Zhoghov (131 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms;
75 members elected by party list, 56 by direct vote)
elections: last held 25 May 2003 (next to be held in the spring of 2007)
note: percent of vote by party - Republican Party 23.5%, Justice Bloc 13.6%, Rule
of Law 12.3%, ARF (Dashnak) 11.4%, National Unity Party 8.8%, United Labor Party 5.7%;
seats by party - Republican Party 23, Justice Bloc 14, Rule of Law 12, ARF (Dashnak) 11,
National Unity 9, United Labor 6; note - seats by party change frequently as deputies
switch parties or announce themselves independent |
|
Judicial branch:
|
Constitutional Court; Court of Cassation
(Appeals Court) |
|
Political parties and leaders:
|
Agro-Industrial Party [Vladimir BADALIAN];
Armenia Party [Myasnik MALKHASYAN]; Armenian National Movement or ANM [Alex ARZUMANYAN,
chairman]; Armenian Ramkavar Liberal Party or HRAK [Harutyun MIRZAKHANYAN, chairman];
Armenian Revolutionary Federation ("Dashnak" Party) or ARF [Vahan HOVHANISSIAN];
Democratic Party [Aram SARKISYAN]; Justice Bloc (comprised of the Democratic Party,
National Democratic Party, National Democratic Union, and the People's Party); National
Democratic Party [Shavarsh KOCHARIAN]; National Democratic Union or NDU [Vazgen MANUKIAN];
National Unity Party [Artashes GEGAMIAN, chairman]; People's Party of Armenia [Stepan
DEMIRCHYAN]; Republic Party [Albert BAZEYAN and Aram SARKISYAN, chairmen]; Republican
Party or RPA [Andranik MARKARYAN]; Rule of Law Party [Artur BAGDASARIAN, chairman]; Union
of Constitutional Rights [Hrant KHACHATURYAN]; United Labor Party [Gurgen ARSENIAN] |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders:
|
Yerkrapah Union [Manvel GRIGORIAN] |
Economy
Under the old Soviet central planning system, Armenia had developed a modern
industrial sector, supplying machine tools, textiles, and other manufactured goods to
sister republics in exchange for raw materials and energy. Since the implosion of the
USSR in December 1991, Armenia has switched to small-scale agriculture away from the
large agroindustrial complexes of the Soviet era. The agricultural sector has long-term
needs for more investment and updated technology. The privatization of industry has been
at a slower pace, but has been given renewed emphasis by the current administration.
Armenia is a food importer, and its mineral deposits (copper, gold, bauxite) are small.
The ongoing conflict with Azerbaijan over the ethnic Armenian-dominated region of
Nagorno-Karabakh and the breakup of the centrally directed economic system of the former
Soviet Union contributed to a severe economic decline in the early 1990s. By 1994,
however, the Armenian Government had launched an ambitious IMF-sponsored economic
liberalization program that resulted in positive growth rates in 1995-2003. Armenia
joined the WTO in January 2003. Armenia also has managed to slash inflation, stabilize
the local currency (the dram), and privatize most small- and medium-sized enterprises.
The chronic energy shortages Armenia suffered in the early and mid-1990s have been
offset by the energy supplied by one of its nuclear power plants at Metsamor. Armenia is
now a net energy exporter, although it does not have sufficient generating capacity to
replace Metsamor, which is under international pressure to close. The electricity
distribution system was privatized in 2002. Armenia's severe trade imbalance has been
offset somewhat by international aid and foreign direct investment. Economic ties with
Russia remain close, especially in the energy sector.
|
GDP:
|
purchasing power parity - $11.79 billion
(2003 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
9.9% (2003 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita:
|
purchasing power parity - $3,900 (2003
est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture: 23.1%
industry: 35.4%
services: 41.5% (2002 est.) |
|
Population below poverty line:
|
50% (2002 est.) |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
|
lowest 10%: 2.3%
highest 10%: 46.2% (1999) |
|
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
|
44.4 (1996) |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
4.3% (2003 est.) |
|
Labor force:
|
1.4 million (2001) |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
agriculture 45%, services 30%, industry 25%
(2002 est.) |
|
Unemployment rate:
|
20% (2001 est.) |
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $402 million
expenditures: $482 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2003 est.) |
|
Industries:
|
diamond-processing, metal-cutting machine
tools, forging-pressing machines, electric motors, tires, knitted wear, hosiery, shoes,
silk fabric, chemicals, trucks, instruments, microelectronics, jewelry manufacturing,
software development, food processing, brandy |
|
Industrial production growth rate:
|
15% (2002 est.) |
|
Electricity - production:
|
6.479 billion kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil fuel: 42.3%
hydro: 27%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 30.7% |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
5.784 billion kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - exports:
|
704 million kWh; note - exports an unknown
quantity to Georgia; includes exports to Nagorno-Karabakh region in Azerbaijan (2001) |
|
Electricity - imports:
|
463 million kWh; note - imports an unknown
quantity from Iran (2001) |
|
Oil - production:
|
0 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption:
|
5,700 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - production:
|
0 cu m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - consumption:
|
1.4 billion cu m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - exports:
|
0 cu m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - imports:
|
1.4 billion cu m (2001 est.) |
|
Agriculture - products:
|
fruit (especially grapes), vegetables;
livestock |
|
Exports:
|
$735 million f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
|
Exports - commodities:
|
diamonds, mineral products, foodstuffs,
energy |
|
Exports - partners:
|
Belgium 21.9%, Israel 16.4%, Russia 14.7%,
Iran 11.2%, US 8.4%, Germany 6.6% (2002) |
|
Imports:
|
$1.18 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
|
Imports - commodities:
|
natural gas, petroleum, tobacco products,
foodstuffs, diamonds |
|
Imports - partners:
|
US 14.1%, Russia 11.9%, Belgium 11.3%,
Israel 10%, Iran 9.5%, UAE 5.7%, Germany 5.1%, Italy 4.5%, Ukraine 4.2% (2002) |
|
Debt - external:
|
$905 million (June 2001) |
|
Economic aid - recipient:
|
ODA $170 million (2000) |
|
Currency:
|
dram (AMD) |
|
Currency code:
|
AMD |
|
Exchange rates:
|
drams per US dollar - 578.76 (2002), 555.08
(2001), 539.53 (2000), 535.06 (1999) |
SOURCES: The CIA World Factbook, U.S. Department of State, Area Handbook of the US Library of Congress
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