Map of Armenia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: An Orthodox Christian country Armenia was incorporated into Russia in 1828 and the USSR in 1920. Armenian leaders remain preoccupied by the long conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh a primarily Armenian-populated exclave assigned to Soviet Azerbaijan in the 1920s by Moscow. Armenia and Azerbaijan began fighting over the exclave 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.


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Location: Southwestern Asia east of Turkey

Geographic coordinates: 40 00 N 45 00 E

Map reference: Commonwealth of Independent States

Area
Comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: highland continental hot summers cold winters

Terrain: Armenian Highland with mountains; little forest land; fast flowing rivers; good soil in Aras River valley

Elevation

Natural resources: small deposits of gold copper molybdenum zinc alumina

Land use

Irrigated land: 2,870 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: occasionally severe earthquakes; droughts

Geography
Note: landlocked


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Population: 3,344,336 (July 2000 est.)
Growth rate: -0.28% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: 45% (1999 est.)

Nationality

Ethnic groups: Armenian 93% Azeri 3% Russian 2% other (mostly Yezidi Kurds) 2% (1989)

Languages: Armenian 96% Russian 2% other 2%

Religions: Armenian Orthodox 94%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: -0.28% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 10.97 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 9.53 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: -4.23 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: soil pollution from toxic chemicals such as DDT; energy blockade the result of conflict with Azerbaijan has 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 without adequate (IAEA-recommended) safety and backup systems

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 41.48 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: 1.47 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: republic

Capital: Yerevan

Administrative divisions: 10 provinces (marzer singular - marz) and 1 city* (k'aghak'ner singular - k'aghak'); Aragatsotn Ararat Armavir Geghark'unik' Kotayk' Lorri Shirak Syunik' Tavush Vayots' Dzor Yerevan*

Dependent areas

Independence: 28 May 1918-2 December 1920 (First Armenian Republic); 23 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday: Referendum Day 21 September

Constitution: adopted by nationwide referendum 5 July 1995

Legal system: based on civil law system

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Parliament) or Azgayin Zhoghov (131 seats; members serve four-year terms)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Constitutional Court

Political parties and leaders: Armenian Communist Party or ACP [Vladimir DARBINIAN]; Armenian National Movement or ANM [Vano SIRADEGIAN chairman]; Armenian Revolutionary Federation ('Dashnak' Party) or ARF [Vahan HAVHANNISIAN]; Christian Democratic Union or CDU [Azat ARSHAKYN chairman]; Democratic Liberal Party [Ramkavar AZATAKAN chairman]; Free Armenian's Mission [Ruben MNATSANIAN chairman]; Law and Unity Party [Artashes GEGAMIAN chairman]; Law-Governed Party [Artur BAGDASARIAN chairman]; Mission Party [Artush PAPOIAN chairman]; National Democratic Union or NDU [Vazgen MANUKIAN]; National State Party [Samvel SHAGINIAN]; People's Party of Armenia [Stepan DEMIRCHYAN]; Republican Party [Andranik MARKARYAN]; Shamiram Women's Movement or SWM [Maria NERSISSIAN]; Social Democratic (Hnchakian) Party [Yeghia NACHARIAN]; Stability Group [Vartan AYVAZIAN chairman]; Union of National Self-Determination or NSDU [Paruir HAIRIKIAN chairman]

International organization participation: BSEC CCC CE (guest) CIS EAPC EBRD ECE ESCAP FAO IAEA IBRD ICAO ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF Intelsat Interpol IOC IOM ISO ITU NAM (observer) OPCW OSCE PFP UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top) blue and orange

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: 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 (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 program that has resulted in positive growth rates in 1995-99. Armenia also managed to slash inflation and to privatize most small- and medium-sized enterprises. The chronic energy shortages Armenia suffered in recent years have been largely offset by the energy supplied by one of its nuclear power plants at Metsamor. Continued Russian financial difficulties have hurt the trade sector especially but have been offset by international aid domestic restructuring and foreign direct investment.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 5% (1999 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,900 (1999 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: fruit (especially grapes) vegetables; livestock

Industries: metal-cutting machine tools forging-pressing machines electric motors tires knitted wear hosiery shoes silk fabric washing machines chemicals trucks watches instruments microelectronics

Industrial production growth rate: -2% (1998)

Labor force: 1.5 million (1999)
By occupation agriculture: 55%
By occupation services: 25%
By occupation manufacturing mining and construction: 20% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate: 20% (1998 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 45% (1999 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.5% (1999)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $240 million (1999 est.)
Commodities: diamonds scrap metal machinery and equipment cognac copper ore
Partners: Belgium Russia Iran Turkmenistan US Georgia (1998)

Imports: $782 million (1999 est.)
Commodities: natural gas petroleum tobacco products foodstuffs diamonds
Partners: Russia US UK Iran Turkey Belgium (1998)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $862.7 million (1999)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: dram per US$1 - 527.02 (January 2000) 535.06 (1999) 504.92 (1998) 490.85 (1997) 414.04 (1996) 405.91 (1995)


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Electricity
Production: 5.764 billion kWh (1998)
Consumption: 5.361 billion kWh (1998)
Exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Imports: 0 kWh (1998)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 583,000 (1995)
Mobile cellular: NA

Telephone system: system inadequate; now 90% privately owned and undergoing modernization and expansion

Broadcast media

Internet
Service providers isps: 1 (1999)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $75 million (FY99)
Percent of gdp: 4% (FY99)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 11 (1996 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines: natural gas 900 km (1991)

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: NA km

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: Armenia supports ethnic Armenians in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan in the longstanding separatist conflict against the Azerbaijani Government; traditional demands regarding former Armenian lands in Turkey have subsided

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: illicit cultivator of cannabis mostly for domestic consumption; increasingly used as a transshipment point for illicit drugs - mostly opium and hashish - to Western Europe and the US via Iran Central Asia and Russia