Background: Armenia's leaders remain preoccupied by Armenia's 10-year conflict with Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave. Although a cease-fire has been in effect since May 1994, the sides have not made substantial progress toward a peaceful resolution. In January 1998, differences between President TER-PETROSSIAN and members of his cabinet over the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process came to a head. With the prime minister and defense and security ministers arrayed against him, an isolated TER-PETROSSIAN resigned the presidency on 3 February 1998. Robert KOCHARIAN, TER-PETROSSIAN's prime minister, was elected president in March 1998. Concerns about Armenia's economic performance rose in 1997 with a slowdown in growth and an increase in inflation.

Geographic coordinates: 40 00 N, 45 00 E

Map reference: Commonwealth of Independent States

Area
Total: 29,800 km²
Land: 28,400 km²
Water: 1,400 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries
Total: 1,254 km
Border countries: (5) Azerbaijan-proper 566 km; , Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave 221 km; , Georgia 164 km; , Iran 35 km; , Turkey 268 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: highland continental, hot summers, cold winters

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

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Debed River 400 m
Extremes highest point: Aragats Lerr 4,095 m

Natural resources: small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, alumina

Land use
Arable land: 17%
Permanent crops: 3%
Permanent pastures: 24%
Forests and woodland: 15%
Other: 41% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 2,870 km² (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: occasionally severe earthquakes; droughts

Geography
Note: landlocked

Population: 3,421,775 (July 1998 est.)
Growth rate: -0.36% (1998 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Armenian(s)
Adjective: Armenian

Ethnic groups: Armenian 93%, Azeri 3%, Russian 2%, other (mostly Yezidi Kurds) 2% (1989)
Note: as of the end of 1993, virtually all Azeris had emigrated from Armenia

Languages: Armenian 96%, Russian 2%, other 2%

Religions: Armenian Orthodox 94%

Age structure
0-14 years: 26% (male 460,191; female 441,906)
15-64 years: 65% (male 1,092,652; female 1,139,916)
65 years and over: 9% (male 119,464; female 167,646) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.36% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 13.52 births/1000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 8.82 deaths/1000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: -8.29 migrant(s)/1000 population (1998 est.)

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
International agreements party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Nuclear Test Ban, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 40.77 deaths/1000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 66.73 years
Male: 62.45 years
Female: 71.23 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.69 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 99%
Male: 99%
Female: 98% (1989 est.)

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Armenia
Conventional short form: Armenia
Local long form: Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun
Local short form: Hayastan
Former: Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic; Armenian Republic

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*

Independence: 28 May 1918 (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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Robert KOCHARIAN (since 30 March 1998): ead of
Government: Prime Minister Armen DARBINYAN (since 10 April 1998)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; special election last held 30 March 1998 (next election to be held March 2003); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: Robert KOCHARIAN elected president; percent of vote_Robert KOCHARIAN 59%, Karen DEMIRCHYAN 41%

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Parliament) or Azgayin Zhoghov (190 seats; members serve four-year terms)
Elections: last held 5 July 1995 (next to be held NA July 1999)
Election results: percent of vote by party_NA; seats by party_Republican Bloc 159 (ANM 63, DLP-Hanrapetutyun Bloc 6, Republic Party 4, CDU 3, Intellectual Armenia 3, Social Democratic Party 2, independents 78), SWM 8, ACP 7, NDU 5, NSDU 3, DLP 1, ARF 1, other 4, vacant 2

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Constitutional Court

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Rouben SHUGARIAN
In the us chancery: 2,225 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 319-1976
In the us fax: [1] (202) 319-2,982
In the us consulates general: Los Angeles
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Peter TOMSEN
From the us embassy: 18 General Baghramian Avenue, Yerevan
From the us mailing address: use embassy street address
From the us telephone: [374] (2) 524-661, 521-611
From the us fax: [374] (2) 151-550, 151-511

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

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 area. The agricultural sector has long-term needs for more investment and updated technology. The privatization of industry has been at a slower pace, but ahead of most of the rest of the CIS. 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 embargoes imposed by Azerbaijan and Turkey 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 1995-97. Armenia also managed to slash inflation and to privatize most small and medium-sized enterprises. The chronic energy shortages Armenia suffered in recent years has been partially offset by the energy supplied by one of its nuclear power plants at Metsamor, which in 1996 supplied about 40% of the country's energy needs, according to the Armenian Government. Moreover, Armenia is expanding its energy imports from Iran.

Real gdp growth rate: 2.7% (1997 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $2,750 (1997 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 38%
Industry: 32%
Services: 30% (1996 est.)

Agriculture products: fruit (especially grapes), vegetables; vineyards near Yerevan are famous for brandy and other liqueurs; minor livestock sector

Industries: much of industry is shut down; 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: 0.7% (1997 est.)

Labor force
Total: 1.6 million (1997)
By occupation and construction: 25%
By occupation agriculture: 38%
By occupation services: 37%

Unemployment rate: 10.6% officially registered unemployed, but large numbers of underemployed (June 1997)

Budget
Revenues: $322 million
Expenditures: $424 million, including capital expenditures of $80 million (1998 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: total value:$290 million (f.o.b., 1996)
Commodoties: gold and jewelry, aluminum, transport equipment, electrical equipment, scrap metal
Partners: Iran, Russia, Turkmenistan, Georgia

Imports: total value:$727 million (c.i.f., 1996)
Commodoties: grain, other foods, fuel, other energy
Partners: Iran, Russia, Turkmenistan, Georgia, US, EU

Debt external: $820 million (of which $75 million to Russia) (1997 est.)

Exchange rates: dram per US$1_499.89 (November 1997), 414.04 (1996), 405.91 (1995), 288.65 (1994), 9.11 (1993)

Electricity
Capacity: 2.768 million kW (1995)
Production: 6.3 billion kWh (1996)
Consumption per capita: 1,570 kWh (1995)

Telephones: 650,000

Telephone system: joint venture agreement to install fiber-optic cable and construct facilities for cellular telephone service is in the implementation phase
Domestic: NA
International: international connections to other former Soviet republics are by landline or microwave radio relay and to other countries by satellite and by leased connection through the Moscow international gateway switch; satellite earth station_1 Intelsat

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: 33.3 billion drams (1998; note_conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using prevailing exchange rates could produce misleading results
Percent of gdp: NA%

Airports: 11 (1996 est.)
With paved runways total: 5
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2 (1996 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 6
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1 (1996 est.)

Pipelines: natural gas 900 km (1991)

Railways
Total: 825 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines
Broad gauge: 825 km 1.520-m gauge (1992)

Waterways: NA km

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

Illicit drugs: illicit cultivator of cannabis mostly for domestic consumption; used as a transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western Europe and the US