Background: 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. During World War I in the western portion of Armenia Ottoman Turkey instituted a policy of forced resettlement coupled with other harsh practices that resulted in at least 1 million Armenian deaths. The eastern area of Armenia was ceded by the Ottomans to Russia in 1828; this portion declared its independence in 1918 but was conquered by the Soviet Red Army in 1920. Armenian leaders remain preoccupied by the long conflict with 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 ethnic 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 closed the common border with Armenia in 1993 in support of Azerbaijan in its conflict with Armenia over control of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas further hampering Armenian economic growth. In 2009 senior Armenian leaders began pursuing rapprochement with Turkey aiming to secure an opening of the border but Turkey has not yet ratified the Protocols normalizing relations between the two countries. In September 2013 President SARGSIAN announced Armenia would join Russia Belarus and Kazakhstan as a member of the Eurasian Economic Union.

Geographic coordinates: 40 00 N 45 00 E

Area
Rank: 143
Land: 28,203 km²
Water: 1540 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries
Border countries: (4) Azerbaijan 996 km; Georgia 219 km; Iran 44 km; Turkey 311 km

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
Extremes highest point: Aragats Lerrnagagat' 4,090 m

Natural resources: small deposits of gold copper molybdenum zinc bauxite

Land use
Permanent crops: 1.8%
Other: 83.74% (2011)

Irrigated land: 2,735 km² (2006)

Total renewable water resources: 7.77 km³ (2011)

Natural hazards: occasionally severe earthquakes; droughts

Geography
Note: landlocked in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains; Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan) is the largest lake in this mountain range

Population: 3,060,631 (July 2014 est.)
Rank: 137
Growth rate: -0.13% (2014 est.)
Growth rate rank: 209
Below poverty line: 35.8% (2010 est.)

Nationality
Adjective: Armenian

Ethnic groups: Armenian 98.1% Yezidi (Kurd) 1.1% other 0.7% (2011 est.)

Languages: Armenian (official) 97.9% Kurdish (spoken by Yezidi minority) 1% other 1% (2011 est.)

Religions: Armenian Apostolic 92.6% Evangelical 1% other 2.4% none 1.1% unspecified 2.9% (2011 est.)

Age structure
15-24 years: 15.2% (male 236,317/female 228,943)
25-54 years: 43.5% (male 638,141/female 693,397)
55-64 years: 11.7% (male 161,102/female 195,714)
65 years and over: 10.5% (male 128,568/female 193,429) (2014 est.)

Dependency ratios
Youth dependency ratio: 29.1 %
Elderly dependency ratio: 14.9 %
Potential support ratio: 6.7 (2014 est.)

Median age
Male: 31.8 years
Female: 35.8 years (2014 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.13% (2014 est.)
Rank: 209

Birth rate: 13.92 births/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 143

Death rate: 9.3 deaths/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 61

Net migration rate: -5.88 migrant(s)/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 197

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 0.34% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: YEREVAN (capital) 1.116 million (2011)

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
International agreements signed but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.15 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.89 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 23.5 (2011 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 113
Male: 15.39 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 12.36 deaths/1000 live births (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 116
Male: 70.9 years
Female: 77.78 years (2014 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.64 children born/woman (2014 est.)
Rank: 177

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 54.9% (2010)

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 2.85 physicians/1000 population (2011)

Hospital bed density: 4 beds/1000 population (2011)

Sanitation facility access:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2012 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 105
People living with hivaids: 3,500 (2012 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 130
Deaths: 200 (2012 est.)
Deaths rank: 109

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 24% (2008)
Rank: 68

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 5.3% (2010)
Rank: 89

Education expenditures: 3.3% of GDP (2012)
Rank: 132

Literacy
Total population: 99.6%
Male: 99.7%
Female: 99.5% (2011 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Male: 11 years
Female: 14 years (2009)

Country name
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
Geographic coordinates: 40 10 N 44 30 E
Time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

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 the Soviet Union)

National holiday: Independence Day 21 September (1991)

Constitution: previous 1915 1978; latest adopted 5 July 1995; amended 2005 (2013)

Legal system: civil law system

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Head of government: Prime Minister Hovik ABRAHAMYAN (since 13 April 2014)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 18 February 2013 (next to be held February 2018); prime minister appointed by the president based on majority or plurality support in parliament; the prime minister and Council of Ministers must resign if the National Assembly refuses to accept their program
Election results: Serzh SARGSIAN reelected president; percent of vote - Serzh SARGSIAN 58.6% Raffi HOVHANNISIAN 36.7% Hrant BAGRATIAN 2.2% other 2.5%

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Parliament) or Azgayin Zhoghov (131 seats; members elected by popular vote 90 members elected by party list and 41 by direct vote; to serve five-year terms)
Elections: last held on 6 May 2012 (next to be held in the spring of 2017)
Election results: percent of vote by party - RPA 44% Prosperous Armenia 30.1% ANC 7.1% Heritage Party 5.8% ARF (Dashnak) 5.7% Rule of Law 5.5% other 1.8%; seats by party - RPA 69 Prosperous Armenia 37 ANC 7 Heritage Party 5 ARF (Dashnak) 5 Rule of Law 6 independent 2

Judicial branch
Judge selection and term of office: Court of Cassation judges nominated by the Judicial Council a 9-member body of selected judges and legal scholars; judges appointed by the president; Constitutional Court judges - 4 appointed by the president and 5 elected by National Assembly; judges of both courts can serve until retirement at age 65
Subordinate courts: 2 Courts of Appeal (for civil cases and for criminal and military cases); district courts; Administrative Court

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: ADB BSEC CD CE CIS CSTO EAEC (observer) EAPC EBRD FAO GCTU IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (NGOs) ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU MIGA NAM (observer) OAS (observer) OIF OPCW OSCE PFP UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNIFIL UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
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 consulate general: Glendale (CA) Los Angeles
From the us embassy: 1 American Ave. Yerevan 0082
From the us mailing address: American Embassy Yerevan US Department of State 7,020 Yerevan Place Washington DC 20,521-7,020
From the us telephone: [374](10) 464-700
From the us FAX: [374](10) 464-742

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top) blue and orange; the color red recalls the blood shed for liberty blue the Armenian skies as well as hope and orange the land and the courage of the workers who farm it

National symbols: Mount Ararat; eagle; lion

National anthem
Lyrics and music: Mikael NALBANDIAN/Barsegh KANACHYAN

Economy overview: After several years of double-digit economic growth Armenia faced a severe economic recession with GDP declining more than 14% in 2009 despite large loans from multilateral institutions. Sharp declines in the construction sector and workers' remittances particularly from Russia led the downturn. The economy began to recover in 2010 with 2.1% growth and has grown even faster in the three years since then. Under the old Soviet central planning system Armenia developed a modern industrial sector supplying machine tools textiles and other manufactured goods to sister republics in exchange for raw materials and energy. Armenia has since switched to small-scale agriculture and away from the large agroindustrial complexes of the Soviet era. Armenia's geographic isolation a narrow export base and pervasive monopolies in important business sectors have made it particularly vulnerable to the sharp deterioration in the global economy and the economic downturn in Russia. Since August 2011 Armenia has experienced a sharp currency depreciation. Armenia has only two open trade borders - Iran and Georgia - because its borders with Azerbaijan and Turkey have been closed since 1991 and 1993 respectively as a result of Armenia's ongoing conflict with Azerbaijan over the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region. Armenia is particularly dependent on Russian commercial and governmental support and most key Armenian infrastructure is Russian-owned and/or managed especially in the energy sector. The electricity distribution system was privatized in 2002 and bought by Russia's RAO-UES in 2005. Natural gas is primarily imported from Russia but construction of a pipeline to deliver natural gas from Iran to Armenia was completed in December 2008 and gas deliveries expanded after the April 2010 completion of the Yerevan Thermal Power Plant. Armenia's severe trade imbalance has been offset somewhat by international aid remittances from Armenians working abroad and foreign direct investment. Armenia joined the WTO in January 2003. The government made some improvements in tax and customs administration in recent years but anti-corruption measures have been ineffective and the economic downturn has led to a sharp drop in tax revenue and forced the government to accept large loan packages from Russia the IMF and other international financial institutions. Amendments to tax legislation including the introduction of the first ever 'luxury tax' in 2011 aim to increase the ratio of budget revenues to GDP which still remains at low levels. Armenia will need to pursue additional economic reforms and to strengthen the rule of law in order to regain economic growth and improve economic competitiveness and employment opportunities especially given its economic isolation from two of its nearest neighbors Turkey and Azerbaijan.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 133

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 65

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 148

Gross national saving:
Rank: 103

Gdp composition by end use
Government consumption: 13%
Investment in fixed capital: 22.7%
Investment in inventories: -0.9%
Exports of goods and services: 23.6%
Imports of goods and services: -43.1%: (2013 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 37.3%
Services: 42.1% (2013 est.)

Agriculture products: fruit (especially grapes) vegetables; livestock

Industries: diamond processing metal-cutting machine tools forging and pressing machines electric motors tires knitted wear hosiery shoes silk fabric chemicals trucks instruments microelectronics jewelry software food processing brandy mining

Industrial production growth rate: 3.9% (2013 est.)
Rank: 76

Labor force: 1.394 million (2013 est.)
Rank: 133
By occupation industry: 16.8%
By occupation services: 39% (2008 est.)

Unemployment rate: 18.4% (2011 est.)
Rank: 152

Population below poverty line: 35.8% (2010 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Highest 10: 25.4% (2008)

Distribution of family income gini index: 44.4 (1996)
Rank: 114

Budget
Expenditures: $2.707 billion (2013 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -0.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 50

Taxes and other revenues: 25.6% of GDP (2013 est.)
Rank: 119

Public debt: 41.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 99

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.6% (2012 est.)
Rank: 179

Central bank discount rate: 7.25% (2 December 2008)
Rank: 39

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 17.23% (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 26

Stock of narrow money: $1.352 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 140

Stock of broad money: $1.829 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 149

Stock of domestic credit: $3.548 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 117

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 109

Current account balance: -$1.052 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 112

Exports: $1.588 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 145
Commodities: pig iron unwrought copper nonferrous metals diamonds mineral products foodstuffs energy
Partners: Russia 19.6% Germany 10.7% Bulgaria 9.1% Belgium 8.9% Iran 6.9% US 6.1% Canada 6% Georgia 5.7% Netherlands 5.6% Switzerland 5% (2012)

Imports: $3.656 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 140
Commodities: natural gas petroleum tobacco products foodstuffs diamonds
Partners: Russia 20% Germany 11% Bulgaria 9% Belgium 9% Iran 6.5% US 6.1% Canada 5.9% Netherlands 5.6% Georgia 5.6% Switzerland 5.2% (2012 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $1.799 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 125

Debt external: $7.633 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 105

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 7.432 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Production rank: 102
Consumption: 5.8 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Consumption rank: 108
Exports: 1.36 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 53
Imports: 246 million kWh (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 86
Installed generating capacity: 3.472 million kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 85
Generation sources fossil fuels: 55.6% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 141
Generation sources nuclear: 10.8% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 16
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 33.5% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 67
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 106

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 149
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 78
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 152
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 103

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products production rank: 118
Products consumption: 45,300 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 102
Products exports: 32 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 122
Products imports: 46,550 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 71

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Production rank: 98
Consumption: 2.1 billion m³ (2013 est.)
Consumption rank: 78
Exports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 57
Imports: 2.1 billion m³ (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 47
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2013 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 109

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 11.74 million Mt (2011 est.)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 584,000 (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 92
Mobile cellular: 3.223 million (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 128

Telephone system
Domestic: reliable modern fixed-line and mobile-cellular services are available across Yerevan in major cities and towns; significant but ever-shrinking gaps remain in mobile-cellular coverage in rural areas
International: country code - 374; Yerevan is connected to the Trans-Asia-Europe fiber-optic cable through Iran; additional international service is available by microwave radio relay and landline connections to the other countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States through the Moscow international switch and by satellite to the rest of the world; satellite earth stations - 3 (2008)

Broadcast media: 2 public TV networks operating alongside more than 40 privately owned TV stations that provide local to near nationwide coverage; major Russian broadcast stations are widely available; subscription cable TV services are available in most regions; Public Radio of Armenia is a national state-run broadcast network that operates alongside about 20 privately owned radio stations; several major international broadcasters are available (2008)

Internet
Country code: .am
Hosts: 194,142 (2012)
Hosts rank: 73
Users: 208,200 (2009)
Users rank: 138

Military expenditures:
Rank: 12

Military service age and obligation: 18-27 years of age for voluntary or compulsory military service; 2-year conscript service obligation; 17 year olds are eligible to become cadets at military higher education institutes where they are classified as military personnel (2012)

Airports: 11 (2013)
Rank: 154
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2013)

Pipelines: gas 2,233 km (2013)

Railways
Rank: 96
Broad gauge: 869 km 1.520-m gauge (818 km electrified)

Roadways
Rank: 143

Disputes international: the dispute over the break-away Nagorno-Karabakh region and the Armenian military occupation of surrounding lands in Azerbaijan remains the primary focus of regional instability; residents have evacuated the former Soviet-era small ethnic enclaves in Armenia and Azerbaijan; Turkish authorities have complained that blasting from quarries in Armenia might be damaging the medieval ruins of Ani on the other side of the Arpacay valley; in 2009 Swiss mediators facilitated an accord reestablishing diplomatic ties between Armenia and Turkey but neither side has ratified the agreement and the rapprochement effort has faltered; local border forces struggle to control the illegal transit of goods and people across the porous undemarcated Armenian Azerbaijani and Georgian borders; ethnic Armenian groups in the Javakheti region of Georgia seek greater autonomy from the Georgian Government

Refugees and internally displaced persons
IDPs: 8,400 (conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh) (2009)
Stateless persons: 35 (2012)

Illicit drugs: illicit cultivation of small amount of cannabis for domestic consumption; minor transit point for illicit drugs - mostly opium and hashish - moving from Southwest Asia to Russia and to a lesser extent the rest of Europe