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Armenia
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.
Location: Southwestern Asia, east of Turkey Geographic coordinates: 40 00 N, 45 00 E Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States Area:
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 extremes:
Natural resources: small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, alumina Land use:
Irrigated land: 2,870 sq km (1993 est.) Natural hazards: occasionally severe earthquakes; droughts 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 Environment - international agreements:
Geography - note: landlocked
Population: 3,344,336 (July 2000 est.) Age structure:
Population growth rate: -0.28% (2000 est.) Birth rate: 10.97 births/1,000 population (2000 est.) Death rate: 9.53 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.) Net migration rate: -4.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.) Sex ratio:
Infant mortality rate: 41.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.) Life expectancy at birth:
Total fertility rate: 1.47 children born/woman (2000 est.) Nationality:
Ethnic groups:
Armenian 93%, Azeri 3%, Russian 2%, other (mostly Yezidi Kurds) 2% (1989)
Religions: Armenian Orthodox 94% Languages: Armenian 96%, Russian 2%, other 2% Literacy:
Country name:
Data code: AM 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 1918-2 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 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 in the US:
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, and orange
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. GDP: purchasing power parity - $9.9 billion (1999 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 5% (1999 est.) GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,900 (1999 est.) GDP - composition by sector:
Population below poverty line: 45% (1999 est.) Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.5% (1999) Labor force: 1.5 million (1999) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 55%, services 25%, manufacturing, mining, and construction 20% (1999 est.) Unemployment rate:
20% (1998 est.)
Budget:
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) Electricity - production: 5.764 billion kWh (1998) Electricity - production by source:
Electricity - consumption: 5.361 billion kWh (1998) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998) Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1998) Agriculture - products: fruit (especially grapes), vegetables; livestock Exports: $240 million (1999 est.) Exports - commodities: diamonds, scrap metal, machinery and equipment, cognac, copper ore Exports - partners: Belgium, Russia, Iran, Turkmenistan, US, Georgia (1998) Imports: $782 million (1999 est.) Imports - commodities: natural gas, petroleum, tobacco products, foodstuffs, diamonds Imports - partners: Russia, US, UK, Iran, Turkey, Belgium (1998) Debt - external: $862.7 million (1999) Economic aid - recipient: $245.5 million (1995) Currency: 1 dram = 100 luma 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) Fiscal year: calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use: 583,000 (1995) Telephones - mobile cellular: NA Telephone system:
system inadequate; now 90% privately owned and undergoing modernization and expansion
Radio broadcast stations: AM 9, FM 6, shortwave 1 (1998) Radios: 850,000 (1997) Television broadcast stations: 4 (1998) Televisions: 825,000 (1997) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (1999)
Railways:
Highways:
Waterways: NA km Pipelines: natural gas 900 km (1991) Ports and harbors: none Airports: 11 (1996 est.) Airports - with paved runways:
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Military branches: Army, Air Force and Air Defense Aviation, Air Defense Force, Security Forces (internal and border troops) Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age Military manpower - availability:
Military manpower - fit for military service:
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $75 million (FY99) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 4% (FY99)
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 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 Please click here for a guide to the country profiles Click here for all other countries
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