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 an estimated 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 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.
Location
Southwestern Asia, east of Turkey
Geographic coordinates
40 00 N, 45 00 E
Map references
Asia
Area
total
29,800 sq km
land
28,400 sq km
water
1,400 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
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
lowest point
Debed River 400 m
highest point
Aragats Lerrnagagat' 4,090 m
Natural resources
small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, bauxite
Land use
arable land
16.78%
permanent crops
2.01%
other
81.21% (2005)
Irrigated land
2,860 sq km (2003)
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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, 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
Population
2,971,650 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
19.5% (male 307,610/female 271,381)
15-64 years
69.3% (male 962,126/female 1,098,192)
65 years and over
11.2% (male 132,705/female 199,636) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
30.8 years
male
28.1 years
female
33.6 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
-0.129% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
12.34 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
8.29 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
-5.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.16 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.133 male(s)/female
15-64 years
0.876 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.665 male(s)/female
total population
0.894 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
21.69 deaths/1,000 live births
male
26.69 deaths/1,000 live births
female
15.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
72.12 years
male
68.52 years
female
76.29 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.34 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
0.1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
2,600 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
less than 200 (2003 est.)
Nationality
noun
Armenian(s)
adjective
Armenian
Ethnic groups
Armenian 97.9%, Yezidi (Kurd) 1.3%, Russian 0.5%, other 0.3% (2001 census)
Religions
Armenian Apostolic 94.7%, other Christian 4%, Yezidi (monotheist with elements of nature worship) 1.3%
Languages
Armenian 97.7%, Yezidi 1%, Russian 0.9%, other 0.4% (2001 census)
Literacy
definition
age 15 and over can read and write
total population
99.4%
male
99.7%
female
99.2% (2001 census)
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
name
Yerevan
geographic coordinates
40 11 N, 44 30 E
time difference
UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time
+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
adopted by nationwide referendum 5 July 1995; amendments adopted through a nationwide referendum 27 November 2005
Legal system
based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state
President Robert KOCHARIAN (since 30 March 1998)
head of government
Prime Minister Serzh SARGSYAN (since 4 April 2007)
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 19 February and 5 March 2003 (next to be held in 2008); prime minister appointed by the president and confirmed with the majority support of the National Assembly; 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, 90 members elected by party list and 41 by direct vote; to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 12 May 2007 (next to be held in the spring of 2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - HHK 32.8%, Prosperous Armenia 14.7%, ARF (Dashnak) 12.7%, Rule of Law 6.8%, Heritage Party 5.8%, other 27.2%; seats by party - HHK 69, Prosperous Armenia 24, ARF (Dashnak) 16, Rule of Law 9, Heritage Party 7, Dashink 1, independent 5
Judicial branch
Constitutional Court; Court of Cassation (Appeals Court)
Political parties and leaders
Agro-Industrial Party [Vladimir BADALYAN]; Armenia Party (Hayastan) [Myasnik MALKHASYAN]; Armenian National Movement or ANM [Artashes ZURABYAN]; Armenian Ramkavar Liberal Party or HRAK [Harutyun MIRZAKHANYAN, chairman]; Armenian Revolutionary Federation ("Dashnak" Party) or ARF [Hrant MARKARYAN]; Dashink [Gen. Samvel Babayan]; Democratic Party [Aram SARKISYAN]; Heritage Party [Raffi HOVHANNISYAN]; Justice Bloc [Stepan DEMIRCHYAN] (comprised of the Democratic Party, National Democratic Party, National Democratic Union, the People's Party, and the Republic Party); National Democratic Party [Shavarsh KOCHARIAN]; National Democratic Union or NDU [Vazgen MANUKIAN]; National Revival Party [Albert BAZEYAN]; National Unity Party [Artashes GEGHAMYAN]; People's Party of Armenia [Stepan DEMIRCHYAN]; Prosperous Armenia [Gagik TSAROUKYAN]; Republic Party [Aram SARKISYAN]; Republican Party of Armenia or HHK [Serzh SARGSYAN]; Rule of Law Party [Artur BAGHDASARYAN]; Union of Constitutional Rights [Hrant KHACHATURYAN]; United Labor Party [Gurgen ARSENYAN]
Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Anthony F. GODFREY
embassy
1 American Ave., Yerevan 375082
mailing address
American Embassy Yerevan, US Department of State, 7020 Yerevan Place, Washington, DC 20521-7020
telephone
[374](10) 464-700
FAX
[374](10) 464-742
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 (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 1995-2006. Armenia has managed to slash inflation, stabilize its currency, and privatize most small- and medium-sized enterprises. Despite strong economic growth, Armenia's unemployment rate remains high. Nuclear power plants built at Metsamor eliminated the chronic energy shortages Armenia suffered in the early and mid-1990s, but those plants are under international pressure to close. Armenia is now a net energy exporter, although it does not have sufficient generating capacity to replace Metsamor. Construction of a natural gas pipeline between Iran and Armenia has been completed and it is scheduled to be commissioned by April 2007. Economic ties with Russia remain close, especially in the energy sector. The electricity distribution system was privatized in 2002 and bought by Russia's RAO-UES in 2005. 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 2005, but anti-corruption measures will be more difficult to implement. Investment in the construction and industrial sectors is expected to continue in 2007 and will help to ensure annual average real GDP growth of more than 10%.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$16.94 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$6.6 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
13.4% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$5,700 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
17.7%
industry
42%
services
40.3% (January-November 2006 est.)
Labor force
1.2 million (November 2006)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture
45%
industry
25%
services
30% (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate
7.4% (November 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line
34.6% (2004 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
1.6%
highest 10%
41.3% (2004)
Distribution of family income - Gini index
41 (2004)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.9% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed)
20.9% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget
revenues
$1.3 billion
expenditures
$1.6 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (FY07 est.)
Russia 20.6%, Ukraine 7.4%, Belgium 7.2%, Turkmenistan 6.7%, Italy 5.8%, Germany 5.4%, Iran 5.4%, Israel 4.5%, Romania 4.5%, US 4.2% (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$880.8 million (September 2006 est.)
Debt - external
$1.16 billion (30 September 2006)
Economic aid - recipient
ODA, $254 million (2004)
Currency (code)
dram (AMD)
Currency code
AMD
Exchange rates
drams per US dollar - 414.69 (2006), 457.69 (2005), 533.45 (2004), 578.76 (2003), 573.35 (2002)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use
600,000 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular
320,000 (2005)
Telephone system
general assessment
system inadequate; now 90% privately owned and undergoing modernization and expansion
domestic
the majority of subscribers and the most modern equipment are in Yerevan (this includes paging and mobile cellular service)
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 and through the Moscow international switch and by satellite to the rest of the world; satellite earth stations - 3 (2005)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 9, FM 16, shortwave 1 (2006)
Radios
850,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations
48 (private television stations alongside 2 public networks; major Russian channels widely available) (2006)
Televisions
825,000 (1997)
Internet country code
.am
Internet hosts
8,163 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
9 (2001)
Internet users
150,000 (2005)
Airports
13 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways
total
11
over 3,047 m
2
2,438 to 3,047 m
2
1,524 to 2,437 m
4
914 to 1,523 m
3 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total
2
1,524 to 2,437 m
1
914 to 1,523 m
1 (2006)
Pipelines
gas 2,002 km (2006)
Railways
total
839 km
broad gauge
839 km 1.520-m gauge (828 km electrified)
note
some lines are out of service (2006)
Roadways
total
7,633 km
paved
7,633 km (includes 1,561 km of expressways) (2003)
Military branches
Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Nagorno-Karabakh Self Defense Force (NKSDF), Air Force, Air Defense Force (2006)
Military service age and obligation
18 to 27 years of age for compulsory military service, conscript service obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2004)
Manpower available for military service
males age 18-49
722,836
females age 18-49
795,084 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 18-49
551,938
females age 18-49
656,493 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually
males age 18-49
31,774
females age 18-49
31,182 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
6.5% (FY01)
Disputes - international
Armenia supports ethnic Armenian secessionists in Nagorno-Karabakh and since the early 1990s, has militarily occupied 16% of Azerbaijan - Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) continues to mediate dispute; over 800,000 mostly ethnic Azerbaijanis were driven from the occupied lands and Armenia; about 230,000 ethnic Armenians were driven from their homes in Azerbaijan into Armenia; Azerbaijan seeks transit route through Armenia to connect to Naxcivan exclave; border with Turkey remains closed over Nagorno-Karabakh dispute; ethnic Armenian groups in Javakheti region of Georgia seek greater autonomy; Armenians continue to emigrate, primarily to Russia, seeking employment
Refugees and internally displaced persons
refugees (country of origin)
219,324 (Azerbaijan)
IDPs
8,400 (conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, majority have returned home since 1994 ceasefire) (2006)
Trafficking in persons
current situation
Armenia is a major source and, to a lesser extent, a transit and destination country for women and girls trafficked for sexual exploitation largely to the UAE and Turkey; traffickers, many of them women, route victims directly into Dubai or through Moscow; profits derived from the trafficking of Armenian victims reportedly have increased
tier rating
Tier 2 Watch List - Armenia has failed to show evidence of increasing efforts, particularly in the areas of enforcement, trafficking-related corruption, and victim protection
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
