1992 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1992 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
continental, hot, and subject to drought
Coastline
none - landlocked
Comparative area
slightly larger than Maryland
Disputes
violent and longstanding dispute with Azerbaijan over ethnically Armenian exclave of Nagorno-Karabakh; some irredentism by Armenians living in southern Georgia; traditional demands on former Armenian lands in Turkey have greatly subsided
Environment
pollution of Razdan and Aras Rivers; air pollution in Yerevan
Land area
28,400 km2
Land boundaries
1,254 km total; Azerbaijan (east) 566 km, Azerbaijan (south) 221 km, Georgia 164 km, Iran 35 km, Turkey 268 km
Land use
10% arable land; NA% permanent crops; NA% meadows and pastures; NA% forest and woodland; NA% other; NA% irrigated
Maritime claims
none - landlocked
Natural resources
small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, alumina
Terrain
high Armenian Plateau with mountain; little forest land; fast flowing rivers; good soil in Aras River valley
Total area
29,800 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
22 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate
7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Ethnic divisions
Armenian 93.3%, Russian 1.5%, Kurd 1.7%, other 3.5%
Infant mortality rate
35 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Labor force
1,630,000; industry and construction 42%, agriculture and forestry 18%, other 40%(1990)
Languages
Armenian 93%, Russian 2%, other 5%
Life expectancy at birth
68 years male, 74 years female (1992)
Literacy
NA% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (NA)
Nationality
noun - Armenian(s); adjective - Armenian
Net migration rate
--7 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Organized labor
NA
Population
3,415,566 (July 1992), growth rate 0.8% (1992)
Religions
Armenian Orthodox 94%
Total fertility rate
2.7 children born/woman (1992)
Government
Administrative divisions
none - all rayons are under direct republic jurisdiction
Capital
Yerevan
Chief of State
President Levon Akopovich TER-PETROSYAN (since 16 October 1991), Vice President Gagik ARUTYUNYAN (since 16 October 1991)
Constitution
adopted NA April 1978, effective NA
Diplomatic representation
Charge d'Affaires ad interim, Aleksandr ARZOUMANIAN US: Ambassador (vacant); Steven R. MANN, Charge d'Affaires; Embassy at Hotel Hrazdan (telephone 8-011-7-8852-53-53-32); (mailing address is APO AE 09862); telephone 8-011-7-885-215-1122 (voice and FAX); 8-011-7-885-215-1144 (voice)
Executive branch
President, Council of Ministers, prime minister
Flag
NA
Head of Government
Prime Minister Gagik ARUTYUNYAN (since November 1991), First Deputy Prime Minister Grant BAGRATYAN (since NA September 1990); Supreme Soviet Chairman - Babken ARARKTSYAN
Independence
Armenian Republic formed 29 November 1920 and became part of the Soviet Union on 30 December 1922; on 23 September 1991, Armenia renamed itself the Republic of Armenia
Judicial branch
Supreme Court
Legal system
based on civil law system
Legislative branch
unicameral body - Supreme Soviet
Long-form name
Republic of Armenia
Member of
CSCE, NACC, UN, UNCTAD
National holiday
NA
Other political or pressure groups
NA
Political parties and leaders
Armenian National Movement, Husik LAZARYAN, chairman; National Self-Determination Association, Pakvyr HAYRIKIAN, chairman; National Democratic Union, Vazgen MANUKYAN, chairman; Democratic Liberal Party, Ramkavar AZATAKAN, chairman; Dashnatktsutyan Party, Rouben MIRZAKHANIN; Chairman of Parliamentary opposition - Mekhak GABRIYELYAN
President
last held 16 October 1990 (next to be held NA); results - elected by the Supreme Soviet, Levon Akopovich TER-PETROSYAN 86%; radical nationalists about 7%
Suffrage
universal at age 18
Supreme Soviet
last held 20 May 1990 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (259 total); number of seats by party NA
Type
republic
Economy
Agriculture
only 10% of land area is arable; employs 18% of labor force; citrus, cotton, and dairy farming; vineyards near Yerevan are famous for brandy and other liqueurs
Budget
revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Currency
as of May 1992, retaining ruble as currency
Economic aid
NA
Electricity
NA kW capacity; 10,433 million kWh produced, about 3,000 kWh per capita (1990)
Exchange rates
NA
Exports
$176 million (f.o.b., 1990) commodities: machinery and transport equipment, ferrous and nonferrous metals, and chemicals (1991) partners: NA
External debt
$650 million (December 1991 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
$NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate --10% (1991)
Illicit drugs
illicit producer of cannabis mostly for domestic consumption; used as a transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western Europe
Imports
$1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1990) commodities: machinery, energy, consumer goods (1991) partners: NA
Industrial production
growth rate --9.6% (1991)
Industries
diverse, including (in percent of output of former USSR) metalcutting machine tools (6.7%), forging-pressing machines (4.7%), electric motors (8.7%), tires (2.1%), knitted wear (5.6%), hosiery (2.3%), shoes (2.2%), silk fabric (5.3%), washing machines (2.0%); also chemicals, trucks, watches, instruments, and microelectronics
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
91%
Overview
Armenia under the old centrally planned Soviet system had built up textile, machine-building, and other industries and had become a key supplier to sister republics. In turn, Armenia had depended on supplies of raw materials and energy from the other republics. Most of these supplies enter the republic by rail through Azerbaijan (85%) and Georgia (15%). The economy has been severely hurt by ethnic strife with Azerbaijan over control of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, a mostly Armenian-populated enclave within the national boundaries of Azerbaijan. In addition to outright warfare, the strife has included interdiction of Armenian imports on the Azerbaijani railroads and expensive airlifts of supplies to beleagured Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. An earthquake in December 1988 destroyed about one-tenth of industrial capacity and housing, the repair of which has not been possible because the supply of funds and real resources has been disrupted by the reorganization and subsequent dismantling of the central USSR administrative apparatus. Among facilities made unserviceable by the earthquake are the Yerevan nuclear power plant, which had supplied 40% of Armenia's needs for electric power and a plant that produced one-quarter of the output of elevators in the former USSR. Armenia has some deposits of nonferrous metal ores (bauxite, copper, zinc, and molybdenum) that are largely unexploited. For the mid-term, Armenia's economic prospects seem particularly bleak because of ethnic strife and the unusually high dependence on outside areas, themselves in a chaotic state of transformation.
Unemployment rate
NA%
Communications
Airports
NA total, NA usable; NA with permanent-surface runways; NA with runways over 3,659 m; NA with runways 2,440-3,659 m; NA with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
none
Highways
11,300 km total (1990); 10,500 km hard surfaced, 800 km earth
Inland waterways
NA km perennially navigable
Merchant marine
none: landlocked
Pipelines
NA
Ports
none - landlocked
Railroads
840 km all 1.000-meter gauge (includes NA km electrified); does not include industrial lines (1990)
Telecommunications
Armenia has about 260,000 telephones, of which about 110,000 are in Yerevan; average telephone density is 8 per 100 persons; international connections to other former republics of the USSR are by landline or microwave and to other countries by satellite and by leased connection through the Moscow international gateway switch; broadcast stations - 100% of population receives Armenian and Russian TV programs; satellite earth station - INTELSAT
Military and Security
Branches
Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops), National Guard; CIS Forces (Ground and Air Defense)
Defense expenditures
$NA, NA% of GDP
Manpower availability
males 15-49, NA; NA fit for military service; NA reach military age (18) annually