1996 Edition

Description

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

Location

40 00 N, 45 00 E -- Southwestern Asia, east of Turkey Flag ----

Area

comparative area

slightly larger than Maryland

land area

28,400 sq km

total area

29,800 sq km

Climate

highland continental, hot summers, cold winters

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Environment

current issues

soil pollution from toxic chemicals such as DDT; energy blockade, the result of conflict with Azerbaijan, has led to deforestation as citizens scavenge for firewood; pollution of Hrazdan (Razdan) and Aras Rivers; the draining of Sevana Lich, 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 - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Nuclear Test Ban, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Desertification

natural hazards

occasionally severe earthquakes; droughts

Geographic coordinates

40 00 N, 45 00 E

Geographic note

landlocked

International disputes

supports ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh in their separatist conflict against the Azerbaijani Government; traditional demands on former Armenian lands in Turkey have subsided

Irrigated land

3,050 sq km (1990)

Land boundaries

border countries

Azerbaijan-proper 566 km, Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave 221 km, Georgia 164 km, Iran 35 km, Turkey 268 km

total

1,254 km

Land use

arable land

17%

forest and woodland

0%

meadows and pastures

20%

other

60%

permanent crops

3%

Location

Southwestern Asia, east of Turkey

Map references

Commonwealth of Independent States

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural resources

small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, alumina

Terrain

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

highest point

Aragats Lerr 4,095 m

lowest point

Debed River 400 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 28% (male 497,461; female 476,649) 15-64 years: 64% (male 1,085,935; female 1,132,282) 65 years and over: 8% (male 111,661; female 159,586) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

16.27 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

7.73 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

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

Infant mortality rate

38.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

female

73.92 years (1996 est.)

male

64.44 years

total population

69.06 years

Nationality

adjective

Armenian

noun

Armenian(s)

Net migration rate

-8.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

3,463,574 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

0.02% (1996 est.)

Sex ratio

all ages

0.96 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years

1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

2.06 children born/woman (1996 est.)