2003 Edition

Administrative divisions

11 provinces (marzer, singular - marz); Aragatsotn, Ararat, Armavir, Geghark'unik', Kotayk', Lorri, Shirak, Syunik', Tavush, Vayots' Dzor, Yerevan

Age structure

0-14 years: 21.1% (male 356,587; female 346,648) 15-64 years: 68.3% (male 1,113,241; female 1,158,245) 65 years and over: 10.6% (male 147,156; female 204,571) (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products

fruit (especially grapes), vegetables; livestock

Airports

15 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

2 2,438 to 3,047: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)

total

8

Airports - with unpaved runways

over 3,047 m

1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 3

total

7

under 914 m

1 (2002) Military Armenia

Area

land

28,400 sq km

total

29,800 sq km

water

1,400 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Maryland

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. It was incorporated into Russia in 1828 and the USSR 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. Geography Armenia

Birth rate

12.57 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$482 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)

revenues

$402 million

Capital

Yerevan

Climate

highland continental, hot summers, cold winters

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Constitution

adopted by nationwide referendum 5 July 1995

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Armenia

conventional short form

Armenia

former

Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic; Armenian Republic

local long form

Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun

local short form

Hayastan

Currency

dram (AMD)

Currency code

AMD

Death rate

10.16 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Debt - external

$905 million (June 2001)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador John M. ORDWAY

embassy

18 Baghramyan Ave., Yerevan 375019

mailing address

American Embassy Yerevan, Department of State, 7020 Yerevan Place, Washington, DC 20521-7020

telephone

[374](1) 521-611, 520-791, 542-177, 542-132, 524-661, 527-001, 524-840

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2225 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Arman KIRAKOSSIAN

consulate(s) general

Los Angeles

Disputes - international

Armenia supports ethnic Armenian secessionists in Nagorno-Karabakh and militarily occupies 16% of Azerbaijan - Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) continues to mediate dispute; border with Turkey remains closed over Nagorno-Karabakh dispute; traditional demands regarding former Armenian lands in Turkey have subsided; ethnic Armenian groups in Javakheti region of Georgia seek greater autonomy, closer ties with Armenia

Distribution of family income - Gini index

44.4 (1996)

Economic aid - recipient

ODA $170 million (2000)

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 program that has resulted in positive growth rates in 1995-2003. Armenia also has managed to slash inflation, stabilize the local currency (the dram), and privatize most small- and medium-sized enterprises. The chronic energy shortages Armenia suffered in the early and mid-1990s have been offset by the energy supplied by one of its nuclear power plants at Metsamor. Armenia is now a net energy exporter, although it does not have sufficient generating capacity to replace Metsamor, which is under international pressure to close. The electricity distribution system was privatized in 2002. Armenia's severe trade imbalance has been offset somewhat by international aid, domestic restructuring of the economy, and foreign direct investment. Economic ties with Russia remain close, especially in the energy sector.

Electricity - consumption

5.784 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

704 million kWh; note - exports an unknown quantity to Georgia; includes exports to Nagorno-Karabakh region in Azerbaijan (2001)

Electricity - imports

463 million kWh; note - imports an unknown quantity from Iran (2001)

Electricity - production

6.479 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

42.3%

hydro

27%

nuclear

30.7%

other

0% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Aragats Lerrnagagat' 4,090 m

lowest point

Debed River 400 m

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, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Ethnic groups

Armenian 93%, Azeri 1%, Russian 2%, other (mostly Yezidi Kurds) 4% (2002)

note

as of the end of 1993, virtually all Azeris had emigrated from Armenia

Exchange rates

drams per US dollar - NA (2002), 555.08 (2001), 539.53 (2000), 535.06 (1999), 504.92 (1998)

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister

chief of state

President Robert KOCHARIAN (since 30 March 1998)

election results

Robert KOCHARIAN reelected president; percent of vote - Robert KOCHARIAN 67.5%, Stepan DEMIRCHYAN 32.5%

elections

president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 19 February and 5 March 2003 (next to be held NA 2008); prime minister appointed by the president; the prime minister and Council of Ministers must resign if the National Assembly refuses to accept their program

head of government

Prime Minister Andranik MARKARYAN (since 12 May 2000)

Exports

$525 million f.o.b. (2001 est.)

Exports - commodities

diamonds, mineral products, foodstuffs, energy

Exports - partners

Belgium 21.5%, Russia 14.6%, Israel 10.3%, Iran 9.4%, US 8.2%, Switzerland 6.8%, Germany 6.2% (2002)

FAX

[1] (202) 319-2982

[374](1) 520-800

telephone

[1] (202) 319-1976

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Armenia

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, and orange Economy Armenia

GDP

purchasing power parity - $12.13 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

30%

industry

26%

services

44% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $3,600 (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

12.9% (2002 est.)

Geographic coordinates

40 00 N, 45 00 E

Geography - note

landlocked in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains; Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan) is the largest lake in this mountain range People Armenia

Government type

republic

Highways

paved

15,329 km (includes 7,527 km of expressways)

total

15,918 km

unpaved

589 km (2000)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.2% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

less than 100 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

less than 2,400 (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

46.2% (1999)

lowest 10%

2.3%

Illicit drugs

illicit cultivation of small amount of cannabis for domestic consumption; used as a transit point for illicit drugs - mostly opium and hashish - moving from Southwest Asia to Russia and to a lesser extent the rest of Europe This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

Imports

$991 million f.o.b. (2001 est.)

Imports - commodities

natural gas, petroleum, tobacco products, foodstuffs, diamonds

Imports - partners

US 15.3%, Russia 12.9%, Belgium 12.3%, Iran 10.3%, UAE 6.3%, Germany 5.5%, Italy 4.9% (2002)

Independence

21 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)

Industrial production growth rate

15% (2002 est.)

Industries

metal-cutting machine tools, forging-pressing machines, electric motors, tires, knitted wear, hosiery, shoes, silk fabric, chemicals, trucks, instruments, microelectronics, gem cutting, jewelry manufacturing, software development, food processing, brandy

Infant mortality rate

female

36.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

male

45.27 deaths/1,000 live births

total

40.86 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.1% (2002 est.)

International organization participation

BSEC, CE, CIS, COE, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Internet country code

.am

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

9 (2001)

Internet users

30,000 (2001) Transportation Armenia

Irrigated land

2,870 sq km (1998 est.)

Judicial branch

Constitutional Court; Court of Cassation (Appeals Court)

Labor force

1.4 million (2001)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 45%, services 30%, industry 25% (2002 est.)

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

17.52%

other

80.18% (1998 est.)

permanent crops

2.3%

Languages

Armenian 96%, Russian 2%, other 2%

Legal system

based on civil law system

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly (Parliament) or Azgayin Zhoghov (131 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms; 75 members selected by direct vote, 56 by party list)

election results

percent of vote by party - Republican Party 23.5%, Justice Bloc 13.6%, Rule of Law 12.3%, ARF (Dashnak) 11.4%, National Unity Party 8.8%, United Labor Party 5.7%; seats by party - Republican Party 23, Justice Bloc 14, Rule of Law 12, ARF (Dashnak) 11, National Unity 9, United Labor 6; note - seats by party change frequently as deputies switch parties or announce themselves independent

elections

last held 25 May 2003 (next to be held in the spring of 2007)

note

electoral law was changed in 2002 so ratio in next elections will be 75 deputies elected by party list, 56 by direct election

Life expectancy at birth

female

71.17 years (2003 est.)

male

62.41 years

total population

66.68 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

98% (2003 est.) Government Armenia

male

99.4%

total population

98.6%

Location

Southwestern Asia, east of Turkey

Map references

Asia

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Median age

female

34.1 years (2002)

male

30.6 years

total

32.3 years

Military branches

Army, Air and Air Defense Forces, Border Guards

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$135 million (FY01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

6.5% (FY01) Transnational Issues Armenia

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49

919,582 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49

727,770 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males

37,209 (2003 est.)

National holiday

Independence Day, 21 September (1991)

Nationality

adjective

Armenian

noun

Armenian(s)

Natural gas - consumption

1.4 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

1.4 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural hazards

occasionally severe earthquakes; droughts

Natural resources

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

Net migration rate

-3.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

5,700 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Pipelines

gas 2,031 km (2003)

Political parties and leaders

Agro-Industrial Party [Vladimir BADALIAN]; Armenia Party [Myasnik MALKHASYAN]; Armenian National Movement or ANM [Alex ARZUMANYAN, chairman]; Armenian Ramkavar Liberal Party or HRAK [Ruben MIRZAKHANYAN, chairman]; Armenian Revolutionary Federation ("Dashnak" Party) or ARF [Vahan HOVHANISSIAN]; Democratic Party [Aram SARKISYAN]; Justice Bloc (comprised of the Democratic Party, National Democratic Party, National Democratic Union, and the People's Party); National Democratic Party [Shavarsh KOCHARIAN]; National Democratic Union or NDU [Vazgen MANUKIAN]; National Unity Party [Artashes GEGAMIAN, chairman]; People's Party of Armenia [Stepan DEMIRCHYAN]; Republic Party [Albert BAZEYAN and Aram SARKISYAN, chairmen]; Republican Party or RPA [Andranik MARKARYAN]; Rule of Law Party [Artur BAGDASARIAN, chairman]; Union of Constitutional Rights [Hrant KHACHATURYAN]; United Labor Party [Gurgen ARSENIAN]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Yerkrapah Union [Manvel GRIGORIAN]

Population

3,326,448

note

Armenia's first census since independence was conducted in October 2001; official results are not expected until late 2003 (July 2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

50% (2002 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.07% (2003 est.)

Ports and harbors

none

Radio broadcast stations

AM 9, FM 6, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios

850,000 (1997)

Railways

broad gauge

852 km 1.520-m gauge (779 km electrified) (2002)

total

852 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines

Religions

Armenian Apostolic 94%, other Christian 4%, Yezidi (Zoroastrian/animist) 2%

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.95 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

under 15 years

1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Telephone system

domestic

the majority of subscribers and the most modern equipment are in Yerevan (this includes paging and mobile cellular service)

general assessment

system inadequate; now 90% privately owned and undergoing modernization and expansion

international

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 - 1 Intelsat (2000)

Telephones - main lines in use

600,000 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular

50,000 (2002)

Television broadcast stations

3 (plus an unknown number of repeaters); (1998)

Televisions

825,000 (1997)

Terrain

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

Total fertility rate

1.56 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate

20% (2001 est.)

Waterways

NA km