2005 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: 21.6% (male 339,453/female 305,214) 15-64 years: 67.5% (male 938,734/female 1,074,240) 65 years and over: 10.9% (male 131,519/female 193,744) (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products

fruit (especially grapes), vegetables; livestock

Airports

16 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

11 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) 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. Turkey imposed an economic blockade on Armenia and closed the common border because of the Armenian occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas. Geography Armenia

Birth rate

11.76 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$491.2 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)

revenues

$428.1 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 (code)

dram (AMD)

Currency code

AMD

Current account balance

$-240.4 million (2004 est.)

Death rate

8.16 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Debt - external

$905 million (June 2001)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador John M. EVANS

embassy

18 Baghramyan Ave., Yerevan 375019

FAX

[374](1) 520-800

mailing address

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

telephone

[374](1) 521-611, 520-791, 542-117, 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 Tatoul MARKARIAN

consulate(s) general

Los Angeles

FAX

[1] (202) 319-2982

telephone

[1] (202) 319-1976

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; tens of thousands of Armenians emigrate, primarily to Russia, to seek employment

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 liberalization program that resulted in positive growth rates in 1995-2003. Armenia joined the WTO in January 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 and foreign direct investment. Economic ties with Russia remain close, especially in the energy sector.

Electricity - consumption

5.797 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports

704 million kWh; note - exports an unknown quantity to Georgia; includes exports to Nagorno-Karabakh region in Azerbaijan (2002)

Electricity - imports

463 million kWh; note - imports an unknown quantity from Iran (2002)

Electricity - production

6.492 billion kWh (2002)

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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Ethnic groups

Armenian 97.9%, Yezidi (Kurd) 1.3%, Russian 0.5%, other 0.3% (2001 census)

Exchange rates

drams per US dollar - 533.45 (2004), 578.76 (2003), 573.35 (2002), 555.08 (2001), 539.53 (2000)

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 MARGARYAN (since 12 May 2000)

Exports

$850 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities

diamonds, mineral products, foodstuffs, energy

Exports - partners

Belgium 18%, Israel 15.3%, Germany 13.3%, Russia 12.5%, US 8.1%, Netherlands 7.2%, Iran 5.5%, Georgia 4.3%, UAE 4% (2004)

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Armenia

Flag description

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

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

22.9%

industry

36.1%

services

41.1% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $4,600 (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

9% (2004 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$13.65 billion (2004 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

8,161 km (includes 7,567 km of expressways)

total

8,431 km

unpaved

270 km (2002)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

less than 200 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

2,600 (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.3% highest 10%: 46.2% (1999)

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 20 October, 2005 ======================================================================

Imports

$1.3 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities

natural gas, petroleum, tobacco products, foodstuffs, diamonds

Imports - partners

Russia 11.3%, Belgium 10.1%, Israel 8.4%, US 7.6%, Iran 7.1%, UAE 6.1%, Ukraine 5.9%, Italy 5.5%, Germany 5.2%, Georgia 4.6%, France 4.5% (2004)

Independence

21 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)

Industrial production growth rate

15% (2002 est.)

Industries

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

Infant mortality rate

female

17.13 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

male

28.51 deaths/1,000 live births

total

23.28 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.5% (2004 est.)

International organization participation

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

Internet country code

.am

Internet hosts

2,206 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

9 (2001)

Internet users

150,000 (2003) Transportation Armenia

Investment (gross fixed)

19.8% of GDP (2004 est.)

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%, industry 25%, services 30% (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

17.55%

other

80.15% (2001)

permanent crops

2.3%

Languages

Armenian 97.7%, Yezidi 1%, Russian 0.9%, other 0.4% (2001 census)

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 elected by party list, 56 by direct vote)

elections

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

75.75 years (2005 est.)

male

67.97 years

total population

71.55 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

Manpower available for military service

males age 18-49: 722,836 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 18-49: 551,938 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually

males

31,774 (2005 est.)

Map references

Asia

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Median age

female

32.84 years (2005 est.)

male

27.45 years

total

30.07 years

Military branches

Army, Air Force, Air Defense Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$135 million (FY01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

6.5% (FY01) Transnational Issues Armenia

Military service age and obligation

18-27 years of age for compulsory military service, conscript service obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age for voluntary military service (May 2004)

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

-6.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption

5,700 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA

Oil - imports

NA

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Pipelines

gas 1,871 km (2004)

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 [Harutyun 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) [Stepan DEMIRCHYAN]; 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

2,982,904 (July 2005 est.)

Population below poverty line

50% (2002 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.25% (2005 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 9, FM 6, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios

850,000 (1997)

Railways

broad gauge

845 km 1.520-m gauge (828 km electrified) note: some lines are out of service (2004)

total

845 km

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

50,000 (conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh) (2004)

refugees (country of origin)

236,306 (Azerbaijan)

Religions

Armenian Apostolic 94.7%, other Christian 4%, Yezidi (monotheist with elements of nature worship) 1.3%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$555 million (2004 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.17 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.11 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.87 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female

total population

0.9 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

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

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 - 1 Intelsat (2000)

Telephones - main lines in use

562,600 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular

114,400 (2003)

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

1.32 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate

30% (2003 est.)