Armenia

Republic of Armenia

republicIndependence 28 May 1918 (First Armenian Republic)

Armenia as the 1997 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 98 fields, one of 34 editions from 1992 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalYerevan

Position40 00 N, 45 00 E

Area29,800 sq km

LocationSouthwestern Asia, east of Turkey

Populationas each edition published it

3.43 million July 1997 est. · 3.42m in 1992

Population growth% a year

-0.33% 1997 est. · 1.23% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 32.3 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

66.9 years 1997 est. · 71.77 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.71 children per woman 1997 est. · 2.7 in 1992

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

40.4 deaths per 1,000 live births 1997 est. · 35 in 1992

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$2,800 1996 est. · $2,040 in 1994

GDP real growth% a year

4% 1996 est. · -34% in 1993

Geography

Southwestern Asia, east of Turkey

18 fields

Land useshare of 29,800 sq km

arable land 17%permanent crops 3%permanent pastures 24%forests and woodland 15%other 41% (1993 est.)irrigated 2,870 sq km (1993 est.)

Area

29,800sq km

land: 28,400 sq kmwater: 1,400 sq kmslightly smaller than Maryland

Coastline

0km

(landlocked)Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Highest point

4,095m

Aragats Lerrlowest point: Debed River 400 m

Land boundaries

1,254km

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

Climate

highland continental, hot summers, cold winters

Terrain

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

Natural resources

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

Natural hazards

occasionally severe earthquakes; droughts

Environment - current issues

soil pollution from toxic chemicals such as DDT;
energy blockade, the result of conflict with Azerbaijan, has led to deforestation when citizens scavenged 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

Environment - international agreements

party to :: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Nuclear Test Ban, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:: Desertification

People

15 fields

Population

3,433,629

(July 1997 est.)growth rate: -0.33% (1997 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1997 est.)

Birth

13.59Death

8.6Net migration

-8.32

Ethnic groups(1989)

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 Armenia

Literacy

99%

definition: age 15 and over can read and writemale: 99%female : 98% (1989 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years:: 27% (male 476,375; female 456,723)
15-64 years:: 65% (male 1,088,103; female 1,134,649)
65 years and over:: 8% (male 115,135; female 162,644) (July 1997 est.)

Sex ratio

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:: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population:: 0.96 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate

40.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population:: 66.9 years
male:: 62.69 years
female:: 71.32 years (1997 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Armenian(s)
adjective:: Armenian

Government

Republic; Prime Minister Robert KOCHARIAN (since 20 March 1997)

20 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

52%

Levon Akopovich TER-PETROSSIAN 52%Vazgen MANUKYAN 41%election last held 22 September 1996 (next to be held NA September 2001)

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

Administrative divisions

10 provinces (marzer, singular - marz) and 1 city* (k'aghak'ner, singular - k'aghak');
Aragatsotn, Ararat, Armavir, Geghark'unik', Kotayk', Lorri, Shirak, Syunik', Tavush, Vayots' Dzor, Yerevan*

Independence

28 May 1918 (First Armenian Republic); 23 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)

Constitution

adopted by nationwide referendum 5 July 1995

Executive branch

chief of state :: President Levon Akopovich TER-PETROSSIAN (since NA October 1991);
note - prior to becoming Armenia's first president, TER-PETROSSIAN was chairman of the Armenian Supreme Soviet since 4 August 1990
head of government:: Prime Minister Robert KOCHARIAN (since 20 March 1997)
cabinet :: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections:: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 22 September 1996 (next to be held NA September 2001);
prime minister appointed by the president
election results:: Levon Akopovich TER-PETROSSIAN elected president; percent of vote - Levon Akopovich TER-PETROSSIAN 52%, Vazgen MANUKYAN 41%

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly or Azgayin Zhoghov (190 seats; members serve five-year terms)

elections:: last held 5 July 1995 (next to be held NA 2000)
election results :: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Republican Bloc 159 (ANM 63, DLP-Hanrapetutyun Bloc 6, Republic Party 4, CDU 3, Intellectual Armenia 3, Social Democratic Party 2, independents 78), SWM 8, ACP 7, NDU 5, NSDU 3, DLP 1, ARF 1, other 4, vacant 2

Republic Bloc (Hanrapetoutioun)

Armenian National Movement or ANM [Husik LAZARIAN, chairman];
Democratic Liberal Party [Orthosis GYONJIAN, chairman];
Republican Party [Ashot NAVARSARDIAN, chairman];
Christian Democratic Union or CDU [Azat ARSHAKIAN, chairman];
Intellectual Armenia [H. TOKMAJIAN];
Social Democratic (Hnchakian) Party [Yeghia NAJARIAN]

opposition parties:: Shamiram Women's Movement or SWM [Shoger MATEVOSIAN];
Armenian Communist Party or ACP [Sergey BADALYAN];
National Democratic Union or NDU [Davit VARDANIAN and Vasgen MANUKIAN];
Union of National Self-Determination or NSDU [Paruir HAIRIKIAN, chairman];
Democratic Liberal Party or DLP [Rouben MIRZAKHANIAN, chairman];
Armenian Revolutionary Federation or ARF [Rouben HAKOBIAN, chairman]

International organization participation

BSEC, CCC, CE (guest), CIS, EBRD, ECE, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NACC, NAM (observer), OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Ruben SHUGARIAN
chancery:: 2225 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:: [1] (202) 319-1976

FAX

[1] (202) 319-2982; consulate(s) general: Los Angeles

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Peter TOMSEN
embassy:: 18 Gen Bagramian, Yerevan
mailing address :: use embassy street address
telephone:: [374] (2) 151-144, 524-661

FAX

[374] (2) 151-550

Flag description

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

Economy

22 fields

Real growth rate

(1996 est.)industrial production growth: 1% (1996 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

5.7%

(1996 est.)

Unemployment rate

7.4%

officially registered unemployed, but large numbers of underemployed (December 1996)

Labor force

1.6million

(1996)by occupation: industry and construction 23%, agriculture 38%, services 37%, other 2%

GDP - composition by sector(1995 est.)

agriculture 35%industry 35%services 30% (1995 est.)

Economy - overview

Under the old Soviet central planning system, Armenia had developed a modern industrial sector, supplying machine building 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 area.

The privatization of industry has been at a much slower pace. Armenia is a food importer and its mineral deposits (gold, bauxite) are small. The ongoing conflict with Azerbaijan over the ethnic Armenian-dominated region of Nagorno-Karabakh and the embargoes imposed by Azerbaijan and Turkey 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 and 1996. Armenia also managed to slash inflation and to privatize most small and medium-sized enterprises. The chronic energy shortages Armenia suffered in recent years has been partially offset by the energy supplied by one of its nuclear power plants at Metsamor, which in 1996 supplied about 40% of the country's energy needs, according to the Armenian Government. Moreover, Armenia is expanding its energy imports from Iran.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $9.7 billion (1996 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1994)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $2,800 (1996 est.)

Budget

revenues :: $NA
expenditures:: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Industries

much of industry is shut down; metal-cutting machine tools, forging-pressing machines, electric motors, tires, knitted wear, hosiery, shoes, silk fabric, washing machines, chemicals, trucks, watches, instruments, microelectronics

Electricity - capacity

2.77 million kW (1994)

Electricity - production

6.3 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity - consumption per capita

1,462 kWh (1995 est.)

Agriculture - products

fruit (especially grapes), vegetables;
vineyards near Yerevan are famous for brandy and other liqueurs;
minor livestock sector

Exports

total value :: $273 million (f.o.b., 1996)
commodities:: gold and jewelry, aluminum, transport equipment, electrical equipment, scrap metal
partners:: Iran, Russia, Turkmenistan, Georgia

Imports

total value :: $830 million (c.i.f., 1996)
commodities:: grain, other foods, fuel, other energy
partners:: Iran, Russia, Turkmenistan, Georgia, US, EU

Debt - external

$850 million (of which $75 million to Russia) (1995 est.)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $NA note: commitments (excluding Russia), $1,385 million ($675 million in disbursements) (1992-95)

Currency

1 dram = 100 luma (introduced new currency in November 1993)

Exchange rates

dram per US$1 - 443 (December 1996), 401.8 (end December 1995), 406 (end December 1994)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

6 fields

Fixed lines

650,000

Telephone system

joint venture agreement to install fiber-optic cable and construct facilities for cellular telephone service is in the implementation phase

domestic:: NA
international :: international connections to other former Soviet republics are by landline or microwave radio relay and to other countries by satellite and by leased connection through the Moscow international gateway switch; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat

Transportation

8 fields

Airports by runway lengthunpaved only

under 914 m

total: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m : 2 914 to 1,523 m: 3

Railways

total:: 825 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines
broad gauge:: 825 km 1.520-m gauge (1992)

Highways

total :: 7,720 km
paved:: 7,496 km
unpaved:: 224 km (1995 est.)

total:: 5
over 3,047 m:: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (1996 est.)

Military

Army, Air Force, Air Defense Force, Security Forces | (internal and border troops)

7 fields

Transnational Issues

2 fields

Disputes - international

Armenia supports ethnic Armenians in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan in the longstanding, separatist conflict against the Azerbaijani Government;
traditional demands on former Armenian lands in Turkey have subsided

Illicit drugs

illicit cultivator of cannabis mostly for domestic consumption;
used as a transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western Europe and the US ARUBA (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Armenia.” The World Factbook 1997. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/armenia/1997.

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