Armenia

Republic of ArmeniaHayastani Hanrapetut'yun

republicIndependence 28 May 1918 (First Armenian Republic)

Armenia as the 1998 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

3.42 million July 1998 est. · 3.42m in 1992

Population growth% a year

-0.36% 1998 est. · 1.23% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 32.3 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

66.73 years 1998 est. · 71.77 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.69 children per woman 1998 est. · 2.7 in 1992

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

40.77 deaths per 1,000 live births 1998 est. · 35 in 1992

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$2,750 1997 est. · $2,040 in 1994

GDP real growth% a year

2.7% 1997 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 (Lake Sevan), 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:: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Nuclear Test Ban, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:: none of the selected agreements

People

15 fields

Population

3,421,775

(July 1998 est.)growth rate: -0.36% (1998 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1998 est.)

Birth

13.52Death

8.82Net migration

-8.29

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (1998 est.)66.73

62.45 · 71.23

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (1989 est.)99%

99% · 98%

MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

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

Age structure

0-14 years:: 26% (male 460,191; female 441,906)
15-64 years:: 65% (male 1,092,652; female 1,139,916)
65 years and over:: 9% (male 119,464; female 167,646) (July 1998 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years:: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over:: 0.71 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate

40.77 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Armenian(s)
adjective:: Armenian

Government

Republic; President Robert KOCHARIAN (since 30 March 1998); Prime Minister Armen DARBINYAN (since 10 April 1998)

20 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

59%

Robert KOCHARIAN 59%Karen DEMIRCHYAN 41%special election last held 30 March 1998 (next election to be held March 2003)

Legislature, 190 seats, elected 5 July 1995one dot, one seat

Republican Bloc (ANM 63, DLP-Hanrapetutyun Bloc 6, Republic Party 4, CDU 3, Intellectual Armenia 3, Social Democratic Party 2, independents 78) 159SWM 8ACP 7NDU 5NSDU 3DLP 1ARF 1other 4vacant 2

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 Robert KOCHARIAN (since 30 March 1998)
head of government:: Prime Minister Armen DARBINYAN (since 10 April 1998)
cabinet:: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
elections:: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
special election last held 30 March 1998 (next election to be held March 2003);
prime minister appointed by the president
election results:: Robert KOCHARIAN elected president; percent of vote-Robert KOCHARIAN 59%, Karen DEMIRCHYAN 41%

Legislative branch

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

elections:: last held 5 July 1995 (next to be held NA July 1999)
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

Political parties and leaders

Armenian National Movement or ANM [Vano SIRADEGIAN, chairman];
National Democratic Union or NDU [Vazgen MANUKIAN];
Intellectual Armenia [H. TOKMAJIAN];
Social Democratic (Hnchakian) Party [Yeghia NACHARIAN];
Shamiram Women's Movement or SWM [Maria NERSISSIAN];
Armenian Communist Party or ACP [Sergey BADALYAN];
Union of National Self-Determination or NSDU [Paruir HAIRIKIAN, chairman];
Armenian Revolutionary Federation ("Dashnak" Party) or ARF;
Christian Democratic Union or CDU [Azat ARSHAKYN, chairman];
Democratic Liberal Party [Orthosis GYONJIAN, chairman];
Republican Party [Andranik MARKARYAN]

International organization participation

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Rouben 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 General Baghramian Avenue, Yerevan
mailing address:: use embassy street address
telephone:: [374] (2) 524-661, 521-611

FAX

[374] (2) 151-550, 151-511

Flag description

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

Economy

28 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

-$9.5billion

purchasing power parity · (1997 est.)

GDP per capita, PPP

-$2,750

purchasing power parity · (1997 est.)

Real growth rate

2.7%

(1997 est.)industrial production growth: 0.7% (1997 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

13.2%

(1997 est.)

GDP-composition by sector(1996 est.)

agriculture 38%industry 32%services 30% (1996 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$322 millionExpenditures

$424 million (1998 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $80 million

Fixed lines

650,000

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 area.

The agricultural sector has long-term needs for more investment and updated technology. The privatization of industry has been at a slower pace, but ahead of most of the rest of the CIS. 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 1995-97. 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.

Labor force

total:: 1.6 million (1997)
by occupation:: manufacturing, mining, and construction 25%, agriculture 38%, services 37%

Unemployment rate

10.6% officially registered unemployed, but large numbers of underemployed (June 1997)

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

2.768 million kW (1995)

Electricity-production

6.3 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity-consumption per capita

1,570 kWh (1995)

Agriculture-products

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

Exports

total value:: $290 million (f.o.b., 1996)
commodities:: gold and jewelry, aluminum, transport equipment, electrical equipment, scrap metal
partners:: Iran, Russia, Turkmenistan, Georgia

Imports

total value:: $727 million (c.i.f., 1996)
commodities:: grain, other foods, fuel, other energy
partners:: Iran, Russia, Turkmenistan, Georgia, US, EU

Debt-external

$820 million (of which $75 million to Russia) (1997 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$1-499.89 (November 1997), 414.04 (1996), 405.91 (1995), 288.65 (1994), 9.11 (1993)

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications

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

Radio broadcast stations

AM 10, FM 3, shortwave NA (1991)

Radios

Television broadcast stations

1 note: 100% of population receives Armenian and Russian TV programs

Televisions

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

Networkskm

Highways

8,580Railways

825

Highways: paved: 8,580 km · unpaved: 0 km (1996 est.) · Railways: ; does not include industrial lines · broad gauge: 825 km 1.520-m gauge (1992)

Railways

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

Highways

total:: 8,580 km
paved:: 8,580 km
unpaved:: 0 km (1996 est.)

Waterways

NA km

Pipelines

natural gas 900 km (1991)

Ports and harbors

none

Airports

11 (1996 est.)

Airports-with paved runways

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 1998. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/armenia/1998.

How to cite ← 1997 edition 1999 edition →