Armenia
Republic of ArmeniaHayastani Hanrapetut'yun
republicIndependence 28 May 1918-2 December 1920 (First Armenian
Armenia as the 1999 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 106 fields, one of 34 editions from 1992 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
Armenia was one of the 15 successor republics to the USSR in December 1991. Its leaders remain preoccupied by the long conflict with Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave. Although a cease-fire has been in effect since May 1994, the sides have not made substantial progress toward a peaceful resolution. In January 1998, differences between President TER-PETROSSIAN and members of his cabinet over the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process came to a head.
With the prime minister, defense minister, and security minister arrayed against him, an isolated TER-PETROSSIAN resigned the presidency on 3 February 1998. Prime Minister Robert KOCHARIAN was elected president in March 1998. Concerns about Armenia's economic performance have continued since 1997 with a slowdown in growth and the serious impact of the 1998 financial crisis in Russia.
Geography
Southwestern Asia, east of Turkey
18 fieldsLand useshare of 29,800 sq km
Terrain
- Armenian Highland with mountains;
- little forest land;
- fast flowing rivers;
- good soil in Aras River valley
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:
- Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants
People
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1999 est.)
Male · female
Ethnic groups(1989)
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 25% (male 442,117; female 425,561)
- 15-64 years:
- 66% (male 1,100,334; female 1,148,595)
- 65 years and over:
- 9% (male 122,170; female 170,457) (1999 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:
- 0.72 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.95 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Government
Republic; President Robert KOCHARIAN (since 30 March 1998); Prime Minister Armen DARBINYAN (since 10 April 1998)
18 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Legislature, 190 seats, elected 5 July 1995one dot, one seat
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 1918-2 December 1920 (First Armenian Republic); 23 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)
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 in the spring of 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;
- note--seats by party change frequently
International organization participation
BSEC, CCC, CE (guest), CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Rouben R. SHUGARIAN
- chancery:
- 2225 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
- consulate(s) general:
- Los Angeles
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Michael LEMMON
- embassy:
- 18 General Bagramian Avenue, Yerevan
- mailing address:
- American Embassy Yerevan, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-7020
Economy
31 fieldsGDP--composition by sector(1998 est.)
Electricity
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 has been given renewed emphasis by the current administration. 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 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 1995-98.
Armenia also managed to slash inflation and to privatize most small- and medium-sized enterprises. The chronic energy shortages Armenia suffered in recent years have been largely offset by the energy supplied by one of its nuclear power plants at Metsamor. The Russian financial crisis generated concerns about Armenia's economic performance in 1998.
Although inflation dropped to 10% and GDP grew about 6%, the industrial sector remained moribund. Much of Armenia's population remains heavily dependent on remittances from relatives abroad, and remittances from Russia fell off sharply in 1998.
Labor force--by occupation
manufacturing, mining, and construction 25%, agriculture 38%, services 37%
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
Exports--commodities
gold and jewelry, aluminum, transport equipment, electrical equipment, scrap metal
Exchange rates
dram per US$1--535.62 (January 1999), 504.92 (1998), 490.85 (1997), 414.04 (1996), 405.91 (1995), 288.65 (1994)
Communications
6 fieldsTelephone system
- the Ministry of Communications oversees the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications;
- the national operator is Armentel;
- the Greek Telecoms Company owns 90% of Armentel and will provide a $60 million eight-year loan;
- Armenia has about 4,000 Internet users on one satellite channel
- domestic:
- local--350,000 telephones are located in Yerevan;
- a fiber-optic loop provides digital service to 80,000 of Yerevan's customers;
- GSM cellular is available in Yerevan, as is paging;
- intercity--the former Soviet system provides service to 380,000 numbers mostly governmental
- international:
- Yerevan is connected to the Trans-Asia-Europe line through Iran;
- additional international service is available by microwave, land line, and satellite through the Moscow switch;
- 1 INTELSAT earth station
Television broadcast stations
3 (in addition, programs are received by relay from Russia; 100% of the population receive Armenian and Russian TV programs) (1997)
Transportation
8 fieldsNetworkskm
Railways
- total:
- 825 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines
- broad gauge:
- 825 km 1.520-m gauge (1992)
Military
Army, Air Force and Air Defense Aviation, Air | Defense Force, Security Forces (internal and border troops)
7 fieldsMilitary branches
Army, Air Force and Air Defense Aviation, Air Defense Force, Security Forces (internal and border troops)
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsDisputes--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;
- increasingly used as a transshipment point for illicit drugs--mostly opium and hashish--to Western Europe and the US via Iran, Central Asia, and Russia
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Armenia.” The World Factbook 1999. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/armenia/1999.