Armenia
Republic of ArmeniaHayastani Hanrapetut'yun
republic
Armenia as the 2000 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 108 fields, one of 34 editions from 1992 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
An Orthodox Christian country, Armenia was incorporated into Russia in 1828 and the USSR in 1920. Armenian leaders remain preoccupied by the long conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, a primarily Armenian-populated exclave, assigned to Soviet Azerbaijan in the 1920s by Moscow. Armenia and Azerbaijan began fighting over the exclave 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
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, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
- signed, but not ratified:
- Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants
People
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(2000 est.)
Male · female
Ethnic groups(1989)
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 24% (male 415,297; female 400,590)
- 15-64 years:
- 66% (male 1,084,588; female 1,131,387)
- 65 years and over:
- 10% (male 129,890; female 182,584) (2000 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:
- 0.95 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Government
Republic; President Robert KOCHARIAN (since 30 March 1998); Prime Minister Aram SARKISYAN (since 3 November 1999)
18 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Legislature, 131 seats, elected 30 May 1999one 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 Aram SARKISYAN (since 3 November 1999)
- 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 to be held NA 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 (131 seats; members serve four-year terms)
- elections:
- last held 30 May 1999 (next to be held in the spring of 2003)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party - NA;
- seats by party - unity bloc 61 (Republican Party 41, People's Party of Armenia 20), Stability Group (independent Armenian deputies who have formed a bloc) 21, ACP 10, independents 10, ARF (Dashnak) 8, Law and Unity Party 7, NDU 6, Law-Governed Party 6, unfilled 2;
- note - seats by party change frequently
Political parties and leaders
- Armenian Communist Party or ACP [Vladimir DARBINIAN];
- Armenian National Movement or ANM [Vano SIRADEGIAN, chairman];
- Armenian Revolutionary Federation ("Dashnak" Party) or ARF [Vahan HAVHANNISIAN];
- Christian Democratic Union or CDU [Azat ARSHAKYN, chairman];
- Democratic Liberal Party [Ramkavar AZATAKAN, chairman];
- Free Armenian's Mission [Ruben MNATSANIAN, chairman];
- Law and Unity Party [Artashes GEGAMIAN, chairman];
- Law-Governed Party [Artur BAGDASARIAN, chairman];
- Mission Party [Artush PAPOIAN, chairman];
- National Democratic Union or NDU [Vazgen MANUKIAN];
- National State Party [Samvel SHAGINIAN];
- People's Party of Armenia [Stepan DEMIRCHYAN];
- Republican Party [Andranik MARKARYAN];
- Shamiram Women's Movement or SWM [Maria NERSISSIAN];
- Social Democratic (Hnchakian) Party [Yeghia NACHARIAN];
- Stability Group [Vartan AYVAZIAN, chairman];
- Union of National Self-Determination or NSDU [Paruir HAIRIKIAN, chairman]
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 Arman KIRAKOSIAN
- 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 Michael LEMMON
- embassy:
- 18 General Bagramian Avenue, Yerevan
- mailing address:
- American Embassy Yerevan, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-7020
- telephone:
- [374] (2) 151-551
- FAX:
- [374] (2) 151-550
Economy
31 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(1999 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 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 (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 1995-99.
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. Continued Russian financial difficulties have hurt the trade sector especially, but have been offset by international aid, domestic restructuring, and foreign direct investment.
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture 55%, services 25%, manufacturing, mining, and construction 20% (1999 est.)
Industries
metal-cutting machine tools, forging-pressing machines, electric motors, tires, knitted wear, hosiery, shoes, silk fabric, washing machines, chemicals, trucks, watches, instruments, microelectronics
Exchange rates
dram per US$1 - 527.02 (January 2000), 535.06 (1999), 504.92 (1998), 490.85 (1997), 414.04 (1996), 405.91 (1995)
Communications
8 fieldsTelephone system
system inadequate; now 90% privately owned and undergoing modernization and expansion
- domestic:
- the majority of subscribers and the most modern equipment are in Yerevan (this includes paging and mobile cellular service)
- 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
Transportation
8 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right
Networkskm
Railways
- total:
- 825 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines
- broad gauge:
- 825 km 1.520-m gauge (825 km electrified) (1995)
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 regarding 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 [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Armenia.” The World Factbook 2000. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/armenia/2000.