Armenia
Republic of Armenia conventional short form: Armenia local long form: Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun local short form: Hayastan former: Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic; Armenian Republic
republicIndependence 21 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Armenia as the 2001 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 115 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 boundaries
total: 1,254 km border countries: Azerbaijan-proper 566 km, Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave 221 km, Georgia 164 km, Iran 35 km, Turkey 268 km
Terrain
- Armenian Highland with mountains;
- little forest land;
- fast flowing rivers;
- good soil in Aras River valley
Land use
arable land: 17% permanent crops: 3% permanent pastures: 24% forests and woodland: 15% other: 41% (1993 est.)
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
18 fieldsPer 1,000 population(2001 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 23.23% (male 394,194; female 380,911) 15-64 years: 67.04% (male 1,094,646; female 1,141,760) 65 years and over: 9.73% (male 135,477; female 189,112) (2001 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 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 (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 66.49 years male: 62.12 years female: 71.08 years (2001 est.)
Ethnic groups
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
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 98% (1989 est.)
Government
Republic
20 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Legislature, 131 seatsone 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*
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Robert KOCHARIAN (since 30 March 1998) head of government: Prime Minister Andranik MARKARYAN (since 12 May 2000) 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 59.5%, Karen DEMIRCHYAN 40.5%
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, ARF (Dashnak) 8, Law and Unity Party 7, NDU 6, Law-Governed Party 6, independents 10, unfilled 2;
- note - seats by party change frequently
Political parties and leaders
- Armenia Party [Myasnik ALKHASYAN];
- Armenian Communist Party or ACP [Vladimir DARBINYAN];
- Armenian Revolutionary Federation ("Dashnak" Party) or ARF [Hrant MARKARYAN];
- 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];
- Pan-Armenian National Movement or PANM [Vano SIRADEGHYAN];
- People's Party of Armenia [Stepan DEMIRCHYAN];
- Republican Party or RPA [Andranik MARKARYAN];
- Shamiram Women's Movement or SWM [Gayane SARUKHYAN];
- Social Democratic (Hnchakian) Party [Ernst SOGOMONYAN];
- Stability Group [Vartan AYVAZIAN, chairman];
- Union of National Self-Determination or NSDU [Paruir HAIRIKIAN, chairman];
- Unity Bloc [Stepan DEMIRCHIAN and Andranik MARKARYAN] (a coalition of the Republican Party and People's Party of Armenia)
International organization participation
BSEC, CCC, CE, 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 (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Arman KIRAKOSIAN chancery: 2225 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 319-1976
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Michael C. LEMMON embassy: 18 Marshal Bagramian Avenue, Yerevan mailing address: American Embassy Yerevan, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-7020 telephone: [374] (2) 52-16-11
Economy
32 fieldsElectricity
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 1995-2000.
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. Armenia's severe trade imbalance, importing three times its exports, has been offset somewhat by international aid, domestic restructuring of the economy, and foreign direct investment.
Budget
revenues: $360 million expenditures: $566 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)
Industries
metal-cutting machine tools, forging-pressing machines, electric motors, tires, knitted wear, hosiery, shoes, silk fabric, chemicals, trucks, instruments, microelectronics, gem cutting, jewelry manufacturing, software development, brandy
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel: 45.56% hydro: 23.25% nuclear: 31.19% other: 0% (1999)
Exchange rates
drams per US dollar - 554.29 (1 February 2001), 539.53 (2000), 535.06 (1999), 504.92 (1998), 490.85 (1997), 414.04 (1996)
Communications
10 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- 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
7 fieldsNetworkskm
Railways
total: 852 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines broad gauge: 852 km 1.520-m gauge (779 km electrified) (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 7 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.)
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
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Armenia.” The World Factbook 2001. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/armenia/2001.