Armenia

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

• soil pollution from toxic chemicals such as DDT;
• the energy crisis of the 1990s 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 in spite of its location in a seismically active zone

party to:

Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

at birth:

1.17 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.11 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.87 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.68 male(s)/female

total population:

0.9 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

noun:

Armenian(s)

adjective:

Armenian

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

chief of state:

President Robert KOCHARIAN (since 30 March 1998)

head of government:

Prime Minister Andranik MARGARYAN (since 12 May 2000)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister

elections:

• president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
• election last held 19 February and 5 March 2003 (next to be held NA 2008);
• prime minister appointed by the president;
• the prime minister and Council of Ministers must resign if the National Assembly refuses to accept their program

election results:

Robert KOCHARIAN reelected president; percent of vote - Robert KOCHARIAN 67.5%, Stepan DEMIRCHYAN 32.5%

• Agro-Industrial Party [Vladimir BADALIAN];
• Armenia Party [Myasnik MALKHASYAN];
• Armenian National Movement or ANM [Alex ARZUMANYAN, chairman];
• Armenian Ramkavar Liberal Party or HRAK [Harutyun MIRZAKHANYAN, chairman];
• Armenian Revolutionary Federation ("Dashnak" Party) or ARF [Vahan HOVHANISSIAN];
• Democratic Party [Aram SARKISYAN];
• Justice Bloc (comprised of the Democratic Party, National Democratic Party, National Democratic Union, and the People's Party) [Stepan DEMIRCHYAN];
• National Democratic Party [Shavarsh KOCHARIAN];
• National Democratic Union or NDU [Vazgen MANUKIAN];
• National Unity Party [Artashes GEGAMIAN, chairman];
• People's Party of Armenia [Stepan DEMIRCHYAN];
• Republic Party [Albert BAZEYAN and Aram SARKISYAN, chairmen];
• Republican Party or RPA [Andranik MARKARYAN];
• Rule of Law Party [Artur BAGDASARIAN, chairman];
• Union of Constitutional Rights [Hrant KHACHATURYAN];
• United Labor Party [Gurgen ARSENIAN]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Tatoul MARKARIAN

chancery:

2225 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 319-1976

FAX:

[1] (202) 319-2982

consulate(s) general:

Los Angeles

chief of mission:

Ambassador John M. EVANS

embassy:

18 Baghramyan Ave., Yerevan 375019

mailing address:

American Embassy Yerevan, Department of State, 7020 Yerevan Place, Washington, DC 20521-7020

telephone:

[374](1) 521-611, 520-791, 542-117, 542-132, 524-661, 527-001, 524-840

FAX:

[374](1) 520-800

lowest 10%:

2.3%

highest 10%:

46.2% (1999)

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:

• country code - 374;
• 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 (2000)

total:

845 km

broad gauge:

845 km 1.520-m gauge (828 km electrified)

note: some lines are out of service (2004)

total:

8,431 km

paved:

8,161 km (includes 7,567 km of expressways)

unpaved:

270 km (2002)

• Armenia supports ethnic Armenian secessionists in Nagorno-Karabakh and since the early 1990s, has militarily occupied 16% of Azerbaijan - Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) continues to mediate dispute;
• over 800,000 mostly ethnic Azerbaijanis were driven from the occupied lands and Armenia;
• about 230,000 ethnic Armenians were driven from their homes in Azerbaijan into Armenia;
• Azerbaijan seeks transit route through Armenia to connect to Naxcivan exclave;
• border with Turkey remains closed over Nagorno-Karabakh dispute;
• ethnic Armenian groups in Javakheti region of Georgia seek greater autonomy;
• tens of thousands of Armenians emigrate, primarily to Russia, to seek employment

refugees (country of origin):

236,306 (Azerbaijan)

IDPs:

50,000 (conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh) (2004)

• illicit cultivation of small amount of cannabis for domestic consumption;
• used as a transit point for illicit drugs - mostly opium and hashish - moving from Southwest Asia to Russia and to a lesser extent the rest of Europe