slightly larger than Maryland
Land boundaries:
total 1,254 km, Azerbaijan (east) 566 km, Azerbaijan (south) 221 km,
Georgia 164 km, Iran 35 km, Turkey 268 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none; landlocked
International disputes:
violent and longstanding dispute with Azerbaijan over ethnically
Armenian exclave of Nagorno-Karabakh; traditional demands on former
Armenian lands in Turkey have greatly subsided
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
Land use:
arable land:
17%
permanent crops:
3%
meadows and pastures:
20%
forest and woodland:
0%
other:
60%
Irrigated land:
3,050 sq km (1990)
Environment:
current issues:
soil pollution from toxic chemicals such as DDT; energy blockade, the
result of conflict with Azerbaijan, has led to deforestation as
citizens scavenge for firewood; pollution of Hrazdan (Razdan) and Aras
Rivers; the draining of Lake Sevan, a result of its use as a source
for hydropower, threatens drinking water supplies; air pollution in
Yerevan
natural hazards:
occasionally severe earthquakes (25,000 people killed in major quake
in 1988); subject to drought
international agreements:
party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change
Note:
landlocked
@Armenia, People
Population: 3,521,517 (July 1994 est.) Population growth rate: 1.08% (1994 est.) Birth rate: 24.21 births/1,000 population (1994 est.) Death rate: 6.72 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.) Net migration rate: −6.72 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.) Infant mortality rate: 27.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.07 years male: 68.65 years female: 75.65 years (1994 est.) Total fertility rate: 3.19 children born/woman (1994 est.) Nationality: noun: Armenian(s) adjective: Armenian Ethnic divisions: Armenian 93%, Azeri 3%, Russian 2%, other 2% Religions: Armenian Orthodox 94% Languages: Armenian 96%, Russian 2%, other 2% Literacy: age 9–49 can read and write (1970) total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% Labor force: 1.578 million by occupation: industry and construction 34%, agriculture and forestry 31%, other 35% (1992)
@Armenia, Government
Names:
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
Digraph:
AM
Type:
republic
Capital:
Yerevan
Administrative divisions:
none (all rayons are under direct republic jurisdiction)
Independence:
28 May 1918 (First Armenian Republic); 23 September 1991 (from Soviet
Union)
National holiday:
Referendum Day, 21 September
Constitution:
adopted NA April 1978; post-Soviet constitution not yet adopted
Legal system:
based on civil law system
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President Levon Akopovich TER-PETROSYAN (since 16 October 1991), Vice
President Gagik ARUTYUNYAN (since 16 October 1991); election last held
16 October 1991 (next to be held NA); results - Levon Akopovich
TER-PETROSYAN 86%; radical nationalists about 7%; note - Levon
Akopovich TER-PETROSYAN was elected Chairman of the Armenian Supreme
Soviet 4 August 1990 before becoming president
head of government:
Prime Minister Hrant BAGRATYAN (since 16 February 1993); First Deputy
Prime Minister Vigen CHITECHYAN (since 16 February 1993)
cabinet:
Council of Ministers; appointed by the president
Legislative branch:
unicameral
Supreme Soviet:
elections last held 20 May 1990 (next to be held NA); results -
percent of vote by party NA; seats - (260 total) non-aligned 125, ANM
52, DPA 23, Democratic Liberal Party 17, ARF 17, NDU 9, Christian
Democratic Party 1, Constitutional Rights Union 1, UNSD 1, Republican
Party 1, Nagorno-Karabakh representatives 13
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
Armenian National Movement (ANM), Ter-Husik LAZARYAN, chairman;
National Democratic Union (NDU), David VARTANYAN, chairman; Armenian
Revolutionary Federation (ARF, Dashnaktsutyun), Arutyun ALISTAKESYAN,
chairman; Democratic Party of Armenia (DPA; Communist Party), Aram
SARKISYAN, chairman; Christian Democratic Party, Azat ARSHAKYAN,
chairman; Greens Party, Hakob SANASARIAN, chairman; Democratic Liberal
Party, Rouben MIRZAKHANYAN, chairman; Republican Party, Ashot
NAVARSARDYAN, chairman; Union for Self-Determination (UNSD), Paruir
AIRIKYAN, chairman
Member of:
BSEC, CCC, CIS, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, ILO,
IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NACC, NAM (observer), UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Rouben Robert