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Location: Southwestern Asia, east of Turkey
Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States - European States
Area:
total area: 29,800 sq km
land area: 28,400 sq km
comparative area: 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)
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)
Population: 3,557,284 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 31% (female 542,664; male 570,998)
15-64 years: 61% (female 1,103,171; male 1,076,226)
65 years and over: 8% (female 154,784; male 109,441) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.94% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 22.79 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 6.66 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -6.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 26 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.36 years
male: 68.94 years
female: 75.95 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.06 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Armenian(s)
adjective: Armenian
Ethnic divisions: Armenian 93%, Azeri 3%, Russian 2%, other (mostly Yezidi Kurds) 2%
(1989)
note: as of the end of 1994, most Azeris had emigrated from Armenia
Religions: Armenian Orthodox 94%
Languages: Armenian 96%, Russian 2%, other 2%
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1989)
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 98%
Labor force: 1.578 million
by occupation: industryand construction 34%, agriculture and forestry 31%, other
35% (1992)
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: 37 regions (shrjanner, singular - shrjan) and 23 cities* (kaghakner, singular - kaghak); Abovyan*, Akhuryani Shrjan, Alaverdi*, Amasiayi Shrjan, Anii Shrjan, Aparani Shrjan, Aragatsi Shrjan, Ararat*, Ararati Shrjan, Armaviri Shrjan, Artashat*, Artashati Shrjan, Art'ik*, Art'iki Shrjan, Ashots'k'i Shrjan, Ashtarak*, Ashtaraki Shrjan, Baghramyani Shrjan, Ch'arents'avan*, Dilijan*, Ejmiatsin*, Ejmiatsni Shrjan, Goris*, Gorisi Shrjan, Gugark'i Shrjan, Gyumri*, Hoktemberyan*, Hrazdan*, Hrazdani Shrjan, Ijevan*, Ijevani Shrjan, Jermuk*, Kamo*, Kamoyi Shrjan, Kapan*, Kapani Shrjan, Kotayk'i Shrjan, Krasnoselski Shrjan, Martunu Shrjan, Masisi Shrjan, Meghru Shrjan, Metsamor*, Nairii Shrjan, Noyemberyani Shrjan, Sevan*, Sevani Shrjan, Sisiani Shrjan, Spitak*, Spitaki Shrjan, Step'anavan*, Step'anavani Shrjan, T'alini Shrjan, Tashiri Shrjan, Taushi Shrjan, T'umanyani Shrjan, Vanadzor*, Vardenisi Shrjan, Vayk'i Shrjan, Yeghegnadzori Shrjan, Yerevan*
Independence: 28 May 1918 (First Armenian Republic); 23 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday: Referendum Day, 21 September
Constitution: adopted NA April 1978; referendum on new constitution to be held 5 July 1995
Legal system: based on civil law system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Overview: Under the old Soviet central planning system, Armenia had developed a more modern industrial sector, supplying machine building equipment, textiles, and other manufactured goodsto sister republics in exchange for raw materials and energy resources. Armenia is a large food importer and its mineral deposits (gold, bauxite) are small. The economic decline in recent years (1991-94) has been particularly severe due to the ongoing conflict over the ethnic Armenian-dominated region of Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan and Turkey have blockaded pipeline and railroad traffic to Armenia for its support of the Karabakh Armenians. This has left Armenia with chronic energy shortages because of a lack of capacity and frequent disruptions of natural gas deliveries through unstable Georgia, as well as difficulties in obtaining other types of fuel. In addition, bread is strictly rationed and there are shortages of other goods. In 1994, the economy seemed to bottom out. The government has managed to increase its financial and budgetary discipline, bringing inflation down from around 40% per month in first half 1994 to single digits in second half 1994 and the first quarter of1995. A full economic recovery cannot be expected until the conflict is settled and the blockade lifted.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $8.1 billion (1994 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1992)
National product real growth rate: -2% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $2,290 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 27% per month average (1994 est.)
Unemployment rate: 6.5% of officially registered unemployed but large numbers of underemployed (1994 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports: $43 million to countries outside the FSU (f.o.b., 1994)
commodities: gold and jewelry, aluminum, transport equipment, electrical equipment
partners: Iran, Russia, Turkmenistan, Georgia
Imports: $120 million from countries outside the FSU (c.i.f., 1994)
commodities: grain, other foods, fuel, other energy
partners: Iran, Russia, Turkmenistan, Georgia, US, EU
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate 7% (1994 est.); accounts for 41% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity: 4,620,000 kW
production: 5.7 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 1,620 kWh (1994)
Industries: traditionally diverse, including (as a percent of output of former USSR) metalcutting machine tools(5.5%), forging-pressing machines (1.9%), electric motors (9%), tires (1.5%), knitted wear (4.4%), hosiery (3.0%), shoes (2.2%), silk fabric (0.8%), washing machines (2.0%), chemicals, trucks, watches, instruments, and microelectronics (1990); currently, much of industry is shut down
Agriculture: only 17% of land area is arable; employs 31% of labor force as residents increasingly turn to subsistence agriculture; fruits (especially grapes) and vegetable farming, minor livestock sector; vineyards near Yerevan are famous for brandy and other liqueurs
Currency: 1 dram = 100 luma (introduced new currency in November 1993)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Railroads:
total: 840 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines
broad gauge: 840 km 1.520-m gauge (1990)
Highways:
total: 11,300 km
paved: 10,500 km
unpaved: earth 800 km (1990)
Inland waterways: NA km
Pipelines: natural gas 900 km (1991)
Ports: none
Airports:
total: 11
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 2
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 2
with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 2
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 3
with unpaved runways under 914 m: 1