Armenia prides itself on being the first nation to formally adopt Christianity (early 4th century). Despite periods of autonomy, over the centuries Armenia came under the sway of various empires including the Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Persian, and Ottoman. During World War I in the western portion of Armenia, Ottoman Turkey instituted a policy of forced resettlement coupled with other harsh practices that resulted in an estimated 1 million Armenian deaths. The eastern area of Armenia was ceded by the Ottomans to Russia in 1828; this portion declared its independence in 1918, but was conquered by the Soviet Red Army in 1920. Armenian leaders remain preoccupied by the long conflict with Muslim Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, a primarily Armenian-populated region, assigned to Soviet Azerbaijan in the 1920s by Moscow. Armenia and Azerbaijan began fighting over the area 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. Turkey imposed an economic blockade on Armenia and closed the common border because of the Armenian occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas.

Southwestern Asia, east of Turkey
40 00 N, 45 00 E
Asia
total: 29,800 sq km ; land: 28,400 sq km ; water: 1,400 sq km
slightly smaller than Maryland
total: 1,254 km ; border countries: Azerbaijan-proper 566 km, Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave 221 km, Georgia 164 km, Iran 35 km, Turkey 268 km
0 km (landlocked)
none (landlocked)
highland continental, hot summers, cold winters
Armenian Highland with mountains; little forest land; fast flowing rivers; good soil in Aras River valley
lowest point: Debed River 400 m ; highest point: Aragats Lerrnagagat' 4,090 m
small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, bauxite
arable land: 16.78% ; permanent crops: 2.01% ; other: 81.21% (2005)
2,860 sq km (2003)
10.5 cu km (1997)
Total: 2.95 cu km/yr (30%/4%/66%) ; Per capita: 977 cu m/yr (2000)
occasionally severe earthquakes; droughts
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
landlocked in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains; Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan) is the largest lake in this mountain range
2,971,650 (July 2007 est.)
0-14 years: 19.5% (male 307,610/female 271,381) ; 15-64 years: 69.3% (male 962,126/female 1,098,192) ; 65 years and over: 11.2% (male 132,705/female 199,636) (2007 est.)
total: 30.8 years ; male: 28.1 years ; female: 33.6 years (2007 est.)
-0.129% (2007 est.)
12.34 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
8.29 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
-5.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
at birth: 1.16 male(s)/female ; under 15 years: 1.133 male(s)/female ; 15-64 years: 0.876 male(s)/female ; 65 years and over: 0.665 male(s)/female ; total population: 0.894 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
total: 21.69 deaths/1,000 live births ; male: 26.69 deaths/1,000 live births ; female: 15.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total population: 72.12 years ; male: 68.52 years ; female: 76.29 years (2007 est.)
1.34 children born/woman (2007 est.)
0.1% (2003 est.)
2,600 (2003 est.)
less than 200 (2003 est.)
noun: Armenian(s) ; adjective: Armenian
Armenian 97.9%, Yezidi (Kurd) 1.3%, Russian 0.5%, other 0.3% (2001 census)
Armenian Apostolic 94.7%, other Christian 4%, Yezidi (monotheist with elements of nature worship) 1.3%
Armenian 97.7%, Yezidi 1%, Russian 0.9%, other 0.4% (2001 census)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write ; total population: 99.4% ; male: 99.7% ; female: 99.2% (2001 census)


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
republic
name: Yerevan ; geographic coordinates: 40 10 N, 44 30 E ; time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) ; daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
11 provinces (marzer, singular - marz); Aragatsotn, Ararat, Armavir, Geghark'unik', Kotayk', Lorri, Shirak, Syunik', Tavush, Vayots' Dzor, Yerevan

21 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Independence Day, 21 September (1991)
adopted by nationwide referendum 5 July 1995; amendments adopted through a nationwide referendum 27 November 2005
based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
18 years of age; universal
chief of state: President Robert KOCHARIAN (since 30 March 1998) ; head of government: Prime Minister Serzh SARGSYAN (since 4 April 2007) ; cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister ; elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 19 February and 5 March 2003 (next to be held 19 February 2008); prime minister appointed by the president and confirmed with the majority support of the National Assembly; 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%
unicameral National Assembly (Parliament) or Azgayin Zhoghov (131 seats; members elected by popular vote, 90 members elected by party list and 41 by direct vote; to serve four-year terms) ; elections: last held 12 May 2007 (next to be held in the spring of 2012) ; election results: percent of vote by party - HHK 49.6%, Prosperous Armenia 19%, ARF (Dashnak) 12.2%, Rule of Law 6.1%, Heritage Party 5.3%, other 7.8%; seats by party - HHK 65, Prosperous Armenia 25, ARF (Dashnak) 16, Rule of Law 8, Heritage Party 7, Dashink 1, independent 9
Constitutional Court; Court of Cassation (Appeals Court)
Armenian National Movement or ANM [Ararat ZURABYAN]; Armenian People's Party [Tigran KARAPETYAN]; Armenian Ramkavar Azadagan Party Alliance or HRAK (includes former Dashink Party, National Revival Party, and Ramkavar Liberal Party); Armenian Revolutionary Federation ("Dashnak" Party) or ARF [Hrant MARKARYAN]; Heritage Party [Raffi HOVHANNISYAN]; National Democratic Party [Shavarsh KOCHARIAN]; National Democratic Union or NDU [Vazgen MANUKIAN]; National Unity Party [Artashes GEGHAMYAN]; People's Party of Armenia [Stepan DEMIRCHYAN]; Prosperous Armenia [Gagik TSAROUKYAN]; Republic Party [Aram SARKISYAN]; Republican Party of Armenia or HHK [Serzh SARGSYAN]; Rule of Law Party (Orinats Yerkir) [Artur BAGHDASARYAN]; Union of Constitutional Rights [Hrant KHACHATURYAN]; United Labor Party [Gurgen ARSENYAN]
Yerkrapah Union [Manvel GRIGORIAN], Aylentrank (Impeachment) [Nikol PASHINYAN]
ACCT (observer), AsDB, BSEC, CE, CIS, CSTO, EAEC (observer), EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, and orange
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 Joseph S. PENNINGTON ; embassy: 1 American Ave., Yerevan 0082 ; mailing address: American Embassy Yerevan, US Department of State, 7020 Yerevan Place, Washington, DC 20521-7020 ; telephone: [374](10) 464-700 ; FAX: [374](10) 464-742





Armenia has made progress in implementing many economic reforms including privatization, price reforms, and prudent fiscal policies. Economic growth has averaged over 20% in recent years while inflation has remained moderated and poverty has declined. 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 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 (copper, gold, bauxite) are small. In the mid-1990s the Armenian Government launched an ambitious IMF-sponsored economic liberalization program that resulted in positive growth rates. Armenia has managed to slash inflation, stabilize its currency, and privatize most small- and medium-sized enterprises. Despite strong economic growth, Armenia's unemployment rate remains high. Armenia is a net energy exporter. Construction of a natural gas pipeline between Iran and Armenia is halfway completed and is scheduled to be commissioned by January 2009. Economic ties with Russia remain close, especially in the energy sector. The electricity distribution system was privatized in 2002 and bought by Russia's RAO-UES in 2005. Armenia's severe trade imbalance has been offset somewhat by international aid, remittances from Armenians working abroad, and foreign direct investment. Armenia joined the WTO in January 2003. The government made some improvements in tax and customs administration in recent years, but anti-corruption measures will be more difficult to implement. Armenia will need to pursue additional economic reforms in order to improve its economic competitiveness and to build on recent improvements in poverty and unemployment, especially given it economic isolation from two of its nearest geographic neighbors, Turkey and Azerbaijan.
$16.83 billion (2007 est.)
$9.27 billion (2007 est.)
10.5% (2007 est.)
$5,700 (2007 est.)
agriculture: 17.2% ; industry: 36.4% ; services: 46.4% (2007 est.)
1.2 million (November 2006)
agriculture: 45% ; industry: 25% ; services: 30% (2002 est.)
7.4% (November 2006 est.)
26.5% (2004 est.)
lowest 10%: 1.6% ; highest 10%: 41.3% (2004)
41 (2004)
4.5% (2007 est.)
32.7% of GDP (2007 est.)
revenues: $1.501 billion ; expenditures: $1.645 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2007 est.)

fruit (especially grapes), vegetables; livestock
diamond-processing, metal-cutting machine tools, forging-pressing machines, electric motors, tires, knitted wear, hosiery, shoes, silk fabric, chemicals, trucks, instruments, microelectronics, jewelry manufacturing, software development, food processing, brandy
4% (2007 est.)
5.975 billion kWh (2005)
fossil fuel: 42.3% ; hydro: 27% ; nuclear: 30.7% ; other: 0% (2001)
4.194 billion kWh (2005)
1.011 billion kWh; note - exports an unknown quantity to Georgia; includes exports to Nagorno-Karabakh region in Azerbaijan (2005)
231 million kWh; note - imports an unknown quantity from Iran (2005)
0 bbl/day (2005)
40,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
0 bbl/day (2004)
41,240 bbl/day (2004)
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
0 cu m (2005 est.)
1.63 billion cu m (2005 est.)
0 cu m (2005 est.)
1.63 billion cu m (2005)
0 cu m (1 January 2006)
-$275.1 million (2007 est.)
$1.09 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
diamonds, mineral products, foodstuffs, energy
Germany 18.1%, Netherlands 14.1%, Belgium 13.4%, Russia 13.1%, Israel 7.1%, US 6.1%, Georgia 5.1%, Iran 4.9% (2006)
$2.478 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Russia 21.8%, Ukraine 7.8%, Belgium 7.6%, Turkmenistan 7.1%, Italy 6.1%, Germany 5.7%, Iran 5.7%, Israel 4.8%, US 4.5%, Georgia 4.1% (2006)

$1.407 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
$2.261 billion (30 June 2007)


$42.8 million (2005)
dram (AMD)
AMD
drams per US dollar - 344.06 (2007), 414.69 (2006), 457.69 (2005), 533.45 (2004), 578.76 (2003)
calendar year
ODA, $193.3 million (2005)
594,400 (2005)
318,000 (2005)
general assessment: system inadequate; an outdated telecommunications network inherited from the Soviet era; now 90% privately owned and undergoing modernization and expansion; mobile-cellular services monopoly terminated in late 2004 and a second provider began operations in mid-2005 ; domestic: the majority of subscribers and the most modern equipment, including paging and mobile-cellular services, are in Yerevan ; 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 - 3 (2007)
AM 9, FM 16, shortwave 1 (2006)
850,000 (1997)
48 (private television stations alongside 2 public networks; major Russian channels widely available) (2006)
825,000 (1997)
.am
8,270 (2007)
9 (2001)
172,800 (2006)

12 (2007)
total: 10 ; over 3,047 m: 2 ; 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 ; 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 ; 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2007)
total: 2 ; 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 ; 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)

gas 2,002 km (2006)
total: 839 km ; broad gauge: 839 km 1.520-m gauge (828 km electrified) ; note: some lines are out of service (2006)
total: 7,633 km ; paved: 7,633 km (includes 1,561 km of expressways) (2003)




Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Nagorno-Karabakh Self Defense Force (NKSDF), Air Force, Air Defense Force (2006)
18-27 years of age for compulsory military service; 18 years of age for voluntary military service; 2-year conscript service obligation (2006)
males age 18-49: 722,836 ; females age 18-49: 795,084 (2005 est.)
males age 18-49: 551,938 ; females age 18-49: 656,493 (2005 est.)
males age 18-49: 31,774 ; females age 18-49: 31,182 (2005 est.)
6.5% (FY01)

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; Armenians continue to emigrate, primarily to Russia, seeking employment
refugees (country of origin): 219,324 (Azerbaijan) ; IDPs: 8,400 (conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, majority have returned home since 1994 ceasefire) (2006)
illicit cultivation of small amount of cannabis for domestic consumption; minor transit point for illicit drugs - mostly opium and hashish - moving from Southwest Asia to Russia and to a lesser extent the rest of Europe
current situation: Armenia is a major source and, to a lesser extent, a transit and destination country for women and girls trafficked for sexual exploitation largely to the UAE and Turkey; traffickers, many of them women, route victims directly into Dubai or through Moscow; profits derived from the trafficking of Armenian victims reportedly have increased ; tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Armenia has failed to show evidence of increasing efforts, particularly in the areas of enforcement, trafficking-related corruption, and victim protection
