| GEOGRAPHY |
| 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 |
| Capital: |
Yerevan |
| Location: |
Southwestern Asia,
east of Turkey |
| Geographic
Coordinates: |
40 00 N, 45 00
E |
| Area: |
total: 29,800
sq km
land: 28,400 sq km
water: 1,400 sq km |
| Area
Comparative: |
slightly smaller
than Maryland |
| Land
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 |
| Coastline: |
0 km (landlocked) |
| Maritime
Claims: |
none (landlocked) |
| Climate: |
highland continental,
hot summers, cold winters |
| Terrain: |
Armenian Highland
with mountains; little forest land; fast flowing rivers; good soil
in Aras River valley |
| Elavation
Extremes: |
lowest point: Debed
River 400 m
highest point: Aragats Lerrnagagat' 4,090 m |
| Natural
Resources: |
small deposits
of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, alumina |
| GOVERNEMENT |
| Governement
Type: |
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 |
| Administratives
Divisions: |
11 provinces (marzer,
singular - marz); Aragatsotn, Ararat, Armavir, Geghark'unik', Kotayk',
Lorri, Shirak, Syunik', Tavush, Vayots' Dzor, Yerevan |
| Independence |
21 September 1991
(from Soviet Union) |
| National
Holiday: |
Independence Day,
21 September (1991) |
| Constitution: |
adopted by nationwide
referendum 5 July 1995 |
| Legal
System; |
based on civil
law system |
| Suffrage |
18 years of age;
universal |
| 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;
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% |
| Legislative
Branch: |
unicameral National
Assembly (Parliament) or Azgayin Zhoghov (131 seats; members elected
by popular vote to serve four-year terms; 75 members elected by party
list, 56 by direct vote)
elections: last held 25 May 2003 (next to be held in the spring of
2007)
note: percent of vote by party - Republican Party 23.5%, Justice Bloc
13.6%, Rule of Law 12.3%, ARF (Dashnak) 11.4%, National Unity Party 8.8%, United
Labor Party 5.7%; seats by party - Republican Party 23, Justice Bloc 14, Rule
of Law 12, ARF (Dashnak) 11, National Unity 9, United Labor 6; note - seats by
party change frequently as deputies switch parties or announce themselves independent |
| Judicial
Branch: |
Constitutional
Court; Court of Cassation (Appeals Court) |
| Political
parties and Leaders: |
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); 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] |
| PEOPLE |
| Population: |
2,991,360
note: Armenia's first census since independence was conducted
in October 2001 (July 2004 est.) |
| Age structure: |
0-14 years: 22.7%
(male 357,094; female 323,396)
15-64 years: 66.7% (male 929,719; female 1,065,505)
65 years and over: 10.6% (male 128,027; female 187,619) (2004
est.) |
| Median age: |
total: 29.7
years
male: 27.1 years
female: 32.4 years (2004 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun: Armenian(s)
adjective: Armenian |
| Ethnic groups: |
Armenian 93%,
Azeri 1%, Russian 2%, other (mostly Yezidi Kurds) 4% (2002)
note: as of the end of 1993, virtually all Azeris had emigrated
from Armenia |
| Religions: |
Armenian Apostolic
94%, other Christian 4%, Yezidi (Zoroastrian/animist) 2% |
| Languages: |
Armenian 96%,
Russian 2%, other 2% |
| COMUNICATIONS |
| Telephones - main
lines in use: |
562,600 (2003) |
| Telephones - mobile
cellular: |
114,400 (2003) |
| Telephone 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: 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) |
| Radio broadcast
stations: |
AM 9, FM 6, shortwave
1 (1998) |
| Television broadcast
stations: |
3 (plus an unknown
number of repeaters); (1998) |
| Internet country
code: |
.am |
| Internet hosts: |
2,206 (2004) |
| Internet users: |
150,000 (2003) |
| TRANSPORT |
| Railways: |
total: 845
km
broad gauge: 845 km 1.520-m gauge (828 km electrified)
note: some lines are out of service (2003) |
| Highways: |
total: 15,918
km
paved: 15,329 km (includes 7,527 km of expressways)
unpaved: 589 km (2000) |
| Waterways: |
none |
| Pipelines: |
gas 1,871 km (2004) |
| Ports and harbors: |
none |
| Merchant marine: |
none |
| Airports: |
17 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with
paved runways: |
total: 11
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with
unpaved runways: |
total: 6
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 1 (2003 est.) |
| Heliports: |
none |
