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Communications

Airports [time series]

NA total, NA usable; NA with permanent-surface runways; NA with runways over 3,659 m; NA with runways 2,440-3,659 m; NA with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

none

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

11,300 km total (1990); 10,500 km hard surfaced, 800 km earth

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

NA km perennially navigable

Merchant marine [time series]

none: landlocked

Pipelines [time series]

Ports [time series]

none - landlocked

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

840 km all 1.000-meter gauge (includes NA km electrified); does not include industrial lines (1990)

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

Armenia has about 260,000 telephones, of which about 110,000 are in Yerevan; average telephone density is 8 per 100 persons; international connections to other former republics of the USSR are by landline or microwave and to other countries by satellite and by leased connection through the Moscow international gateway switch; broadcast stations - 100% of population receives Armenian and Russian TV programs; satellite earth station - INTELSAT

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops), National Guard; CIS Forces (Ground and Air Defense)

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

$NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, NA; NA fit for military service; NA reach military age (18) annually

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

only 10% of land area is arable; employs 18% of labor force; citrus, cotton, and dairy farming; vineyards near Yerevan are famous for brandy and other liqueurs

Budget [time series]

revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

as of May 1992, retaining ruble as currency

Economic aid [time series]

Electricity [time series]

NA kW capacity; 10,433 million kWh produced, about 3,000 kWh per capita (1990)

Exchange rates [time series]

Exports [time series]

$176 million (f.o.b., 1990) commodities: machinery and transport equipment, ferrous and nonferrous metals, and chemicals (1991) partners: NA

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$650 million (December 1991 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

$NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate --10% (1991)

Illicit drugs [time series]

illicit producer of cannabis mostly for domestic consumption; used as a transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western Europe

Imports [time series]

$1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1990) commodities: machinery, energy, consumer goods (1991) partners: NA

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate --9.6% (1991)

Industries [time series]

diverse, including (in percent of output of former USSR) metalcutting machine tools (6.7%), forging-pressing machines (4.7%), electric motors (8.7%), tires (2.1%), knitted wear (5.6%), hosiery (2.3%), shoes (2.2%), silk fabric (5.3%), washing machines (2.0%); also chemicals, trucks, watches, instruments, and microelectronics

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

91%

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

Armenia under the old centrally planned Soviet system had built up textile, machine-building, and other industries and had become a key supplier to sister republics. In turn, Armenia had depended on supplies of raw materials and energy from the other republics. Most of these supplies enter the republic by rail through Azerbaijan (85%) and Georgia (15%). The economy has been severely hurt by ethnic strife with Azerbaijan over control of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, a mostly Armenian-populated enclave within the national boundaries of Azerbaijan. In addition to outright warfare, the strife has included interdiction of Armenian imports on the Azerbaijani railroads and expensive airlifts of supplies to beleagured Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. An earthquake in December 1988 destroyed about one-tenth of industrial capacity and housing, the repair of which has not been possible because the supply of funds and real resources has been disrupted by the reorganization and subsequent dismantling of the central USSR administrative apparatus. Among facilities made unserviceable by the earthquake are the Yerevan nuclear power plant, which had supplied 40% of Armenia's needs for electric power and a plant that produced one-quarter of the output of elevators in the former USSR. Armenia has some deposits of nonferrous metal ores (bauxite, copper, zinc, and molybdenum) that are largely unexploited. For the mid-term, Armenia's economic prospects seem particularly bleak because of ethnic strife and the unusually high dependence on outside areas, themselves in a chaotic state of transformation.

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Geography

Climate [time series]

continental, hot, and subject to drought

Coastline [time series]

none - landlocked

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly larger than Maryland

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

violent and longstanding dispute with Azerbaijan over ethnically Armenian exclave of Nagorno-Karabakh; some irredentism by Armenians living in southern Georgia; traditional demands on former Armenian lands in Turkey have greatly subsided

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

pollution of Razdan and Aras Rivers; air pollution in Yerevan

Area (Land area) [time series]

28,400 km2

Land boundaries [time series]

1,254 km total; Azerbaijan (east) 566 km, Azerbaijan (south) 221 km, Georgia 164 km, Iran 35 km, Turkey 268 km

Land use [time series]

10% arable land; NA% permanent crops; NA% meadows and pastures; NA% forest and woodland; NA% other; NA% irrigated

Maritime claims [time series]

none - landlocked

Natural resources [time series]

small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, alumina

Terrain [time series]

high Armenian Plateau with mountain; little forest land; fast flowing rivers; good soil in Aras River valley

Area (Total area) [time series]

29,800 km2

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

none - all rayons are under direct republic jurisdiction

Capital [time series]

Yerevan

Constitution [time series]

adopted NA April 1978, effective NA

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Charge d'Affaires ad interim, Aleksandr ARZOUMANIAN US: Ambassador (vacant); Steven R. MANN, Charge d'Affaires; Embassy at Hotel Hrazdan (telephone 8-011-7-8852-53-53-32); (mailing address is APO AE 09862); telephone 8-011-7-885-215-1122 (voice and FAX); 8-011-7-885-215-1144 (voice)

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

President: last held 16 October 1990 (next to be held NA); results - elected by the Supreme Soviet, Levon Akopovich TER-PETROSYAN 86%; radical nationalists about 7% Supreme Soviet: last held 20 May 1990 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (259 total); number of seats by party NA

Executive branch [time series]

President, Council of Ministers, prime minister

Flag [time series]

Independence [time series]

Armenian Republic formed 29 November 1920 and became part of the Soviet Union on 30 December 1922; on 23 September 1991, Armenia renamed itself the Republic of Armenia

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

Chief of State: President Levon Akopovich TER-PETROSYAN (since 16 October 1991), Vice President Gagik ARUTYUNYAN (since 16 October 1991) Head of Government: Prime Minister Gagik ARUTYUNYAN (since November 1991), First Deputy Prime Minister Grant BAGRATYAN (since NA September 1990); Supreme Soviet Chairman - Babken ARARKTSYAN

Legal system [time series]

based on civil law system

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral body - Supreme Soviet

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Republic of Armenia

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

CSCE, NACC, UN, UNCTAD

National holiday [time series]

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Armenian National Movement, Husik LAZARYAN, chairman; National Self-Determination Association, Pakvyr HAYRIKIAN, chairman; National Democratic Union, Vazgen MANUKYAN, chairman; Democratic Liberal Party, Ramkavar AZATAKAN, chairman; Dashnatktsutyan Party, Rouben MIRZAKHANIN; Chairman of Parliamentary opposition - Mekhak GABRIYELYAN

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 18

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

People

Birth rate [time series]

22 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate [time series]

7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Armenian 93.3%, Russian 1.5%, Kurd 1.7%, other 3.5%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

35 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force [time series]

1,630,000; industry and construction 42%, agriculture and forestry 18%, other 40%(1990)

Languages [time series]

Armenian 93%, Russian 2%, other 5%

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

68 years male, 74 years female (1992)

Literacy [time series]

NA% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (NA)

Nationality [time series]

noun - Armenian(s); adjective - Armenian

Net migration rate [time series]

--7 migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor [time series]

Population [time series]

3,415,566 (July 1992), growth rate 0.8% (1992)

Religions [time series]

Armenian Orthodox 94%

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.7 children born/woman (1992)