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Communications

Airports [time series]

total: 12 useable: 10 with permanent-surface runways: 6 with runways over 3,659 m: 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 3

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

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

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

NA km

Pipelines [time series]

natural gas 900 km (1991)

Ports [time series]

none; landlocked

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

840 km; does not include industrial lines (1990)

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

progress on installation of fiber optic cable and construction of facilities for mobile cellular phone service remains in the negotiation phase for joint venture agreement; 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

Affiliation [time series]

(part of the Dutch realm)

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army, Air Force, National Guard, Security Forces (internal and border troops)

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

250 million rubles, NA% of GDP (1992 est.); note - conversion of the military budget into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 848,223; fit for military service 681,058; reach military age (18) annually 28,101 (1993 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for about 20% of GDP; only 29% 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]

retaining Russian ruble as currency (January 1993)

Economic aid [time series]

wheat from US, Turkey

Electricity [time series]

2,875,000 kW capacity; 9,000 million kWh produced, 2,585 kWh per capita (1992)

Exchange rates [time series]

rubles per US$1 - 415 (24 December 1992) but subject to wide fluctuations

Exports [time series]

$30 million to outside the successor states of the former USSR (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: machinery and transport equipment, light industrial products, processed food items (1991) partners: NA

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$650 million (December 1991 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

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]

$300 million from outside the successor statees of the former USSR (c.i.f., 1992) commodities: machinery, energy, consumer goods (1991) partners: NA

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

growth rate -50% (1992 est.)

Industries [time series]

diverse, including (in 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)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

20% per month (first quarter 1993)

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

GDP $NA

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$NA

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

-34% (1992)

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 beleaguered 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. The dramatic drop in output in 1992 is attributable largely to the cumulative impact of the blockade; of particular importance was the shutting off in the summer of 1992 of rail and road links to Russia through Georgia due to civil strife in the latter republic.

Unemployment rate [time series]

2% of officially registered unemployed but large numbers of underemployed

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 29,800 km2 land area: 28,400 km2 comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland

Climate [time series]

continental, hot, and subject to drought

Coastline [time series]

0 km (landlocked)

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

pollution of Razdan and Aras Rivers; air pollution in Yerevan; energy blockade has led to deforestation as citizens scavenge for firewood, use of Lake Sevan water for hydropower has lowered lake level, threatened fish population

Disputes - international (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

Irrigated land [time series]

3,050 km2 (1990)

Land boundaries [time series]

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

Land use [time series]

arable land: 29% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 15% forest and woodland: 0% other: 56%

Location [time series]

Southeastern Europe, between Turkey and Azerbaijan

Map references [time series]

Africa, Asia, Commonwealth of Independent States - European States, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims [time series]

none; landlocked

Natural resources [time series]

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

Note [time series]

landlocked

Terrain [time series]

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

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

none (all rayons are under direct republic jurisdiction)

Capital [time series]

Yerevan

Constitution [time series]

adopted NA April 1978; post-Soviet constitution not yet adopted

Digraph [time series]

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

chief of mission: Ambassador Rouben SHUGARIAN chancery: 122 C Street NW, Suite 360, Washington, DC 20001 telephone: (202) 628-5766

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

President: last held 16 October 1991 (next to be held NA); results - Levon Akopovich TER-PETROSYAN 86%; radical nationalists about 7%; note - Levon TER-PETROSYAN was elected Chairman of the Armenian Supreme Soviet 4 August 1990 Supreme Soviet: last held 20 May 1990 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (240 total) non-aligned 149, Armenian National Movement 52, Armenian Democratic Liberal Organization 14, Dashnatktsutyan 12, National Democratic Union 9, Christian Democratic Union 1, Constitutional Rights Union 1, National Self-Determination Association 1, Republican Party 1

Executive branch [time series]

president, council of ministers, prime minister

Flag [time series]

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, and gold

Independence [time series]

23 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)

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 Hrant BAGRATYAN (since NA February 1993); Supreme Soviet Chairman Babken ARARKTSYAN (since NA 1990)

Legal system [time series]

based on civil law system

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral Supreme Soviet

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

BSEC, CIS, CSCE, EBRD, IBRD, ICAO, IMF, NACC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO

Country name (Names) [time series]

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

National holiday [time series]

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

Armenian National Movement, Husik LAZARYAN, chairman; National Democratic Union; National Self-Determination Association; Armenian Democratic Liberal Organization, Ramkavar AZATAKAN, chairman; Dashnatktsutyan Party (Armenian Revolutionary Federation, ARF), Rouben MIRZAKHANIN; Chairman of Parliamentary opposition - Mekhak GABRIYELYAN; Christian Democratic Union; Constitutional Rights Union; Republican Party

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Designate Harry GILMORE embassy: 18 Gen Bagramian, Yerevan mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: (7) (885) 215-1122, 215-1144 FAX: (7) (885) 215-1122

People

Birth rate [time series]

25.79 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate [time series]

6.77 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Armenian 93%, Azeri 3%, Russian 2%, other 2%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

28.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Labor force [time series]

1.63 million by occupation: industry and construction 42%, agriculture and forestry 18%, other 40% (1990)

Languages [time series]

Armenian 96%, Russian 2%, other 2%

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 71.77 years male: 68.36 years female: 75.36 years (1993 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 9-49 can read and write (1970) total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Armenian(s) adjective: Armenian

Net migration rate [time series]

-6.76 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Population [time series]

3,481,207 (July 1993 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

1.23% (1993 est.)

Religions [time series]

Armenian Orthodox 94%

Total fertility rate [time series]

3.31 children born/woman (1993 est.)