:Armenia Geography Total area: 29,800 km2 Land area: 28,400 km2 Comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland Land boundaries: 1,254 km total; Azerbaijan (east) 566 km, Azerbaijan (south) 221 km, Georgia 164 km, Iran 35 km, Turkey 268 km Coastline: none - landlocked Maritime claims: none - landlocked Disputes: 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 Climate: continental, hot, and subject to drought Terrain: high Armenian Plateau with mountain; little forest land; fast flowing rivers; good soil in Aras River valley Natural resources: small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, alumina Land use: 10% arable land; NA% permanent crops; NA% meadows and pastures; NA% forest and woodland; NA% other; NA% irrigated Environment: pollution of Razdan and Aras Rivers; air pollution in Yerevan :Armenia People Population: 3,415,566 (July 1992), growth rate 0.8% (1992) Birth rate: 22 births/1,000 population (1992) Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1992) Net migration rate: --7 migrants/1,000 population (1992) Infant mortality rate: 35 deaths/1,000 live births (1992) Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male, 74 years female (1992) Total fertility rate: 2.7 children born/woman (1992) Nationality: noun - Armenian(s); adjective - Armenian Ethnic divisions: Armenian 93.3%, Russian 1.5%, Kurd 1.7%, other 3.5% Religions: Armenian Orthodox 94% Languages: Armenian 93%, Russian 2%, other 5% Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (NA) Labor force: 1,630,000; industry and construction 42%, agriculture and forestry 18%, other 40%(1990) Organized labor: NA :Armenia Government Long-form name: Republic of Armenia Type: republic Capital: Yerevan Administrative divisions: none - all rayons are under direct republic jurisdiction Independence: 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 Constitution: adopted NA April 1978, effective NA Legal system: based on civil law system National holiday: NA Executive branch: President, Council of Ministers, prime minister Legislative branch: unicameral body - Supreme Soviet Judicial branch: Supreme Court Leaders: 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 Political parties and leaders: 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: universal at age 18 Elections: 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 Other political or pressure groups: NA Member of: CSCE, NACC, UN, UNCTAD Diplomatic representation: 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) :Armenia Government Flag: NA :Armenia Economy Overview: 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. GDP: $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate --10% (1991) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 91% Unemployment rate: NA% Budget: revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA Exports: $176 million (f.o.b., 1990) commodities: machinery and transport equipment, ferrous and nonferrous metals, and chemicals (1991) partners: NA Imports: $1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1990) commodities: machinery, energy, consumer goods (1991) partners: NA External debt: $650 million (December 1991 est.) Industrial production: growth rate --9.6% (1991) Electricity: NA kW capacity; 10,433 million kWh produced, about 3,000 kWh per capita (1990) Industries: 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 :Armenia Economy Agriculture: 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 Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis mostly for domestic consumption; used as a transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western Europe Economic aid: NA Currency: as of May 1992, retaining ruble as currency Exchange rates: NA Fiscal year: calendar year :Armenia Communications Railroads: 840 km all 1.000-meter gauge (includes NA km electrified); does not include industrial lines (1990) Highways: 11,300 km total (1990); 10,500 km hard surfaced, 800 km earth Inland waterways: NA km perennially navigable Pipelines: NA Ports: none - landlocked Merchant marine: none: landlocked Civil air: none Airports: 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 Telecommunications: 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 :Armenia Defense Forces Branches: Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops), National Guard; CIS Forces (Ground and Air Defense) Manpower availability: males 15-49, NA; NA fit for military service; NA reach military age (18) annually Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP