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4 definitions found
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Armenia \Armenia\ n.
1. a country in the Caucasus, formerly a part of the Soviet
Union.
[WordNet 1.5 +PJC]
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
Armenia
n : a landlocked republic in southwestern Asia; formerly an
Asian soviet; modern Armenia is but a fragment of ancient
Armenia which was one of the world's oldest
civilizations; throughout 2500 years the Armenian people
have been invaded and oppressed by their neighbors [syn:
{Republic of Armenia}, {Hayastan}]
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:
Armenia
high land, occurs only in Authorized Version, 2 Kings 19:37; in
Revised Version, "Ararat," which is the Hebrew word. A country
in western Asia lying between the Caspian and the Black Sea.
Here the ark of Noah rested after the Deluge (Gen. 8:4). It is
for the most part high table-land, and is watered by the Aras,
the Kur, the Euphrates, and the Tigris. Ararat was properly the
name of a part of ancient Armenia. Three provinces of Armenia
are mentioned in Jer. 51:27, Ararat, Minni, and Ashchenaz. Some,
however, think Minni a contraction for Armenia. (See {ARARAT}.)
From CIA World Factbook 2002 [world02]:
Armenia
Introduction Armenia
--------------------
Background: An Armenian Apostolic Christian
country, Armenia was incorporated
into Russia in 1828 and the USSR in
1920. Armenian leaders remain
preoccupied by the long conflict
with 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.
Geography Armenia
-----------------
Location: Southwestern Asia, east of Turkey
Geographic coordinates: 40 00 N, 45 00 E
Map references: Asia
Area: total: 29,800 sq km
water: 1,400 sq km
land: 28,400 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
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Debed River 400 m
highest point: Aragats Lerrnagagat'
4,090 m
Natural resources: small deposits of gold, copper,
molybdenum, zinc, alumina
Land use: arable land: 17.52%
permanent crops: 2.3%
other: 80.18% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 2,870 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: occasionally severe earthquakes;
droughts
Environment - current issues: soil pollution from toxic chemicals
such as DDT; energy blockade, the
result of conflict with Azerbaijan
and disagreements with Turkey, has
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
Environment - international party to: Air Pollution,
agreements: Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Hazardous Wastes,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants
Geography - note: landlocked in the Lesser Caucasus
Mountains; Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan)
is the largest lake in this mountain
range
People Armenia
--------------
Population: 3,330,099
note: Armenia's first census since
independence was conducted in
October 2001, but official figures
have not yet been released (July
2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 22.2% (male 374,597;
female 363,115)
15-64 years: 67.7% (male 1,104,100;
female 1,150,282)
65 years and over: 10.1% (male
141,330; female 196,675) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: -0.15% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 12 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 9.94 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: -3.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/
female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/
female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 41.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 66.59 years
female: 71.12 years (2002 est.)
male: 62.27 years
Total fertility rate: 1.53 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.01% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ less than 500 (1999 est.)
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Armenian(s)
adjective: Armenian
Ethnic groups: Armenian 93%, Azeri 3%, Russian 2%,
other (mostly Yezidi Kurds) 2%
(1989)
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%
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 98% (1989 est.)
Government Armenia
------------------
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of
Armenia
conventional short form: Armenia
local short form: Hayastan
former: Armenian Soviet Socialist
Republic; Armenian Republic
local long form: Hayastani
Hanrapetut'yun
Government type: republic
Capital: Yerevan
Administrative 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;
special election last held 30 March
1998 (next to be held NA March
2003); prime minister appointed by
the president
election results: Robert KOCHARIAN
elected president; percent of vote -
Robert KOCHARIAN 59.5%, Karen
DEMIRCHYAN 40.5%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly
(Parliament) or Azgayin Zhoghov (131
seats; members elected by popular
vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 30 May 1999
(next to be held in the spring of
2003)
election results: percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - Unity
Bloc 61 (Republican Party 41,
People's Party of Armenia 20),
Stability Group (independent
Armenian deputies who have formed a
bloc) 21, ACP 10, ARF (Dashnak) 8,
Law and Unity Party 7, NDU 6, Law-
Governed Party 6, independents 10,
unfilled 2; note - seats by party
change frequently
Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Constitutional Court
Political parties and leaders: Agro-Technical People's Group
(formerly Stability Group) [Hmayk
HOVHANISSIAN]; Armenian Communist
Party or ACP [Vladimir DARBINYAN];
Armenia Democratic Party [Armen
SARGSIAN]; Armenian Revolutionary
Federation ("Dashnak" Party) or ARF
[Hrant MARKARYAN]; Christian
Democratic Union or CDU [Azat
ARSHAKYN, chairman]; Constitutional
Rights Union [Hrant KHACHATRYAN];
Democratic Liberal Party/Ramkvar
Azatakyan or DL/RA [Ruben
MIRZAKHANIAN, chairman]; Law and
Unity Party [Artashes GEGAMIAN,
chairman]; Law-Governed Party [Artur
BAGDASARIAN, chairman]; National
Accord Front [Ashot MANUTCHARIAN];
National Democratic Alliance [Arshak
ZADOYAN]; National Democratic Party
[Shavarsh KOCHARIAN]; National
Democratic Union or NDU [Vazgen
MANUKIAN]; Pan-Armenian National
Movement or PANM [Alex ARZOUMANYAN];
People's Democratic Party [Gagik
ASLANYAN]; People's Deputies Group
[Hovhannes HOVHANISSIAN]; People's
Party of Armenia [Stepan
DEMIRCHYAN]; Republic Party [Aram
SARGSIAN]; Republican Party or RPA
[Andranik MARKARYAN]; Shamiram
Women's Movement or SWM [Shogher
MATEVOSIAN]; Social Democratic
(Hunchak) Party [Yeghia SHAMSHAYN];
Social Democratic Union (formerly
National Self-Determination Union)
[Paruyr HAYRIKIAN]; Twenty-first
Century Party [David SHAKHNAZARIAN];
Unity Bloc [Stepan DEMIRCHIAN and
Andranik MARKARYAN] (a coalition of
the Republican Party and People's
Party of Armenia); Yerkrapah Union
[Manval GRIGORYAN]
Political pressure groups and NA
leaders:
International organization BSEC, CCC, CE, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE,
participation: ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM
(observer), OAS (observer), OPCW,
OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Arman
KIRAKOSIAN
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles
FAX: [1] (202) 319-2982
telephone: [1] (202) 319-1976
chancery: 2225 R Street NW,
Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: Ambassador John M.
US: ORDWAY
embassy: 18 Baghramyan Ave., Yerevan
375019
mailing address: American Embassy
Yerevan, Department of State,
Washington, DC 20521-7020
telephone: [374](1) 521-611, 543-900
FAX: [374](1) 520-800, 542-152
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red
(top), blue, and orange
Economy Armenia
---------------
Economy - overview: 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
agricultural sector has long-term
needs for more investment and
updated technology. 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
(gold, bauxite) are small. The
ongoing conflict with Azerbaijan
over the ethnic Armenian-dominated
region of Nagorno-Karabakh and the
breakup of the centrally directed
economic system of the former Soviet
Union contributed to a severe
economic decline in the early 1990s.
By 1994, however, the Armenian
Government had launched an ambitious
IMF-sponsored economic program that
has resulted in positive growth
rates in 1995-2001. Armenia also
managed to slash inflation and to
privatize most small- and medium-
sized enterprises. The chronic
energy shortages Armenia suffered in
recent years have been largely
offset by the energy supplied by one
of its nuclear power plants at
Metsamor. Armenia's severe trade
imbalance has been offset somewhat
by international aid, domestic
restructuring of the economy, and
foreign direct investment.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $11.2
billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 9.6% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,350
(2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 29%
industry: 32%
services: 39% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: 55% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: 2.3%
percentage share: highest 10%: 35.2% (1996)
Distribution of family income - Gini 44.4 (1996)
index:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.1% (2000 est.)
Labor force: 1.4 million (2001)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 44%, services 14%,
industry 42% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate: 20%
note: official rate is 10.9% for
2000 (2001 est.)
Budget: revenues: $358 million
expenditures: $458 million,
including capital expenditures of
$NA (2001 est.)
Industries: metal-cutting machine tools,
forging-pressing machines, electric
motors, tires, knitted wear,
hosiery, shoes, silk fabric,
chemicals, trucks, instruments,
microelectronics, gem cutting,
jewelry manufacturing, software
development, food processing, brandy
Industrial production growth rate: 3.8% (2001)
Electricity - production: 5.69 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 36.34%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 32.34%
hydro: 31.32%
Electricity - consumption: 4.89 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 704 million kWh
note: exports an unknown quantity to
Georgia; includes exports to
Nagorno-Karabakh region in
Azerbaijan (2000)
Electricity - imports: 300 million kWh
note: imports an unknown quantity
from Iran (2000)
Agriculture - products: fruit (especially grapes),
vegetables; livestock
Exports: $338.5 million (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Exports - commodities: diamonds, scrap metal, machinery and
equipment, brandy, copper ore
Exports - partners: Belgium 23%, Russia 15%, US 13%,
Iran 10% (2000)
Imports: $868.6 million (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Imports - commodities: natural gas, petroleum, tobacco
products, foodstuffs, diamonds
Imports - partners: Russia 15%, US 12%, Belgium 10%,
Iran 9% (2000)
Debt - external: $839 million (June 2001)
Economic aid - recipient: $245.5 million (1995)
Currency: dram (AMD)
Currency code: AMD
Exchange rates: drams per US dollar - 564.08
(January 2002), 555.08 (2001),
539.53 (2000), 535.06 (1999), 504.92
(1998), 490.85 (1997)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Armenia
----------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: 568,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 25,000 (2001)
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: 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)
Radios: 850,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 3 (plus an unknown number of
repeaters) (1998)
Televisions: 825,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .am
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 9 (2001)
Internet users: 30,000 (2001)
Transportation Armenia
----------------------
Railways: total: 852 km in common carrier
service; does not include industrial
lines
broad gauge: 852 km 1.520-m gauge
(779 km electrified) (2001 est.)
Highways: total: 11,300 km
paved: 10,500 km (includes some all-
weather gravel-surfaced roads)
unpaved: 800 km (these roads are
made of unstabilized earth and are
difficult to negotiate in wet
weather) (1990)
Waterways: NA km
Pipelines: natural gas 900 km (1991)
Ports and harbors: none
Airports: 7 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 7
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 1 (2001)
Military Armenia
----------------
Military branches: Army, Air and Air Defense Forces,
Border Guards
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 912,650 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 722,035 (2002 est.)
service:
Military manpower - reaching males: 34,998 (2002 est.)
military age annually:
Military expenditures - dollar $135 million (FY01)
figure:
Military expenditures - percent of 6.5% (FY01)
GDP:
Transnational Issues Armenia
----------------------------
Disputes - international: Armenia supports ethnic Armenian
secessionists in Nagorno-Karabakh
and militarily occupies almost one-
fifth of Azerbaijan - Organization
for Security and Cooperation in
Europe (OSCE) continues to mediate
dispute; border with Turkey remains
closed over Nagorno-Karabakh
dispute; traditional demands
regarding former Armenian lands in
Turkey have subsided
Illicit drugs: illicit cultivator of cannabis
mostly for domestic consumption;
increasingly used as a transshipment
point for illicit drugs - mostly
opium and hashish - to Western
Europe and the US via Iran, Central
Asia, and Russia
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