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Background:
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Armenia prides itself on being the first nation to formally adopt Christianity (early 4th century). Despite periods of autonomy, over the centuries Armenia came under the sway of various empires including the Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Persian, and Ottoman. During World War I in the western portion of Armenia, Ottoman Turkey instituted a policy of forced resettlement coupled with other harsh practices that resulted in an estimated 1 million Armenian deaths. The eastern area of Armenia was ceded by the Ottomans to Russia in 1828; this portion declared its independence in 1918, but was conquered by the Soviet Red Army in 1920. Armenian leaders remain preoccupied by the long conflict with Muslim 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. Turkey imposed an economic blockade on Armenia and closed the common border because of the Armenian occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas.
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Location:
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Southwestern Asia, east of Turkey
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Geographic coordinates:
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40 00 N, 45 00 E
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Map references:
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Area:
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total: 29,800 sq km
land: 28,400 sq km
water: 1,400 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Maryland
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Land boundaries:
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total: 1,254 km
border countries: Azerbaijan-proper 566 km, Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave 221 km, Georgia 164 km, Iran 35 km, Turkey 268 km
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Coastline:
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0 km (landlocked)
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Maritime claims:
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none (landlocked)
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Climate:
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highland continental, hot summers, cold winters
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Terrain:
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Armenian Highland with mountains; little forest land; fast flowing rivers; good soil in Aras River valley
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Debed River 400 m
highest point: Aragats Lerrnagagat' 4,090 m
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Natural resources:
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small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, bauxite
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Land use:
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arable land: 16.78%
permanent crops: 2.01%
other: 81.21% (2005)
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Irrigated land:
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2,860 sq km (2003)
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Total renewable water resources:
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10.5 cu km (1997)
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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Total: 2.95 cu km/yr (30%/4%/66%)
Per capita: 977 cu m/yr (2000)
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Natural hazards:
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occasionally severe earthquakes; droughts
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Environment - current issues:
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soil pollution from toxic chemicals such as DDT; the energy crisis of the 1990s 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
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants
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Geography - note:
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landlocked in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains; Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan) is the largest lake in this mountain range
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Population:
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2,971,650 (July 2007 est.)
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 19.5% (male 307,610/female 271,381)
15-64 years: 69.3% (male 962,126/female 1,098,192)
65 years and over: 11.2% (male 132,705/female 199,636) (2007 est.)
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Median age:
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total: 30.8 years
male: 28.1 years
female: 33.6 years (2007 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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-0.129% (2007 est.)
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Birth rate:
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12.34 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
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Death rate:
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8.29 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
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Net migration rate:
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-5.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.16 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.133 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.876 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.665 male(s)/female
total population: 0.894 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 21.69 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 26.69 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 15.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 72.12 years
male: 68.52 years
female: 76.29 years (2007 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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1.34 children born/woman (2007 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.1% (2003 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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2,600 (2003 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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less than 200 (2003 est.)
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Nationality:
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noun: Armenian(s)
adjective: Armenian
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Ethnic groups:
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Armenian 97.9%, Yezidi (Kurd) 1.3%, Russian 0.5%, other 0.3% (2001 census)
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Religions:
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Armenian Apostolic 94.7%, other Christian 4%, Yezidi (monotheist with elements of nature worship) 1.3%
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Languages:
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Armenian 97.7%, Yezidi 1%, Russian 0.9%, other 0.4% (2001 census)
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.4%
male: 99.7%
female: 99.2% (2001 census)
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This page was last updated on 24 January, 2008
- The Central Intelligence Agency's World Factbook - |
