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Travel to Armenia — Unbiased reviews and great
deals from TripAdvisorArmenia
| REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA National
Name: Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun President: Serzh Sarkisyan (2008) Prime Minister: Tigran Sarkisyan
(2008)
Current government officials
Land area: 11,506 sq mi (29,800 sq km);
total area: 11,506 sq mi (29,800 sq km) Population (2008 est.): 2,968,586 (growth
rate: –0.1%); birth rate: 12.5/1000; infant mortality rate: 20.9/1000;
life expectancy: 72.4; density per sq mi: 258
Capital and largest city (2003 est.):
Yerevan, 1,462,700 (metro. area), 1,267,600
(city proper) Other large cities:
Vanadzor, 147,400; Gyumri (Leninakan), 125,300; Abovian, 59,300 Monetary unit: Dram
Languages:
Armenian 98%, Yezidi, Russian
Ethnicity/race:
Armenian 97.9%, Russian 0.5%, Kurds 1.3%, other
0.3% (2001)
Religion:
Armenian Apostolic 95%, other Christian 4%,
Yezidi 1%
National Holiday:
Independence Day, September 21 Literacy rate: 99.4% (2001 est.) Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2007 est.):
$16.83 billion; per capita $5,700. Real growth rate: 13.7%.
Inflation: 6.6%. Unemployment: 7.1% (2007 est.).
Arable land: 16.78%. Agriculture: fruit (especially
grapes), vegetables; livestock. Labor force: 1.2 million;
agriculture 46.2%, industry 15.6%, services 38.2% (2006 est).
Industries: diamond processing, metal-cutting machine tools,
forging-pressing machines, electric motors, tires, knitted wear,
hosiery, shoes, silk fabric, chemicals, trucks, instruments,
microelectronics, jewelry manufacturing, software development, food
processing, brandy. Natural resources: small deposits of gold,
copper, molybdenum, zinc, alumina. Exports: $1.157 billion
f.o.b. (2007): diamonds, mineral products, foodstuffs, energy.
Imports: $3.281 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.): natural gas,
petroleum, tobacco products, foodstuffs, diamonds. Major trading
partners: Russia, Ukraine, Belgium, Turkmenistan, Italy, Germany,
Iran, Israel, U.S.%, Georgia (2006) Communications: Telephones: main lines in
use: 594,400 (2005); mobile cellular: 318,000 (2005). Radio
broadcast stations: AM 9, FM 16, shortwave 1 (2006). Television
broadcast stations: 48 (private television stations alongside 2
public networks; major Russian channels widely available) (2006).
Internet hosts: 8,270 (2007). Internet users: 172,800
(2006). Transportation: Railways:
total: 839 km (2006). Highways: total: 7,700 km; paved: 7,700
km (includes 1,561 km of expressways) (2006). Waterways: n.a.
Ports and harbors: none. Airports: 12 (2007). International disputes: Armenia supports
ethnic Armenian secessionists in Nagorno-Karabakh and since the early
1990s, has militarily occupied 16% of Azerbaijan - Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) continues to mediate
dispute; over 800,000 mostly ethnic Azerbaijanis were driven from the
occupied lands and Armenia; about 230,000 ethnic Armenians were driven
from their homes in Azerbaijan into Armenia; Azerbaijan seeks transit
route through Armenia to connect to Naxcivan exclave; border with
Turkey remains closed over Nagorno-Karabakh dispute; ethnic Armenian
groups in Javakheti region of Georgia seek greater autonomy; Armenians
continue to emigrate, primarily to Russia, seeking employment.
Major sources and definitions
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Geography
Armenia is located in the southern Caucasus and
is the smallest of the former Soviet republics. It is bounded by Georgia
on the north, Azerbaijan on the east, Iran on the south, and Turkey on the
west. Contemporary Armenia is a fraction of the size of ancient Armenia. A
land of rugged mountains and extinct volcanoes, its highest point is Mount
Aragats, 13,435 ft (4,095 m).
Government
Republic.
History
One of the world's oldest civilizations, Armenia
once included Mount Ararat, which biblical tradition identifies as the
mountain that Noah's ark rested on after the flood. It was the first
country in the world to officially embrace Christianity as its religion
(c. A.D. 300).
In the 6th century B.C., Armenians settled in the kingdom of Urartu (the
Assyrian name for Ararat), which was in decline. Under Tigrane the Great
(fl. 95–55 B.C.) the Armenian empire reached
its height and became one of the most powerful in Asia, stretching from
the Caspian to the Mediterranean seas. Throughout most of its long
history, however, Armenia has been invaded by a succession of empires.
Under constant threat of domination by foreign forces, Armenians became
both cosmopolitan as well as fierce protectors of their culture and
tradition.
Over the centuries Armenia was conquered by
Greeks, Romans, Persians, Byzantines, Mongols, Arabs, Ottoman Turks, and
Russians. From the 16th century through World War I, major portions of
Armenia were controlled by their most brutal invader, the Ottoman Turks,
under whom the Armenians experienced discrimination, religious
persecution, heavy taxation, and armed attacks. In response to Armenian
nationalist stirrings, the Turks massacred thousands of Armenians in 1894
and 1896. The most horrific massacre took place in April 1915 during World
War I, when the Turks ordered the deportation of the Armenian population
to the deserts of Syria and Mesopotamia. According to the majority of
historians, between 600,000 and 1.5 million Armenians were murdered or
died of starvation. The Armenian massacre is considered the first genocide
of the 20th century. Turkey denies that a genocide took place and claims
that a much smaller number died in a civil war.
Striving for Independence
After the Turkish defeat in World War I, the
independent Republic of Armenia was established on May 28, 1918, but
survived only until Nov. 29, 1920, when it was annexed by the Soviet army.
On March 12, 1922, the Soviets joined Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan to
form the Transcaucasian Soviet Socialist Republic, which became part of
the USSR. In 1936, after a reorganization, Armenia became a separate
constituent republic of the USSR. Armenia declared its independence from
the collapsing Soviet Union on Sept. 23, 1991.
In 1988, Armenia became involved in a
territorial dispute with Azerbaijan over the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. The majority of the enclave consisted of Armenian
Christians who wanted to secede from Azerbaijan and either become part of
Armenia or gain full independence. War ensued between Armenia and
Azerbaijan over the region from 1992–1994, resulting in 30,000 casualties.
Armenia effectively controls the region today, although no formal
resolution exists.
An Armenian diaspora has existed throughout the
nation's history, and Armenian emigration has been particularly heavy
since independence from the Soviet Union. An estimated 60% of the total 8
million Armenians worldwide live outside the country, with 1 million each
in the United States and Russia. Other significant Armenian communities are located
in Georgia, France, Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Argentina, and Canada.
Prime Minister Andranik Markarian died suddenly
in March 2007. He was replaced by Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisyan.
Sarkisyan won almost 53% of the vote and former
president Levon Ter-Petrosyan took 21.5% in February 2008 presidential
elections. Ter-Petrosyan, who was Armenia's first president after it
gained independence in 1991, claimed the vote was rigged. Tens of
thousands of his supporters took to the streets in Yerevan to protest the
election. A 20-day state of emergency was declared on March 1 when the
protests turned violent and eight people were killed. On March 22, the
state of emergency ended and troops left the capital.
On April 9, 2008, Serzh Sarkisyan was sworn in
as president and named Tigran Sarkisyan (no relation) as prime minister.
See also Encyclopedia: Armenia.
U.S. State Dept. Country Notes:
Armenia
Ministry of Statistics www.armstat.am/ .
Information Please® Database, © 2007 Pearson Education,
Inc. All rights reserved.
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