Statistics and Geography
Facts about The Republic of Armenia

CLICK HERE TO SEE A MAP OF ARMENIA (BY HYEETCH)

TOTAL LAND AREA: Approximately 29,800 sq Km (11,490 sq miles)

BORDERING COUNTRIES : Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey & Iran.

CAPITAL OF ARMENIA: Yerevan

FLAG: Three equal horizontal stripes of red, blue and orange.

DATE OF INDEPENDENCE: September 23, 1991.

POPULATION: 3,754,000 (1996) within Armenia - 5,000,000 outside Armenia (Diaspora)

Population growth rate: 1.08% (1994 est.)
Population density: ranging from 17 to 330 persons/sq Km
Net migration rate: -6.72 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Birth rate: 24.21 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate: 6.72 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 27.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

LIFE EXPECTANCY:

total population: 72.07 years
male: 68.65 years
female: 75.65 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.19 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Ethnic composition: Armenian 94%, Russian 2%, other 4%

LABOR FORCE: 1.578 million

By occupation: Industry and construction 34%, agriculture and forestry 31%, other 35% (1992)

TOPOGRAPHY: Dominated by Lesser Caucasus range, running across north and then turning southeast to Iran. Armenian Plateau to the southwest of mountains. Plateau, major feature of central Armenia, slopes gradually downward into Araks River valley, which forms border with Turkey to west and Iran to south. Average elevation: 1,800m.

CLIMATE: Mountains preclude influence from nearby seas; temperature and precipitation generally determined by elevation: colder and wetter in higher elevations (north and northeast). In central plateau, wide temperature variation between winter and summer.

Winter temperatures: ranging between -5° and -10°C
Summer temperatures: ranging between 22° and 36°C

LANGUAGES: Official state language is Armenian, spoken by 96 percent of population. Russian, first language of 2 percent, second language for about 40 percent of population.

RELIGION: Approximately 94 percent of population belongs to Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church. Other religions include Russian Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Protestant denominations, and Yezidism.

EDUCATION AND LITERACY: Education is compulsory through secondary school. Literacy estimated at 100 percent. In early 1990s, substantial changes, begun in previous centralized Soviet system, emphasized national heritage.

CURRENCY: Dram (Tram)

1 Dram = 100 Luma
exchange rate - 1USD = 502 Dram (Mar 1998)

RESOURCES AND INDUSTRY:
Natural resources: copper; lead; zinc; silver; small deposits of gold
Agriculture: cotton; grapes; sugar beets; tobacco Industry: fertilizers; building materials; canned food; mechanical engineering; chemicals; textiles

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL STRUCTURE:
National legislature: National Assembly, with 190 seats, 150 elected from single-member districts and 40 by party list.
Head of state: The President. The government is appointed by the prime minister, who is nominated by the president.
Main political parties: Armenian Revolutionary Federation (also known as Dashnakchutiun or Dashnak); Armenian National Movement; Shamiram; Communist party; National Democratic Union; National Self-Determination Union; Ramgavar Azadagan; Social-Democratic Hinchakian party.

TIME: GMT +3