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Armenia Country Guide
Explore Armenia in Asia
The landscape offers Armenian Highland with mountains with little forest land, fast flowing rivers and good soil in Aras River valley. The average density of population is approximately 100 per km². The notable climate conditions in Armenia can be described as highland continental, hot summers, cold winters. Potential threats by nature are occasionally severe earthquakes or droughts.
To reach someone in Armenia dial +374 prior to a number. There are 630,000 installed telephones. And there are 2,620,000 registered mobile phones. The cellular networks commonly support frequencies of 900/1800 MHz. Websites registered in this country end with the top level domain ".am". If you want to bring electric equipment on your trip (e.g. laptop power supply), note the local power outlet of 220V - 50Hz.
About the flag and history of Armenia
Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, and orange; the color red recalls the blood shed for liberty, blue the Armenian skies as well as hope, and orange the land and the courage of the workers who farm it.
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 at least 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 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, ethnic 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 closed the common border with Armenia in 1993 in support of Azerbaijan in its conflict with Armenia over control of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas, further hampering Armenian economic growth. In 2009, senior Armenian leaders began pursuing rapprochement with Turkey, aiming to secure an opening of the border, but Turkey has not yet ratified the Protocols normalizing relations between the two countries.
Geography Quick-Facts
| Summary | Continent: Asia Neighbours: Georgia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkey Capital: Yerevan |
| Size | 29,800 square kilometers (km² or sqkm) or 11,505 square miles (mi² or sqmi) slightly smaller than Maryland |
| Population | 2,968,000 |
| Currency | Name Dram, Currency Code:AMD |
| Country Top Level Domain (cTLD) | .am |
| Telephone Country Prefix | +374 |
| Mobile Phone Connections | 2,620,000 |
| Landline Phone Connections | 630,000 |
Country Position in World Rankings
Information about single country attributes and how these compare against the rest of the world. The information below is compiled with data from 2013. As such, it may differ a bit to the Information above in the text (which is from 2010).
Geography
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 29,743 (sq km) | 143 |
People and Society
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,974,184 | 138 |
| Population growth rate | 0.14 (%) | 182 |
| Birth rate | 12.86 (births/1,000 population) | 153 |
| Death rate | 8.51 (deaths/1,000 population) | 80 |
| Net migration rate | -2.93 (migrant(s)/1,000 population) | 175 |
| Maternal mortality rate | 30.00 (deaths/100,000 live births) | 123 |
| Infant mortality rate | 17.59 (deaths/1,000 live births) | 100 |
| Life expectancy at birth | 73.75 (years) | 119 |
| Total fertility rate | 1.39 (children born/woman) | 206 |
| Health expenditures | 4.40 (% of GDP) | 159 |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate | 0.10 (%) | 114 |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | 1,900 | 136 |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths | 100 | 119 |
| Obesity - adult prevalence rate | 24.00 (%) | 68 |
| Children under the age of 5 years underweight | 5.30 (%) | 85 |
| Education expenditures | 3.20 (% of GDP) | 136 |
| Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 | 45.50 (%) | 9 |
Economy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (purchasing power parity) | 19,970,000,000 | 131 |
| GDP - real growth rate | 7.20 (%) | 25 |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | 5,900 | 152 |
| Labor force | 1,194,000 | 138 |
| Unemployment rate | 7.00 (%) | 76 |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index | 30.90 | 110 |
| Investment (gross fixed) | 37.10 (% of GDP) | 7 |
| Taxes and other revenues | 21.90 (% of GDP) | 146 |
| Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) | -3.10 (% of GDP) | 115 |
| Public debt | 42.10 (% of GDP) | 85 |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 4.00 (%) | 108 |
| Central bank discount rate | 7.25 (%) | 35 |
| Commercial bank prime lending rate | 17.76 (%) | 25 |
| Stock of narrow money | 1,249,000,000 | 142 |
| Stock of broad money | 3,555,000,000 | 138 |
| Stock of domestic credit | 2,807,000,000 | 133 |
| Market value of publicly traded shares | 27,990,000 | 117 |
| Industrial production growth rate | 14.10 (%) | 4 |
| Current account balance | -1,163,000,000 | 117 |
| Exports | 1,495,000,000 | 151 |
| Imports | 3,269,000,000 | 145 |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | 2,016,000,000 | 122 |
| Debt - external | 7,629,000,000 | 104 |
Energy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity - production | 7,432,000,000 (kWh) | 102 |
| Electricity - consumption | 5,800,000,000 (kWh) | 108 |
| Electricity - exports | 1,360,000,000 (kWh) | 49 |
| Electricity - imports | 291,000,000 (kWh) | 83 |
| Electricity - installed generating capacity | 3,173,000 (kW) | 85 |
| Electricity - from fossil fuels | 53.30 (% of total installed capacity) | 151 |
| Electricity - from nuclear fuels | 11.80 (% of total installed capacity) | 18 |
| Electricity - from hydroelectric plants | 34.70 (% of total installed capacity) | 61 |
| Electricity - from other renewable sources | 0.10 (% of total installed capacity) | 97 |
| Refined petroleum products - consumption | 45,300 (bbl/day) | 104 |
| Refined petroleum products - imports | 9,698 (bbl/day) | 133 |
| Natural gas - consumption | 2,077,000,000 (cu m) | 79 |
| Natural gas - imports | 2,077,000,000 (cu m) | 49 |
| Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy | 11,560,000 (Mt) | 98 |
Communications
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - main lines in use | 577,500 | 92 |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 3,211,000 | 123 |
| Internet hosts | 194,142 | 73 |
| Internet users | 208,200 | 138 |
Transportation
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Airports | 11 | 155 |
| Railways | 869 (km) | 96 |
| Roadways | 7,705 (km) | 144 |
Military
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Military expenditures | 2.80 (% of GDP) | 46 |
Data based on CIA facts book 2010 & 2013, wikipedia, national statistical offices and their census releases
List of current world heritage sites
| Name | Since |
|---|---|
| Cathedral and Churches of Echmiatsin and the Archaeological Site of Zvartnots The cathedral and churches of Echmiatsin and the archaeological remains at Zvartnots graphically illustrate the evolution and development of the Armenian central-domed cross-hall type of church, which exerted a profound influence on architectural and ... | 2000 |
| Monasteries of Haghpat and Sanahin These two Byzantine monasteries in the Tumanian region from the period of prosperity during the Kiurikian dynasty (10th to 13th century) were important centres of learning. Sanahin was renown for its school of illuminators and calligraphers. The two ... | 1996 |
| Monastery of Geghard and the Upper Azat Valley The monastery of Geghard contains a number of churches and tombs, most of them cut into the rock, which illustrate the very peak of Armenian medieval architecture. The complex of medieval buildings is set into a landscape of great natural beauty, sur ... | 2000 |