President: Serzh Sarkisyan (2008)
Prime Minister: Tigran Sarkisyan (2008)
Land area: 11,506 sq mi (29,800 sq km); total area: 11,506 sq mi (29,800 sq km)
Population (2009 est.): 2,967,004 (growth rate: -0.03%); birth rate: 12.6/1000; infant mortality rate: 20.2/1000; life expectancy: 72.6; 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
National Name: Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun
Current government officials
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.
