FACTFILE ON ARMENIA
Agence France Presse — English
February 17, 2008 Sunday 2:00 AM GMT
Armenia, which holds a presidential election on Tuesday, is a small
mountainous landlocked republic in the southern Caucasus. Until 1991
it was part of the Soviet Union.
GEOGRAPHY: Wedged between Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran and Turkey,
Armenia has an area of 29,800 square kilometres (11,500 square
miles). Only 10 percent of the land surface is below 1,000 metres
(3,300 feet) altitude.
CAPITAL: Yerevan (1.2 million inhabitants).
POPULATION: Three million. Between eight and nine million people of
Armenian origin live abroad, many from families who emigrated during
the massacres carried out by the Ottoman Empire in World War I.
RELIGION: Largely Christian with the majority belonging to the Armenian
Apostolic Church. Some Russian Orthodox, Protestants and Muslims.
LANGUAGE: Armenian.
HISTORY: Armenia, which in the fourth century AD became the first
country to embrace Christianity, has been occupied by foreign powers
for most of its history. It was under Ottoman rule when World War
I broke out, and major massacres of Armenians, viewed by Armenia as
genocide, occurred during the conflict.
The country was invaded by Bolshevik troops at the end of the war,
and became a Soviet republic in November 1920.
Armenia was not occupied by the Nazis during World War II but suffered
heavy losses as Armenians were recruited into the Soviet army.
On the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Armenia became an
independent state. The country initially faced an alarming decline
in economic conditions, but in recent years has seen significant
economic growth.
In February 1988 conflict broke out in Nagorny Karabakh, a region with
an Armenian majority which was attached to neighbouring Azerbaijan
in 1921. More than 25,000 people died before a ceasefire was signed
in 1994.
POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS: Elections followed the proclamation of
independence and Levon Ter-Petrosian became president. He was
re-elected in 1996 but resigned in February 1998 and was replaced by
Robert Kocharian, a native of Nagorny Karabakh and thus technically
a citizen of Azerbaijan. He was re-elected in 2003 for a second and
final five-year mandate.
A new constitution was adopted by referendum in June 1995 granting
broad executive powers to the president. The first legislative
elections were held shortly afterwards in which the ruling Republican
bloc won an overwhelming majority. A constitutional reform voted
by referendum in November 2005 gave more powers to parliament and
the government.
ECONOMY: The economy relies mainly on farming and forestry, with some
industry and substantial remittances from citizens working abroad.
Russia is Armenia’s main trade partner and ally, but trade embargoes
imposed by Turkey and Azerbaijan have hit the country hard.
Although it has some mineral resources, it is heavily dependent on
imported energy. Economic activity was badly disrupted by a major
earthquake in 1988 and by the conflict with Azerbaijan.
GNP: 1,470 dollars per capita (estimate, 2005, World Bank),
unemployment: 9.6 percent, economic growth: 13.8 percent (2007).
Budget deficit: 0.8 percent of GDP (2007).