Armenia is a Southwest Asian country. Located in Transcaucasia, with a very mountainous territory, it covers an area of 29,800 km 2 . It borders Georgia to the north; Azerbaijan to the east; Iran and Azerbaijan (Nakhitchevan enclave), to the south; and Turkey to the west. The most important cities are Yerevan (1 066 800 residents) (2004), the capital; Goumri (137 200 residents) (2004) and Kirovakan (91 700 residents) (2004).
The climate is dry and continental, with very hot summers and harsh winters. In regions of higher altitude, the climate is very cold.
Economy
It has some quantities of gold, copper and molybdenum, but they are not significant for the national economy. The industry, which constitutes the country’s economic base, produces caustic soda, plastic, paper, steel, cotton fabrics, silk, wool, tires, motor vehicles, construction material and leather products. Armenia’s main economic partners are Russia, Turkmenistan, Iran and Belgium.
Environmental indicator: the value of carbon dioxide emissions, per capita (metric tons, 1999), is 0.8.
Population
Armenia has a population of 2 976 372(est. 2006), which corresponds to a population density of 100.1 residents/km2. The birth rate is 12.07% and the mortality rate is 8.23%. Average life expectancy reaches 71.84 years. The value of the Human Development Index (HDI) is 0.729 and the value of the Gender-adjusted Development Index (IDG) is 0.727 (2001). It is estimated that in 2025 the population will be 3 485 000 residents. Armenians, with 93% of the total population, are the dominant ethnic group. In religious terms, Armenian apostolates predominate. The official language is Armenian.
History
Armenia was part of the Byzantine Empire until the 11th century, when Turkey took over the territory. In the 13th century, it came under the rule of the Mongols. From the 16th century, it was the turn of the Ottoman Empire to control the territory. Russia’s advance into the Caucasus in the early 19th century sparked a struggle for independence. In 1915, during the First World War, the Turks massacred and deported around 1,750,000 Armenians to Syria and Mesopotamia. The country was conquered by Russia in 1916, and, together with Georgia and Azerbaijan, the Transcaucasian Alliance was formed, dissolved shortly thereafter. In 1922, the territory was incorporated into the Soviet Union. Later, in 1936, the Soviet Constitution gave Armenia the status of republic of the USSR. For Armenia democracy and rights, please check homeagerly.
In the late 1980s, Armenia experienced ethnic unrest with the political dispute over the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous region ruled by neighboring Azerbaijan, although the majority of the population was Armenian. In December 1988, northwestern Armenia was devastated after an attack by the opposing force, which killed 25,000 people.
After the Soviet collapse in August 1990, Armenia declared independence. In 1991, the country joined the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and in 1992 it was admitted to the United Nations (UN). However, after independence, it has fought Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, which has been reflected in a huge weakening of the national economy. To further aggravate the situation, in 1992, the country suffered a trade and energy embargo, imposed by Azerbaijan. In 1994 Armenia seized not only Nagorno-Karabakh but also a significant part of Azerbaijan, resulting in the weakening of the economy on both sides.
Countryaah.com: Offers a full list of airports in the country of Armenia, sorted by city location and acronyms.
Abbreviationfinder.org: Provides most commonly used abbreviations and initials containing the country name of Armenia. Listed by popularity.
1UpTravel.com – Maps of Armenia
Browse a collection of city, country, regional, thematic, and historical maps of Armenia, a southwestern Asian country, east of Turkey.
