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NAVIGATION
Republic of Armenia
Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun
Hayastan
former: Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic; Armenian Republic
GOVERNMENT
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Armenia
conventional short form: Armenia local short form: Hayastan former: Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic; Armenian Republic local long form: Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun |
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Government type:
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republic |
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Capital:
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Yerevan |
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Administrative divisions:
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11 provinces (marzer, singular - marz); Aragatsotn, Ararat, Armavir, Geghark'unik', Kotayk', Lorri, Shirak, Syunik', Tavush, Vayots' Dzor, Yerevan |
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Independence:
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21 September 1991 (from Soviet Union) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 21 September (1991) |
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Constitution:
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adopted by nationwide referendum 5 July 1995 |
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Legal system:
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based on civil law system |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: President Robert KOCHARIAN (since 30 March 1998)
head of government: Prime Minister Andranik MARKARYAN (since 12 May 2000) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 19 February and 5 March 2003); prime minister appointed by the president; the prime minister and Council of Ministers must resign if the National Assembly refuses to accept their program election results: Robert KOCHARIAN reelected president; percent of vote - Robert KOCHARIAN 67.5%, Stepan DEMIRCHYAN 32.5% |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral National Assembly (Parliament) or Azgayin Zhoghov (131 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms; 75 members selected by direct vote, 56 by party list)
elections: last held 30 May 1999 (next to be held in the spring of 2003) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Unity Bloc 61 (Republican Party 41, People's Party of Armenia 20), Stability Group (independent Armenian deputies who have formed a bloc) 21, ACP (Communists) 10, ARF (Dashnak) 8, Law and Unity Party 7, NDU 6, Law-Governed Party 6, independents 11, ANM 1; note - seats by party change frequently as deputies switch parties or announce themselves independent note: electoral law was changed in 2002 so ratio in next elections will be 75 deputies elected by party list, 56 by direct election |
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Judicial branch:
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Constitutional Court; Court of Cassation (Appeals Court) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Armenian National Movement or ANM [Ararat ZURABIAN, chairman]; Agro-Technical People's Group (formerly Stability Group) (parliamentary bloc); Armenian Communist Party or ACP [Vladimir DARBINYAN, First Secretary]; Armenia Democratic Party [Aram SARGSIAN]; Armenian Revolutionary Federation ("Dashnak" Party) or ARF [Armen RUSTAMIAN and Aghvan VARTANYAN]; Christian Democratic Union or CDU [Khosrev HARUTYUNIAN]; Constitutional Rights Union [Hrant KHACHATRYAN]; Democratic Liberal Party/Ramkvar Azatakyan or DL/RA [Ruben MIRZAKHANIAN]; Law-Governed Party [Artur BAGDASARIAN, chairman]; National Accord Front [Ashot MANUTCHARIAN]; National Accord Party [Artashes GEGAMIAN, chairman]; National Democratic Alliance [Arshak ZADOYAN]; National Democratic Party [Shavarsh KOCHARIAN]; National Democratic Union or NDU [Vazgen MANUKIAN]; People's Democratic Party [Gagik ASLANYAN]; People's Deputies Group [Hovhannes HOVHANISSIAN] (parliamentary bloc); People's Party of Armenia [Stepan DEMIRCHYAN]; Republic Party [Albert BAZEYAN, chairman]; Republican Party or RPA [Andranik MARKARYAN]; Shamiram Women's Movement or SWM [Shogher MATEVOSIAN]; Social Democratic (Hunchak) Party [George HAKOPIAN]; Social Democratic Union (formerly National Self-Determination Union) [Paruyr HAYRIKIAN]; Unity Bloc [Stepan DEMIRCHIAN and Andranik MARKARYAN] (a coalition of the Republican Party and People's Party of Armenia) |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Yerkrapah Union [Manvel GRIGORIAN] |
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International organization participation:
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BSEC, CCC, CE, CIS, COE, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Arman KIRAKOSIAN
chancery: 2225 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles FAX: [1] (202) 319-2982 telephone: [1] (202) 319-1976 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador John M. ORDWAY
embassy: 18 Baghramyan Ave., Yerevan 375019 mailing address: American Embassy Yerevan, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-7020 telephone: [374](1) 521-611, 520-791, 542-177, 542-132, 524-661, 527-001, 524-840 FAX: [374](1) 520-800 |
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Flag description:
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three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, and orange |
ECONOMY
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Economy - overview:
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Under the old Soviet central planning system, Armenia had developed a modern industrial sector, supplying machine tools, textiles, and other manufactured goods to sister republics in exchange for raw materials and energy. Since the implosion of the USSR in December 1991, Armenia has switched to small-scale agriculture away from the large agroindustrial complexes of the Soviet era. The agricultural sector has long-term needs for more investment and updated technology. The privatization of industry has been at a slower pace, but has been given renewed emphasis by the current administration. Armenia is a food importer, and its mineral deposits (gold, bauxite) are small. The ongoing conflict with Azerbaijan over the ethnic Armenian-dominated region of Nagorno-Karabakh and the breakup of the centrally directed economic system of the former Soviet Union contributed to a severe economic decline in the early 1990s. By 1994, however, the Armenian Government had launched an ambitious IMF-sponsored economic program that has resulted in positive growth rates in 1995-2001. Armenia also managed to slash inflation and to privatize most small- and medium-sized enterprises. The chronic energy shortages Armenia suffered in recent years have been largely offset by the energy supplied by one of its nuclear power plants at Metsamor. Armenia's severe trade imbalance has been offset somewhat by international aid, domestic restructuring of the economy, and foreign direct investment. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $11.2 billion (2001 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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9.6% (2001 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $3,350 (2001 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 29%
industry: 32% services: 39% (2000 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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55% (2001 est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 35% (1996) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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44 (1996) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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3.1% (2000 est.) |
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Labor force:
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1.4 million (2001) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 44%, services 14%, industry 42% (2000 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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20%
note: official rate is 10.9% for 2000 (2001 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $358 million
expenditures: $458 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.) |
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Industries:
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metal-cutting machine tools, forging-pressing machines, electric motors, tires, knitted wear, hosiery, shoes, silk fabric, chemicals, trucks, instruments, microelectronics, gem cutting, jewelry manufacturing, software development, food processing, brandy |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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3.8% (2001) |
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Electricity - production:
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5.69 billion kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 36%
other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 32% hydro: 31% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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4.89 billion kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - exports:
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704 million kWh
note: exports an unknown quantity to Georgia; includes exports to Nagorno-Karabakh region in Azerbaijan (2000) |
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Electricity - imports:
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300 million kWh
note: imports an unknown quantity from Iran (2000) |
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Agriculture - products:
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fruit (especially grapes), vegetables; livestock |
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Exports:
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$338.5 million f.o.b. (2001 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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diamonds, scrap metal, machinery and equipment, brandy, copper ore |
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Exports - partners:
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Belgium 23%, Russia 15%, US 13%, Iran 10% (2000) |
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Imports:
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$868.6 million f.o.b. (2001 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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natural gas, petroleum, tobacco products, foodstuffs, diamonds |
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Imports - partners:
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Russia 15%, US 12%, Belgium 10%, Iran 9% (2000) |
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Debt - external:
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$839 million (June 2001) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$245.5 million (1995) (1995) |
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Currency:
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dram (AMD) |
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Currency code:
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AMD |
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Exchange rates:
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drams per US dollar - 564.08 (January 2002), 555.08 (2001), 539.53 (2000), 535.06 (1999), 504.92 (1998), 490.85 (1997) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |