; good soil in Aras River valley
Natural resources:
small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, alumina
Land use:
arable land:
17%
permanent crops:
3%
meadows and pastures:
20%
forest and woodland:
0%
other:
60%
Irrigated land:
3,050 sq km (1990)
Environment:
current issues:
soil pollution from toxic chemicals such as DDT; energy blockade, the
result of conflict with Azerbaijan, has led to deforestation as
citizens scavenge for firewood; pollution of Hrazdan (Razdan) and Aras
Rivers; the draining of Lake Sevan, a result of its use as a source
for hydropower, threatens drinking water supplies; air pollution in
Yerevan
natural hazards:
occasionally severe earthquakes (25,000 people killed in major quake
in 1988); subject to drought
international agreements:
party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change
Note:
landlocked

@Armenia, People

Population:
3,521,517 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.08% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
24.21 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
6.72 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
-6.72 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
27.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
72.07 years
male:
68.65 years
female:
75.65 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.19 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Armenian(s)
adjective:
Armenian
Ethnic divisions:
Armenian 93%, Azeri 3%, Russian 2%, other 2%
Religions:
Armenian Orthodox 94%
Languages:
Armenian 96%, Russian 2%, other 2%
Literacy:
age 9-49 can read and write (1970)
total population:
100%
male:
100%
female:
100%
Labor force:
1.578 million
by occupation:
industry and construction 34%, agriculture and forestry 31%, other 35%
(1992)

@Armenia, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
Republic of Armenia
conventional short form:
Armenia
local long form:
Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun
local short form:
Hayastan
former:
Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic; Armenian Republic
Digraph:
AM
Type:
republic
Capital:
Yerevan
Administrative divisions:
none (all rayons are under direct republic jurisdiction)
Independence:
28 May 1918 (First Armenian Republic); 23 September 1991 (from Soviet
Union)
National holiday:
Referendum Day, 21 September
Constitution:
adopted NA April 1978; post-Soviet