2 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 35,792
(2002 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $56.5 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.49% (FY02)

Transnational Issues Albania

Disputes - international: the Albanian Government supports protection
of the rights of ethnic Albanians outside of its borders in the Kosovo
region of Yugoslavia and in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
while continuing to seek regional cooperation; many Albanians illegally
transit neighboring states to emigrate to western Europe

Illicit drugs: increasingly active transshipment point for Southwest
Asian opiates, hashish, and cannabis transiting the Balkan route and -
to a far lesser extent - cocaine from South America destined for Western
Europe; limited opium and growing cannabis production; ethnic Albanian
narcotrafficking organizations active and rapidly expanding in Europe

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002

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Armenia

Introduction

Armenia

Background: An Armenian Apostolic Christian country, Armenia was
incorporated into Russia in 1828 and the USSR in 1920. Armenian
leaders remain preoccupied by the long conflict with Azerbaijan over
Nagorno-Karabakh, a primarily Armenian-populated region, assigned to
Soviet Azerbaijan in the 1920s by Moscow. Armenia and Azerbaijan began
fighting over the area in 1988; the struggle escalated after both
countries attained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. By
May 1994, when a cease-fire took hold, Armenian forces held not
only Nagorno-Karabakh but also a significant portion of Azerbaijan
proper. The economies of both sides have been hurt by their inability
to make substantial progress toward a peaceful resolution.

Geography Armenia

Location: Southwestern Asia, east of Turkey

Geographic coordinates: 40 00 N, 45 00 E

Map references: Asia

Area: total: 29,800 sq km water: 1,400 sq km land: 28,400 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries: total: 1,254 km border countries: Azerbaijan-proper
566 km, Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave 221 km, Georgia 164 km, Iran 35 km,
Turkey 268 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: highland continental, hot summers, cold winters

Terrain: Armenian Highland with mountains; little forest land; fast
flowi