ng rivers; good soil in Aras River valley

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Debed River 400 m highest point:
Aragats Lerrnagagat' 4,090 m

Natural resources: small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc,
alumina

Land use: arable land: 18% permanent crops: 2% other: 80% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 2,870 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: occasionally severe earthquakes; droughts

Environment - current issues: soil pollution from toxic chemicals
such as DDT; energy blockade, the result of conflict with Azerbaijan
and disagreements with Turkey, has led to deforestation when citizens
scavenged for firewood; pollution of Hrazdan (Razdan) and Aras Rivers;
the draining of Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan), a result of its use as a source
for hydropower, threatens drinking water supplies; restart of Metsamor
nuclear power plant in spite of its location in a seismically-active zone

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear
Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified:
Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Geography - note: landlocked in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains; Sevana
Lich (Lake Sevan) is the largest lake in this mountain range

People Armenia

Population: 3,330,099 note: Armenia's first census since independence
was conducted in October 2001, but official figures have not yet been
released (July 2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 22.2% (male 374,597; female 363,115) 15-64
years: 67.7% (male 1,104,100; female 1,150,282) 65 years and over: 10.1%
(male 141,330; female 196,675) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.15% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 12 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 9.94 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: -3.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over:
0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 41.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 71.12 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 1.53 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.01% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: less than 500 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (1999 est.)

National