Geographic coordinates: 40 00 N, 45 00 E

Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States

Area:
total: 29,800 sq km
land: 28,400 sq km
water: 1,400 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 flowing rivers; good soil in Aras River valley

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Debed River 400 m
highest point: Aragats Lerr 4,095 m

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

Land use:
arable land: 17%
permanent crops: 3%
permanent pastures: 24%
forests and woodland: 15%
other: 41% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 2,870 sq km (1993 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, 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 without adequate (IAEA-recommended)
safety and backup systems

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

Geography--note: landlocked

People

Population: 3,409,234 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 25% (male 442,117; female 425,561)
15-64 years: 66% (male 1,100,334; female 1,148,595)
65 years and over: 9% (male 122,170; female 170,457) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.38% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 13.53 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 9.03 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -8.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 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 (