General Information

Country name: (conventional long form) Republic of Armenia, (conventional short form) Armenia

Area: 29 800 sq km

Population: 2 980 930 (2005)

Capital: Yerevan

Population: 1 248 700

Ethnic groups: Armenian 93%, Azerbaijanis 1%, Russian 2%, other (mostly Kurds) 4% (2002)
note: as of the end of 1993, virtually all Azerbaijanis had emigrated from Armenia

Government: Republic. Independence: 21 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Head of State: President Robert Kocharian since 30 March 1998
Head of Government: Prime Minister Andranik Markaryan since 12 May 2000

Language: Armenian. Russian is usually understood, but rarely used; Kurdish is sometimes used in broadcasting as 56,000 Kurds inhabit Armenia

Religion: Armenia is the oldest Christian nation in the world, its conversion dating from the year AD 310. The Armenian Apostolic Church developed separately from both the Catholic and Orthodox branches of Christianity. It remains the dominant church, although there are Catholic and Protestant communities and a Russian Orthodox minority

Time Zone: GMT/UTC +3 (GMT/UTC + 4 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October)

Electricity: 220V, 50Hz

Weights & measures: Metric

Visas: The information about visa regimes should be learned in Embassy of Armenia or in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia
Website: http://www.armeniaforeignministry.com/

Economy

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 (copper, 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 liberalization program that resulted in positive growth rates in 1995-2003. Armenia joined the WTO in January 2003. Armenia also has managed to slash inflation, stabilize the local currency (the dram), and privatize most small- and medium-sized enterprises. The chronic energy shortages Armenia suffered in the early and mid-1990s have been offset by the energy supplied by one of its nuclear power plants at Metsamor. Armenia is now a net energy exporter, although it does not have sufficient generating capacity to replace Metsamor, which is under international pressure to close. The electricity distribution system was privatized in 2002. Armenia's severe trade imbalance has been offset somewhat by international aid and foreign direct investment. Economic ties with Russia remain close, especially in the energy sector.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) composition by sector: agriculture 23.1%, industry 35.4%, services 41.5% (2002)

Labor force (by occupation): industry 25%, agriculture 45%, services 30% (2002)

Unemployment rate: 20% (2001)

Industries: diamond-processing, metal-cutting machine tools, forging-pressing machines, electric motors, tires, knitted wear, hosiery, shoes, silk fabric, chemicals, trucks, instruments, microelectronics, jewelry manufacturing, software development, food processing, brandy

Agriculture - products: fruit (especially grapes), vegetables; livestock

Exports - commodities: diamonds, mineral products, foodstuffs, energy

Exports - partners: Belgium 21.9%, Israel 16.4%, Russia 14.7%, Iran 11.2%, US 8.4%, Germany 6.6% (2002)

Imports - commodities: natural gas, petroleum, tobacco products, foodstuffs, diamonds

Imports - partners: US 14.1%, Russia 11.9%, Belgium 11.3%, Israel 10%, Iran 9.5%, UAE 5.7%, Germany 5.1%, Italy 4.5%, Ukraine 4.2% (2002)

Money

Currency: The national currency of the Republic of Armenian is the Dram consisting of 100 luma. At present, banknotes with nominal values of 50 000, 20 000, 10 000, 5000, 1000, 500, 200, 100, 50, 25 and 10 Dram, as well as coins with nominal values of 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 1 Dram, and 50 and 20 luma are in circulation

Currency exchange: Foreign currencies can be exchanged at the airports, banks and most hotels and shops during normal opening hours. US Dollars are the most widely recognised foreign currency

Exchange rate indicators: £1.00=946.85 Dram, $1.00=500 Dram (November 2004)
Website: http://www.cba.am/

Banking hours: Mon-Fri 09.30-17.30

History

Armenia prides itself on being the first nation to formally adopt Christianity (early 4th century). Despite periods of autonomy, over the centuries Armenia came under the sway of various empires including the Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Persian, and Ottoman. It was incorporated into Russia in 1828 and the USSR in 1920. Armenian leaders remain preoccupied by the long conflict with Muslim Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, a primarily Armenian-populated region, assigned to Soviet Azerbaijan in the 1920s. 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. Turkey imposed an economic blockade on Armenia and closed the common border because of the Armenian occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas.

Culture

Armenians converted early to Christianity (the oldest churches were founded in the 4th century), and the head of the Armenian Orthodox Church, the Supreme Catholicos, lives in Echmiadzin. The Armenian rite, the Church's ritual of worship, includes ancient, rhythmical chants.

Occurrence of the Armenian philosophy, literature, and historiography go back to the beginning of the 5th century. The epos "Sasuntsi David" (9-10th centuries) is known as generalization of heroic struggle of Armenian people against the Arabian yoke. In the 13th century the secular poetry and the world famous Armenian medieval lyric arises. Poet Frik, fabulist Vardan Ajgektsi (13th century), poet Sayat-Nova (18th century) are known. Armenian literature is rich in proverbs, fables and folk tales. The 20th century novelists and poets have made significant contributions into the world literature. Khachatour Abovian is regarded as the founder of modern Armenian literature. Creativities of poets O.Tumanjana, A.Isaakjana, and of playwright G.Sundukjan are known.

From the most ancient times (3-2th centuries BC) art processing of metal, ceramics, stone sculptures as fishes were known on the territory of Armenia. The further development of art culture is traced in painting and a sculpture of Urartu. In the Middle Ages the book miniature has reached of the best development. Since the 17th centuries a plenty jeweller product and highly artistic carpets were kept. At the 17-18th centuries monumental and portrait painting develops. Such artists as Martiros Sarian and brothers Ovnatanian, and sculptor Khorem Der Harootian are world famous. One of the country's most important modern painters is Hakob Hakobyan, an ethnic Armenian from Egypt who settled in Armenia in 1962.

The Armenian musical culture was generated some centuries prior to AD. Carriers of ancient culture were singers - goosuny. In the Middle Ages they were said to be ashugs. Sayat-Nova was oustanding ashug of the 18th century. In the second half of the 19th century the first Armenian composers as T.Chuhadzjan, N.Tigranian came into wiev. Komitas is the first researcher of Armenian national and a sacred music, the founder of the polyphonic style keeping features of national songs. He is the founder of the national composer school. A.Spendiarov being the founder of the Armenian symphonic music (the author of opera "Almast"), and A.Tigranjan, the author of opera "Anush", have begun the activity at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. The oustanding composer of the 20th century is Aram Khachaturian, the author of ballets, symphonic and other products.

Lamb is the staple meat, and kashlama, or boiled lamb, a specialty. The trout from Lake Sevan is excellent. Fruit and vegetables are generally not hard to find. Beans, chickpeas, eggplant, yoghurt, tabouleh and other dishes common in the Middle East are the norm in Armenia. The local konyak, or brandy, is first rate, and it's claimed that Winston Churchill preferred the Armenian to the French variety.

Environment

Armenia sits on an isthmus of land between the Black and the Caspian seas, landlocked between Iran to the south-east, Turkey along the south-western corner, Georgia up north and Azerbaijan on the eastern border. The land rises in the north to form the Little Caucasus (Malyy Kavkaz) mountain range, and arid flatlands creep southwards into Turkey and Iran. Only 10% of the country lies below 1000m (3280ft), and its highest point is the 4090m (13,415ft) Mt. Aragats. The Araks River forms most of Armenia's border with Iran and part of the border with Turkey. You can travel from semi-desert foothills to alpine country within a few kilometres, and the fertile Ararat Valley produces most of the country's agricultural wealth.

The country is protected from the worst of Russia's harsh winters by the Northern Caucasus Mountains, and consequently much of its weather blows in from Persia and Syria. November to April/May is the wettest season, but Armenia does not get as much rain as some of its neighbours. The mountains in the south are usually covered with snow during winter, but lower areas like the Ararat Valley often remain warm, (and very hot in summer). The south is sub-tropical.

Geology

Geological structure. The territory of Armenia is located in the inner part of the Mediterranean folded geosyncline belt. The geological structure is very complicated: deposits of almost all systems from the Pre-Cambrian to the Quaternary are abundant there, intrusive rocks of various composition and age (granitoid, alkaline, basic and ultrabasic). Thick volcanogenic and sedimentary beds of the Jurassic and Paleogene commonly occur. About one third of the Armenia area is covered by andesite basalt, tuff, pumice, perlite and other eruption products of Anthropogene volcanoes, which became extinct not long ago.

The central zone of Little Caucasus (Malyy Kavkaz) in the territory of Armenia where Lake Sevan is located greatly differs in the geological structure from the rest of the territory of the country. The major ophiolite belt of Little Caucasus extends there. It is composed of ultrabasic magmatic rocks commonly occurring under the Earth’s crust and comprising ultrabasite, gabbro, amphibolite and basalt. Mountain massifs bounding Lake Sevan basin in the northeast and southwest were formed as early as in the Triassic more than 200 million years ago. The formation of Sevan basin was associated with intense tectonic movements that took place in the territory of Armenia at the end of Pliocene (about five million years ago). Intense volcanic eruptions occurred in the Upper Pliocene. In the central part of Little Caucasus, the major lava flows formed a number of volcanic plateaus the largest of which is Akhalkalakskoe plateau. At the beginning of Early Anthropogene about 2 million years ago, considerable crustal movements were noted that resulted in the formation in their modern form of massif Aragats, the Gegamsky range, Srednearaksinskaya depression and Lake Sevan basin.

Seismicity of Armenia individual areas is caused by their tectonic structure. Thick lava flows as well as cones and craters holding very well testify that volcanic activity in Armenia highland stopped comparatively recently. In the context of dramatic processes of mountain building, which created the modern relief of Armenia highland, its area is one of the least stable areas of the Earth’s crust. Strongest earthquakes occurred there in different times and epochs. The disastrous earthquake in Armenia with the epicenter in Shirakskoe plateau occurred on 7 of December 1988, at 11.41 by local time. Its magnitude Mb was 6.2. In the modern history of the Caucasus, this earthquake, known as Spitak Earthquake, has caused the largest damage. More than 20 towns and 342 villages were affected and 58 of them were completely destroyed. At least 25000 people killed. In city Spitak, the earthquake intensity amounted to 10. City Spitak was razed to the ground.

Natural resources. From northwest to southeast four structural zones of the Caucasus general strike are separated each of which shows different mineralization: Alaverdi – Kafanskaya folded zone with copper pyrite mineralization, Sevan near-fold zone with chromic iron and gold, Pambak Zangezur folded zone with molybdenum copper mineralization, and Erevan–Ordubanskaya zone with rock salt and oil and gas presence manifestations. Deposits of molybdenum copper ores, copper pyrite, gold, iron, complex ores, nepheline syenite, bentonite, rock salt, marble, dolomite, magnesia refractory raw materials, diatomite, tuff, pumice, obsidian, agate, perlite and others are of major economic value.

Getting Around

Large towns (with population): Yerevan (1 091 235), Gyumri (140 318), Vanadzor (93 823), Vagharshapat (51 280), Hrazdan (43 926), Sevan (18 776). The last population census was held in 2001.

Buses are the most reliable form of transport, and will get you to most places in the republic, as well as the places the trains don't go. Fuel is expensive, though, thanks to the Azerbaijan blockade, so transport is not good value for what you get. You can also hire cars, which is an excellent way to see the country, as long as you watch out for children and livestock on the roads, which are in a poor state.

Accommodation

Hotels previously run by Intourist are now mostly being privatised. In Yerevan the new Armenia Hotel is an Armenian/Marriott joint venture, functioning exclusively in foreign currency and supplied with power from its own generators. The Hotel Hrazdan, mainly occupied by foreign missions, also has its own generator, but is state owned and functions primarily as a guest-house for official visitors. Private individuals may occasionally be allowed to stay there by special arrangement. The Hotel Dvin, opposite the Hrazdan, is less comfortable but has privileged supplies of electricity and running water. It has a satellite telephone service for guests.
Website: http://www.armeniainfo.am/