Armenia, republic (11,500 sq mi/29,785 sq km; 1995 estimated population 3,557,284; 2004 estimated population 2,991,360), in the S Caucasus; (cap.) Yerevan; 40°00'N 45°00'E.
Geography
Armenia is a landlocked country bounded by Turkey on the W, Azerbaijan on the E, Iran on the SW, and Georgia on the N. The country, a high plateau region of extinct volcanoes and rugged mountains, has an average elevation of 5,900 ft/1,800 m. Many peaks exceed 10,000 ft/3,048 m; perpetually snowcapped Mount Aragats (13,419 ft/4,090 m) is the highest point in Armenia. The climate is continental, with cold, dry winters and scorching, dusty summers. The chief rivers are the Aras and its tributary, the Razdan, which provide hydroelectricity and irrigation water. Lake Sevan supports the important fishing industry and is another source of hydroelectric power.
Population
It was one of the former Soviet Union’s most densely populated and ethnically homogeneous republics, and has, in addition to its predominant Armenian population (93%), Azeri, Russian (2%), and Kurdish minorities. Most of the small Azeri minority has fled the country.
Economy
Armenia is rich in mineral resources, notably copper, but also has small deposits of molybdenum, zinc, lead, iron, bauxite, pyrite, manganese, gold, chromite, and mercury. These provide the basis for a flourishing chemical industry. Salts and other minerals have enabled numerous health resorts to thrive in Armenia. Food processing, nonferrous metallurgy, and the manufacture of electrical equipment, machinery, textiles, automobiles, and the famous Armenian cognacs and wines are the republic’s other major industries. Agriculture holds a significant place in Armenia’s economy, with wine grapes and other fruits, wheat, barley, potatoes, and sugar beets as the major food crops; cotton and tobacco are the foremost industrial crops. Armenia’s main cities are Yerevan, Kumaryri (formerly Leninakan), Vanadzor (formerly Kirovakan), and Yejmiadzin (seat of the Armenian Church).
History
The republic occupies the E part of ancient Armenia. It was acquired by Russia from Persia in 1828 and made into a province. After the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, Russian Armenia joined Azerbaijan and Georgia to form the anti-Bolshevik Transcaucasian Federation, which, however, was dissolved in May 1918. Armenia then became an independent republic. In 1920 it was occupied by the Red Army and proclaimed a Soviet republic. Two years later, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia were combined to form the Transcaucasian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic, which became a part of the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics. With the dissolution of the Transcaucasian SFSR in 1936, Armenia, like Azerbaijan and Georgia, became a separate constituent republic of the USSR. A devastating earthquake struck Armenia in 1988, killing more than 55,000 people and destroying most of the republic’s infrastructure. In mid-1988, fighting broke out between ethnic Armenians and Azeris in the Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region, leading to Armenian demands that Azerbaijan cede the region to Armenia. The Armenian parliament declared itself sovereign in 1990, and Armenia declared itself independent from the Soviet Union in August 1991. Armenians elected Levon Ter-Petrossian as their first president in October 1991. Armenia joined the Commonwealth of Independent States in December 1991. A substantial number of the population has fled or been killed in the undeclared war with Azerbaijan.
Government
Armenia has a popularly elected 259-member parliament, which elects the prime minister. The president is head of state and is elected by popular vote. Robert Kocharian has been President since March 1998. The Prime Minister is Andranik Markaryan.
