ARMENIA



Robert Kocharyan
President

Armenia

(pronounced "kochar-YAWN")

"There can be no real freedom and democracy if employment and minimum standards of living are not ensured."

The Republic of Armenia is bordered by Georgia to the north, Iran to the south, Turkey to the east, and Azerbaijan to the east and south. It has a total land area of 29,800 sq km (11,500 sq mi).

The population of Armenia was estimated at 3.3 million in 2002. Armenia conducted its first official census as an independent nation in October 2001, but as of February 2003, the results had not been released. An estimated 1.3 million reside in the capital city, Yerevan. The country is essentially ethnically homogeneous. The official language is Armenian, a distinct Indo-European language, though Russian is widely spoken. A majority of the population (94%) belong to the Armenian Apostolic (Orthodox) Church, one of the oldest churches in Christendom.

Armenia's currency, the dram, was introduced in November 1993. The economy suffers from the lingering effects of a 1988 earthquake that killed 25,000 and left 500,000 homeless. Nearly 400,000 refugees fled to Armenia when conflict erupted in neighboring Azerbaijan. That country's refusal to allow trade or transshipment of goods through its territory to Armenia has further damaged the Armenian economy. The gross domestic product (GDP) was estimated at US $11.2 billion in 2001, with per capita GDP at about US $3,350.

ADDRESS

Office of the President
19 Marshala Bagramyana St.
Yerevan, Armenia 375016
Web site: http://www.president.am

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