Country Profile: Armenia

Geography

Mountainous, fast flowing rivers, landlocked and just east of Turkey.

Government

Acquired independence on September 21, 1991 with the break up of the Soviet Union. Armenia is a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States, former republics within the Soviet Union that today are closely associated with Russia economically, in defense and foreign policy,

Economy

Figures unless otherwise stated are from the CIA Factbook.

Factbook: "Since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, Armenia has made progress in implementing many economic reforms including privatization, price reforms, and prudent fiscal policies. The conflict with Azerbaijan over the ethnic Armenian-dominated region of Nagorno-Karabakh contributed to a severe economic decline in the early 1990s. By 1994, however, the Armenian Government launched an ambitious IMF-sponsored economic liberalization program that resulted in positive growth rates."

Estimated per capita GDP (2009 U.S. dollars)

2009: $5,900 (ranks 135th)
2008: $6,400
2007: $6,000

GDP annual real (not per capita) growth rate estimate

2009: -15%
2008: 6.8%
2007: 13.8%

Unemployment rate

2007: 7.1%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
2004: Top ten percent of populatio, 41.3%; bottom ten percet, 1.6%

Armenia remains closely tied in trade to Russia, especially in energy. It has a 30 percent unemployment rate estimated for 2003. And it has a negative trade imbalance offset somewhat by international aid and foreign investment.

Population

Living in an urban area: 64% (2008)
July 2009: 2.967 million
July 2008: 2.968 million

Migration

2009: More leaving than arriving. A net loss of 4.56 persons per 1,000 population.

Health

Infant mortality (deaths before the age of one year per 1,000 live births)

2009: 20.21
2008: 20.94
2005: 23.28

Average life expectancy at birth

2009: 72.68 years
2008: 72.4,
2005: 71.55

Living with HIV/AIDS, ages 15 to 49: 0.1percent (2003)

SOURCES:
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/