Compare Armenia (2003) - British Indian Ocean Territory (2003)

Compare Armenia (2003) z British Indian Ocean Territory (2003)

	Armenia (2003)	British Indian Ocean Territory (2003)

Administrative divisions	11 provinces (marzer, singular - marz); Aragatsotn, Ararat, Armavir, Geghark'unik', Kotayk', Lorri, Shirak, Syunik', Tavush, Vayots' Dzor, Yerevan	-
Age structure	0-14 years: 21.1% (male 356,587; female 346,648) 15-64 years: 68.3% (male 1,113,241; female 1,158,245) 65 years and over: 10.6% (male 147,156; female 204,571) (2003 est.)	-
Agriculture - products	fruit (especially grapes), vegetables; livestock	-
Airports	15 (2002)	1 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 8 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)	total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 7 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (2002)	-
Area	total: 29,800 sq km land: 28,400 sq km water: 1,400 sq km	total: 60 sq km land: 60 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Maryland	about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Background	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 by Moscow. 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.	Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order that had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia.
Birth rate	12.57 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)	-
Budget	revenues: $402 million expenditures: $482 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)	-
Capital	Yerevan	-
Climate	highland continental, hot summers, cold winters	tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds
Coastline	0 km (landlocked)	698 km
Constitution	adopted by nationwide referendum 5 July 1995	-
Country name	conventional long form: Republic of Armenia conventional short form: Armenia local long form: Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun local short form: Hayastan former: Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic; Armenian Republic	conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory conventional short form: none abbreviation: BIOT
Currency	dram (AMD)	-
Death rate	10.16 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)	-
Debt - external	$905 million (June 2001)	-
Dependency status	-	overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador John M. ORDWAY embassy: 18 Baghramyan Ave., Yerevan 375019 mailing address: American Embassy Yerevan, Department of State, 7020 Yerevan Place, Washington, DC 20521-7020 telephone: [374](1) 521-611, 520-791, 542-177, 542-132, 524-661, 527-001, 524-840 FAX: [374](1) 520-800	none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Arman KIRAKOSSIAN chancery: 2225 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 319-1976 FAX: [1] (202) 319-2982 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles	none (overseas territory of the UK)
Disputes - international	Armenia supports ethnic Armenian secessionists in Nagorno-Karabakh and militarily occupies 16% of Azerbaijan - Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) continues to mediate dispute; border with Turkey remains closed over Nagorno-Karabakh dispute; traditional demands regarding former Armenian lands in Turkey have subsided; ethnic Armenian groups in Javakheti region of Georgia seek greater autonomy, closer ties with Armenia	Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since eviction in 1965; repatriation is complicated by the US military lease of Diego Garcia, the largest island in the chain
Economic aid - recipient	ODA $170 million (2000)	-
Economy - overview	Under the old Soviet central planning system, 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 program that has resulted in positive growth rates in 1995-2003. 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, domestic restructuring of the economy, and foreign direct investment. Economic ties with Russia remain close, especially in the energy sector.	All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing.
Electricity - consumption	5.784 billion kWh (2001)	NA kWh
Electricity - exports	704 million kWh; note - exports an unknown quantity to Georgia; includes exports to Nagorno-Karabakh region in Azerbaijan (2001)	-
Electricity - imports	463 million kWh; note - imports an unknown quantity from Iran (2001)	-
Electricity - production	6.479 billion kWh (2001)	NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military
Electricity - production by source	fossil fuel: 42.3% hydro: 27% nuclear: 30.7% other: 0% (2001)	-
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Debed River 400 m highest point: Aragats Lerrnagagat' 4,090 m	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m
Environment - current issues	soil pollution from toxic chemicals such as DDT; the energy crisis of the 1990s 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 in spite of its location in a seismically active zone	NA
Environment - international agreements	party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants	-
Ethnic groups	Armenian 93%, Azeri 1%, Russian 2%, other (mostly Yezidi Kurds) 4% (2002) note: as of the end of 1993, virtually all Azeris had emigrated from Armenia	-
Exchange rates	drams per US dollar - NA (2002), 555.08 (2001), 539.53 (2000), 535.06 (1999), 504.92 (1998)	-
Executive branch	chief of state: President Robert KOCHARIAN (since 30 March 1998) head of government: Prime Minister Andranik MARKARYAN (since 12 May 2000) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 19 February and 5 March 2003 (next to be held NA 2008); prime minister appointed by the president; the prime minister and Council of Ministers must resign if the National Assembly refuses to accept their program election results: Robert KOCHARIAN reelected president; percent of vote - Robert KOCHARIAN 67.5%, Stepan DEMIRCHYAN 32.5%	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Commissioner Alan HUCKLE (since 2001); Administrator Louise SAVILL (since NA); note - both reside in the UK cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch
Exports	NA (2001)	-
Exports - commodities	diamonds, mineral products, foodstuffs, energy	-
Exports - partners	Belgium 21.5%, Russia 14.6%, Israel 10.3%, Iran 9.4%, US 8.2%, Switzerland 6.8%, Germany 6.2% (2002)	-
Fiscal year	calendar year	-
Flag description	three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, and orange	white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag
GDP	purchasing power parity - $12.13 billion (2002 est.)	-
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 30% industry: 26% services: 44% (2001 est.)	-
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $3,600 (2002 est.)	-
GDP - real growth rate	12.9% (2002 est.)	-
Geographic coordinates	40 00 N, 45 00 E	6 00 S, 71 30 E
Geography - note	landlocked in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains; Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan) is the largest lake in this mountain range	archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility
Highways	total: 15,918 km paved: 15,329 km (includes 7,527 km of expressways) unpaved: 589 km (2000)	total: NA km paved: short section of paved road between port and airfield on Diego Garcia unpaved: NA km
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 2.3% highest 10%: 46.2% (1999)	-
Illicit drugs	illicit cultivation of small amount of cannabis for domestic consumption; used as a transit point for illicit drugs - mostly opium and hashish - moving from Southwest Asia to Russia and to a lesser extent the rest of Europe	-
Imports	NA (2001)	-
Imports - commodities	natural gas, petroleum, tobacco products, foodstuffs, diamonds	-
Imports - partners	US 15.3%, Russia 12.9%, Belgium 12.3%, Iran 10.3%, UAE 6.3%, Germany 5.5%, Italy 4.9% (2002)	-
Independence	21 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)	-
Industrial production growth rate	15% (2002 est.)	-
Industries	metal-cutting machine tools, forging-pressing machines, electric motors, tires, knitted wear, hosiery, shoes, silk fabric, chemicals, trucks, instruments, microelectronics, gem cutting, jewelry manufacturing, software development, food processing, brandy	-
Infant mortality rate	total: 40.86 deaths/1,000 live births male: 45.27 deaths/1,000 live births female: 36.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)	-
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	1.1% (2002 est.)	-
International organization participation	BSEC, CE, CIS, COE, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO	-
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	9 (2001)	1 (2000)
Irrigated land	2,870 sq km (1998 est.)	0 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	Constitutional Court; Court of Cassation (Appeals Court)	-
Labor force	1.4 million (2001)	-
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 45%, services 30%, industry 25% (2002 est.)	-
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	0 km
Land use	arable land: 17.52% permanent crops: 2.3% other: 80.18% (1998 est.)	arable land: NEGL permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.)
Languages	Armenian 96%, Russian 2%, other 2%	-
Legal system	based on civil law system	the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply
Legislative branch	unicameral National Assembly (Parliament) or Azgayin Zhoghov (131 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms; 75 members selected by direct vote, 56 by party list) elections: last held 25 May 2003 (next to be held in the spring of 2007) note: electoral law was changed in 2002 so ratio in next elections will be 75 deputies elected by party list, 56 by direct election election results: percent of vote by party - Republican Party 23.5%, Justice Bloc 13.6%, Rule of Law 12.3%, ARF (Dashnak) 11.4%, National Unity Party 8.8%, United Labor Party 5.7%; seats by party - Republican Party 23, Justice Bloc 14, Rule of Law 12, ARF (Dashnak) 11, National Unity 9, United Labor 6; note - seats by party change frequently as deputies switch parties or announce themselves independent	-
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 66.68 years male: 62.41 years female: 71.17 years (2003 est.)	-
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98.6% male: 99.4% female: 98% (2003 est.)	-
Location	Southwestern Asia, east of Turkey	archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia
Map references	Asia	Political Map of the World
Maritime claims	none (landlocked)	exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 3 NM
Military - note	-	defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016
Military branches	Army, Air and Air Defense Forces, Border Guards	-
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$135 million (FY01)	-
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	6.5% (FY01)	-
Military manpower - availability	males age 15-49: 919,582 (2003 est.)	-
Military manpower - fit for military service	males age 15-49: 727,770 (2003 est.)	-
Military manpower - military age	18 years of age (2003 est.)	-
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	males: 37,209 (2003 est.)	-
National holiday	Independence Day, 21 September (1991)	-
Nationality	noun: Armenian(s) adjective: Armenian	-
Natural hazards	occasionally severe earthquakes; droughts	NA
Natural resources	small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, alumina	coconuts, fish, sugarcane
Net migration rate	-3.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)	-
Pipelines	gas 2,031 km (2003)	-
Political parties and leaders	Agro-Industrial Party [Vladimir BADALIAN]; Armenia Party [Myasnik MALKHASYAN]; Armenian National Movement or ANM [Alex ARZUMANYAN, chairman]; Armenian Ramkavar Liberal Party or HRAK [Ruben MIRZAKHANYAN, chairman]; Armenian Revolutionary Federation ("Dashnak" Party) or ARF [Vahan HOVHANISSIAN]; Democratic Party [Aram SARKISYAN]; Justice Bloc (comprised of the Democratic Party, National Democratic Party, National Democratic Union, and the People's Party); National Democratic Party [Shavarsh KOCHARIAN]; National Democratic Union or NDU [Vazgen MANUKIAN]; National Unity Party [Artashes GEGAMIAN, chairman]; People's Party of Armenia [Stepan DEMIRCHYAN]; Republic Party [Albert BAZEYAN and Aram SARKISYAN, chairmen]; Republican Party or RPA [Andranik MARKARYAN]; Rule of Law Party [Artur BAGDASARIAN, chairman]; Union of Constitutional Rights [Hrant KHACHATURYAN]; United Labor Party [Gurgen ARSENIAN]	-
Political pressure groups and leaders	Yerkrapah Union [Manvel GRIGORIAN]	-
Population	3,326,448 note: Armenia's first census since independence was conducted in October 2001; official results are not expected until late 2003 (July 2003 est.)	no indigenous inhabitants note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles in the 1960's and 1970's, in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in 2001, there were approximately 1,500 UK and US military personnel and 2,000 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line	50% (2002 est.)	-
Population growth rate	-0.07% (2003 est.)	-
Ports and harbors	none	Diego Garcia
Radio broadcast stations	AM 9, FM 6, shortwave 1 (1998)	AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)
Railways	total: 852 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines broad gauge: 852 km 1.520-m gauge (779 km electrified) (2002)	-
Religions	Armenian Apostolic 94%, other Christian 4%, Yezidi (Zoroastrian/animist) 2%	-
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 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 (2003 est.)	-
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	-
Telephone system	general assessment: system inadequate; now 90% privately owned and undergoing modernization and expansion domestic: the majority of subscribers and the most modern equipment are in Yerevan (this includes paging and mobile cellular service) international: Yerevan is connected to the Trans-Asia-Europe fiber-optic cable through Iran; additional international service is available by microwave radio relay and landline connections to the other countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States and through the Moscow international switch and by satellite to the rest of the world; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (2000)	general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)
Telephones - main lines in use	600,000 (2002)	NA
Telephones - mobile cellular	50,000 (2002)	-
Television broadcast stations	3 (plus an unknown number of repeaters); (1998)	1 (1997)
Terrain	Armenian Highland with mountains; little forest land; fast flowing rivers; good soil in Aras River valley	flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation)
Total fertility rate	1.56 children born/woman (2003 est.)	-
Unemployment rate	20% (2001 est.)	-
Waterways	NA km	none

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