Armenia (2007) | Djibouti (2004) | |
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Administrative divisions | 11 provinces (marzer, singular - marz); Aragatsotn, Ararat, Armavir, Geghark'unik', Kotayk', Lorri, Shirak, Syunik', Tavush, Vayots' Dzor, Yerevan | 5 districts (cercles, singular - cercle); 'Ali Sabih, Dikhil, Djibouti, Obock, Tadjoura |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 19.5% (male 307,610/female 271,381)
15-64 years: 69.3% (male 962,126/female 1,098,192) 65 years and over: 11.2% (male 132,705/female 199,636) (2007 est.) |
0-14 years: 43.2% (male 101,168; female 100,545)
15-64 years: 53.7% (male 131,320; female 119,387) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 7,327; female 7,153) (2004 est.) |
Agriculture - products | fruit (especially grapes), vegetables; livestock | fruits, vegetables; goats, sheep, camels |
Airports | 12 (2007) | 13 (2003 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 10
over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2007) |
total: 3
over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1524 to 2437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007) |
total: 10
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 3 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 29,800 sq km
land: 28,400 sq km water: 1,400 sq km |
total: 23,000 sq km
land: 22,980 sq km water: 20 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Maryland | slightly smaller than Massachusetts |
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. During World War I in the western portion of Armenia, Ottoman Turkey instituted a policy of forced resettlement coupled with other harsh practices that resulted in an estimated 1 million Armenian deaths. The eastern area of Armenia was ceded by the Ottomans to Russia in 1828; this portion declared its independence in 1918, but was conquered by the Soviet Red Army 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. Turkey imposed an economic blockade on Armenia and closed the common border because of the Armenian occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas. | The French Territory of the Afars and the Issas became Djibouti in 1977. Hassan Gouled APTIDON installed an authoritarian one-party state and proceeded to serve three consecutive six-year terms as president. Unrest among the Afars minority during the 1990s led to multi-party elections resulting in President Ismail Omar GUELLEH attaining office in May 1999. A peace accord in 2001 ended the final phases of a ten-year uprising by Afar rebels. Djibouti occupies a very strategic geographic location at the mouth of the Red Sea and serves as an important transshipment location for goods entering and leaving the east African highlands. GUELLEH favors close ties to France, which maintains a significant military presence in the country. |
Birth rate | 12.34 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 40.39 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $1.057 billion
expenditures: $1.153 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.) |
revenues: $135 million
expenditures: $182 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1999 est.) |
Capital | name: Yerevan
geographic coordinates: 40 10 N, 44 30 E time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
Djibouti |
Climate | highland continental, hot summers, cold winters | desert; torrid, dry |
Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 314 km |
Constitution | adopted by nationwide referendum 5 July 1995; amendments adopted through a nationwide referendum 27 November 2005 | multiparty constitution approved by referendum 4 September 1992 |
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: Republic of Djibouti
conventional short form: Djibouti former: French Territory of the Afars and Issas, French Somaliland |
Currency | - | Djiboutian franc (DJF) |
Death rate | 8.29 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 19.42 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Debt - external | $1.16 billion (30 September 2006) | $366 million (2002 est.) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Joseph PENNINGTON
embassy: 1 American Ave., Yerevan 0082 mailing address: American Embassy Yerevan, US Department of State, 7020 Yerevan Place, Washington, DC 20521-7020 telephone: [374](10) 464-700 FAX: [374](10) 464-742 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Marguerita RAGSDALE
embassy: Plateau du Serpent, Boulevard Marechal Joffre, Djibouti mailing address: B. P. 185, Djibouti telephone: [253] 35 39 95 FAX: [253] 35 39 40 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Tatoul MARKARIAN
chancery: 2225 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 319-1976 FAX: [1] (202) 319-2982 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles |
chief of mission: Ambassador ROBLE Olhaye
chancery: Suite 515, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 331-0270 FAX: [1] (202) 331-0302 |
Disputes - international | Armenia supports ethnic Armenian secessionists in Nagorno-Karabakh and since the early 1990s, has militarily occupied 16% of Azerbaijan - Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) continues to mediate dispute; over 800,000 mostly ethnic Azerbaijanis were driven from the occupied lands and Armenia; about 230,000 ethnic Armenians were driven from their homes in Azerbaijan into Armenia; Azerbaijan seeks transit route through Armenia to connect to Naxcivan exclave; border with Turkey remains closed over Nagorno-Karabakh dispute; ethnic Armenian groups in Javakheti region of Georgia seek greater autonomy; Armenians continue to emigrate, primarily to Russia, seeking employment | Djibouti maintains economic ties and border accords with "Somaliland" leadership while maintaining some political ties to various factions in Somalia including the Somali Transitional National Government in Mogadishu |
Economic aid - recipient | ODA, $193.3 million (2005) | $36 million (2001) |
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 liberalization program that resulted in positive growth rates in 1995-2006. Armenia has managed to slash inflation, stabilize its currency, and privatize most small- and medium-sized enterprises. Despite strong economic growth, Armenia's unemployment rate remains high. Nuclear power plants built at Metsamor eliminated the chronic energy shortages Armenia suffered in the early and mid-1990s, but those plants are under international pressure to close. Armenia is now a net energy exporter, although it does not have sufficient generating capacity to replace Metsamor. Construction of a natural gas pipeline between Iran and Armenia has been completed and it is scheduled to be commissioned by April 2007. Economic ties with Russia remain close, especially in the energy sector. The electricity distribution system was privatized in 2002 and bought by Russia's RAO-UES in 2005. Armenia's severe trade imbalance has been offset somewhat by international aid, remittances from Armenians working abroad, and foreign direct investment. Armenia joined the WTO in January 2003. The government made some improvements in tax and customs administration in 2005, but anti-corruption measures will be more difficult to implement. Investment in the construction and industrial sectors is expected to continue in 2007 and will help to ensure annual average real GDP growth of more than 10%. | The economy is based on service activities connected with the country's strategic location and status as a free trade zone in northeast Africa. Two-thirds of the inhabitants live in the capital city, the remainder being mostly nomadic herders. Scanty rainfall limits crop production to fruits and vegetables, and most food must be imported. Djibouti provides services as both a transit port for the region and an international transshipment and refueling center. It has few natural resources and little industry. The nation is, therefore, heavily dependent on foreign assistance to help support its balance of payments and to finance development projects. An unemployment rate of 50% continues to be a major problem. Inflation is not a concern, however, because of the fixed tie of the franc to the US dollar. Per capita consumption dropped an estimated 35% over the last seven years because of recession, civil war, and a high population growth rate (including immigrants and refugees). Faced with a multitude of economic difficulties, the government has fallen in arrears on long-term external debt and has been struggling to meet the stipulations of foreign aid donors. |
Electricity - consumption | 4.194 billion kWh (2005) | 167.4 million kWh (2001) |
Electricity - exports | 1.011 billion kWh; note - exports an unknown quantity to Georgia; includes exports to Nagorno-Karabakh region in Azerbaijan (2005) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - imports | 231 million kWh; note - imports an unknown quantity from Iran (2005) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production | 5.975 billion kWh (2005) | 180 million kWh (2001) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Debed River 400 m
highest point: Aragats Lerrnagagat' 4,090 m |
lowest point: Lac Assal -155 m
highest point: Moussa Ali 2,028 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 | inadequate supplies of potable water; limited arable land; desertification; endangered species |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | Armenian 97.9%, Yezidi (Kurd) 1.3%, Russian 0.5%, other 0.3% (2001 census) | Somali 60%, Afar 35%, French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian 5% |
Exchange rates | drams per US dollar - 414.69 (2006), 457.69 (2005), 533.45 (2004), 578.76 (2003), 573.35 (2002) | Djiboutian francs per US dollar - 177.721 (2003), 177.721 (2002), 177.721 (2001), 177.721 (2000), 177.721 (1999) |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Robert KOCHARIAN (since 30 March 1998)
head of government: Prime Minister Serzh SARGSYAN (since 4 April 2007) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 19 February and 5 March 2003 (next to be held in 2008); prime minister appointed by the president and confirmed with the majority support of the National Assembly; 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: President Ismail Omar GUELLEH (since 8 May 1999)
head of government: Prime Minister DILEITA Mohamed Dileita (since 4 March 2001) cabinet: Council of Ministers responsible to the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 9 April 1999 (next to be held NA 2005); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Ismail Omar GUELLEH elected president; percent of vote - Ismail Omar GUELLEH 74.4%, IDRIS Moussa Ahmed 25.6% |
Exports | NA bbl/day | NA (2001) |
Exports - commodities | diamonds, mineral products, foodstuffs, energy | reexports, hides and skins, coffee (in transit) |
Exports - partners | Germany 18.1%, Netherlands 14.1%, Belgium 13.4%, Russia 13.1%, Israel 7.1%, US 6.1%, Georgia 5.1%, Iran 4.9% (2006) | Somalia 63.9%, Yemen 22.5%, Ethiopia 4.7% (2003) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
Flag description | three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, and orange | two equal horizontal bands of light blue (top) and light green with a white isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bearing a red five-pointed star in the center |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $619 million (2002 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 18.2%
industry: 38.6% services: 43.2% (2006 est.) |
agriculture: 3.5%
industry: 15.8% services: 80.7% (2001 est.) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $1,300 (2002 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 13.4% (2006 est.) | 3.5% (2002 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 40 00 N, 45 00 E | 11 30 N, 43 00 E |
Geography - note | landlocked in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains; Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan) is the largest lake in this mountain range | strategic location near world's busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian oilfields; terminus of rail traffic into Ethiopia; mostly wasteland; Lac Assal (Lake Assal) is the lowest point in Africa |
Highways | - | total: 2,890 km
paved: 364 km unpaved: 2,526 km (1999 est.) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 1.6%
highest 10%: 41.3% (2004) |
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
Illicit drugs | illicit cultivation of small amount of cannabis for domestic consumption; minor 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 bbl/day | NA (2001) |
Imports - commodities | natural gas, petroleum, tobacco products, foodstuffs, diamonds | foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products |
Imports - partners | Russia 21.8%, Ukraine 7.8%, Belgium 7.6%, Turkmenistan 7.1%, Italy 6.1%, Germany 5.7%, Iran 5.7%, Israel 4.8%, US 4.5%, Georgia 4.1% (2006) | Saudi Arabia 19.7%, Ethiopia 10.9%, China 9.2%, France 6.5%, UK 5.1%, US 4.9% (2003) |
Independence | 21 September 1991 (from Soviet Union) | 27 June 1977 (from France) |
Industrial production growth rate | -1.2% (2006 est.) | 3% (1996 est.) |
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 | construction, agricultural processing |
Infant mortality rate | total: 21.69 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 26.69 deaths/1,000 live births female: 15.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
total: 105.54 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 113.3 deaths/1,000 live births female: 97.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.9% (2006 est.) | 2% (2002 est.) |
International organization participation | ACCT (observer), AsDB, BSEC, CE, CIS, CSTO, EAEC (observer), EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, LAS, NAM, OIC, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO |
Irrigated land | 2,860 sq km (2003) | 10 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Constitutional Court; Court of Cassation (Appeals Court) | Supreme Court or Cour Supreme |
Labor force | 1.2 million (November 2006) | 282,000 (2000) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 45%
industry: 25% services: 30% (2002 est.) |
NA |
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 |
total: 516 km
border countries: Eritrea 109 km, Ethiopia 349 km, Somalia 58 km |
Land use | arable land: 16.78%
permanent crops: 2.01% other: 81.21% (2005) |
arable land: 0.04%
permanent crops: 0% other: 99.96% (2001) |
Languages | Armenian 97.7%, Yezidi 1%, Russian 0.9%, other 0.4% (2001 census) | French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar |
Legal system | based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | based on French civil law system, traditional practices, and Islamic law |
Legislative branch | unicameral National Assembly (Parliament) or Azgayin Zhoghov (131 seats; members elected by popular vote, 90 members elected by party list and 41 by direct vote; to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 12 May 2007 (next to be held in the spring of 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - HHK 32.8%, Prosperous Armenia 14.7%, ARF (Dashnak) 12.7%, Rule of Law 6.8%, Heritage Party 5.8%, other 27.2%; seats by party - HHK 69, Prosperous Armenia 24, ARF (Dashnak) 16, Rule of Law 9, Heritage Party 7, Dashink 1, independent 5 |
unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes (65 seats; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms)
elections: last held 10 January 2003 (next to be held NA January 2008) election results: percent of vote - RPP 62.2%, FRUD 36.9%; seats - RPP 65, FRUD 0; note - RPP (the ruling party) dominated the election |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 72.12 years
male: 68.52 years female: 76.29 years (2007 est.) |
total population: 43.12 years
male: 41.83 years female: 44.44 years (2004 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.4% male: 99.7% female: 99.2% (2001 census) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 67.9% male: 78% female: 58.4% (2003 est.) |
Location | Southwestern Asia, east of Turkey | Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, between Eritrea and Somalia |
Map references | Asia | Africa |
Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | - | total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,369 GRT/3,030 DWT
by type: cargo 1 (2004 est.) |
Military branches | Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Nagorno-Karabakh Self Defense Force (NKSDF), Air Force, Air Defense Force (2006) | Djibouti National Army (including Navy and Air Force) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $26.5 million (2003) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 6.5% (FY01) | 4.4% (2003) |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 108,771 (2004 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 64,540 (2004 est.) |
National holiday | Independence Day, 21 September (1991) | Independence Day, 27 June (1977) |
Nationality | noun: Armenian(s)
adjective: Armenian |
noun: Djiboutian(s)
adjective: Djiboutian |
Natural hazards | occasionally severe earthquakes; droughts | earthquakes; droughts; occasional cyclonic disturbances from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains and flash floods |
Natural resources | small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, bauxite | geothermal areas |
Net migration rate | -5.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Pipelines | gas 2,002 km (2006) | - |
Political parties and leaders | Agro-Industrial Party [Vladimir BADALYAN]; Armenia Party (Hayastan) [Myasnik MALKHASYAN]; Armenian National Movement or ANM [Artashes ZURABYAN]; Armenian Ramkavar Liberal Party or HRAK [Harutyun MIRZAKHANYAN, chairman]; Armenian Revolutionary Federation ("Dashnak" Party) or ARF [Hrant MARKARYAN]; Dashink [Gen. Samvel Babayan]; Democratic Party [Aram SARKISYAN]; Heritage Party [Raffi HOVHANNISYAN]; Justice Bloc [Stepan DEMIRCHYAN] (comprised of the Democratic Party, National Democratic Party, National Democratic Union, the People's Party, and the Republic Party); National Democratic Party [Shavarsh KOCHARIAN]; National Democratic Union or NDU [Vazgen MANUKIAN]; National Revival Party [Albert BAZEYAN]; National Unity Party [Artashes GEGHAMYAN]; People's Party of Armenia [Stepan DEMIRCHYAN]; Prosperous Armenia [Gagik TSAROUKYAN]; Republic Party [Aram SARKISYAN]; Republican Party of Armenia or HHK [Serzh SARGSYAN]; Rule of Law Party [Artur BAGHDASARYAN]; Union of Constitutional Rights [Hrant KHACHATURYAN]; United Labor Party [Gurgen ARSENYAN] | Democratic National Party or PND [ADEN Robleh Awaleh]; Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Abdillahi HAMARITEH]; Djibouti Development Party or PDD [Mohamed Daoud CHEHEM]; Front pour la Restauration de l'Unite Democratique or FRUD [Ali Mohamed DAOUD]; People's Progress Assembly or RPP (governing party) [Ismail Omar GUELLEH]; Peoples Social Democratic Party or PPSD [Moumin Bahdon FARAH]; Republican Alliance for Democracy or ARD [Ahmed Dini AHMED]; Union for Democracy and Justice or UDJ [leader NA] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Yerkrapah Union [Manvel GRIGORIAN] | Union for Presidential Majority UMP (coalition includes RPP, FRUD, PPSD and PND); Union for Democratic Changeover or UAD (opposition coalition includes ARD, MRDD, UDJ, and PDD) [Ahmed Dini AHMED] |
Population | 2,971,650 (July 2007 est.) | 466,900 (July 2004 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 34.6% (2004 est.) | 50% (2001 est.) |
Population growth rate | -0.129% (2007 est.) | 2.1% (2004 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Djibouti |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 9, FM 16, shortwave 1 (2006) | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2001) |
Railways | total: 839 km
broad gauge: 839 km 1.520-m gauge (828 km electrified) note: some lines are out of service (2006) |
total: 100 km (Djibouti segment of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway)
narrow gauge: 100 km 1.000-m gauge note: railway under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia (2003) |
Religions | Armenian Apostolic 94.7%, other Christian 4%, Yezidi (monotheist with elements of nature worship) 1.3% | Muslim 94%, Christian 6% |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.16 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.133 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.876 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.665 male(s)/female total population: 0.894 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal adult |
Telephone system | general assessment: system inadequate; an outdated telecommunications network inherited from the Soviet era; now 90% privately owned and undergoing modernization and expansion; mobile-cellular services monopoly terminated in late 2004 and a second provider began operations in mid-2005
domestic: the majority of subscribers and the most modern equipment, including paging and mobile-cellular services, are in Yerevan international: country code - 374; 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 - 3 (2007) |
general assessment: telephone facilities in the city of Djibouti are adequate as are the microwave radio relay connections to outlying areas of the country
domestic: microwave radio relay network international: country code - 253; submarine cable to Jiddah, Suez, Sicily, Marseilles, Colombo, and Singapore; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; Medarabtel regional microwave radio relay telephone network |
Telephones - main lines in use | 594,400 (2005) | 9,500 (2003) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 318,000 (2005) | 23,000 (2003) |
Television broadcast stations | 48 (private television stations alongside 2 public networks; major Russian channels widely available) (2006) | 1 (2002) |
Terrain | Armenian Highland with mountains; little forest land; fast flowing rivers; good soil in Aras River valley | coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains |
Total fertility rate | 1.34 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 5.48 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 7.4% (November 2006 est.) | 50% (2000 est.) |