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Compare Paracel Islands (2002) - Armenia (2007)

Compare Paracel Islands (2002) z Armenia (2007)

 Paracel Islands (2002)Armenia (2007)
 Paracel IslandsArmenia
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: 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.)
Agriculture - products - fruit (especially grapes), vegetables; livestock
Airports 1 (2001) 12 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)
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)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)
Area total: NA sq km


land: NA sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 29,800 sq km


land: 28,400 sq km


water: 1,400 sq km
Area - comparative NA slightly smaller than Maryland
Background This archipelago is surrounded by productive fishing grounds and by potential oil and gas reserves. In 1932, French Indochina annexed the islands and set up a weather station on Pattle Island; maintenance was continued by its successor, Vietnam. China has occupied the Paracel Islands since 1974, when its troops seized a South Vietnamese garrison occupying the western islands. The islands are claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan. 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.
Birth rate - 12.34 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget - revenues: $1.057 billion


expenditures: $1.153 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 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
Climate tropical highland continental, hot summers, cold winters
Coastline 518 km 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution - adopted by nationwide referendum 5 July 1995; amendments adopted through a nationwide referendum 27 November 2005
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Paracel Islands
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
Death rate - 8.29 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external - $1.16 billion (30 September 2006)
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
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
Disputes - international occupied by China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam 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
Economic aid - recipient - ODA, $193.3 million (2005)
Economy - overview China announced plans in 1997 to open the islands for tourism. 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%.
Electricity - consumption - 4.194 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports - 1.011 billion kWh; note - exports an unknown quantity to Georgia; includes exports to Nagorno-Karabakh region in Azerbaijan (2005)
Electricity - imports - 231 million kWh; note - imports an unknown quantity from Iran (2005)
Electricity - production - 5.975 billion kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: South China Sea 0 m


highest point: unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 m
lowest point: Debed River 400 m


highest point: Aragats Lerrnagagat' 4,090 m
Environment - current issues NA 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
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
Ethnic groups - Armenian 97.9%, Yezidi (Kurd) 1.3%, Russian 0.5%, other 0.3% (2001 census)
Exchange rates - drams per US dollar - 414.69 (2006), 457.69 (2005), 533.45 (2004), 578.76 (2003), 573.35 (2002)
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%
Exports - NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities - diamonds, mineral products, foodstuffs, energy
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)
Fiscal year - calendar year
Flag description - three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, and orange
GDP - composition by sector - agriculture: 18.2%


industry: 38.6%


services: 43.2% (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate - 13.4% (2006 est.)
Geographic coordinates 16 30 N, 112 00 E 40 00 N, 45 00 E
Geography - note composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs divided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent Group landlocked in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains; Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan) is the largest lake in this mountain range
Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10%: 1.6%


highest 10%: 41.3% (2004)
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
Imports - commodities - natural gas, petroleum, tobacco products, foodstuffs, diamonds
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)
Independence - 21 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Industrial production growth rate - -1.2% (2006 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
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.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) - 2.9% (2006 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
Irrigated land 0 sq km (1998 est.) 2,860 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch - Constitutional Court; Court of Cassation (Appeals Court)
Labor force - 1.2 million (November 2006)
Labor force - by occupation - agriculture: 45%


industry: 25%


services: 30% (2002 est.)
Land boundaries 0 km total: 1,254 km


border countries: Azerbaijan-proper 566 km, Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave 221 km, Georgia 164 km, Iran 35 km, Turkey 268 km
Land use arable land: 0%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (1998 est.)
arable land: 16.78%


permanent crops: 2.01%


other: 81.21% (2005)
Languages - Armenian 97.7%, Yezidi 1%, Russian 0.9%, other 0.4% (2001 census)
Legal system - based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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
Life expectancy at birth - total population: 72.12 years


male: 68.52 years


female: 76.29 years (2007 est.)
Literacy - definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 99.4%


male: 99.7%


female: 99.2% (2001 census)
Location Southeastern Asia, group of small islands and reefs in the South China Sea, about one-third of the way from central Vietnam to the northern Philippines Southwestern Asia, east of Turkey
Map references Southeast Asia Asia
Maritime claims NA none (landlocked)
Military - note occupied by China -
Military branches - Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Nagorno-Karabakh Self Defense Force (NKSDF), Air Force, Air Defense Force (2006)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 6.5% (FY01)
National holiday - Independence Day, 21 September (1991)
Nationality - noun: Armenian(s)


adjective: Armenian
Natural hazards typhoons occasionally severe earthquakes; droughts
Natural resources none small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, bauxite
Net migration rate - -5.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 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]
Political pressure groups and leaders - Yerkrapah Union [Manvel GRIGORIAN]
Population no indigenous inhabitants


note: there are scattered Chinese garrisons (July 2002 est.)
2,971,650 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line - 34.6% (2004 est.)
Population growth rate - -0.129% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors small Chinese port facilities on Woody Island and Duncan Island being expanded -
Radio broadcast stations - AM 9, FM 16, shortwave 1 (2006)
Railways - total: 839 km


broad gauge: 839 km 1.520-m gauge (828 km electrified)


note: some lines are out of service (2006)
Religions - Armenian Apostolic 94.7%, other Christian 4%, Yezidi (monotheist with elements of nature worship) 1.3%
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.)
Suffrage - 18 years of age; universal
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)
Telephones - main lines in use - 594,400 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular - 318,000 (2005)
Television broadcast stations - 48 (private television stations alongside 2 public networks; major Russian channels widely available) (2006)
Terrain mostly low and flat Armenian Highland with mountains; little forest land; fast flowing rivers; good soil in Aras River valley
Total fertility rate - 1.34 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate - 7.4% (November 2006 est.)
Waterways none -
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