nine-year old conflict with Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh
enclave. Although a cease-fire has been in effect since May 1994, the
sides have not made substantial progress toward a peaceful resolution.
President TER-PETROSSIAN's latitude on the issue may be further
constrained by his controversial reelection in September 1996. When
supporters of the main opposition candidate stormed the parliament
following the announcement of TER-PETROSSIAN's victory, MVD forces
were called in to restore order. The subsequent political standoff
between government and opposition supporters diminished in late 1996
as the government has gradually attempted reconciliation. Despite
these political problems, the Armenian government has been pursuing
its aggressive economic reform program, although implementation of its
privatization program stalled in late 1996.
@Armenia:Geography
Location: Southwestern Asia, east of Turkey
Geographic coordinates: 40 00 N, 45 00 E
Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States
Area:
total : 29,800 sq km
land: 28,400 sq km
water: 1,400 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland
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
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: highland continental, hot summers, cold winters
Terrain: high Armenian Plateau with mountains; little forest land;
fast flowing rivers; good soil in Aras River valley
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Debed River 400 m
highest point: Aragats Lerr 4,095 m
Natural resources: small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc,
alumina
Land use:
arable land : 17%
permanent crops: 3%
permanent pastures: 24%
forests and woodland: 15%
other: 41% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 2,870 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: occasionally severe earthquakes; droughts
Environment - current issues: soil pollution from toxic chemicals such
as DDT; energy blockade, the result of conflict with Azerbaijan, has
led to deforestation when citizens scavenged for firewood; pollution
of Hrazdan (Razdan) and Aras Rivers; the draining of Sevana Lich, a
result of its use as a source for hydropower, threatens drinking water
supplies; restart of Metsamor nuclear power plant without adequate
(IAEA-recommended) safety and backup systems
Environment - international agreements:
party to : Biodiversity, Climate Change, Nuclear Test Ban, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Desertification
Geography - note: landlocked
@Armenia:People
Population: 3,433,629 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 27% (male 476,375; female 456,723)
15-64 years: 65% (male 1,088,103; female 1,134,649)
65 years and over: 8% (male 115,135; female 162,644) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: -0.33% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 13.59 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 8.6 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: -8.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 40.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 66.9 years
male: 62.69 years
female: 71.32 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.71 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Armenian(s)
adjective: Armenian
Ethnic groups: Armenian 93%, Azeri 3%, Russian 2%, other (mostly
Yezidi Kurds) 2% (1989)
note: as of the end of 1993, virtually all Azeris had emigrated from
Armenia
Religions: Armenian Orthodox 94%
Languages: Armenian 96%, Russian 2%, other 2%
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female : 98% (1989 est.)
@Armenia:Government
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
Data code: AM
Government type: republic
National capital: Yerevan
Administrative divisions: 10 provinces (marzer, singular - marz) and 1
city* (k'aghak'ner, singular - k'aghak'); Aragatsotn, Ararat, Armavir,
Geghark'unik', Kotayk', Lorri, Shirak, Syunik', Tavush, Vayots' Dzor,
Yerevan*
Independence: 28 May 1918 (First Armenian Republic); 23 September 1991
(from Soviet Union)
National holiday: Referendum Day, 21 September
Constitution: adopted by nationwide referendum 5 July 1995
Legal system: based on civil law system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state : President Levon Akopovich TER-PETROSSIAN (since NA
October 1991); note - prior to becoming Armenia's first president,
TER-PETROSSIAN was chairman of the Armenian Supreme Soviet since 4
August 1990
head of government: Prime Minister Robert KOCHARIAN (since 20 March
1997)
cabinet : Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 22 September 1996 (next to be held NA September
2001); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Levon Akopovich TER-PETROSSIAN elected president;
percent of vote - Levon Akopovich TER-PETROSSIAN 52%, Vazgen MANUKYAN
41%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Azgayin Zhoghov
(190 seats; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 5 July 1995 (next to be held NA 2000)
election results : percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
Republican Bloc 159 (ANM 63, DLP-Hanrapetutyun Bloc 6, Republic Party
4, CDU 3, Intellectual Armenia 3, Social Democratic Party 2,
independents 78), SWM 8, ACP 7, NDU 5, NSDU 3, DLP 1, ARF 1, other 4,
vacant 2
Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Constitutional Court
Political parties and leaders:
Republic Bloc (Hanrapetoutioun): Armenian National Movement or ANM
[Husik LAZARIAN, chairman]; Democratic Liberal Party [Orthosis
GYONJIAN, chairman]; Republican Party [Ashot NAVARSARDIAN, chairman];
Christian Democratic Union or CDU [Azat ARSHAKIAN, chairman];
Intellectual Armenia [H. TOKMAJIAN]; Social Democratic (Hnchakian)
Party [Yeghia NAJARIAN]
opposition parties: Shamiram Women's Movement or SWM [Shoger
MATEVOSIAN]; Armenian Communist Party or ACP [Sergey BADALYAN];
National Democratic Union or NDU [Davit VARDANIAN and Vasgen
MANUKIAN]; Union of National Self-Determination or NSDU [Paruir
HAIRIKIAN, chairman]; Democratic Liberal Party or DLP [Rouben
MIRZAKHANIAN, chairman]; Armenian Revolutionary Federation or ARF
[Rouben HAKOBIAN, chairman]
International organization participation: BSEC, CCC, CE (guest), CIS,
EBRD, ECE, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NACC, NAM
(observer), OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ruben SHUGARIAN
chancery: 2225 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 319-1976
FAX : [1] (202) 319-2982
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Peter TOMSEN
embassy: 18 Gen Bagramian, Yerevan
mailing address : use embassy street address
telephone: [374] (2) 151-144, 524-661
FAX: [374] (2) 151-550
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, and
gold
Economy
Economy - overview: Under the old Soviet central planning system,
Armenia had developed a modern industrial sector, supplying machine
building 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 area. The privatization of industry has been at a much
slower pace. Armenia is a food importer and its mineral deposits
(gold, bauxite) are small. The ongoing conflict with Azerbaijan over
the ethnic Armenian-dominated region of Nagorno-Karabakh and the
embargoes imposed by Azerbaijan and Turkey 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 and 1996. Armenia
also managed to slash inflation and to privatize most small and
medium-sized enterprises. The chronic energy shortages Armenia
suffered in recent years has been partially offset by the energy
supplied by one of its nuclear power plants at Metsamor, which in 1996
supplied about 40% of the country's energy needs, according to the
Armenian Government. Moreover, Armenia is expanding its energy imports
from Iran.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $9.7 billion (1996 estimate as
extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1994)
GDP - real growth rate: 4% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,800 (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 35%
industry: 35%
services : 30% (1995 est.)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 5.7% (1996 est.)
Labor force:
total : 1.6 million (1996)
by occupation: industry and construction 23%, agriculture 38%,
services 37%, other 2%
Unemployment rate: 7.4% officially registered unemployed, but large
numbers of underemployed (December 1996)
Budget:
revenues : $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Industries: much of industry is shut down; metal-cutting machine
tools, forging-pressing machines, electric motors, tires, knitted
wear, hosiery, shoes, silk fabric, washing machines, chemicals,
trucks, watches, instruments, microelectronics
Industrial production growth rate: 1% (1996 est.)
Electricity - capacity: 2.77 million kW (1994)
Electricity - production: 6.3 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 1,462 kWh (1995 est.)
Agriculture - products: fruit (especially grapes), vegetables;
vineyards near Yerevan are famous for brandy and other liqueurs; minor
livestock sector
Exports:
total value : $273 million (f.o.b., 1996)
commodities: gold and jewelry, aluminum, transport equipment,
electrical equipment, scrap metal
partners: Iran, Russia, Turkmenistan, Georgia
Imports:
total value : $830 million (c.i.f., 1996)
commodities: grain, other foods, fuel, other energy
partners: Iran, Russia, Turkmenistan, Georgia, US, EU
Debt - external: $850 million (of which $75 million to Russia) (1995
est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $NA
note: commitments (excluding Russia), $1,385 million ($675 million in
disbursements) (1992-95)
Currency: 1 dram = 100 luma (introduced new currency in November 1993)
Exchange rates: dram per US$1 - 443 (December 1996), 401.8 (end
December 1995), 406 (end December 1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Armenia:Communications
Telephones: 650,000
Telephone system: joint venture agreement to install fiber-optic cable
and construct facilities for cellular telephone service is in the
implementation phase
domestic: NA
international : international connections to other former Soviet
republics are by landline or microwave radio relay and to other
countries by satellite and by leased connection through the Moscow
international gateway switch; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
Radio broadcast stations: AM 10, FM 3, shortwave NA (1991)
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 1
note: 100% of population receives Armenian and Russian TV programs
Televisions: NA
@Armenia:Transportation
Railways:
total: 825 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial
lines
broad gauge: 825 km 1.520-m gauge (1992)
Highways:
total : 7,720 km
paved: 7,496 km
unpaved: 224 km (1995 est.)
Waterways: NA km
Pipelines: natural gas 900 km (1991)
Ports and harbors: none
Airports: 11 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 5
over 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (1996 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m : 2
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 1 (1996 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army, Air Force, Air Defense Force, Security Forces
(internal and border troops)
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 907,579 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males: 722,715 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 30,942 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $75 million (1992)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: Armenia supports ethnic Armenians in the
Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan in the longstanding, separatist
conflict against the Azerbaijani Government; traditional demands on
former Armenian lands in Turkey have subsided
Illicit drugs: illicit cultivator of cannabis mostly for domestic
consumption; used as a transshipment point for illicit drugs to
Western Europe and the US
______________________________________________________________________
ARUBA
(part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
@Aruba:Geography
Location: Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela
Geographic coordinates: 12 30 N, 69 58 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 193 sq km
land: 193 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly larger than Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 68.5 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: flat with a few hills; scant vegetation
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Jamanota 188 m
Natural resources: negligible; white sandy beaches
Land use:
arable land: 11%
permanent crops: NA%
permanent pastures: NA%
forests and woodland: NA%
other: 89% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt
Environment - current issues: NA
Environment - international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA
@Aruba:People
Population: 68,031 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years : 22% (male 7,814; female 7,127)
15-64 years: 69% (male 22,544; female 24,656)
65 years and over: 9% (male 2,433; female 3,457) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.39% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 14.2 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 6.32 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: -3.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years : 1.1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 8.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.8 years
male: 73.11 years
female : 80.68 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.81 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality:
noun : Aruban(s)
adjective: Aruban
Ethnic groups: mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80%
Religions: Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, Hindu, Muslim,
Confucian, Jewish
Languages: Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch,
English dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish
Literacy: NA
@Aruba:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Aruba
Data code: AA
Dependency status: part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full
autonomy in internal affairs obtained in 1986 upon separation from the
Netherlands Antilles
Government type: NA
National capital: Oranjestad
Administrative divisions: none (part of the Kingdom of the
Netherlands)
Independence: none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; in 1990,
Aruba requested and received from the Netherlands cancellation of the
agreement to automatically give independence to the island in 1996)
National holiday: Flag Day, 18 March
Constitution: 1 January 1986
Legal system: based on Dutch civil law system, with some English
common law influence
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard of the Netherlands
(since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Olindo KOOLMAN
(since 1 January 1992)
head of government: Prime Minister Jan (Henny) H. EMAN (since 29 July
1994) and Deputy Prime Minister Glenbert F. CROES
cabinet : Council of Ministers elected by the Staten
elections: the queen is a constitutional monarch; governor general
appointed for a six-year term by the queen; prime minister and deputy
prime minister elected by the Staten for a four-year term; election
last held 29 July 1994 (next to be held by July 1998)
election results : Jan (Henny) H. EMAN elected prime minister; percent
of legislative vote - NA; Glenbert F. CROES elected deputy prime
minister; percent of legislative vote - NA
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislature or Staten (21 seats;
members elected by direct popular vote and serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 29 July 1994 (next to be held by NA July 1998)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - AVP
10, MEP 9, OLA 2
Judicial branch: Joint High Court of Justice
Political parties and leaders: Electoral Movement Party or MEP [Nelson
ODUBER]; Aruban People's Party or AVP [Jan (Henny) H. EMAN]; National
Democratic Action or ADN [Pedro Charro KELLY]; New Patriotic Party or
PPN [Eddy WERLEMEN]; Aruban Patriotic Party or PPA [Benny NISBET];
Aruban Democratic Party or PDA [Leo BERLINSKI]; Democratic Action '86
or AD '86 [Arturo ODUBER]; Aruban Liberal Party or OLA [Glenbert
CROES]
note: governing coalition includes the AVP and OLA
International organization participation: ECLAC (associate), Interpol,
IOC, UNESCO (associate), WCL, WToO (associate)
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (represented by the Kingdom
of the Netherlands)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (part of the Kingdom of
the Netherlands)
Flag description: blue with two narrow horizontal yellow stripes
across the lower portion and a red, four-pointed star outlined in
white in the upper hoist-side corner
Economy
Economy - overview: Tourism is the mainstay of the Aruban economy,
although offshore banking and oil refining and storage are also
important. The rapid growth of the tourism sector over the last decade
has resulted in a substantial expansion of other activities.
Construction has boomed, with hotel capacity five times the 1985
level. In addition, the reopening of the country's oil refinery in
1993, a major source of employment and foreign exchange earnings, has
further spurred growth. Aruba's small labor force and less than 1%
unemployment rate have led to a large number of unfilled job vacancies
despite sharp rises in wage rates in recent years.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $1.4 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $21,000 (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 3.5% (1996)
Labor force: NA
by occupation: most employment is in the tourist industry (1996)
Unemployment rate: 0.5% (1994)
Budget:
revenues: $145 million
expenditures : $185 million, including capital expenditures of $42
million (1988)
Industries: tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - capacity: NA kW
Electricity - production: NA kWh
Electricity - consumption per capita: NA kWh
Agriculture - products: aloes; livestock; fishing
Exports:
total value: $1.3 billion (including oil re-exports) (f.o.b., 1995)
commodities: mostly refined petroleum products
partners: US 64%, EU
Imports:
total value: $1.8 billion (f.o.b., 1995)
commodities: food, consumer goods, manufactures, petroleum products,
crude oil for refining and reexport
partners: US 8%, EU
Debt - external: $669 million (December 1995)
Economic aid: the Netherlands provided a 1996 aid package of $224
million to Aruba, the Netherlands Antilles, and Suriname
Currency: 1 Aruban florin (Af.) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Aruban florins (Af.) per US$1 - 1.7900 (fixed rate
since 1986)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Aruba:Communications
Telephones: 22,922 (1993 est.)
Telephone system:
domestic: more than adequate
international: 1 submarine cable to Sint Maarten (Netherlands
Antilles); extensive interisland microwave radio relay links
Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 4, shortwave 0
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 1
Televisions: 19,000 (1993 est.)
@Aruba:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: NA km
paved : NA km
unpaved: NA km
note : most coastal roads are paved, while unpaved roads serve large
tracts of the interior
Ports and harbors: Barcadera, Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas
Merchant marine:
total : 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 7,274 GRT/ 10,130 DWT
ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 3 (1996 est.)
Airports: 2 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
Military
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the
Netherlands
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none
Illicit drugs: drug money-laundering center and transit point for
narcotics bound for the US and Europe; added to the US list of major
drug producing or drug transit countries in December 1996
______________________________________________________________________
ASHMORE AND CARTIER ISLANDS
Islands]
(territory of Australia)
@Ashmore and Cartier Islands:Geography
Location: Southeastern Asia, islands in the Indian Ocean, northwest of
Australia
Geographic coordinates: 12 14 S, 123 05 E
Map references: Southeast Asia
Area:
total: 5 sq km
land: 5 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Ashmore Reef (West, Middle, and East Islets) and
Cartier Island
Area - comparative: about eight times the size of The Mall in
Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 74.1 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone : 12 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: tropical
Terrain: low with sand and coral
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 3 m
Natural resources: fish
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops : 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 100% (all grass and sand)
Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1993)
Natural hazards: surrounded by shoals and reefs that can pose maritime
hazards
Environment - current issues: NA
Environment - international agreements:
party to : NA
signed, but not ratified: NA
Geography - note: Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve established in
August 1983
@Ashmore and Cartier Islands:People
Population: no indigenous inhabitants
note: there are only seasonal caretakers
@Ashmore and Cartier Islands:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands
conventional short form : Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Data code: AT
Dependency status: territory of Australia; administered by the
Australian Ministry for Sport, Territories, and Local Government
National capital: none; administered from Canberra, Australia
Administrative divisions: none (territory of Australia)
Independence: none (territory of Australia)
Legal system: relevant laws of the Northern Territory of Australia
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (territory of Australia)
Flag description: the flag of Australia is used
Economy