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Total Area: Approximately 29,800 square kilometers. Bordering states: Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Iran. Capital: Yerevan. Date of Independence: September 23, 1991. Topography: Dominated by Lesser Caucasus range, running across north and then turning southeast to Iran. Armenian Plateau to the southwest of mountains. Plateau, major feature of central Armenia, slopes gradually downward into Aras River valley, which forms border with Turkey to west and Iran to south. Climate: Mountains preclude influence from nearby seas; temperature and precipitation generally determined by elevation: colder and wetter in higher elevations (north and northeast). In central plateau, wide temperature variation between winter and summer. Population: By official 1994 estimate, population 3,521,517; in 1994 annual growth rate about 1.1 percent; 1991 population density 112.6 persons per square kilometer. Ethnic Groups: In 1989 census, Armenians 93.7 percent, Kurds 1.7 percent, Russians 1.6 percent, and other 0.4 percent. Languages: Official state language Armenian, spoken by 96 percent of population. Russian first language of 2 percent, second language for about 40 percent of population. Religion: Approximately 94 percent of population belongs to Armenian Apostolic Church. Other religions include Russian Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Protestant denominations, and Yezidism. Education and Literacy: Education compulsory through secondary school. Literacy estimated at 100 percent. In early 1990s, substantial changes, begun in previous centralized Soviet system, emphasized national heritage. Health: Nominal continuation of Soviet-era guarantee of universal care, but health care system deteriorated under stress of independence and Nagorno-Karabagh conflict. Severe shortage of basic medical supplies in early 1990s, and many clinics and hospitals closed. |