Terrain
Armenian Highland with mountains; little forest land; fast flowing rivers; good soil in Aras River valley.
Climate
Highland continental, hot summers, cold winters.
People
Nationality: Armenian. Population: 2,974,184 (July 2013 est.). Language: Armenian (official) 97.7%, Yezidi 1%, Russian 0.9%, other 0.4%
Religions
Armenian Apostolic 94.7%, other Christian 4%, Yezidi (monotheist with elements of nature worship) 1.3%
Economy
Armenia faced a severe economic recession with GDP declining more than 14% in 2009, despite large loans from multilateral institutions. Sharp declines in the construction sector and workers' remittances, particularly from Russia, led the downturn. The economy began to recover in 2010 with 2.1% growth, and picked up to 4.6% growth in 2011, before slowing to 3.8% in 2012. Armenia is particularly dependent on Russian commercial and governmental support.
Living Conditions
In urban Armenia, most families live in apartment buildings ranging from four to fifteen stories high. By American standards, apartments are small. In villages, many Armenians have private houses, ranging in size from two rooms with a kitchen to very large houses with many rooms. Armenians enjoy a wide variety of goods and services, such as public transportation, telephones, indoor running water, and electricity.
Government
Republic
US Military Presence/Support