2. Location: Eastern Europe, betweenTurkey (to
the west) andAzerbaijan
Area
Total: 29,743 sq km
Country comparison to the world: 143
Land: 28,203 sq km
Water: 1,540 sq km
Area – comparative: Slightly smaller than
Maryland
Land boundaries:
Total: 1,254 km
Border countries:Azerbaijan (mainland) 566 km,
Azerbaijan (Naxcivan exclave) 221 km, Georgia
164 km, Iran 35 km,Turkey 268 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
3.
4. Christianity, existent in Armenia for more
than 1,700 years, is followed by up to 97%
ofArmenians.
Armenia has its own church, the Armenian
Apostolic Church, followed by the majority
ofArmenian people.
5. Armenian Apostolic 94.7%
Other Christian 4%
Yezidi (monotheist with characteristics
of nature worship) 1.3%
6. The political system of Armenia functions in a structure of a presidential
representative democratic republic, with the President as the head of
government, and of a platform multi-party structure.
The government exercises executive power.
Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament.
7. Capital (and largest city):Yerevan
Official language(s):Armenian
Demonym:Armenian
Government: Presidential republic
President: Serzh Sargsyan
Prime Minister:Tigran Sargsyan
Speaker: Hovik Abrahamyan
Legislature: National Assembly
8. Armenia achieved independence from theTranscaucasian Democratic Federative Republic
on 28 May 1918 as the Democratic Republic of Armenia (DRA).
After the DRA dissolved on 2 December 1920, it was annexed into the Soviet Union and
became part of theTranscaucasian SFSR, which collapsed in 1936; Armenia became a
constituent republic of the Soviet Union known as the Armenian SSR.
Since it declared independence from the Soviet Union on 23 September 1991, the country’s
official name has been the Republic of Armenia (Armenian: Հայաստանի
Հանրապետություն; Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun).
Armenia’s data code is AM.
Yerevan is the capital and biggest city of Armenia.
Apart from theYerevan administrative region, Armenia is divided into ten administrative
divisions, called marzer (singular: marz); these are Ararat, Aragatsotn, Armavir,
Gegharkunik, Kotayk, Lori, Shirak, Syunik,Tavush, and Vayots Dzor.
Armenia’s flag is composed of three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue (middle), and
orange (bottom).
10. The legislative branch of Armenia’s
government is the National Assembly of
Armenia (Azgayin Zhoghov).
The National Assembly of Armenia is a 131-
member unicameral body; those members
are elected to five-year terms: 90 members
sit in single-seat constituencies and 41
through proportional representation; the
proportional-representation seats in the
National Assembly are assigned on a party-
list basis among those parties that acquire
no less than5% of the total of the number
of votes.
11. Political corruption in Armenian society is a problem.
In 2008,Transparency International reduced its Corruption Perceptions Index for
Armenia from 3.0 in 2007 to 2.9 out of 10 (a lower score indicates more alleged
corruption).
Armenia fell from 99th place in 2007 to 109th out of 180 total countries surveyed (tying
withArgentina, Belize, Moldova, the Solomon Islands, andVanuatu).
In spite of legislative amendments in terms of elections and party investment,
corruption either continues or has come back in new sorts.
The United Nations Development Programme in Armenia sees corruption in the
Caucasian country as “a serious challenge to its development.”
12. Republican Party of Armenia (Հայաստանի
Հանրապետական Կուսակցություն, ՀՀԿ;
Hayastani Hanrapetakan Kusaktsutyun, HHK)
Prosperous Armenia (Բարգավաճ
Հայաստանի Կուսակցություն, ԲՀԿ ;
Bargavach Hayastani Kusaktsutyun, BHK)
Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Հայ
Հեղափոխական Դաշնակցություն, ՀՅԴ;
Hay Heghapokhakan Dashnaktsutyun, ARF)
Rule of Law (Օրինաց Երկիր
Կուսակցություն, ՕԵԿ; OrinatsYerkir, OEK)
Heritage (Ժառանգություն
Կուսակցություն; Zharangutyun)
Non-partisans (Անկուսակցական եւ
խմբակցություններում չընդգրկված)
13. Born in Stepanakert on 30 June 1954.
3rd and current President of Armenia; assumed office
on 9 April 2008.
Won the February 2008 presidential election with the
support of the governing Republican Party of Armenia,
of which he is currently the chairman.
Was re-elected as President on 18 February 2013.
Both elections were the subject of controversy by the
opposition, who alleged that Sargsyan rigged the
elections.
Entered Yerevan State University in 1971, served in the
Soviet Armed Forces from 1971-1972, and graduated
from the Philological Department of Yerevan State
University in 1979.
Married his wife, Rita, in 1983; they have two
daughters, Anush and Satenik, and one
granddaughter, Mariam.
Also serves as the chairman of the Armenian Chess
Federation.
His native Armenian aside, he speaks fluent Russian.
Is not related to Armenia’s current PM, Tigran
Sargsyan.
14. Born in Kirovakan (now Vanadzor) on 29 January 1960.
Current PM of Armenia; assumed office on 9 April 2008.
Attended Leningrad’s Voznesenski Financial and Economic
Institute from 1980-1983; his post-graduate education from 1983-
1987 ended in earning his PhD degree.
Worked as the Chief of Department for Foreign Economic
Relations of Scientific Researches Institute of Economic Planning in
Armenia from 1987-1990.
Worked at the post of Chairman of Republican Council of Young
Specialists and Scientists from 1988-1993.
Served as a member of the Supreme Council of the Republic of
Armenia and the Chair of Standing Commission for Financial,
Credit and, Budget Affairs from 1990-1995.
Also served as the Director of Scientific Researches Institute of
Social Reforms and as the Chairman of Armenian Banks
Association from 1995-1998.
Occupied the position of Chairman of the Central Bank of Armenia
(CBA) from 3 March 1998; was re-elected by the Armenian National
Assembly as CBA Chairman for a second seven-year term on 2
March 2005.
As many as 92 MPs took part in the vote; 86 voted for his
candidacy.
Was the chairman of CBA until 9 April 2008, when he was named
PM Armenia by President Serzh Sargsyan (to whom he has no
relation) upon the latter’s swearing in.
Is married; has three children (one daughter, Nelly Sargsyan, and
two sons, Armen and Abgar Sargsyan).
15. National conservative political party in
Armenia.
Founded on 2 April 1990 and registered on
14 May 1991; was independent Armenia’s
first political party.
Is the right-wing’s biggest party in
Armenia; claims membership of 140,000.
Manages most government bodies in
Armenia.
Has been characterized by The Economist
magazine as a “typical post-Soviet ‘party of
power’ mainly comprising senior
government officials, civil servants, and
wealthy business people dependent on
government connections.”
16. Shortened to ԲՀԿ or BHK; liberal
conservative political party in Armenia.
Was founded by the wealthy Armenian
businessman GagikTsarukian on 30 April
2004, when the party’s constituent
congress occurred.
Debuted in the 2007 Armenian
parliamentary elections; took 18 seats
and 14.68% of the votes, making it
parliament’s second biggest political
party.
