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
Natural resources: small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc,
alumina
Land use: arable land: 17% permanent crops: 3% meadows and pastures: 20% forest and woodland: 0% other: 60%
Irrigated land: 3,050 sq km (1990)
Environment:
current issues: soil pollution from toxic chemicals such as DDT;
energy blockade, the result of conflict with Azerbaijan, has led to
deforestation as citizens scavenge 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
natural hazards: occasionally severe earthquakes; droughts
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Nuclear Test Ban, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Desertification
Note: landlocked
@Armenia:People
Population: 3,557,284 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 31% (female 542,664; male 570,998)
15-64 years: 61% (female 1,103,171; male 1,076,226)
65 years and over: 8% (female 154,784; male 109,441) (July 1995 est.)