Overview
The first Christian
nation and considered
to be the cradle of civilization,
Armenia is located in
the Southern Caucasus—landlocked
by Turkey on the west,
Georgia on the north,
Azerbaijan on the east,
and Iran on the south.
A
tiny Nation, only
30,000 square miles
in area, Armenia
has a long and
tumultuous History,
marked by invasions,
occupations, and massacres—battered
by war for more than
3,000 years, shaped the
Culture as well as its
ever-changing Geography
and unique mountainous
landscape. Few
people have endured so
many trials and rebounded
with such dignity. Recent
history tells only a
part of the devastating
story—genocide, wars,
Soviet rule and a massive
earthquake taking the
lives of more than 50,000.
And so it is here that
the American doctors
and the Armenian People
come together to fight
blindness with a deep
respect for each other.
The American doctors
for the resilience and
the internal strength
of the Armenian people.
The Armenians for the
caring, quiet dedication
of the American doctors
who come to bring hope
and sight because they
are needed.
Background
According to
the CIA World Fact Book
Armenia prides itself
on being the first nation
to formally adopt Christianity
(early 4th century).
Despite periods of autonomy,
over the centuries Armenia
came under the sway of
various empires including
the Roman, Byzantine,
Arab, Persian, and Ottoman.
During
World War I in the western
portion of Armenia, Ottoman
Turkey instituted a policy
of forced resettlement
coupled with other harsh
practices that resulted
in an estimated 1 million
Armenian deaths. The
eastern area of Armenia
was ceded by the Ottomans
to Russia in 1828; this
portion declared its
independence in 1918,
but was conquered by
the Soviet Red Army in
1920. Armenian leaders
remain preoccupied by
the long conflict with
Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh,
a primarily Armenian-populated
region, assigned to Soviet
Azerbaijan in the 1920s
by Moscow.
Armenia
and Azerbaijan began
fighting over the area
in 1988; the struggle
escalated after both
countries attained independence
from the Soviet Union
in 1991. By May 1994,
when a cease-fire took
hold, ethnic Armenian
forces held not only
Nagorno-Karabakh but
also a significant portion
of Azerbaijan proper.
The
economies of both sides
have been hurt by their
inability to make substantial
progress toward a peaceful
resolution. Turkey closed
the common border with
Armenia because of the
Armenian separatists'
control of Nagorno-Karabakh
and surrounding areas.
Population: |
2,967,004
(July
2009
est.) |
Population
Growth: |
0.3%
(2009
Est.) |
Infant
Mortality: |
20.21
deaths/1,000
live
births |
Net
Migration
Rate: |
4.56
migrant(s)
per
1,000
population |
Ethnicity: |
Armenian
98%,
Yezidi
(Kurd)
1.3%,
Russian
0.5%, other
0.3% |
Religions: |
Armenian
Apostolic
94.7%,
other
Christian
4%,
Yezidi
1.3% |
Languages: |
Armenian
97.7%,
Yezidi
1%,
Russian
0.9%,
other |
Literacy: |
0.4%
(2001
census)
Total
Population:
99.4% |
President: |
Serzh
Sargsian
(April
2008)) |
Prime
Minister: |
Tigran
Sargsian |
Constitution: |
Adopted
by
Nationwide
Referendum,
July
5,
1995
Republic |
Government
Type: |
Unicameral
National
Assembly
(131
seats) |
Legislative
Branch: |
Supreme
Court |
Judicial
Branch: |
Constitutional
Court |
Capital: |
Yerevan |
Administrative: |
11
Provinces |
GDP:
|
real
growth
rate
7.6%
(2008
est.)
per capita $6,400
(2008 est.)
purchasing
power parity |
Inflation
Rate: |
10.2%
(2008
est.) |
Unemployment: |
26.5%
(2006
est.)
10.2%
(2008 est.) |
Below
Poverty: |
7.1%
(2007
est.) |
Labor
Force: |
1.2
million
(2007
est.)
Agriculture:
46.2% Industry:
15.6% Services:
38.2% (2006
est.) |
Source:
CIA
World
Factbook
6 March,
2009 |
|
