Armenia prides itself on being the first state to formally adopt Christianity (early 4th century). Armenia has existed as a political entity for centuries with varying geographical boundaries and differing levels of political independence, but for much of its history it was under the sway of various empires including the Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Persian, Ottoman, and Russian. During World War I, the Ottoman Empire instituted a policy of forced resettlement coupled with other harsh practices targeting its Armenian subjects, especially those living in the eastern provinces of Anatolia, that resulted in at least 1 million Armenian deaths; these actions have been widely recognized as constituting genocide. During the early 19th century, significant Armenian populations fell under Russian rule as a result of Russian military successes against the Persian (1813) and Ottoman (1828) empires. After the Bolshevik Revolution toppled the last Russian tsar in 1917, Armenia declared its independence in 1918, but was conquered by the Soviet Red Army in 1920. Armenia, along with Azerbaijan and Georgia, was initially incorporated into the USSR as part of the Transcaucasian Federated Soviet Socialist Republic; in 1936, the federated republic was separated into its three constituent entities, which were maintained until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Armenia has a longstanding conflict with neighboring Azerbaijan about the status of the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The region historically had a mixed Armenian and Azerbaijani population, although ethnic Armenians have constituted the majority since the late 19th century. In 1921, Moscow placed Nagorno-Karabakh within Soviet Azerbaijan as an autonomous oblast, a decision that Armenian political leaders and the public repeatedly sought to alter through petitions and complaints, starting in the 1930s. In the late Soviet period, a separatist movement developed that sought to end Azerbaijani control over the region. Fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh began in 1988 and escalated after Armenia and Azerbaijan attained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. By the time a cease-fire took effect in May 1994, separatists, with Armenian support, controlled Nagorno‑Karabakh and seven surrounding Azerbaijani territories. constituting a total of 14 percent of Azerbaijan’s overall territory. Armenia and Azerbaijan engaged in a second military conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh in September-November 2020, as a result of which Armenia lost control over much of the territory it had captured a quarter-century earlier. Under the terms of a cease-fire agreement signed in November 2020, Armenia returned the territories around Nagorno-Karabakh and some parts of Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan and accepted the deployment of Russian peacekeepers to the remainder of the region. Armenia’s only remaining territorial connection to Nagorno-Karabakh after 2020 was through the five-kilometer wide Lacin Corridor, which passed through Azerbaijani-held territory and was under the control of Russian peacekeepers.
Turkey closed its common border with Armenia in 1993 in support of Azerbaijan during the first period of conflict with Armenia and has maintained a closed border since then, leaving Armenia with closed borders both in the west (with Turkey) and east (with Azerbaijan). Armenia and Turkey engaged in intensive diplomacy to normalize their relations and open the border in 2009, but the signed agreement was not ratified in either country and became a dead letter in 2018, when Armenia officially withdrew its signature. In 2015, Armenia joined the Eurasian Economic Union alongside Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. In November 2017, Armenia signed a Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the EU.
In spring 2018, former President of Armenia (2008-18) Serzh SARGSIAN of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) tried to extend his time in power by becoming prime minister, prompting popular protests that became known as the “Velvet Revolution.” After SARGSIAN resigned, the leader of the protests, Civil Contract party chief Nikol PASHINYAN, was elected by the National Assembly as the new prime minister on 8 May 2018. PASHINYAN’s party has prevailed in subsequent legislative elections, most recently in June 2021.
" } }, "Geography": { "Location": { "text": "Southwestern Asia, between Turkey (to the west) and Azerbaijan; note - Armenia views itself as part of Europe; geopolitically, it can be classified as falling within Europe, the Middle East, or both" }, "Geographic coordinates": { "text": "40 00 N, 45 00 E" }, "Map references": { "text": "Asia" }, "Area": { "total": { "text": "29,743 sq km" }, "land": { "text": "28,203 sq km" }, "water": { "text": "1,540 sq km" } }, "Area - comparative": { "text": "slightly smaller than Maryland" }, "Land boundaries": { "total": { "text": "1,570 km" }, "border countries": { "text": "Azerbaijan 996 km; Georgia 219 km; Iran 44 km; Turkey 311 km" } }, "Coastline": { "text": "0 km (landlocked)" }, "Maritime claims": { "text": "none (landlocked)" }, "Climate": { "text": "highland continental, hot summers, cold winters" }, "Terrain": { "text": "Armenian Highland with mountains; little forest land; fast flowing rivers; good soil in Aras River valley" }, "Elevation": { "highest point": { "text": "Aragats Lerrnagagat' 4,090 m" }, "lowest point": { "text": "Debed River 400 m" }, "mean elevation": { "text": "1,792 m" } }, "Natural resources": { "text": "small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, bauxite" }, "Land use": { "agricultural land": { "text": "59.7% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: arable land": { "text": "arable land: 15.8% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent crops": { "text": "permanent crops: 1.9% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent pasture": { "text": "permanent pasture: 42% (2018 est.)" }, "forest": { "text": "9.1% (2018 est.)" }, "other": { "text": "31.2% (2018 est.)" } }, "Irrigated land": { "text": "1,554 sq km (2020)" }, "Major lakes (area sq km)": { "fresh water lake(s)": { "text": "Lake Sevan - 1,360 sq km" } }, "Population distribution": { "text": "most of the population is located in the northern half of the country; the capital of Yerevan is home to more than five times as many people as Gyumri, the second largest city in the country" }, "Natural hazards": { "text": "occasionally severe earthquakes; droughts" }, "Geography - note": { "text": "landlocked in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains; Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan) is the largest lake in this mountain range" } }, "People and Society": { "Population": { "text": "2,989,091 (2023 est.)" }, "Nationality": { "noun": { "text": "Armenian(s)" }, "adjective": { "text": "Armenian" } }, "Ethnic groups": { "text": "Armenian 98.1%, Yezidi (Kurd) 1.2%, other 0.7% (2011 est.)" }, "Languages": { "Languages": { "text": "Armenian (official) 97.9%, Kurmanji (spoken by Yezidi minority) 1%, other 1.1%; note - Russian is widely spoken (2011 est.)" }, "major-language sample(s)": { "text": "Armenia’s population peaked at nearly 3.7 million in the late 1980s but has declined sharply since independence in 1991, to just over 3 million in 2021, largely as a result of its decreasing fertility rate, increasing death rate, and negative net emigration rate. The total fertility rate (the average number of children born per woman) first fell below the 2.1 replacement level in the late 1990s and has hovered around 1.6-1.65 for over 15 years. In an effort to increase the country’s birth rate, the government has expanded its child benefits, including a substantial increase in the lump sum payment for having a first and second child and a boost in the monthly payment to mothers of children under two. Reversing net negative migration, however, remains the biggest obstacle to stabilizing or increasing population growth. Emigration causes Armenia not only lose individuals but also the children they might have.
The emigration of a significant number of working-age people combined with decreased fertility and increased life expectancy is causing the elderly share of Armenia’s population to grow. The growing elderly population will put increasing pressure on the government’s ability to fund the pension system, health care, and other services for seniors. Improving education, creating more jobs (particularly in the formal sector), promoting labor market participation, and increasing productivity would mitigate the financial impact of supporting a growing elderly population.
Armenia has a long history of migration, some forced and some voluntary. Its large diaspora is diverse and dispersed around the world. Widely varying estimates suggest the Armenian diaspora may number anywhere from 5-9 million, easily outnumbering the number of Armenians living in Armenia. Armenians forged communities abroad from ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome to Russia and to the Americas, where they excelled as craftsmen, merchants, and in other occupations.
Several waves of Armenian migration occurred in the 20th century. In the aftermath of the 1915 Armenian genocide, hundreds of thousands of survivors fled to communities in the Caucasus (including present day Armenia), Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Europe, and Russia and established new communities in Africa and the Americas. In the 1930s, the Soviets deported thousands of Armenians to Siberia and Central Asia. After World War II, the Soviets encouraged the Armenian diaspora in France, the Middle East, and Iran to return the Armenian homeland in order to encourage population growth after significant losses in the male workforce during the war.
Following Armenian independence in 1991, the economic downturn and high unemployment prompted hundreds of thousands of Armenians to seek better economic opportunities primarily in Russia but also in the US, former Soviet states, and Europe. In the early 1990s, hundreds of thousands of Armenians fled from Azerbaijan to Armenia because of the ongoing Nagorno-Karbakh conflict, but many of them then emigrated again, mainly to Russia and the US. When the economy became more stable in the late 1990s, permanent emigration slowed, but Armenians continued to seek temporary seasonal work in Russia. The remittances families receive from relatives working abroad is vital to Armenian households and the country’s economy." }, "Age structure": { "0-14 years": { "text": "17.98% (male 282,055/female 255,313)" }, "15-64 years": { "text": "67.53% (male 999,784/female 1,018,891)" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "14.49% (2023 est.) (male 178,824/female 254,224)" } }, "Dependency ratios": { "total dependency ratio": { "text": "49.6" }, "youth dependency ratio": { "text": "30.6" }, "elderly dependency ratio": { "text": "19.1" }, "potential support ratio": { "text": "5.2 (2021 est.)" } }, "Median age": { "total": { "text": "36.6 years" }, "male": { "text": "35.1 years" }, "female": { "text": "38.3 years (2020 est.)" } }, "Population growth rate": { "text": "-0.4% (2023 est.)" }, "Birth rate": { "text": "10.8 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)" }, "Death rate": { "text": "9.54 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)" }, "Net migration rate": { "text": "-5.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)" }, "Population distribution": { "text": "most of the population is located in the northern half of the country; the capital of Yerevan is home to more than five times as many people as Gyumri, the second largest city in the country" }, "Urbanization": { "urban population": { "text": "63.7% of total population (2023)" }, "rate of urbanization": { "text": "0.23% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)" } }, "Major urban areas - population": { "text": "1.095 million YEREVAN (capital) (2023)" }, "Sex ratio": { "at birth": { "text": "1.07 male(s)/female" }, "0-14 years": { "text": "1.1 male(s)/female" }, "15-64 years": { "text": "0.98 male(s)/female" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "0.7 male(s)/female" }, "total population": { "text": "0.96 male(s)/female (2023 est.)" } }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "25.2 years (2019 est.)" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "27 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)" }, "Infant mortality rate": { "total": { "text": "11.89 deaths/1,000 live births" }, "male": { "text": "13.43 deaths/1,000 live births" }, "female": { "text": "10.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)" } }, "Life expectancy at birth": { "total population": { "text": "76.4 years" }, "male": { "text": "73.13 years" }, "female": { "text": "79.91 years (2023 est.)" } }, "Total fertility rate": { "text": "1.65 children born/woman (2023 est.)" }, "Gross reproduction rate": { "text": "0.8 (2023 est.)" }, "Contraceptive prevalence rate": { "text": "57.1% (2015/16)" }, "Drinking water source": { "improved: urban": { "text": "urban: 100% of population" }, "improved: rural": { "text": "rural: 100% of population" }, "improved: total": { "text": "total: 100% of population" }, "unimproved: urban": { "text": "urban: 0% of population" }, "unimproved: rural": { "text": "rural: 0% of population" }, "unimproved: total": { "text": "total: 0% of population (2020 est.)" } }, "Current health expenditure": { "text": "12.2% of GDP (2020)" }, "Physicians density": { "text": "4.4 physicians/1,000 population (2017)" }, "Hospital bed density": { "text": "4.2 beds/1,000 population (2014)" }, "Sanitation facility access": { "improved: urban": { "text": "urban: 100% of population" }, "improved: rural": { "text": "rural: 84.6% of population" }, "improved: total": { "text": "total: 94.4% of population" }, "unimproved: urban": { "text": "urban: 0% of population" }, "unimproved: rural": { "text": "rural: 15.4% of population" }, "unimproved: total": { "text": "total: 5.6% of population (2020 est.)" } }, "Obesity - adult prevalence rate": { "text": "20.2% (2016)" }, "Alcohol consumption per capita": { "total": { "text": "3.77 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "beer": { "text": "0.52 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "wine": { "text": "0.46 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "spirits": { "text": "2.78 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "other alcohols": { "text": "0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" } }, "Tobacco use": { "total": { "text": "25.5% (2020 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "49.4% (2020 est.)" }, "female": { "text": "1.5% (2020 est.)" } }, "Children under the age of 5 years underweight": { "text": "2.6% (2015/16)" }, "Currently married women (ages 15-49)": { "text": "64.8% (2023 est.)" }, "Child marriage": { "women married by age 15": { "text": "0%" }, "women married by age 18": { "text": "5.3%" }, "men married by age 18": { "text": "0.4% (2016 est.)" } }, "Education expenditures": { "text": "2.8% of GDP (2021 est.)" }, "Literacy": { "definition": { "text": "age 15 and over can read and write" }, "total population": { "text": "99.8%" }, "male": { "text": "99.8%" }, "female": { "text": "99.7% (2020)" } }, "School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)": { "total": { "text": "13 years" }, "male": { "text": "13 years" }, "female": { "text": "14 years (2021)" } }, "Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)": { "total": { "text": "36.1%" }, "male": { "text": "34%" }, "female": { "text": "38.7% (2021 est.)" } } }, "Environment": { "Environment - current issues": { "text": "soil pollution from toxic chemicals such as DDT; deforestation; pollution of Hrazdan and Aras Rivers; the draining of Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan), a result of its use as a source for hydropower, threatens drinking water supplies; restart of Metsamor nuclear power plant in spite of its location in a seismically active zone" }, "Environment - international agreements": { "party to": { "text": "Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands" }, "signed, but not ratified": { "text": "Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants" } }, "Climate": { "text": "highland continental, hot summers, cold winters" }, "Land use": { "agricultural land": { "text": "59.7% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: arable land": { "text": "arable land: 15.8% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent crops": { "text": "permanent crops: 1.9% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent pasture": { "text": "permanent pasture: 42% (2018 est.)" }, "forest": { "text": "9.1% (2018 est.)" }, "other": { "text": "31.2% (2018 est.)" } }, "Urbanization": { "urban population": { "text": "63.7% of total population (2023)" }, "rate of urbanization": { "text": "0.23% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)" } }, "Revenue from forest resources": { "text": "0.28% of GDP (2018 est.)" }, "Revenue from coal": { "text": "0% of GDP (2018 est.)" }, "Air pollutants": { "particulate matter emissions": { "text": "30.48 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)" }, "carbon dioxide emissions": { "text": "5.16 megatons (2016 est.)" }, "methane emissions": { "text": "2.91 megatons (2020 est.)" } }, "Waste and recycling": { "municipal solid waste generated annually": { "text": "492,800 tons (2014 est.)" } }, "Major lakes (area sq km)": { "fresh water lake(s)": { "text": "Lake Sevan - 1,360 sq km" } }, "Total water withdrawal": { "municipal": { "text": "650 million cubic meters (2020 est.)" }, "industrial": { "text": "190 million cubic meters (2020 est.)" }, "agricultural": { "text": "1.99 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)" } }, "Total renewable water resources": { "text": "7.77 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)" } }, "Government": { "Country name": { "conventional long form": { "text": "Republic of Armenia" }, "conventional short form": { "text": "Armenia" }, "local long form": { "text": "Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun" }, "local short form": { "text": "Hayastan" }, "former": { "text": "Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, Armenian Republic" }, "etymology": { "text": "the etymology of the country's name remains obscure; according to tradition, the country is named after Hayk, the legendary patriarch of the Armenians and the great-great-grandson of Noah; Hayk's descendant, Aram, purportedly is the source of the name Armenia" } }, "Government type": { "text": "parliamentary democracy; note - constitutional changes adopted in December 2015 transformed the government to a parliamentary system" }, "Capital": { "name": { "text": "Yerevan" }, "geographic coordinates": { "text": "40 10 N, 44 30 E" }, "time difference": { "text": "UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)" }, "etymology": { "text": "name likely derives from the ancient Urartian fortress of Erebuni established on the current site of Yerevan in 782 B.C. and whose impressive ruins still survive" } }, "Administrative divisions": { "text": "11 provinces (marzer, singular - marz); Aragatsotn, Ararat, Armavir, Geghark'unik', Kotayk', Lorri, Shirak, Syunik', Tavush, Vayots' Dzor, Yerevan" }, "Independence": { "text": "21 September 1991 (from the Soviet Union); notable earlier dates: 321 B.C. (Kingdom of Armenia established under the Orontid Dynasty), A.D. 884 (Armenian Kingdom reestablished under the Bagratid Dynasty); 1198 (Cilician Kingdom established); 28 May 1918 (Democratic Republic of Armenia declared)" }, "National holiday": { "text": "Independence Day, 21 September (1991)" }, "Constitution": { "history": { "text": "previous 1915, 1978; latest adopted 5 July 1995" }, "amendments": { "text": "proposed by the president of the republic or by the National Assembly; passage requires approval by the president, by the National Assembly, and by a referendum with at least 25% registered voter participation and more than 50% of votes; constitutional articles on the form of government and democratic procedures are not amendable; amended 2005, 2015, last in 2020; the Constitutional Reform Council formed in 2019 was dissolved in December 2021, and replaced by a new Constitutional Reform Council, whose members were officially appointed in late January 2022; the new council is expected to address the form of government, i.e. presidential or semi-presidential or parliamentary, and whether to merge the Court of Cassation with the Constitutional Court
" } }, "Legal system": { "text": "civil law system" }, "International law organization participation": { "text": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt" }, "Citizenship": { "citizenship by birth": { "text": "no" }, "citizenship by descent only": { "text": "at least one parent must be a citizen of Armenia" }, "dual citizenship recognized": { "text": "yes" }, "residency requirement for naturalization": { "text": "3 years" } }, "Suffrage": { "text": "18 years of age; universal" }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { "text": "President Vahagn KHACHATURYAN (since 13 March 2022)" }, "head of government": { "text": "Prime Minister Nikol PASHINYAN (since 10 September 2021); Deputy Prime Ministers Mher GRIGORYAN (since 3 August 2021) and Tigran KHACHATRYAN (since 19 December 2022); note - Prime Minister Nikol PASHINYAN resigned on 25 April 2021 in advance of the 20 June 2021 parliamentary election; he was reappointed by the president on 2 August 2021 and sworn in on 10 September 2021" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister" }, "elections/appointments": { "text": "president indirectly elected by the National Assembly in 3 rounds if needed for a single 7-year term; election last held on 2-3 March 2022; prime minister indirectly elected by majority vote in 2 rounds if needed by the National Assembly" }, "election results": { "text": "1 American Ave., Yerevan 0082
" }, "mailing address": { "text": "7020 Yerevan Place, Washington, DC 20521-7020" }, "telephone": { "text": "[374] (10) 464-700" }, "FAX": { "text": "[374] (10) 464-742" }, "email address and website": { "text": "Armenia’s government-run Public Television network operates alongside 100 privately owned TV stations that provide local to near nationwide coverage; three Russian TV companies are broadcast in Armenia under interstate agreements; subscription cable TV services are available in most regions; several major international broadcasters are available, including CNN; Armenian TV completed conversion from analog to digital broadcasting in late 2016; Public Radio of Armenia is a national, state-run broadcast network that operates alongside 18 privately owned radio stations
(2019)" }, "Internet country code": { "text": ".am" }, "Internet users": { "total": { "text": "2.212 million (2021 est.)" }, "percent of population": { "text": "79% (2021 est.)" } }, "Broadband - fixed subscriptions": { "total": { "text": "430,407 (2020 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "15 (2020 est.)" } } }, "Transportation": { "National air transport system": { "number of registered air carriers": { "text": "3 (2020)" }, "inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers": { "text": "5" } }, "Civil aircraft registration country code prefix": { "text": "EK" }, "Airports": { "text": "7 (2021)" }, "Airports - with paved runways": { "total": { "text": "10" }, "civil airports": { "text": "2" }, "military airports": { "text": "0" }, "joint use (civil-military) airports": { "text": "1" }, "other airports": { "text": "7" }, "note": "note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)" }, "Airports - with unpaved runways": { "text": "1", "note": "note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control" }, "Pipelines": { "text": "3,838 km gas (high and medium pressure) (2017)" }, "Railways": { "total": { "text": "686 km (2017)" } }, "Roadways": { "total": { "text": "7,700 km (2019)" }, "urban": { "text": "3,780 km" }, "non-urban": { "text": "3,920 km" } } }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { "text": "Armenian Republic Armed Forces: Armenian Army (includes land, air, air defense forces) (2023)", "note": "note: the Police of the Republic of Armenia is responsible for internal security, while the National Security Service is responsible for national security, intelligence activities, and border control" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2022": { "text": "4.3% of GDP (2022 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2021": { "text": "4.4% of GDP (2021 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2020": { "text": "5% of GDP (2020 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2019": { "text": "5.3% of GDP (2019 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2018": { "text": "4.6% of GDP (2018 est.)" } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { "text": "approximately 45,000 active troops (42,000 ground; 3,000 air/defense) (2022)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the military's inventory includes mostly Russian and Soviet-era equipment (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "18-27 for voluntary/contract (men and women) or compulsory (men) military service; contract military service is 3-12 months or 3 or 5 years; conscripts serve 24 months; men under the age of 36, who have not previously served as contract servicemen and are registered in the reserve, as well as women, regardless of whether they are registered in the reserve can be enrolled in contractual military service; all citizens aged 27 to 50 are registered in the military reserve and may be called to serve if mobilization is declared (2023)", "note": "note: as of 2021, conscripts comprised about half of the military's active personnel; as of 2018, women made up about 13% of the active duty military; the Armenian Army established its first all-women combat unit in 2020" }, "Military - note": { "text": "since November 2020, Russia has deployed about 2,000 peacekeeping troops to the area in and around Nagorno-Karabakh as part of a cease-fire agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan; fighting erupted between the two countries over the Nagorno-Karabakh region in September of 2020; Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but has been under control of ethnic Armenian forces (the \"Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army\") backed by Armenia since a separatist war there ended in 1994; six weeks of fighting resulted in about 6,500 deaths and ended after Armenia ceded swaths of Nagorno-Karabakh territory; tensions remained high into 2023, and both sides have accused the other of provocations since the fighting ended; Armenia has accused Azerbaijani forces of a series of border intrusions and of seizing pockets of territorylocal border forces struggle to control the illegal transit of goods and people across the porous, undemarcated Armenian, Azerbaijani, and Georgian borders
Armenia-Azerbaijan: The dispute over the break-away Nagorno-Karabakh region and the Armenian military occupation of surrounding lands in Azerbaijan remains the primary focus of regional instability. Residents have evacuated the former Soviet-era small ethnic enclaves in Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Armenia-Georgia: Georgians restrict Armenian access into Samtse-Javakheti ethnic Armenian areas. Armenia has made no claims to the region.
Armenia-Iran: None identified
Armenia-Turkey: In 2009, Swiss mediators facilitated an accord reestablishing diplomatic ties between Armenia and Turkey, but neither side has ratified the agreement and the rapprochement effort has faltered, in part due to resistance from Azerbaijan. The border has been closed since 1993, and no diplomatic relations established after Armenian independence. In 2022, Turkey and Armenia have agreed to move forward with efforts to normalize relations.
Turkish authorities have complained that blasting from quarries in Armenia might be damaging the ruins of Ani, an ancient city on the high ridge overlooking the Arpaçay valley on the opposite shore.
a transit country for illicit drugs with its location between source countries Afghanistan and Iran and the markets of Europe and Russia.
" } } }