Geographical Location

Armenia is a mountainous country located to the north of the Iranian plateau, west of the Armenian plateau, and south of the Caucasus mountain range. It is situated in an earthquake zone. The country’s elevation is 1,800 meters above sea level.

Area

Armenia has an area of approximately 29,800 square kilometers, of which 28,400 square kilometers are land, and 1,400 square kilometers are water.

Neighbors

Armenia is a landlocked country with no direct access to the sea. Of its 1,254 kilometers of land borders, 268 kilometers are with Turkey, 164 kilometers with Georgia, 566 kilometers with Azerbaijan to the east, 221 kilometers with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (southeast), and 35 kilometers with Iran to the south.

Population

According to estimates made in July 2008, the population of Armenia was 2,968,586, making it the 139th most populous country in the world. The population density is 108 people per square kilometer. 64% of the population is urban, with 95% of people being Armenian, 2% Russian, 2% Kurdish, and 1% from other ethnic groups.

Major Cities

 

Yerevan, with over one-third of the country’s total population, is the capital of Armenia. It is also one of the oldest cities in the world and the most important economic, industrial, and educational center of the country. Armenia is divided into 10 provinces, and the capital and provinces are further divided into several districts. Major cities of Armenia include: Abovyan, Alaverdi, Ararat, Artashat, and Ashtarak.

 

Currency

 

The national currency of Armenia is the dram (AMD). It was introduced in 1993 by the Central Bank of Armenia. One dram is subdivided into 100 luma. The exchange rate of the dram to the US dollar has fluctuated over the years, with the value rising from about 550 drams per dollar to around 320 drams per dollar in 2008.