GEOGRAPHY
| Location: | Southwestern Asia, east of Europe. |
| Coordinates: | 40 00 N, 45 00 E. |
| Map references: | Europe-Asia. |
| Area: | Total: 29,800 sq km; Water: 1,400 sq km; Land: 28,400 sq km. |
| Land boundaries: | Total: 1,254 km; Border countries: Azerbaijan-proper 566 km, Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave 221 km, Georgia 164 km, Iran 35 km, Turkey 268 km. |
| Coastline: | 0 km (landlocked) |
| Climate: | Highland continental, hot summers, cold winters. |
| Terrain: | Armenian Highland with mountains; little forest land; fast flowing rivers; good soil in Aras River valley. |
| Elevation: | Lowest point: Debed River 400 m; Highest point: Aragats Lerrnagagat' 4,090 m. |
| Natural resources: | Small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, alumina. |
| Land use: | Arable land: 17.52%; Permanent crops: 2.3%; Other: 80.18% (1998 est.) |
| Irrigated land: | 2,870 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural hazards: | Occasionally severe earthquakes; droughts. |
| Environmental issues: | Soil pollution from toxic chemicals such as DDT; energy blockade, the result of conflict with Azerbaijan and disagreements with Turkey, has led to deforestation when citizens scavenged for firewood; pollution of Hrazdan (Razdan) 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. |
| International agreements: | Party to: Air Pollution,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear
Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; Signed, but not ratified:
Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants. www.ProudToBeArmenian.com |