| Location : |
Southwestern Asia, east of Turkey |
| Geographic Coordinates : |
40 00 N, 45 00 E |
| Map References : |
Asia |
| Area : |
total: 29,800 sq km
land: 28,400 sq km
water: 1,400 sq km |
| Area - Comparative : |
slightly smaller than Maryland |
| 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 |
| 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 Extremes : |
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: 17.55%
permanent crops: 2.3%
other: 80.15% (2001) |
| Irrigated Land : |
2,870 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural Hazards : |
occasionally severe earthquakes; droughts |
| Environment - Current Issues : |
soil pollution from toxic chemicals such as DDT; the energy crisis of the 1990s 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 |
| Environment - International Agreements : |
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants |
| Geography - Note : |
Landlocked in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains; Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan) is the largest lake in this mountain range. |
