Armenia - Geography

Here, let us take a look at the Geography of Armenia. Landlocked in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains; Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan) is the largest lake in this mountain range. Mother's mean age at first birth is 25.2 years (2019 est.) (), whereas, the Maternal mortality ratio is 27 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Geographical data of Armenia
Location 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 40 00 N, 45 00 E
Map references Asia
Tarrain Armenian Highland with mountains; little forest land; fast flowing rivers; good soil in Aras River valley
Natural Resources small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, bauxite
Natural Hazards occasionally severe earthquakes; droughts
Irrigated Land 1,554 sq km (2020)
Major rivers (by length in km)
Major aquifers
Land Boundaries 1,570 km
Border Countries Azerbaijan 996 km; Georgia 219 km; Iran 44 km; Turkey 311 km
Coastline 0 km (landlocked)
Climate highland continental, hot summers, cold winters
Area
Total Area
Land Area 28,203 sq km
Water Area 1,540 sq km
comparative Area slightly smaller than Maryland
Maritime Claims
Elevations
Highest point Aragats Lerrnagagat' 4,090 m
Lowest point Debed River 400 m
Mean elevation 1,792 m
Land Use
Agricultural land 59.7% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land arable land: 15.8% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops permanent crops: 1.9% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture permanent pasture: 42% (2018 est.)
Forest 9.1% (2018 est.)
Other 31.2% (2018 est.)
Population Distribution

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

People and Society

In Armenia, the different Ethnic groups are such that we have: Armenian 98.1%, Yezidi 1.1%, other 0.8% (2022 est.)

Population
Pop growth rate -0.42% (2024 est.)
Birth rate 10.5 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Death rate 9.6 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Health expenditure 12.2% of GDP (2020)
Physicians Density
Hospital bed Density 4.2 beds/1,000 population (2014)
Total fertility rate 1.65 children born/woman (2024 est.)
Gross reproduction rate 0.8 (2024 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate 57.1% (2015/16)
Est married women (ages 15-49) 64.8% (2023 est.)
Literacy age 15 and over can read and write
Education expenditures 2.8% of GDP (2021 est.)
Net Migration rate -5.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Nationality Armenian | Armenian(s)
Languages
Religions Armenian Apostolic Christian 95.2%, other Christian 1.6%, other 0.9%, none 0.6%, unspecified 1.7% (2022 est.)
Age Structure
0-14 years 17.7% (male 275,589/female 250,630)
15-64 years 67% (male 991,490/female 1,004,101)
65 years and over 15.3% (2024 est.) (male 189,336/female 265,619)
Dependency Ratios
Total dependency ratio 49.6
Youth dependency ratio 30.6
Elderly dependency ratio 19.1
Potential support ratio 5.2 (2021 est.)
Median Age
Total 38.9 years (2024 est.)
Male 37.6 years
Female 40.3 years
Urbanization
Urban population 63.7% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization 0.23% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas (Pop) 1.095 million YEREVAN (capital) (2023).
Sex Ratio
At birth 1.07 male(s)/female
0-14 years 1.1 male(s)/female
15-64 years 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over 0.71 male(s)/female
Total population 0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Infant Motality
Total 11.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male 13.1 deaths/1,000 live births
Female 10 deaths/1,000 live births
Life Expectancy at birth
Total population 76.7 years (2024 est.)
Male 73.4 years
Female 80.1 years
Drinking Water Sources
Improved: urban urban: 100% of population
Improved: rural rural: 100% of population
Improved: total total: 100% of population
Unimproved: urban urban: 0% of population
Unimproved: rural rural: 0% of population
Unimproved: total total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
Sanitation facility acess
Improved: urban urban: 100% of population
Improved: rural rural: 84.6% of population
Improved: total total: 94.4% of population
Unimproved: urban urban: 0% of population
Unimproved: rural rural: 15.4% of population
Unimproved: total total: 5.6% of population (2020 est.)
Alcohol consumption per capita
Total 3.77 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Beer 0.52 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine 0.46 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits 2.78 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Tobacco use
Total 25.5% (2020 est.)
Male 49.4% (2020 est.)
Female 1.5% (2020 est.)
Child marriage
Women married by age 15 0%
Women married by age 18 5.3%
Men married by age 18 0.4% (2016 est.)
Demographic profile

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.
All Important Facts about Armenia

Want to know more about Armenia? Check all different factbooks for Armenia below.

Armenia is found in Western Asia