Armenia - Government
Based on the etymolgy of Armenia, it was 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. The Government system in this country is the parliamentary democracy; note - constitutional changes adopted in December 2015 transformed the government to a parliamentary system type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 11 provinces (marzer, singular - marz); Aragatsotn, Ararat, Armavir, Geghark'unik', Kotayk', Lorri, Shirak, Syunik', Tavush, Vayots' Dzor, Yerevan
National symbols
Mount Ararat, eagle, lion; national colors: red, blue, orange.
The flag
The National flag of Armenia has three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, and orange; the color red recalls the blood shed for liberty, blue the Armenian skies as well as hope, and orange the land and the courage of the workers who farm it.
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The National Anthem
| Title | "Mer Hayrenik" (Our Fatherland) |
|---|---|
| Lyric/music | Mikael NALBANDIAN/Barsegh KANACHYAN |
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note: adopted 1991; based on the anthem of the Democratic Republic of Armenia (1918-1922) but with different lyrics
More about the government of Armenia
| Date of Independence | 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 | Independence Day, 21 September (1991) |
| Legal system | civil law system |
| International law organization participation | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt |
| Constitution | |
| History | Previous 1915, 1978; latest adopted 5 July 1995 |
| Amendments | 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 |
| Citizenship | |
| Citizenship by birth | no |
| Citizenship by descent only | at least one parent must be a citizen of Armenia |
| Dual citizenship recognized | yes |
| Residency requirement for naturalization | 3 years |
| Executive Branch | |
| Chief of state | President Vahagn KHACHATURYAN (since 13 March 2022) |
| Head of government | Prime Minister Nikol PASHINYAN (since 10 September 2021) |
| Cabinet | Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister |
| Elections/appointments | president indirectly elected by the National Assembly in 3 rounds if needed for a single 7-year term; election last held on 2 and 3 March 2022 (next election to be held in 2029); prime minister indirectly elected by majority vote in two rounds if needed by the National Assembly |
| Election results | 2022: Vahagn KHACHATURYAN elected president in second round; note - Vahagn KHACHATURYAN (independent) ran unopposed and won the Assembly vote 71-0 2018: Armen SARKISSIAN elected president in first round; note - Armen SARKISSIAN (indpendent) ran unopposed and won the Assembly vote 90-10 |
| Legislative branch | |
| Description | Unicameral National Assembly (Parliament) or Azgayin Zhoghov (minimum 101 seats, with additional seats allocated as necessary and generally changing with each parliamentary convocation; current - 107 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by closed party-list proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms; four mandates are reserved for national minorities; no more than 70% of the top membership of a party list can belong to the same sex; political parties must meet a 5% threshold and alliances a 7% threshold to win seats; at least three parties must be seated in the Parliament) |
| Elections | Last held early on 20 June 2021 (next to be held in June 2026) |
| Election results | Percent of vote by party/coalition - Civil Contract 53.9%, Armenia Alliance 21%, I Have Honour Alliance 5.2%, other 19.9%; seats by party/coalition - Civil Contract 71, Armenia Alliance 29, I Have Honour Alliance 7; composition - men 68, women 39, percentage women 36.5% |
| Judicial branch | |
| Highest court(s) | Court of Cassation or Appeals Court (consists of the Criminal Chamber with a chairman and 5 judges and the Civil and Administrative Chamber with a chairman and 10 judges – with both civil and administrative specializations); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges) |
| Judge selection and term of office | Court of Cassation judges nominated by the Supreme Judicial Council, a 10-member body of selected judges and legal scholars; judges appointed by the president; judges can serve until age 65; Constitutional Court judges - 4 appointed by the president, and 5 elected by the National Assembly; judges can serve until age 70 |
| Subordinate courts | Criminal and civil appellate courts; administrative appellate court; first instance courts; specialized administrative and bankruptcy courts |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador Lilit MAKUNTS (since 15 September 2021) |
| Chancery | 2225 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
| Telephone | [1] (202) 319-1976 |
| FAX | [1] (202) 319-2982 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] https://usa.mfa.am/en/ |
| Consulate(s) general | Glendale (CA) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador Kristina A. KVIEN (since 21 February 2023) |
| Embassy | 1 American Ave., Yerevan 0082 |
| Mailing address | 7020 Yerevan Place, Washington, DC 20521-7020 |
| Telephone | [374] (10) 464-700 |
| FAX | [374] (10) 464-742 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] https://am.usembassy.gov/ |
| National heritage | |
| Total World Heritage Sites | 3 (3 cultural) |
| Selected World Heritage Site locales | Monasteries of Haghpat and Sanahin; Monastery of Geghard and the Upper Azat Valley; Cathedral and Churches of Echmiatsin |
Key Political parties and their leaders in Armenia
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International organization participation
All Important Facts about Armenia
Want to know more about Armenia? Check all different factbooks for Armenia below.
