Location: | Southwestern Asia, east of Turkey |
| Geographic coordinates: | 40 00 N, 45 00 E |
| Map references: | Asia |
| Area: | total: 29,800 sq km
water: 1,400 sq km
land: 28,400 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 |
| Coastline: | 0 km (landlocked) |
| Maritime claims: | none (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 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
Source: CIA World Factbook
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