Page last updated on December 17, 2013

Location:
Southwestern Asia, between Turkey (to the west) and Azerbaijan

Geographic coordinates:
40 00 N, 45 00 E

Map references:
Middle East

Area:
total: 29,743 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 143
land: 28,203 sq km
water: 1,540 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
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
highland continental, hot summers, cold winters
More Climate Details

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
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
highest point: Aragats Lerrnagagat' 4,090 m

Natural resources:
small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, bauxite

Land use:
arable land: 14.47%
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 1.8%
other: 83.74% (2011)

Irrigated land:
2,735 sq km (2006)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Total renewable water resources:
7.77 cu km (2011)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 2.86 cu km/yr (40%/6%/54%)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - total country ranks ]
per capita: 929.7 cu m/yr (2010)

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, Environmental Modification, 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