Names: conventional long form: Republic of Armenia conventional short form: Armenia local long form: Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun local short form: Hayastan former: Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic; Armenian Republic

Capital City: Yerevan

Population: 2,976,372 (July 2006 est.)

GDP Per Capita: $5,400 (2006 est.)

Currency: dram (AMD)

Languages: Armenian 97.7%, Yezidi 1%, Russian 0.9%, other 0.4% (2001 census)

Total Area: total: 29,800 sq km land: 28,400 sq km water: 1,400 sq km slightly smaller than Maryland

Region: Europe

Industries: diamond-processing, metal-cutting machine tools, forging-pressing machines, electric motors, tires, knitted wear, hosiery, shoes, silk fabric, chemicals, trucks, instruments, microelectronics, jewelry manufacturing, software development, food processing, brandy

Agriculture: fruit (especially grapes), vegetables; livestock

Resources: small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, alumina

Labor Force: 1.2 million (2005)
agriculture: 45% industry: 25% services: 30% (2002 est.)

Exports: $1.056 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
diamonds, mineral products, foodstuffs, energy

Imports: $1.684 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
natural gas, petroleum, tobacco products, foodstuffs, diamonds

Overview: Under the old Soviet central planning system, Armenia had developed a modern industrial sector, supplying machine tools, textiles, and other manufactured goods to sister republics in exchange for raw materials and energy. Since the implosion of the USSR in December 1991, Armenia has switched to small-scale agriculture away from the large agroindustrial complexes of the Soviet era. The agricultural sector has long-term needs for more investment and updated technology. The privatization of industry has been at a slower pace, but has been given renewed emphasis by the current administration. Armenia is a food importer, and its mineral deposits (copper, gold, bauxite) are small. The ongoing conflict with Azerbaijan over the ethnic Armenian-dominated region of Nagorno-Karabakh and the breakup of the centrally directed economic system of the former Soviet Union contributed to a severe economic decline in the early 1990s. By 1994, however, the Armenian Government had launched an ambitious IMF-sponsored economic liberalization program that resulted in positive growth rates in 1995-2006. Armenia joined the WTO in January 2003. Armenia also has managed to slash inflation, stabilize its currency, and privatize most small- and medium-sized enterprises. Armenia's unemployment rate, however, remains high, despite strong economic growth. The chronic energy shortages Armenia suffered in the early and mid-1990s have been offset by the energy supplied by one of its nuclear power plants at Metsamor. Armenia is now a net energy exporter, although it does not have sufficient generating capacity to replace Metsamor, which is under international pressure to close. The electricity distribution system was privatized in 2002 and bought by Russia's RAO-UES in 2005. Armenia's severe trade imbalance has been offset somewhat by international aid, remittances from Armenians working abroad, and foreign direct investment. Economic ties with Russia remain close, especially in the energy sector. The government made some improvements in tax and customs administration in 2005, but anti-corruption measures will be more difficult to implement. Construction of a natural gas pipeline between Iran and Armenia has been completed and it is scheduled to be commissioned by April 2007. Investment in the construction and industrial sectors is expected to continue in 2007 and will help to ensure annual average real GDP growth of more than 10%.

_{CIA World Book}

In 2007 Missouri exported $19,617 in goods to Armenia. This ranks Armenia 187^th among the 223 international buyers of Missouri goods. Missouri exports to Armenia decreased from the previous year by $22,405 a change of -53.32%. State exports to Armenia have increased over the last 5 years by $2,002 a change of 11.37%. Missouri exports account for .00%. of all 2007 US exports to Armenia.