| Basic data | |
| Capital | Yerevan |
| Population | 2.97 million (2021) |
| Language | Armenian |
| Religion | Christianity |
| State system | parliamentary republic |
| Head of State | President Vahagn Khachaturian |
| Head of government | Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan |
| Currency name | Armenian Dram (AMD) |
| Travel | |
| Time shift | +2 hours in summer, +3 hours in winter |
| Economy | 2021 |
| Nominal GDP (billion USD) | 43 |
| Economic growth (%) | 5.5 |
| Inflation (%) | 7.2 |
| Unemployment (%) | 16 |
According to a2zdirectory, Armenia is a secular Christian state in the South Caucasus region. In terms of area and population, Armenia is the smallest of the three countries of the South Caucasus. In its modern form, it was created after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. It is a landlocked country, bordering Georgia to the north, Turkey to the west, Iran to the south, Azerbaijan to the east, and the Azerbaijani enclave of Nakhichevan to the southwest. The borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan have been closed for a long time.
After the so-called Velvet Revolution of 2018, Armenia transformed from an oligarchic semi-democracy to an autocracy into a democratic parliamentary republic. Executive power rests with the government headed by the prime minister, the parliament is unicameral (extraordinary parliamentary elections took place in June 2021). The conflict with Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region remains the main security and foreign policy issue. This unresolved conflict represents a significant brake on the development of the economy of Armenia and essentially the entire wider region.
Armenia is dependent on trade ties with Iran and especially with Georgia, through which the vast majority of foreign trade is carried out. The next approach is via Georgia either by land (further via Russia or indirectly via Turkey) or by sea (from the Georgian port of Poti to EU ports, especially in Bulgaria). The passage to the southeast to Nagorno-Karabakh (the de facto republic of “Arcach” in the remaining part of the territory of the former Soviet Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region) is currently controlled by Russian forces as of autumn 2020.
Armenia’s economy is based on agriculture (11%), raw material extraction, industry (27%) and services (53%). The total GDP of the country is about 1billion USD. The economy is dominated by the extraction of raw materials, energy and agriculture. The services and IT sector are developing in the capital city of Yerevan. The growing potential is in tourism (in the pre-covid era and now, practically no restrictions apply). Armenia’s foreign trade is limited due to its landlocked location and disputes with Turkey and Azerbaijan. As a result, Armenia typically runs a high trade deficit. The main exports are metals and precious stones, followed by energy, beverages, vegetables and fruits. Armenia mainly imports oil, natural gas, cereals, rubber products, cork and wood, and electrical machinery. Armenia’s main trading partners are Russia, the EU, Iran, the United States, China, Ukraine and Turkey.
Czech exports mainly consist of industrial products (generators, cars and airplanes, electronic and telephone components and devices, modernization of nuclear power plants) and are gradually growing. On the contrary, Armenian imports remain at a low level and mainly consist of ferroalloys, beverages (cognacs, wines) and foodstuffs.
The performance of Armenia’s economy has been volatile in recent years – while it grew by 7.6% in 2019, it contracted by 7.6% in 2020 due to the pandemic and armed conflict. The economy partially recovered in 2021 with economic growth of 5.8%. Original predictions for 2022 estimated roughly 4.5% growth; revised estimates were significantly reduced to around 1.5% growth due to Russian aggression against Ukraine. However, despite the circumstances, the Armenian government still expects the economy to grow by 7% in 2022. Long-term problems are geopolitical risks, partial isolation (closed borders), low labor productivity and low competitiveness. Since 2015, Armenia has been part of the so-called EAEU (Eurasian Economic Union), which can represent one of the problems for Czech companies when entering the market.
Practical telephone numbers (emergency services, police, firemen, information lines, etc.)
Common number for all types of crisis situations (firefighters, police and emergency services): 112 and 911
Firefighters: 101
Police: 102
Medical emergency service: 103
Gas emergency number: 104
Important web links and contacts
Websites and contacts for all ministries, the government, the president, local chambers of commerce and further for consideration by country (e.g. major media, central bank, economic analysis, tax administration…)
Czech contacts
ZÚ Yerevan – https://www.mzv.cz/yerevan
Social networks of ZÚ Yerevan – https://www.facebook.com/CzechEmbassyYerevan
Magazine of the Armenian diaspora in the Czech Republic – www.orer.eu
Armenian Embassy in Prague – https://cz.mfa.am/en/
Terms of travel to Armenia – https://www.mzv.cz/
Voluntary registration of citizens when traveling abroad – https://drozd.mzv.cz/
Armenian state institutions
Government https://www.gov.am/en/
President https://www.president.am/en/
Parliament http://www.parliament.am/?lang=eng
Ministry of Defense https://mil.am/en
Ministry of Economy https://www.mineconomy.am/en
Ministry of Education, Youth, Culture and Sports https://escs.am/en
Ministry of Emergency Situations http://www.mes.am/en/
Ministry of the Environment http://www.env.am/en
Ministry of Finance https://minfin.am/en/
Ministry of Foreign Affairs https://www.mfa.am/en
Ministry of Health https://www.moh.am/
Ministry of High-Tech Industry https://hti.am/
Ministry of Justice https://www.moj.am/en
Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs https://www.mlsa.am/ (site in Armenian only)
Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure http://www.mtad.am/en
Central Bank https://www.cba.am/en/
Tax Administration https://www.taxservice.am
National Statistical Office https://www.armstat.am/en/
Armenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry https://armcci.am/
Armenian Development Agency www.ada.am
American Chamber of Commerce in Armenia https://amcham.am/
Enterprise Armenia https://enterprisearmenia.am/en
Small&Medium Entrepreneurship Development National Center https://www.isc.am/
Yellow Pages https://www.spyur.am/en/home
Media
RFE/RL Armenian Service (Radio Azatutyun) https://www.azatutyun.am/en
https://www.news.am/
https://arminfo.info/
http://arka.am/en/
https://en.168.am/
https://hetq.am/
https://www.panorama.am/en/
Public Radio of Armenia https://en.armradio.am/
