ual Armenia 3, Social Democratic
Party 2, independents 78), SWM 8, ACP 7, NDU 5, NSDU 3, DLP 1, ARF
1, other 4, vacant 2; note--seats by party change frequently

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Constitutional Court

Political parties and leaders: Armenian National Movement or ANM

International organization participation: BSEC, CCC, CE (guest),
CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM
(observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Rouben R. SHUGARIAN
chancery: 2225 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Michael LEMMON
embassy: 18 General Bagramian Avenue, Yerevan
mailing address: American Embassy Yerevan, Department of State,
Washington, DC 20521-7020

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top),
blue, and gold

Economy

Economy--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 area. 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 (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 program
that has resulted in positive growth rates in 1995-98. Armenia also
managed to slash inflation and to privatize most small- and
medium-sized enterprises. The chronic energy shortages Armenia
suffered in recent years have been largely offset by the energy
supplied by on