28 May 1918-2 December 1920 (First Armenian Republic);
23 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday: Referendum Day, 21 September

Constitution: adopted by nationwide referendum 5 July 1995

Legal system: based on civil law system

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Robert KOCHARIAN (since 30 March 1998)
head of government: Prime Minister Aram SARKISYAN (since 3 November
1999)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
special election last held 30 March 1998 (next to be held NA March
2003); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Robert KOCHARIAN elected president; percent of vote
- Robert KOCHARIAN 59%, Karen DEMIRCHYAN 41%

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Parliament) or
Azgayin Zhoghov (131 seats; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 30 May 1999 (next to be held in the spring of
2003)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
unity bloc 61 (Republican Party 41, People's Party of Armenia 20),
Stability Group (independent Armenian deputies who have formed a bloc)
21, ACP 10, independents 10, ARF (Dashnak) 8, Law and Unity Party 7,
NDU 6, Law-Governed Party 6, unfilled 2; note - seats by party change
frequently

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Constitutional Court

Political parties and leaders: Armenian Communist Party or ACP
; Armenian National Movement or ANM [Vano
SIRADEGIAN, chairman]; Armenian Revolutionary Federation ("Dashnak"
Party) or ARF ; Christian Democratic Union or CDU
; Democratic Liberal Party [Ramkavar
AZATAKAN, chairman]; Free Armenian's Mission [Ruben MNATSANIAN,
chairman]; Law and Unity Party ;
Law-Governed Party ; Mission Party
; National Democratic Union or NDU [Vazgen
MANUKIAN]; National State Party ; People's Party of
Armenia ; Republican Party ;
Shamiram Women's Movement or SWM ; Social Democratic
(Hnchakian) Party ; Stability Group [Vartan
AYVAZIAN, chairman]; Union of National Self-Determination or NSDU
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