As of 2010, the agricultural production comprises on average 25 percent of Armenia's GDP.

In 2006, the agricultural sector accounted for about 20 percent of Armenia's GDP.

According to the National Statistical Service, during the January – August 2007 period, Armenia's industrial sector was the single largest contributor to the country's GDP, but remained largely stagnant with industrial output increasing only by 1. 7 percent per year.

In 2005, Armenia's industrial output ( including electricity ) made up about 30 percent of GDP.

In the early 1990s, the latter group blamed Armenia's economic woes on the role played by the former in closing major industries.

However, international observers have questioned the fairness of Armenia's parliamentary and presidential elections and constitutional referendum since 1995, citing polling deficiencies, lack of cooperation by the Electoral Commission, and poor maintenance of electoral lists and polling places.

Armenia's severe trade imbalance has been offset somewhat by international aid, remittances from Armenians working abroad, and foreign direct investment.

According to the estimate of a former prime minister, Hrant Bagratian, 55 percent of Armenia's GDP is controlled by 44 families.

# Armenia's railway, held by the Russian-owned South Caucasus Railway ( SCR ) ( formerly Russia ’ s state-run rail company, RZD )

After a decade of double-digit growth, Armenia's economy declined by 14. 4 percent in 2009.

According to research funded by the USAID CAPS project, Armenia's exceptionally high rate of economic growth during the last decade has been largely dependent on external factors ( e. g., remittances, assistance from international financial and donor organization ).

During the first half of 2008, Armenia's widening current-account trade deficit grew by 66 percent to $ 1. 39 billion USD, with a 40 percent rise in imports.

As of early 2011, trade with China is dominated by imports of Chinese goods and accounts for about 10 percent of Armenia's foreign trade.

Since early 2008, Armenia's entire rail network is managed by the Russian state railway.

After his predecessor Levon Ter-Petrossian was ousted as President, Kocharyan was elected Armenia's second President on March 30, 1998, defeating his main rival, Karen Demirchyan, in an early presidential election marred by irregularities and violations by both sides as reported by international electoral observers.

Iran also reacted to Armenia's attacks by conducting military maneuvers along its border with Nakhchivan in a move widely interpreted as a warning to Armenia.

* Aleksandr Sargsyan, brother of President Serge Sargsyan and parliament deputy who has a fifty percent stake in Multi Lion, Armenia's leading supplier of liquefied gas to households, cars and buses ( the other fifty percent is owned by Gagik Tsarukian's Multi Group ).

The traditional date for Armenia's conversion to Christianity is established at 301, which precedes the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great's conversion and the Edict of Milan by a dozen years.

It was founded in 1887 by Avetis Nazarbekian, Mariam Vardanian, Gevorg Gharadjian, Ruben Khan-Azat, Christopher Ohanian, Gabriel Kafian and Manuel Manuelian, a group of college students in Geneva, Switzerland, with the goal to gain Armenia's independence from the Ottoman Empire, which is part of Armenian national liberation movement.

Dmitri Shostakovich praised Terterian as " very talented " and " with great future " in one of his letters, published by his friend Isaak Glikman, having heard a recording of Terterian's works at Armenia's " House of Composers " summer resort, in Dilijan, Armenia.

Historical facts are intermingled in this life with legendary or uncertain additions, and the whole is woven into a certain unity by the narrator, who may have assumed his significant name from his quality of narrator of " the good news " of Armenia's conversion.

Other popular songs include " Mer Siro Ashune " ( The Autumn of Our Love ) which is one of Armenia's best known romantic songs. Three songs that Hakhverdyan himself says have influenced him most and have been his all-time favorites are Eleanor Rigby by The Beatles, Amsterdam by Jacques Brel and It's a Man's World by James Brown.

About half of Armenia's area of approximately has an elevation of at least, and only 3 % of the country lies below.

The Araks forms most of Armenia's border with Turkey and Iran while the Zangezur Mountains form the border between Armenia's southern province of Syunik and Azerbaijan's adjacent Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.

The Council of Ministers, Armenia's cabinet, includes a minister of the environment.

Environmental conditions in Armenia have been worsened as a result of war with Azerbaijan over Armenia's claim of historic rights to Azerbaijan's province.

The Government of Armenia's stated aim is to build a Western-style parliamentary democracy as the basis of its form of government.

The government's policy toward conscientious objection is in transition, as part of Armenia's accession to the Council of Europe.

Most of Armenia's ethnic Azeri population was deported in 1988 – 1989 and remain refugees, largely in Azerbaijan.

Armenia's record on discrimination toward the few remaining national minorities is generally good.

Until independence, Armenia's economy was based largely on industry — chemicals, electronic products, machinery, processed food, synthetic rubber and textiles ; it was highly dependent on outside resources.

Like other former States, Armenia's economy suffers from the legacy of a centrally planned economy and the breakdown of former Soviet trading patterns.

The consequent blockade along both the Azerbaijani and Turkish borders has devastated the economy, because of Armenia's dependence on outside supplies of energy and most raw materials.

Armenia's unemployment rate, however, remains high, despite strong economic growth.

Armenia's economy is highly anticompetitive with government-connected individuals enjoying de facto monopolies over the import and distribution of basic commodities and foodstuffs, and under-reporting revenue to avoid paying taxes.

Following the advice of economic advisors who cautioned Armenia's leadership against the consolidation of economic power in the hands of a few, in January 2001, the Government of Armenia established the State Commission for the Protection of Economic Competition.

According to RFE / RL, comparable sums are believed to be transferred through non-bank systems, implying that cash remittances make up approximately 30 percent of Armenia's GDP in the first half of 2008.

According to the National Statistical Service, Armenia's booming construction sector generated about 20 percent of Armenia's GDP during the first eight months of 2007.

Cash remittances sent back home from Armenians working abroad — mostly in Russia and the United States — are growing and contribute significantly to Armenia's Gross Domestic Product ( between 15 to 30 percent ).

According to a World Bank official, 30 percent of Armenia's economy in 2009 came from the construction sector.

40 percent of Armenia's exports in 2009 were mining exports.

During the first 11 months of 2006, the European Union remained Armenia's largest trading partner, accounting for 34. 4 percent of its $ 2. 85 billion commercial exchange during the 11-month period.

Armenia's national debt has increased significantly since 2008 when public external debt consisted of only 13. 5 percent of GDP.

Economic analysts say that the project would cost at least $ 1 billion ( equivalent to about 40 percent of Armenia's 2008 state budget ).

According to Prof. Thomas Ambrosio, " Armenia's successful irredentist project in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan " and " From 1992 to the cease-fire in 1994, Armenia encountered a highly permissive or tolerant international environment that allowed its annexation of some 15 percent of Azerbaijani territory ".

Eighty-five percent of Armenia's rail traffic came from Azerbaijan, and this embargo caused shortages of petrol and food in Armenia.