Armenia

Although landlocked, this asian country has 1,400 square kilometers of inland water. The climate of Armenia is highland continental with hot summers and cold winters. Rivers tend to be fast flowing. Much of the terrain is mountainous, with elevations ranging from 400 to 4,090 meters. Because of the mountains, travel within Armenia is often difficult. In addition to frequent droughts, Armenia is subject to occasionally severe earthquakes that damage the environment and threaten human lives. For instance, an earthquake that hit Leninakan (Gyumri) in 1988 cost 25,000 lives.

Armenia's limited mineral resources include small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, and aluminum. After a long period of industrialization and resource exploitation under communism, many Armenians have returned to agrarian production. Approximately 18 percent of the land ...