Armenia

  ARMENIA

A. THE COUNTRY

Republic of Armenia is a landlocked mountainous Caucasus state in Asia.
Nagorno-Karabakh is an enclave in Azerbaijan to the east that, while
functionally independent, is controlled by Armenia.  While the armed
cease-fire has held, diplomatic solutions have failed.  Many refugees
from both sides of the conflict are displaced.  These problems, together
with tensions with Turkey, contribute to close diplomatic ties with
Russia.  The government of Armenia is a relatively stable democracy, but
some see the 2008 elections as deeply flawed.  Remittances from Armenian
diaspora, increasing direct foreign investment, agriculture, refining
and processing metals, and growing tourism are important to the economy.

B. THE PEOPLE

The population is ~3,091,000 and official languages Armenian.
~97.8% are Armenians, ~2.2% Other (Azerbaijan, Kurd, Russian, Ukrainian,
others).  Underemployment and poverty remain widespread.

C. RELIGIONS AND CHRISTIANITY/PENTECOSTALISM

There is an intimate link between the government and the Armenian
Apostolic Church, with some minor discrimination against other religious
expressions.  ~94.43% claim to be Christian, ~3.73% Non-religious, ~1.8%
Muslim, ~0.03% Baha’i, ~0.01% Jewish.
In the Christian category:
~84.65% are Orthodox, ~7.28% Catholic, ~1.4% Independent, ~0.93%
Protestant.  Evangelicals represent ~8.7% of the population.
Charismatics represent ~5.8% and of those 1.3% are Pentecostals.
Donna Siemens

References:

Operation World, Jason Mandryk. Colorado Springs: Biblica Publishing, 2010.