Land area (sq. km):	4506
Population:	164100 (115200 in towns)
Density of the population:	36/sq.km
Number of settlements:	135 (of which 105 border, mountainous and high mountainous)
ªNumber of communities:	109 (of which 7 urban)
Boundaries:	424 km (42km borders on Iran, 382km on Azerbajan of which 110km on Nakhighevan)
Center:	c. Kapan

Syunik marz occupies Zangezour country, which is a part of historical Syunik (Sisakan) situated in the southern part of Armenia. Syunik marz is formed in 1995. It includes the former districts of Kapan, Goris, Sisian and Meghry.
With its land area of 4506 km2 Syunik is the biggest province in Armenia and makes 15% of the whole territory.
The population of Syunik marz makes about 4% of Armenian population and with number of urban population is the second after Yerevan. With its geographical position, rich natural resources and big industrial potential, especially during the formation of independent Armenia, Syunik marz has got particular strategic and geographic-political importance.
Nevertheless possessing all necessary pre-conditions for social-economic development Syunik is still one of less populated and economically weak provinces in Armenia.
The main social-economic and other problems are conditioned by the absence of air transport, the high unemployment level (it is 1.8 times higher than the average indicator in Armenia), low incomes of the population’s overwhelming part, a great number of border, mountainous and high mountainous, land-starved and thinly populated with refugees settlements (75%), big damages of war and unfavourable weather in the last years (7 milliard drams).
Considering the above-mentioned circumstances RA government has worked out and undertaken the implementation of the integrated program on social-economic development in Syunik marz.
The full implementation of the program will provide the advanced development of primary spheres in the republic, social-economic and other problems risen in marz in the last years will be solved.