Reasons Why Armenians Live Below The Poverty Line

Over 40 percent of Armenians live below the poverty line. There are many reasons for this, but the main one is geography. Geographical factors include that it is very mountainous, which makes it difficult for emergency and medical vehicles to travel in the event of an emergency, that the unpredictable climate makes farming difficult, and Armenia’s frequent natural disasters, which are mainly earthquakes. These disasters are surpassingly damaging to important cities and structures. Geographical features, such as the climate and natural disasters cause many Armenians to live below the poverty line.

The mountainous land makes it hard for vehicles to travel to injured or sick people. The lack of of accessibility can make healthcare expensive, and difficult to obtain. This means that when people get sick, they have little to no access to healthcare and/or medicine. Many Armenians will not be able to pay for the healthcare, and can get very sick with diseases such as Malaria and Familial Mediterranean Fever. They will not be able to work or earn money while they are sick. The inaccessibility to healthcare makes earning money very difficult.

There is very little rain, so many plants have to adapt to frequent droughts. When faced with droughts, plants grow less, and are unable to produce many fruits. They are also weakened, which can make them more susceptible to diseases, and unable to be eaten. It doesn’t help that “arable land is scarce; cultivated lands (plowland, orchards, and vineyards) occupy less than two-fifths of the total area” ("Armenia"). One of the easiest jobs is as a farmer because you don’t need an employer or materials besides seeds. However, the erratic weather patterns and lack of space makes farming very difficult in