Armenia

Armenia (Armenian: Հայաստան, romanized: Hayastān), officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country located in the Armenian Highlands, spanning Eastern Europe and Western Asia.

Republic of Armenia Հայաստանի Հանրապետություն Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Մեկ Ազգ, Մեկ Մշակույթ Mek Azg, Mek Mshakuyt "One Nation, One Culture"
Anthem: Մեր Հայրենիք Mer Hayrenik "Our Fatherland"
Location of Armenia (green)
Capital and largest city	Yerevan 40°11′N 44°31′E
State language	Armenian
Ethnic groups (2011)	98.1% Armenian 1.9% other.
Religion (2011)	99.5% Christianity (Armenian Apostolic Church) 0.5% Yazidism
Demonym(s)	Armenian
Government	Unitary parliamentary republic
• President	Vahagn Khachaturyan
• Prime Minister	Nikol Pashinyan
• President of the National Assembly	Alan Simonyan
Legislature	National Assembly
Establishment history
• Patriarch Hayk	2492 BC
• Kingdom of Urartu	860 BC–590 BC
• Kingdom of Armenia (antiquity)	321 BC–428 AD
• Kingdom of Armenia (medieval)	885–1045
• Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia	1198–1375
• First Republic of Armenia	28 May 1918
• Soviet conquest	29 November 1920
• Indepence restored	23 September 1991
• CIS Accesion	21 December 1991
• Admitted to the United Nations	2 March 1992
• Current constitution	5 July 1995
Area
• Total	29,743 km2 (11,484 sq mi) (147th)
• Land	28,203 km2 (10,889 sq mi)
• Water	1,540 km2 (590 sq mi)
Population
• CIA 2022 estimate	3,000,756 (138th)
• 2011 census	3,018,854
• Density	101.5/km2 (262.9/sq mi) (99th)
GDP (PPP)	2021 estimate
• Total	$43.550 billion
• Per capita	$14,701
GDP (nominal)	2021 estimate
• Total	$13.612 billion (127th)
• Per capita	$4,595 (104th)
Gini (2019)	29.9 low
HDI (2019)	0.776 high · 81st
Currency	Dram (֏) (AMD)
Time zone	UTC+4 (AMT)
Driving side	right
Calling code	+374
ISO 3166 code	AM
Internet TLD	.am .հայ

History

The Hittites and Hayasa-Azzi may have played a significant role in the ethnicity of Armenians. It has an ancient cultural heritage. One of the earliest Armenian kingdoms such as Urartu was established in 860 BC and by the 6th century BC it was replaced by the Satrapy of Armenia. The Kingdom of Armenia reached its height under Tigranes the Great in the 1st century BC and became the first state in the world to adopt Christianity as its official state religion in the late 3rd or early 4th century AD. The official date of state adoption of Christianity is 301.

Foreign invasion

Between the 16th century and 19th century, the traditional Armenian homeland composed of Eastern Armenia and Western Armenia came under the rule of the Ottoman and Iranian empires, repeatedly ruled by either of the two over the centuries. By the 19th century, Eastern Armenia had been conquered by the Russian Empire, while most of the western parts of the traditional Armenian homeland remained under Ottoman rule.

20th century

During World War I, Armenians living in their ancestral lands in the Ottoman Empire were systematically exterminated in the Armenian Genocide, perpetrated by Ottoman Young Turks. Around 1.5 million people were slaughtered and many more deported. In 1918, following the Russian Revolution, all non-Russian countries declared their independence after the Russian Empire ceased to exist, leading to the establishment of the First Republic of Armenia. By 1920, the state was incorporated into the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic, and in 1922 became a founding member of the Soviet Union. In 1936, the Transcaucasian state was dissolved, transforming its constituent states, including the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, into full Union republics. The modern Republic of Armenia became independent in 1991 during the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

21st century

See also: 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

Administrative divisions

Armenia is divided into ten provinces, with the city of Yerevan having special administrative status as the country's capital. The chief executive in each of the ten provinces is the marzpet (marz governor), appointed by the government of Armenia. In Yerevan, the chief executive is the mayor, appointed by the president.

As of 2007, Armenia includes 915 communities, of which 49 are considered urban and 866 are considered rural.

Province		Capital		Area (km²)	Population †
Aragatsotn	Արագածոտն	Ashtarak	Աշտարակ	2,756	132,925
Ararat	Արարատ	Artashat	Արտաշատ	2,090	260,367
Armavir	Արմավիր	Armavir	Արմավիր	1,242	265,770
Gegharkunik	Գեղարքունիք	Gavar	Գավառ	5,349	235,075
Kotayk	Կոտայք	Hrazdan	Հրազդան	2,086	254,397
Lori	Լոռի	Vanadzor	Վանաձոր	3,799	235,537
Shirak	Շիրակ	Gyumri	Գյումրի	2,680	251,941
Syunik	Սյունիք	Kapan	Կապան	4,506	141,771
Tavush	Տավուշ	Ijevan	Իջևան	2,704	128,609
Vayots Dzor	Վայոց Ձոր	Yeghegnadzor	Եղեգնաձոր	2,308	52,324
Yerevan	Երևան	–	–	223	1,060,138

† 2011 census
Sources: Area and population of provinces.

Culture

Armenia is a majority Christian country, with European and some wider Eurasian cultural influences. The Republic of Armenia recognises the Armenian Apostolic Church, the world's oldest national church, as the country's primary religious establishment. The unique Armenian alphabet was invented by Mesrop Mashtots in 405 AD. Armenia also has a minority of Yazidis who settled in the country after fleeing persecution and have long established themselves into the wider Armenian society and have been integrated into the country.

Armenia is a member of the Council of Europe, the Eurasian Economic Union and the Collective Security Treaty Organization. Armenia supports the de facto independent Republic of Artsakh, which was proclaimed in 1991.

Gallery

• Armenia
• 
  Yerevan
• 
  Geghard church
• 
  Vagharshapat
• 
  Khor Virap church
• 
  Sevanavank church on the shore of Lake Sevan
• 
  Zvartnots
• 
  Cross of Etchmiadzin
• 
  Armenian dancers.