The name has traditionally been derived fromHayk (Հայկ), the legendary patriarch of theArmenians and a great-great-grandson ofNoah, who, according to the 5th-century AD authorMovsis Khorenatsi, defeated theBabylonian king Bel in 2492 BC and established his nation in theArarat region.[26] Further origin of the name is uncertain. It is postulated[27][28] that the nameHay comes from one of the two confederated, Hittite vassal states – theḪayaša-Azzi (1600–1200 BC).
Some scholars have linked the nameArmenia with the Early Bronze Age state ofArmani (Armanum, Armi) or the Late Bronze Age state ofArme (Shupria).[31] These connections are inconclusive as it is not known what languages were spoken in these kingdoms. Additionally, while it is agreed that Arme was located to the immediate west ofLake Van (probably in the vicinity ofSason, and therefore in the greater Armenia region), the location of the older site of Armani is a matter of debate. Some modern researchers have placed it near modernSamsat,[32] and have suggested it was populated, at least partially, by an early Indo-European-speaking people.[33] It is possible that the nameArmenia originates inArmini, Urartian for "inhabitant of Arme" or "Armean country".[34] The Arme tribe of Urartian texts may have been the Urumu, who in the 12th century BC attempted to invade Assyria from the north with their allies theMushki and theKaskians. The Urumu apparently settled in the vicinity of Sason, lending their name to the regions of Arme and the nearby lands of Urme and Inner Urumu.[35]
And for Aram there came forth the fourth portion, all the land of Mesopotamia between the Tigris and the Euphrates to the north of the Chaldees to the border of the mountains of Asshur and the land of 'Arara'.[38][39]
Jubilees 8:21 also apportions the Mountains of Ararat to Shem, which Jubilees 9:5 expounds to be apportioned to Aram.[38][39]
The first human traces are supported by the presence ofAcheulean tools, generally close to theobsidian outcrops more than 1 million years ago.[41] The most recent and important excavation is at theNor Geghi 1Stone Age site in theHrazdan river valley.[42] Thousands of 325,000 year-old artifacts may indicate that this stage of human technological innovation occurred intermittently throughout the Old World, rather than spreading from a single point of origin (usually hypothesized to be Africa), as was previously thought.[43]
Many earlyBronze Age settlements were built in Armenia (Valley of Ararat, Shengavit, Harich, Karaz, Amiranisgora, Margahovit, Garni, etc.). One of the important sites of the Early Bronze Age isShengavit settlement.[44] It was located on the site of today's capital of Armenia,Yerevan.
Several Bronze Age cultures and states flourished in the area of Greater Armenia, including theTrialeti-Vanadzor culture,Hayasa-Azzi, andMitanni (located in southwestern historical Armenia), all of which are believed to have had Indo-European populations.[49][50][51][52][53][54] TheNairi confederation and its successor,Urartu, successively established their sovereignty over theArmenian Highlands. Each of the aforementioned nations and confederacies participated in the ethnogenesis of theArmenians.[55][56][57][58] A large cuneiform lapidary inscription found inYerevan established that the modern capital of Armenia was founded in the summer of 782 BC by KingArgishti I. Yerevan is one of the world'soldest continuously inhabited cities.[59]
After the fall of the state ofUrartu at the beginning of the 6th century BC, theArmenian highlands were for some time under the hegemony of theMedes, and after that they were part of theAchaemenid Empire. Armenia was part of the Achaemenid state from the second half of the 6th century BC until the second half of the 4th century BC divided into two satrapies: XIII (western part, with the capital inMelitene) and XVIII (northeastern part).[60] During the late 6th century BC, thefirst geographical entity that was called Armenia by neighbouring populations was established under theOrontid dynasty.[61]
Religion in ancient Armenia was historically related to a set of beliefs that, in Persia, led to the emergence ofZoroastrianism. It particularly focused on the worship ofMithra and also included a pantheon of gods such asAramazd,Vahagn,Anahit, andAstghik. The country used the solarArmenian calendar, which consisted of 12 months.[66]
TheEtchmiadzin Cathedral, Armenia's Mother Church traditionally dated 303 AD, is considered the oldest cathedral in the world.[74][75][76]
The Sassanid Empire was conquered by theRashidun Caliphate in the mid 7th century, reuniting Armenian lands previously taken by the Byzantine Empire, and Armenia subsequently emerged asArminiya, an autonomous principality under theUmayyad Caliphate. The principality was ruled by the Prince of Armenia, and recognised by theCaliph and theByzantine Emperor. It was part of the administrative division/emirateArminiya created by the Arabs, which also included parts of Georgia andCaucasian Albania, and had its centre in the Armenian cityDvin. Arminiya lasted until 884, when it regained its independence from the weakenedAbbasid Caliphate underAshot I of Armenia.[77]
The reemergent Armenian kingdom was ruled by theBagratuni dynasty and lasted until 1045. In time, several areas of theBagratid Armenia separated as independent kingdoms and principalities such as the Kingdom ofVaspurakan ruled by the House ofArtsruni in the south, Kingdom ofSyunik in the east, orKingdom of Artsakh on the territory of modernNagorno-Karabakh, while still recognising the supremacy of the Bagratid kings.[78]
In 1045, the Byzantine Empire conquered Bagratid Armenia. Soon, the other Armenian states fell under Byzantine control as well. The Byzantine rule was short-lived, as in 1071 theSeljuk Empire defeated the Byzantines and conquered Armenia at theBattle of Manzikert.[79] To escape death or servitude at the hands of those who had assassinated his relative,Gagik II, King ofAni, an Armenian namedRuben I, Prince of Armenia, went with some of his countrymen into the gorges of theTaurus Mountains and then intoTarsus ofCilicia. The Byzantine governor of the palace gave them shelter where theArmenian Kingdom of Cilicia was eventually established on 6 January 1198 underLeo I, King of Armenia, a descendant of Prince Ruben.[80]
Cilicia was a strong ally of theEuropean Crusaders and saw itself as a bastion ofChristendom in the East. Cilicia's significance in Armenian history and statehood is also attested by the transfer of the seat of theCatholicos of theArmenian Apostolic Church, the spiritual leader of the Armenian people, to the region.[81]
During the 1230s, theMongol Empire conquered Zakarid Armenia and then the remainder of Armenia. The Mongolian invasions were soon followed by those of other Central Asian tribes, such as theKara Koyunlu,Timurid dynasty andAğ Qoyunlu, which continued from the 13th century until the 15th century. After incessant invasions, each bringing destruction to the country, with time Armenia became weakened.[83]
Most of Western Armenia, however, remained under Ottoman rule. Within the Ottomanmillet system, Armenians lived in relative harmony with other groups, including the ruling Turks. However, as Christians under a strict Muslimsocial structure, Armenians faced pervasive discrimination. In response to the1894 Sasun rebellion, SultanAbdul Hamid II organised state-sponsored massacres against the Armenians between 1894 and 1896, resulting in close to 200,000 deaths.[95] TheHamidian massacres, as they came to be known, gave Abdul Hamid international infamy as the "Bloody Sultan"[96] or the "Red Sultan".[97]
TheArmenian Oblast (1828–1840) included the territory of the former Erivan (marked in yellow) and Nakhichevan (marked in light green) khanates.
During the 1890s, theArmenian Revolutionary Federation, commonly known as theDashnaktsutyun, became active within the Ottoman Empire with the aim of unifying the various small groups in the empire that were advocating for reform and defending Armenian villages from massacres that were widespread in some of the Armenian-populated areas of the empire. Dashnaktsutyun members also formedArmenian fedayi groups that defended Armenian civilians through armed resistance.[98] The Dashnaks also worked for the wider goal of creating a "free, independent and unified" Armenia, although they sometimes set aside this goal in favour of a more realistic approach, such as advocating autonomy.[99][100]
The genocide was implemented in two phases: the wholesale killing of the able-bodied male population through massacre and subjection of army conscripts to forced labour, followed by the deportation of women, children, the elderly and infirmed ondeath marches leading to theSyrian desert. Driven forward by military escorts, the deportees were deprived of food and water and subjected to periodic robbery, rape, and massacre.[104][105] There was localArmenian resistance in the region, developed against the activities of the Ottoman Empire. The events of 1915 to 1917 are regarded by Armenians and the vast majority of Western historians to have been state-sponsored mass killings, or genocide.[106]
Turkish authorities deny the genocide took place to this day. The Armenian genocide is acknowledged to have been one of the first modern genocides.[107][108] According to the research conducted byArnold J. Toynbee, an estimated 600,000 Armenians died during deportation from 1915 to 1916. This figure, however, accounts for solely the first year of the genocide and does not take into account those who died or were killed after the report was compiled on 24 May 1916.[109] TheInternational Association of Genocide Scholars places the death toll at "more than a million".[110] The total number of people killed has been most widely estimated at between 1 and 1.5 million.[111] Armenia and the Armenian diaspora have been campaigning forofficial recognition of the events as genocide for over 30 years. These events are traditionally commemorated yearly on 24 April, the Armenian Martyr Day, or the Day of the Armenian genocide.[112]
The First Republic's short-lived independence was fraught with war, territorial disputes,ethnic unrest,Bolshevik rebellions, and a mass influx of refugees from Western Armenia, bringing with them disease and starvation. TheEntente Powers sought to help the newly founded Armenian state through relief funds and other forms of support.[116]
At the end of the war, the victorious powers sought to divide up the Ottoman Empire. Signed between the Allied Powers and the Ottoman Empire atSèvres on 10 August 1920, theTreaty of Sèvres promised to maintain the existence of the Armenian republic and to attach the former territories of Western Armenia to it.[117] Because the new borders of Armenia were to be drawn by United States PresidentWoodrow Wilson, Western Armenia was also referred to as "Wilsonian Armenia". In addition, just days prior on 5 August,Mihran Damadian of the Armenian National Union, the de facto Armenian administration in Cilicia, declared the independence of Cilicia as an Armenian autonomous republic under French protectorate.[118] There was even consideration of making Armenia amandate under the protection of the United States. The treaty, however, was rejected by theTurkish National Movement and never came into effect.[117]
In 1920, Turkish nationalist forcesinvaded the fledgling Armenian republic from the east. Under the command ofKâzım Karabekir, they captured the Armenian territories that Imperial Russia had annexed in 1878 and occupied Alexandropol (todayGyumri). Hostilities finally concluded with theTreaty of Alexandropol on 2 December 1920. The treaty forced Armenia to disarm most of its military forces and to cede all former Ottoman territory granted to it by the Treaty of Sèvres. Simultaneously, the11th Red Army, led bySergo Ordzhonikidze, invaded Armenia at Karavansarai (todayIjevan) on 29 November. By early December, Ordzhonikidze's forces entered Yerevan and the short-lived Armenian republic collapsed.[119]
Following Armenia'sSovietization, the Treaty of Alexandropol was superseded by theTreaty of Moscow and theTreaty of Kars. In these agreements, Turkey renounced its claims onBatumi toSoviet Georgia in exchange for the provinces ofKars,Ardahan, andSurmalu, all of which had been under Turkish military control since the Turkish invasion of Armenia in 1920. The territory ceded to Turkey included the medieval Armenian capitalAni andMount Ararat, the national symbol of the Armenian people.[123] Together with Soviet Georgia andSoviet Azerbaijan, Soviet Armenia officially entered theUSSR as part of theTranscaucasian SFSR (TSFSR) in March 1922.[124] The TSFSR later split into three separate republics in December 1936 – the Armenian SSR, the Azerbaijan SSR, and the Georgian SSR.[125]
Vladimir Lenin, who "favored a moderate policy in Armenia,"[126] appointedAlexander Miasnikian, an experienced administrator, to oversee affairs in the republic.[127] During the era of theNew Economic Policy (NEP), Armenia enjoyed a period of stability and cultural revival within the USSR, in contrast to the turbulent years of the First Republic.[128] However, after thedeath of Lenin and therise ofJoseph Stalin to the Soviet leadership, the situation changed significantly. Armenians suffered greatly duringStalin's Great Purge, withLavrentiy Beria playing an especially conspicuous role, beginning with the death of the popular Soviet Armenian leaderAghasi Khanjian in 1936.[129][130] The repressions claimed the lives of major Armenian intellectual figures likeYeghishe Charents,Axel Bakunts, andVahan Totovents.[131] The Armenian Church also suffered in this period, culminating in the murder of the Armenian CatholicosKhoren I, an act for which Beria is usually held responsible.[132]
Armenia was not the scene of any battles in theGreat Patriotic War ofWorld War II. Nevertheless, an estimated 500,000 Armenians (nearly a third of the population) served in theRed Army during the war, and 175,000 died.[133] A total of 117 citizens of Soviet Armenia, including 10 non-Armenians, were awardedHero of the Soviet Union. Six special military divisions were formed in Armenia in 1941–42. Five of them, the89th,409th,408th,390th, and76th Divisions, would have a distinguished war record, while the sixth was ordered to stay in Armenia to guard the republic's western borders against a possible incursion by neighboring Turkey. The 89th Tamanyan Division, composed of ethnic Armenians, fought in theBattle of Berlin. Over 60 Armenians were promoted to the rank of general, while one attained the rank ofAdmiral (Ivan Isakov) and three achieved the rank ofMarshal of the Soviet Union (Ivan Bagramyan,Hamazasp Babadzhanian, andSergei Khudyakov).[134]
After thedeath of Stalin in 1953, Armenia experienced a new period of liberalization underNikita Khrushchev'sThaw. In March 1954, two years before Khrushchevdenounced Stalin, his close ally, the Armenian statesmanAnastas Mikoyan, flew to Yerevan and called for therehabilitation of Charents and the republication of the writersRaphael Patkanian andRaffi.[135] During the Thaw, life in Soviet Armenia soon began to see rapid improvement with greater investment in housing and the consumer economy. The Armenian Church, which was limited under Stalin, was revived whenCatholicosVazgen I assumed the duties of his office in 1955.[136] In 1962, the massive statue of Stalin that towered over Yerevan was pulled down from its pedestal by troops and replaced with that ofMother Armenia in 1967.[137] That same year, a memorial to the victims of the Armenian genocide was built at theTsitsernakaberd hill above the Hrazdan gorge inYerevan.[137] This occurred aftermass demonstrations took place on the tragic event's fiftieth anniversary in 1965.[138]
Following theBrezhnev era,Mikhail Gorbachev's reforms ofglasnost andperestroika witnessed a major national revival in Armenia with the rise of theKarabakh movement. Taking advantage of the new political climate, the Armenians of theNagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO) of Soviet Azerbaijan began to demand unification with Soviet Armenia, citingdiscrimination by Baku.[139] Peaceful protests in Armenia supporting the Karabakh Armenians became common. By the beginning of 1988, nearly one million Armenians from several regions of the republic engaged in these demonstrations, centered on Yerevan's Theater Square (todayFreedom Square).[140] However, in neighboring Azerbaijan,violence against Armenians erupted in the city ofSumgait.[141] Ethnic rioting soon broke out between Armenians and Azeris, preventing any peaceful resolution from taking place.[142] Compounding Armenia's problems was adevastating earthquake in 1988 with asurface-wave magnitude of 6.8.[143] Another majorpogrom against Armenians inBaku in January 1990 forced almost all of the 200,000 Armenians in the Azerbaijani capital to flee to Armenia.[144]
Gorbachev's inability to alleviate any of Armenia's problems created disillusionment among the Armenians and fed a growing hunger for independence. On 23 August 1990, Armenia declared its sovereignty on its territory. On 17 March 1991, Armenia, along with theBaltic states, Georgia andMoldova, boycotted a nationwidereferendum in which 78% of all voters voted for the retention of the Soviet Union in a reformed form.[145]
Ter-Petrosyan led Armenia alongside defence ministerVazgen Sargsyan through theFirst Nagorno-Karabakh War with neighbouring Azerbaijan. The initial post-Soviet years were marred by economic difficulties and asevere energy crisis. The latter was rooted in the early years of the Karabakh conflict when theAzerbaijani Popular Front managed to pressure the Azerbaijan SSR to instigate a railway and airblockade against Armenia. This move effectively debilitated Armenia's economy as 85% of its cargo and goods arrived through rail traffic.[148] In 1993, Turkey joined theblockade against Armenia in support of Azerbaijan.[149]
The first Karabakh war ended after a Russian-brokeredceasefire was concluded in 1994. The war was a success for the Karabakh Armenian forces who managed to capture practically the entire territory of the former NKAO as well as most ofseven adjacent districts of Azerbaijan.[150] The Armenian backed forces remained in control of almost all of that territory until 2020. By the time both Azerbaijan and Armenia had finally agreed to a ceasefire in 1994, an estimated 30,000 people had been killed and over a million had been displaced.[151]
21st century
In the 21st century, Armenia continued to face many hardships. The2018 Armenian Revolution was a series of anti-government protests in Armenia from April to May 2018 staged by various political and civil groups led by a member of the Armenian parliament —Nikol Pashinyan (head of theCivil Contract party). Protests and marches took place initially in response toSerzh Sargsyan's third consecutive term as President of Armenia and later against theRepublican Party controlled government in general. Pashinyan declared the movement, which led to Sargsyan's resignation, a "velvet revolution".[152]
In March 2018, the Armenian parliament electedArmen Sarkissian as the new President of Armenia. The controversial constitutional reform to reduce presidential power was implemented, while the authority of the prime minister was strengthened.[153] In May 2018, parliament elected opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan as the new prime minister. His predecessor Serzh Sargsyan resigned two weeks earlier followingwidespread anti-government demonstrations.[154]
On 20 June 2021, Pashinyan's Civil Contract party won an early parliamentaryelection. Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was officially appointed to the post of prime minister by Armenia's President Armen Sarkissian.[158] In January 2022, Armenian President Armen Sarkissian resigned from office, stating that the constitution no longer gives the president sufficient powers or influence.[159] On 3 March 2022,Vahagn Khachaturyan was elected as the fifth president of Armenia in the second round of parliamentary vote.[160] The next monthyet more protests broke out.[161]
Between 19 and 20 September 2023,Azerbaijan launched a large-scale military offensive against theself-declared breakaway state ofArtsakh, a move seen by the European Parliament as a violation of the2020 ceasefire agreement.[162][163] The offensive took place in the disputed region ofNagorno-Karabakh, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but populated byArmenians.[164][165] The attacks occurred in the midst of an escalating crisis caused by Azerbaijanblockading Artsakh, which resulted in significant scarcities of essential supplies such as food, medicine, and other goods in the affected region.[166]
One day after the offensive started, on 20 September, aceasefire agreement was reached at the mediation of theRussian peacekeeping command in Nagorno-Karabakh.[167] Azerbaijan held a meeting with representatives of the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians on 21 September inYevlakh, to be followed by another meeting in October.[168][169] Ceasefire violations by Azerbaijan were nonetheless reported by both Artsakhi residents and officials.[170][171]
Armenia has a territorial area of 29,743 square kilometres (11,484 sq mi). The terrain is mostly mountainous, with fast flowing rivers, and few forests. The land rises to 4,090 metres (13,419 feet)above sea level atMount Aragats, and no point is below 390 metres (1,280 ft)above sea level.[177]Average elevation of the country area is tenth highest in the world and it has 85.9% mountain area, more than Switzerland orNepal.[178]
Mount Ararat, which was historically part of Armenia, is the highest mountain in the region at 5,137 meters (16,854 feet). Now located in Turkey, but clearly visible from Armenia, it is regarded by the Armenians as a symbol of their land. Because of this, the mountain is present on theArmenian national emblem today.[179][180][181]
The climate in Armenia is markedly highlandcontinental. Summers are hot, dry and sunny, lasting from June to mid-September. The temperature fluctuates between 22 and 36 °C (72 and 97 °F). However, the low humidity level mitigates the effect of high temperatures. Evening breezes blowing down the mountains provide a welcome refreshing and cooling effect. Springs are short, while autumns are long. Autumns are known for their vibrant and colourful foliage.
Winters are quite cold with plenty of snow, with temperatures ranging between −10 and −5 °C (14 and 23 °F).Winter sports enthusiasts enjoy skiing down the hills ofTsaghkadzor, located thirty minutes outside Yerevan.Lake Sevan, nestled up in the Armenian highlands, is the second largest lake in the world relative to its altitude, at 1,900 metres (6,234 ft)above sea level.
Environment
Carbon dioxide emissions in metric tons per capita in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, Germany, Italy, USA in 2000–2012. World Bank data.
Armenia ranked 63rd out of 180 countries onEnvironmental Performance Index (EPI) in 2018. Its rank on subindex Environmental Health (which is weighted at 40% in EPI) is 109, while Armenia's rank on subindex of Ecosystem Vitality (weighted at 60% in EPI) is 27th best in the world.[183] This suggests that main environmental issues in Armenia are withpopulation health, while environment vitality is of lesser concern. Out of sub-subindices contributing to Environmental Health subindex ranking on Air Quality to which population is exposed is particularly unsatisfying.
In Armeniaforest cover is around 12% of the total land area, equivalent to 328,470 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, down from 334,730 hectares (ha) in 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 310,000 hectares (ha) and planted forest covered 18,470 hectares (ha). Of the naturally regenerating forest 5% was reported to beprimary forest (consisting of native tree species with no clearly visible indications of human activity) and around 0% of the forest area was found within protected areas. For the year 2015, 100% of the forest area was reported to be underpublic ownership.[184][185]
Waste management in Armenia is underdeveloped, as no waste sorting or recycling takes place at Armenia's 60 landfills. A waste processing plant is scheduled for construction nearHrazdan city, which will allow for closure of 10 waste dumps.[186]
Despite the availability of abundant renewable energy sources in Armenia (especiallyhydroelectric andwind power) and calls from EU officials to shut down thenuclear power plant at Metsamor,[187] the Armenian Government is exploring the possibilities of installing new small modular nuclear reactors. In 2018 existing nuclear plant is scheduled for modernisation to enhance its safety and increase power production by about 10%.[188][189]
Since its first report in 2006 until its most recent in 2019, theFragile States Index has consistently ranked Armenia better than all its neighboring countries (with one exception in 2011).[191]
Joint Declaration signed onmeeting between Armenian Prime MinisterNikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani PresidentIlham Aliyev held in Washington, D.C., 8 August 2025
Armenia has a difficult relation with neighbouring countriesAzerbaijan andTurkey. Tensions were running high between Armenians and Azerbaijanis during the final years of the Soviet Union. TheNagorno-Karabakh conflict dominated the region's politics throughout the 1990s.[196] To this day, Armenia's borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan are undera severe blockade. In addition, a permanent solution for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has not been reached despite the mediation provided by organisations such as theOSCE.
Turkey also has a long history of poor relations with Armenia over its refusal to acknowledge theArmenian genocide, even though it was one of the first countries to recognize the Republic of Armenia (the third republic) after its independence from the USSR in 1991. Despite this, for most of the 20th century and early 21st century, relations remain tense and there are no formal diplomatic relations between the two countries due to Turkey's refusal to establish them for numerous reasons. During the first Nagorno-Karabakh War, and citing it as the reason, Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993. It has not lifted itsblockade despite pressure from the powerful Turkish business lobby interested in Armenian markets.[196]
On 10 October 2009, Armenia and Turkeysigned protocols on the normalisation of relations, which set a timetable for restoring diplomatic ties and reopening their joint border.[197] The ratification of those had to be made in the national parliaments. In Armenia, before sending the protocols to the parliament, it was sent to the Constitutional Court to have theirconstitutionality to be approved. The Constitutional Court made references to the preamble of the protocols underlying three main issues.[198] One of them stated that the implementation of the protocols did not imply Armenia's official recognition of the existing Turkish-Armenian border established by theTreaty of Kars. By doing so, the Constitutional Court rejected one of the main premises of the protocols, i.e. "the mutual recognition of the existing border between the two countries as defined by relevant treaties of international law".[198][199] This was for the Turkish Government the reason to back down from the Protocols.[200] The Armenian President had made multiple public announcements, both in Armenia and abroad, that, as the leader of the political majority of Armenia, he assured the parliamentary ratification of the protocols if Turkey also ratified them. Despite this, the process stopped, as Turkey continuously added more preconditions to its ratification and also "delayed it beyond any reasonable time-period".[citation needed]
Armenia maintains close cultural, economic, and security ties with Russia. Due to the republic's position between two hostile neighbours, the security component is especially important. At the request of the Armenian government, Russia maintains amilitary base in the city ofGyumri in northwestern Armenia as a deterrent against NATO member Turkey.[201] At the same time, Armenia has friendly relations with the United States, which is home to the second largestArmenian diaspora community in the world after Russia. According to theUS Census Bureau, there are 427,822Armenian Americans in the country.[202]
Because of the illicitborder blockades by Azerbaijan and Turkey, Armenia also maintains strong relations with its southern neighbour, Iran, especially in the economic sector. Economic projects are being developed between the two nations, including a gas pipeline going from Iran to Armenia.
Armenia is a member of the Council of Europe and maintains close relations with theEuropean Union; especially with itsmember states France and Greece. In January 2002, theEuropean Parliament noted that Armenia may enter the EU in the future.[203] A 2005 survey reported that 64% of Armenians favoured joining the EU,[204] a move multiple Armenian officials have voiced support for.[205]
Following the2023 Azerbaijani offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia's relations with a long-term ally Russia started to deteriorate. In February 2024, Armenian Prime MinisterNikol Pashinyan said that the CSTO "hasn't fulfilled its security obligations towards Armenia" and that "in practice we have basically frozen our participation in the CSTO".[216] On 28 February 2024, during a speech made in theNational Assembly, Pashinyan further stated that the CSTO is "a threat to the national security of Armenia".[217] In March 2024, Armenia officially expelled Russian border guards from theZvartnots International Airport in Yerevan.[218]
On 2 March 2024, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan advised that Armenia would officially "apply to become a candidate for EU membership in the coming days, within a month at most".[219][220] On 5 March, Pashinyan stated that Armenia would apply for EU candidacy by Autumn 2024 at the latest.[221] On 8 March 2024, Armenian Foreign MinisterArarat Mirzoyan stated, "Armenia is seeking to get closer to the West amid worsening relations with Russia" and "New opportunities are largely being discussed in Armenia nowadays, that includes membership in the European Union".[222][223]
On 12 February 2025, Armenia's parliament approved a bill officially endorsingArmenia's EU accession. The decision for the government to pass the bill was reported to be the first step of "the beginning of the accession process of Armenia to the European Union".[224][225]
Active forces now number about 81,000 soldiers, with an additionalreserve of 32,000 troops. Armenian border guards are in charge of patrolling the country's borders withGeorgia andAzerbaijan, while Russian troops continue to monitor its borders with Iran and Turkey. In the case of an attack, Armenia is able to mobilize every able-bodied man between the age of 15 and 59, with military preparedness.[citation needed]
Human rights in Armenia tend to be better than those in mostformer Soviet republics and have drawn closer to acceptable standards, especially economically.[citation needed] Nonetheless, there are still several considerable problems.
Armenia scored 5.63 onThe Economist Democracy Index, published in January 2023 (data for 2022). Although still classified as "hybrid regime", Armenia recorded the strongest improvement among European countries and reached its ever-best score since calculation began in 2006.[226]
Armenia is classified as "partly free" in the 2019 report (with data from 2018) byFreedom House, which gives it a score of 51 out of 100,[227] which is 6 points ahead of the previous estimate.[228]
Armenia recorded unprecedented progress in the 2019World Press Freedom Index published byReporters Without Borders, improving its position by 19 points and ranking 61st on the list. The publication also confirms the absence of cases of killed journalists, citizen journalists or media assistants.[229][230]
Armenia is divided into tenprovinces (marzer, singularmarz), with the city (kaghak) ofYerevan (Երևան) having special administrative status as the country's capital. The chief executive in each of the ten provinces is themarzpet (marz governor), appointed by the government of Armenia. In Yerevan, the chief executive is the mayor, elected since 2009.
Within each province there arecommunities (hamaynkner, singularhamaynk). Each community is self-governing and consists of one or more settlements (bnakavayrer, singularbnakavayr). Settlements are classified as either towns (kaghakner, singularkaghak) or villages (gyugher, singulargyugh). As of 2007[update], Armenia includes 915 communities, of which 49 are considered urban and 866 are considered rural. The capital, Yerevan, also has the status of a community.[235] Additionally, Yerevan is divided into twelve semi-autonomous districts.
The economy relies heavily on investment and support from Armenians abroad.[238] Before independence, Armenia's economy was largely industry-based –chemicals,electronics, machinery,processed food,synthetic rubber, and textile – and highly dependent on outside resources. The republic had developed a modernindustrial sector, supplyingmachine tools, textiles, and othermanufactured goods to sister republics in exchange for raw materials and energy.[3]
Agriculture accounted for less than 20% of bothnet material product andtotal employment before thedissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. After independence, the importance of agriculture in the economy increased markedly, its share at the end of the 1990s rising to more than 30% of GDP and more than 40% of total employment.[239] This increase in the importance of agriculture was attributable to food security needs of the population in the face of uncertainty during the first phases oftransition and the collapse of the non-agricultural sectors of the economy in the early 1990s. As the economic situation stabilised and growth resumed, the share of agriculture in GDP dropped to slightly over 20% (2006 data), although the share of agriculture in employment remained more than 40%.[240]
Yerevan is the economic and cultural centre of Armenia.
Armenian mines produce copper, zinc, gold, and lead. The vast majority of energy is produced with fuel imported from Russia, including gas and nuclear fuel (for its one nuclear power plant); the main domestic energy source is hydroelectric. Small deposits of coal, gas, and petroleum exist but have not yet been developed.
Access tobiocapacity in Armenia is lower than world average. In 2016, Armenia had 0.8 global hectares[241] of biocapacity per person within its territory, much less than the world average of 1.6 global hectares per person.[242] In 2016 Armenia used 1.9 global hectares of biocapacity per person—theirecological footprint of consumption. This means they use double as much biocapacity as Armenia contains. As a result, Armenia is running a biocapacity deficit.[241]
Like othernewly independent states of the former Soviet Union, Armenia's economy suffers from the breakdown of former Soviet trading patterns. Soviet investment in and support of Armenian industry has virtually disappeared, so that few major enterprises are still able to function. In addition, the effects of the1988 Spitak earthquake, which killed more than 25,000 people and made 500,000 homeless, are still being felt. The conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh has not been resolved. Shutdown of the nuclear power plant in 1989 led to theArmenian energy crisis of 1990s. The GDP fell nearly 60% between 1989 and 1993, but then resumed robust growth after the power plant was reopened in 1995.[239] The national currency, the dram, suffered hyperinflation for the first years after its introduction in 1993.
Nevertheless, the government was able to make wide-ranging economic reforms that paid off in dramatically lower inflation and steady growth. The 1994 ceasefire in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has also helped the economy. Armenia has had strong economic growth since 1995, building on the turnaround that began the previous year, and inflation has been negligible for the past several years. New sectors, such as precious-stone processing and jewelry making, information and communication technology andtourism are beginning to supplement more traditional sectors of the economy, such as agriculture.[243]
This steady economic progress has earned Armenia increasing support from international institutions. TheInternational Monetary Fund (IMF),World Bank,European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and otherinternational financial institutions (IFIs) and foreign countries are extending considerable grants and loans. Loans to Armenia since 1993 exceed $1.1 billion. These loans are targeted at reducing the budget deficit and stabilising the currency; developing private businesses; energy; agriculture; food processing; transportation; the health and education sectors; and ongoing rehabilitation in the earthquake zone. The government joined the WTO on 5 February 2003. But one of the main sources of foreign direct investments remains the Armenian diaspora, which finances major parts of the reconstruction of infrastructure and other public projects. Being a growing democratic state, Armenia also hopes to get more financial aid from the Western World.
A liberal foreign investment law was approved in June 1994, and a law on privatisation was adopted in 1997, as well as a programme of state property privatisation. Continued progress will depend on the ability of the government to strengthen its macroeconomic management, including increasing revenue collection, improving the investment climate, and making strides against corruption. However, unemployment, which was 18.5% in 2015,[244] still remains a major problem due to the influx of thousands of refugees from the Karabakh conflict.
In 2017, the economy grew by 7.5% due to rising copper prices.[190]
In 2022, Armenia's GDP stood at $39.4 billion, and enjoyed an economic freedom index of 65.3, according to Heritage Organisation.[245]
The Armenian economy is predicted to grow by 13% in 2022 due to a huge influx of Russian citizens.[246] The IMF's preliminary forecast as of March 2022 predicted growth of 1.5% for the year.[247]
Research spending is low in Armenia, averaging 0.25% of GDP over 2010–2013. However, the statistical record of research expenditure is incomplete, as expenditure by privately owned business enterprises is not surveyed in Armenia. The world average for domestic expenditure on research was 1.7% of GDP in 2013.[248]
Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (GERD) to GDP ratio for the Black Sea countries, 2001–2013. Source: UNESCO Science Report: towards 2030 (2015), Figure 12.3.
The country'sStrategy for the Development of Science 2011–2020 envisions that 'by 2020, Armenia is a country with a knowledge-based economy and is competitive within the European Research Area with its level of basic and applied research.' It fixes the following targets:[248]
Creation of a system capable of sustaining the development of science and technology;
Development of scientific potential, modernisation of scientific infrastructure;
Promotion of basic and applied research;
Creation of a synergistic system of education, science and innovation; and
Becoming a prime location for scientific specialisation in the European Research Area.
Based on this strategy, the accompanyingAction Plan was approved by the government in June 2011. It defines the following targets:[248]
Improve the management system for science and technology and create the requisite conditions for sustainable development;
Involve more young, talented people in education and research, while upgrading research infrastructure;
Create the requisite conditions for the development of an integrated national innovation system; and
Enhance international co-operation in research and development.
GERD in the Black Sea region by sector of performance, 2005 and 2013. Source: UNESCO Science Report: towards 2030 (2015), Figure 12.5.
Although theStrategy clearly pursues a 'science push' approach, with public research institutes serving as the key policy target, it nevertheless mentions the goal of establishing an innovation system. However, the main driver of innovation, the business sector, is not mentioned. In between publishing theStrategy andAction Plan, the government issued a resolution in May 2010 onScience and Technology Development Priorities for 2010–2014. These priorities are:[248]
Armenian studies, humanities and social sciences;
Life sciences;
Renewable energy, new energy sources;
Advanced technologies, information technologies;
Space, Earth sciences, sustainable use of natural resources; and
Basic research promoting essential applied research.
The Law on the National Academy of Sciences was adopted in May 2011. This law is expected to play a key role in shaping the Armenian innovation system. It allows the National Academy of Sciences to extend its business activities to the commercialisation of research results and the creation of spin-offs; it also makes provision for restructuring the National Academy of Sciences by combining institutes involved in closely related research areas into a single body. Three of these new centres are particularly relevant: the Centre for Biotechnology, the Centre for Zoology and Hydro-ecology and the Centre for Organic and Pharmaceutical Chemistry.[248]
The government is focusing its support on selected industrial sectors. More than 20 projects have been cofunded by the State Committee of Science in targeted branches: pharmaceuticals, medicine and biotechnology, agricultural mechanisation and machine building, electronics, engineering, chemistry and, in particular, the sphere of information technology.[248]
Over the past decade, the government has made an effort to encourage science–industry linkages. The Armenian information technology sector has been particularly active: a number of public–private partnerships have been established between companies and universities, in order to give students marketable skills and generate innovative ideas at the interface of science and business. Examples are Synopsys Inc. and the Enterprise Incubator Foundation.[248] Armenia was ranked 59th in theGlobal Innovation Index in 2025.[249][250]
Armenia has a population of 3,081,100 as of 2025[251] and is the third most densely populated of the former Soviet republics.[252] There has been a problem ofpopulation decline due to elevated levels ofemigration after the break-up of theUSSR.[253] In the past years emigration levels have declined and some population growth is observed since 2012.[254]
Armenia hasa relatively large external diaspora (8 million by some estimates, greatly exceeding the 3 million population of Armenia itself), with communities existing across the globe. The largest Armenian communities outside of Armenia can be found in Russia, France, Iran, the United States, Georgia, Syria, Lebanon, Australia, Canada, Greece, Cyprus, Israel, Poland, Ukraine and Brazil. 40,000 to 70,000 Armenians still live in Turkey (mostly in and aroundIstanbul).[255]
During theSoviet era,Azerbaijanis were historically the second largest population in the country, numbering 76,550 in 1922,[262] and forming about 2.5% in 1989.[263] However, due to the conflict overNagorno-Karabakh, virtually all of them emigrated from Armenia to Azerbaijan. Conversely, Armenia received a large influx of Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan, thus giving Armenia a more homogeneous character.
According to Gallup research conducted in 2017 Armenia has one of the highest migrant acceptance (welcoming) rates in eastern Europe.[264]
Armenians have their own distinctalphabet andlanguage,[265] which is the only official language. The alphabet, invented by Mesrop Mashtots, consists of thirty-nine letters, three of which were added during theCilician period.[71] The main foreign languages that Armenians know are Russian and English. Due to its Soviet past, most of the old population can speak Russian quite well. According to a 2013 survey, 95% of Armenians said they had some knowledge of Russian (24% advanced, 59% intermediate) compared to 40% who said they knew some English (4% advanced, 16% intermediate and 20% beginner). However, more adults (50%) think that English should be taught in public secondary schools than those who prefer Russian (44%).[266]
The 7th-centuryKhor Virap monastery in the shadow ofMount Ararat, the peak on whichNoah's Ark is said to have landed during thebiblical flood.Portal to theHoly City at Echmiazin, the seat of the Catholicos
The predominantreligion of Armenia is Christianity. Its roots in the country go back to the 1st century AD, when it arrived by way of the apostles Thaddaeus and Bartholomew.[67][68] Armenia was the first nation to adoptChristianity as astate religion,[15] an event traditionally dated to AD 301.[69] Over 93% of Christians in Armenia belong to theArmenian Apostolic Church,[267][3] which is in communion only with the churches comprisingOriental Orthodoxy—of which it is itself a member.[268]
The Yazidis, who live in the western part of the country, practiceYazidism.[274] The world's largest Yazidi temple,Quba Mêrê Dîwanê, was completed in 2019[275] in the village ofAknalich.[261]
There is aJewish community in Armenia of approximately 750 people since independence with most emigrants leaving for Israel. There are currently two synagogues in Armenia – one in the capital, Yerevan, and the other in the city ofSevan located nearLake Sevan.
Healthcare in Armenia has undergone significant changes since independence in 1991. Initially, the Soviet healthcare system was highly centralized and provided free medical assistance to all citizens. After independence, the healthcare system underwent reform and primary care services have been free of charge since 2006. Despite improvements in accessibility and the implementation of an Open Enrollment programme, out-of-pocket health expenditures remain high and corruption among healthcare professionals remains a concern.[276] In 2019, healthcare became free for all citizens under the age of 18 and the number of people receiving free or subsidized care under the Basic Benefits Package was increased.[277][278]
After a significant decline in earlier decades, crude[i] birth rates in Armenia slightly increased from 13.0 (per 1000 people) in the year 1998 to 14.2 in 2015;[279] this timeframe also showed a similar trajectory in the crude death rate, which grew from 8.6 to 9.3.[280]Life expectancy at birth at 74.8 years was the 4th-highest among thePost-Soviet states in 2014.[281]
A literacy rate of 100% was reported as early as 1960.[282]In the communist era, Armenian education followed the standard Soviet model of complete state control (from Moscow) ofcurricula and teaching methods and close integration of education activities with other aspects of society, such as politics, culture, and the economy.[282]
In the 1988–89 school year, 301 students per 10,000 were in specialized secondary or higher education, a figure slightly lower than the Soviet average.[282] In 1989, some 58% of Armenians over age fifteen had completed their secondary education, and 14% had a higher education.[282] In the 1990–91 school year, the estimated 1,307 primary and secondary schools were attended by 608,800 students.[282] Another seventy specialised secondary institutions had 45,900 students, and 68,400 students were enrolled in a total of ten postsecondary institutions that included universities.[282] In addition, 35% of eligible children attendedpreschools.[282] In 1992 Armenia's largest institution of higher learning,Yerevan State University, had eighteen departments, including ones for social sciences, sciences, and law.[282] Its faculty numbered about 1,300 teachers and its student population about 10,000 students.[282] TheNational Polytechnic University of Armenia is operating since 1933.[282]
In the early 1990s, Armenia made substantial changes to the centralised and regimented Soviet system.[282] Because at least 98% of students in higher education were Armenian, curricula began to emphasiseArmenian history and culture.[282]Armenian became the dominant language of instruction, and many schools that had taught in Russian closed by the end of 1991.[282] Russian was still widely taught, however, as a second language.[282]
In 2014, the National Programme for Educational Excellence embarked on creating an internationally competitive and academically rigorous alternative educational programme (the Araratian Baccalaureate) for Armenian schools and increasing the importance and status of the teacher's role in society.[283][284]
The Ministry of Education and Science is responsible for regulation of the sector. Primary and secondary education in Armenia is free, and completion of secondary school is compulsory.[282] Higher education in Armenia is harmonized with theBologna process and theEuropean Higher Education Area. TheArmenian National Academy of Sciences plays an important role in postgraduate education.
Schooling takes 12 years in Armenia and breaks down into primary (4 years), middle (5 years) and high school (3 years). Schools engage a 10-grade mark system. The government also supportsArmenian schools outside of Armenia.
Gross enrollment intertiary education at 44% in 2015 surpassed peer countries of the South Caucasus but remained below the average for Europe and Central Asia.[285] However, public spending per student in tertiary education in GDP-ratio terms is one of the lowest for post-USSR countries (for which data was available).[286]
Armenian architecture, as it originates in an earthquake-prone region, tends to be built with this hazard in mind. Armenian buildings tend to be rather low-slung and thick-walled in design. Armenia has abundant resources of stone, and relatively few forests, so stone was nearly always used throughout for large buildings. Small buildings and most residential buildings were normally constructed of lighter materials, and hardly any early examples survive, as at the abandoned medieval capital ofAni.[287]
Armenian music is a mix of indigenous folk music, perhaps best-represented byDjivan Gasparyan's well-knownduduk music, as well as light pop, and extensiveChristian music.
Instruments like the duduk,dhol,zurna, andkanun are commonly found in Armenian folk music. Artists such asSayat Nova are famous due to their influence in the development of Armenian folk music. One of the oldest types of Armenian music is theArmenian chant which is the most common kind of religious music in Armenia. Many of these chants are ancient in origin, extending to pre-Christian times, while others are relatively modern, including several composed by Mesrop Mashtots. Whilst underSoviet rule, the Armenian classical music composerAram Khatchaturian became internationally well known for his music, for various ballets and theSabre Dance from his composition for the balletGayane.
The Armenian Genocide caused widespread emigration that led to the settlement of Armenians in various countries in the world. Armenians kept to their traditions and certain diasporans rose to fame with their music. In the post-genocide Armenian community of the United States, the so-called "kef" style Armenian dance music, using Armenian and Middle Eastern folk instruments (often electrified/amplified) and some western instruments, was popular. This style preserved the folk songs and dances ofWestern Armenia, and many artists also played the contemporary popular songs of Turkey and other Middle Eastern countries from which the Armenians emigrated.
Richard Hagopian is perhaps the most famous artist of the traditional "kef" style and the Vosbikian Band was notable in the 1940s and 1950s for developing their own style of "kef music" heavily influenced by the popular AmericanBig Band Jazz of the time. Later, stemming from the Middle Eastern Armenian diaspora and influenced by Continental European (especially French) pop music, the Armenian pop music genre grew to fame in the 1960s and 1970s with artists such asAdiss Harmandian andHarout Pamboukjian performing to the Armenian diaspora and Armenia; also with artists such asSirusho, performing pop music combined with Armenian folk music in today's entertainment industry.
Other Armenian diasporans that rose to fame in classical or international music circles are world-renownedFrench-Armenian singer and composerCharles Aznavour, pianistSahan Arzruni, prominent opera sopranos such asHasmik Papian and more recentlyIsabel Bayrakdarian andAnna Kasyan. Certain Armenians settled to sing non-Armenian tunes such as the heavy metal bandSystem of a Down (which nonetheless often incorporates traditional Armenian instrumentals and styling into their songs) or pop starCher. In the Armenian diaspora,Armenian revolutionary songs are popular with the youth. These songs encourage Armenian patriotism and are generally about Armenian history and national heroes.
Yerevan Vernissage (arts and crafts market), close to Republic Square, bustles with hundreds of vendors selling a variety of crafts on weekends and Wednesdays (though the selection is much reduced mid-week). The market offers woodcarving, antiques, fine lace, and the hand-knotted wool carpets and kilims that are a Caucasus speciality.Obsidian, which is found locally, is crafted into assortment of jewellery and ornamental objects. Armenian gold smithery enjoys a long tradition, populating one corner of the market with a selection of gold items. Soviet relics and souvenirs of recent Russian manufacture – nesting dolls, watches, enamel boxes and so on – are also available at the Vernissage.
Across from the Opera House, a popular art market fills another city park on the weekends. Armenia's long history as a crossroads of theancient world has resulted in a landscape with innumerable fascinatingarchaeological sites to explore.Medieval,Iron Age,Bronze Age and evenStone Age sites are all within a few hours' drive from the city. All but the most spectacular remain virtually undiscovered, allowing visitors to view churches and fortresses in their original settings.
The National Art Gallery in Yerevan has more than 16,000 works that date back to theMiddle Ages, which indicate Armenia's rich tales and stories of the times. It houses paintings by manyEuropean masters as well. The Modern Art Museum, the Children's Picture Gallery, and theMartiros Saryan Museum are only a few of the other noteworthy collections of fine art on display in Yerevan. Moreover, many private galleries are in operation, with many more opening every year, featuring rotating exhibitions and sales.
On 13 April 2013, the Armenian government announced a change in law to allowfreedom of panorama for 3D works of art.[288]
Television, magazines, and newspapers are all operated by both state-owned and for-profit corporations which depend onadvertising,subscription, and other sales-related revenues. TheConstitution of Armenia guarantees freedom of speech and Armenia ranks 61st in the 2020Press Freedom Index report compiled byReporters Without Borders, betweenGeorgia and Poland.[289] Armenia's press freedom rose considerably following the 2018 Velvet Revolution.[290]
As of 2020, the biggest issue facing press freedom in Armenia is judicial harassment of journalists, specifically defamation suits and attacks on journalists' right to protect sources,[291] as well as excessive responses to combat disinformation spread by social media users. Reporters Without Borders also cites continued concerns about lack of transparency regarding ownership of media outlets.[289]
Cinema in Armenia was officially established on 16 April 1923, with the founding of the Armenian State Committee of Cinema by a decree of theSoviet Armenian government.[292]
Prior to this, the first Armenian film, titled "Haykakan Sinema", was produced in 1912 inCairo byArmenian-Egyptian publisher Vahan Zartarian and premiered on 13 March 1913.[293]
In March 1924 the first Armenian film studio,Armenfilm, was established inYerevan, beginning with the documentary film "Soviet Armenia".
"Namus" directed byHamo Beknazarian in 1925, was the first Armenian silentblack-and-white film.[294] Based onAlexander Shirvanzade's 1885 novel, it portrays the tragic fate of two lovers whose engagement is thwarted due to violations of "namus" (a tradition of honor), leading the girl's father to marry her to another man.[295]
The first Armenian sound film, "Pepo," was directed by Hamo Beknazarian in 1935.[296][297]
Armenian cuisine is closely related to eastern andMediterranean cuisine; variousspices,vegetables,fish, andfruits combine to present unique dishes. The main characteristics of Armenian cuisine are a reliance on the quality of the ingredients rather than heavily spicing food, the use of herbs, the use of wheat in a variety of forms, of legumes, nuts, and fruit (as a main ingredient as well as to sour food), and the stuffing of a wide variety of leaves.
Thepomegranate, with its symbolic association with fertility, represents the nation. Theapricot is the national fruit.
A wide array of sports are played in Armenia, the most popular among them being wrestling, weightlifting, judo, association football, chess, and boxing. Armenia's mountainous terrain provides great opportunities for the practice of sports like skiing and climbing. Being a landlocked country, water sports can only be practised on lakes, notablyLake Sevan. Competitively, Armenia has been successful in chess, weightlifting and wrestling at the international level. Armenia is also an active member of the international sports community, with full membership in the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). It also hosts thePan-Armenian Games.
Prior to 1992, Armenians would participate in the Olympics representing the USSR. As part of the Soviet Union, Armenia was very successful, winning plenty of medals and helping the USSR win the medal standings at the Olympics on numerous occasions. The first medal won by an Armenian in modern Olympic history was byHrant Shahinyan (sometimes spelled as Grant Shaginyan), who won two golds and two silvers in gymnastics at the1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. To highlight the level of success of Armenians in the Olympics, Shahinyan was quoted as saying:
"Armenian sportsmen had to outdo their opponents by several notches for the shot at being accepted into any Soviet team. But those difficulties notwithstanding, 90 percent of Armenian athletes on Soviet Olympic teams came back with medals."[298]
Armenia first participated at the1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona under a unified CIS team, where it was very successful, winning three golds and one silver in weightlifting, wrestling and sharp shooting, despite only having five athletes. Since the1994 Winter Olympics inLillehammer, Armenia has participated as an independent nation.
Armenia participates in the Summer Olympic Games in boxing, wrestling, weightlifting, judo, gymnastics, track and field, diving, swimming and sharp shooting. It also participates in the Winter Olympic Games in alpine skiing, cross-country skiing and figure skating.
Football is also popular in Armenia. The most successful team was theFC Ararat Yerevan team of the 1970s who won theSoviet Cup in 1973 and 1975 and theSoviet Top League in 1973. The latter achievement saw FC Ararat gain entry to theEuropean Cup where – despite a home victory in the second leg – they lost on aggregate at the quarter-final stage to eventual winnerFC Bayern Munich. Armenia competed internationally as part of theUSSR national football team until theArmenian national football team was formed in 1992 after the split of the Soviet Union. Armenia have never qualified for a major tournament although recent improvements saw the team to achieve 44th position in theFIFA World Rankings in September 2011. The national team is controlled by theFootball Federation of Armenia. TheArmenian Premier League is the highest level football competition in Armenia, and has been dominated byFC Pyunik in recent seasons. The league currently consists of eight teams and relegates to theArmenian First League.
Traditional Armenian wrestling is called Kokh and practised in traditional garb; it was one of the influences included in the Soviet combat sport ofSambo, which is also very popular.[300]
Thegovernment of Armenia budgets about $2.8 million annually for sports and gives it to the National Committee of Physical Education and Sports, the body that determines which programmes should benefit from the funds.[298]
Due to the lack of success lately on the international level, in recent years, Armenia has rebuilt 16 Soviet-era sports schools and furnished them with new equipment for a total cost of $1.9 million. The rebuilding of the regional schools was financed by the Armenian government. $9.3 million has been invested in the resort town ofTsaghkadzor to improve thewinter sports infrastructure because of dismal performances at recentwinter sports events. In 2005, a cycling centre was opened inYerevan with the aim of helping produce world class Armenian cyclists. The government has also promised a cash reward of $700,000 to Armenians who win a gold medal at the Olympics.[298]
^Armenia is widely accepted as part of West Asia geographically, although other definitions place it either fully in Europe or across Europe and Asia.[10]
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^ab"Caucasus".www.britannica.com. 18 March 2025. Retrieved29 March 2025.The watershed of the Greater Caucasus, the backbone of the system, traditionally has been part of the line dividing Europe and Asia, but Europe's eastern boundary has been the subject of much debate. One widely accepted scheme draws the dividing line along the crest of the Greater Caucasus range, putting the portion of the region north of the line in Europe and the portion south of it in Asia. Another puts the western portion of the Caucasus region in Europe and the eastern part (the bulk of Azerbaijan and small portions of Armenia, Georgia, and Russia's Caspian Sea coast) in Asia. Still another scheme identifies the Aras River and the Turkish border as the line of continental demarcation, thereby locating Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia in Europe.
^Mallory, J. P.; Adams, Douglas Q. (1997).Encyclopedia of Indo-European culture. London: Fitzroy Dearborn. p. 30.ISBN978-1-884964-98-5.OCLC37931209.Armenian presence in their historical seats should then be sought at some time before c 600 BC; [...] Armenian phonology, for instance, appears to have been greatly affected by Urartian, which may suggest a long period of bilingualism.
^Robert Drews (2017).Militarism and the Indo-Europeanizing of Europe. Routledge.ISBN978-0-367-88600-4. p. 228: "The vernacular of the Great Kingdom of Biainili was quite certainly Armenian. The Armenian language was obviously the region's vernacular in the fifth century BC, when Persian commanders and Greek writers paired it with Phrygian. That it as brought into the region between the early sixth and the early fifth century BC, and that it immediately obliterated whatever else had been spoken there, can hardly be supposed; [...] Because Proto-Armenian speakers seem to have lived not far from Hurrian speakers our conclusion must be that the Armenian language of Mesrop Mashtots was descended from an Indo-European language that had been spoken in southern Caucasia in the Bronze Age."
^Grousset, René (1947).Histoire de l'Arménie (1984 ed.). Payot. p. 122.. Estimated dates vary from 284 to 314. Garsoïan (op.cit. p. 82), following the research of Ananian, favours the latter.
^Acharian, Hrachia (1946).Hayocʿ anjnanunneri baṙaran [Dictionary of Personal Names of Armenians] (in Armenian). Vol. 3. Yerevan: Yerevan University Press. p. 29.Archived from the original on 5 October 2023. Retrieved2 October 2023.
^Ագաթանգեղոս §§ 13 (ի Հայաստան աշխարհէս), 16 (Հայաստան աշխարհիս 2x, ի Հայաստան աշխարհիս), 35 (Հայաստան աշխարհին), 160 (Հայաստան աշխարհիս), 249 (Հայաստան աշխարհիս), 715 (Հայաստան աշխարհիս), 776 (Հայաստան աշխարհին), 784 (Հայաստան աշխարհին), 796 (ի մէջ Հայաստան աշխարհի), 808 (հասանէին ի Հայաստան աշխարհն)։
^Rafael Ishkhanyan, "Illustrated History of Armenia," Yerevan, 1989
^Elisabeth Bauer.Armenia: Past and Present (1981), p. 49
^"Χαλύβοισι πρὸς νότον Ἀρμένιοι ὁμουρέουσι (The Armenians border on theChalybes to the south)".Chahin, Mark (2001).The Kingdom of Armenia. London:Routledge. p. fr. 203.ISBN978-0-7007-1452-0.
^Armen Petrosyan.The Indo-European and Ancient Near Eastern Sources of the Armenian Epic.Journal of Indo-European Studies. Institute for the Study of Man. 2002. p. 184.[1]Archived 9 July 2021 at theWayback Machine
^Armen Petrosyan.The Indo-European and Ancient Near Eastern Sources of the Armenian Epic.Journal of Indo-European Studies. Institute for the Study of Man. 2002. pp. 166–167.[2]Archived 9 July 2021 at theWayback Machine
^History of Armenia by Father Michael Chamich from B.C. 2247 to the Year of Christ 1780, or 1229 of the Armenian era, Bishop's College Press, Calcutta, 1827, p. 19: "[Aram] was the first to raise the Armenian name to any degree of renown; so that contemporary nations... called them the Aramians, or followers ofAram, a name which has been corrupted into Armenians; and the country they inhabited, by universal consent, took the name of Armenia."
^Josephus, Flavius.Antiquities of the Jews. p. Book 1, section 143.Archived from the original on 14 October 2017. Retrieved13 October 2017.
^Dolukhanov, Pavel; Aslanian, Stepan; Kolpakov, Evgeny; Belyaeva, Elena (2004)."Prehistoric Sites in Northern Armenia".Antiquity.78 (301).Archived from the original on 29 May 2017. Retrieved26 March 2024.
^Adler, D. S.; Wilkinson, K. N.; Blockley, S.; Mark, D. F.; Pinhasi, R.; Schmidt-Magee, B. A.; Nahapetyan, S.; Mallol, C.; Berna, F. (26 September 2014). "Early Levallois technology and the Lower to Middle Paleolithic transition in the Southern Caucasus".Science.345 (6204):1609–1613.Bibcode:2014Sci...345.1609A.doi:10.1126/science.1256484.ISSN0036-8075.PMID25258079.S2CID10266660.
^Greppin, John A. C.; Diakonoff, I. M. (1991). "Some Effects of the Hurro-Urartian People and Their Languages upon the Earliest Armenians".Journal of the American Oriental Society.111 (4):720–730.doi:10.2307/603403.ISSN0003-0279.JSTOR603403.
^Joan Aruz, Kim Benzel, Jean M. Evans,Beyond Babylon: Art, Trade, and Diplomacy in the Second Millennium B.C. Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.)[3] (2008) pp. 92
^Svenska forskningsinstitutet i Istanbul (1993). Lennart Rydén; Jan Olof Rosenqvist (eds.).Aspects of Late Antiquity and Early Byzantium: Papers Read at a Colloquium Held at the Swedish Research Institute in Istanbul 31 May-5 June, 1992. Swedish Research Institute.ISBN978-91-86884-05-5.OCLC1131566057.
^Charles W. Hartley; G. Bike Yazicioğlu; Adam T. Smith, eds. (2012).The Archaeology of Power and Politics in Eurasia: Regimes and Revolutions. Cambridge University Press. p. 65.ISBN978-1-107-01652-1....the unique temple-tomb at Garni, just east of Yerevan – the only Greco-Roman colonnaded building anywhere in the Soviet Union.
^Stokes, Jamie, ed. (2008).Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Africa and the Middle East. New York:Infobase Publishing. p. 65.ISBN978-1-4381-2676-0.Etchmiatzin is located in the west of modern Armenia, close to the border with Turkey, and its fourth-century cathedral is generally regarded as the oldest in the world.
^Bauer-Manndorff, Elisabeth (1981).Armenia: Past and Present. Lucerne: Reich Verlag.OCLC8063377.Etchmiadzin, with the world's oldest cathedral and the seat of the Catholicos, draws tourists from all over the world.
^Utudjian, Édouard (1968).Armenian Architecture: fourth to 17th Century. Paris: Editions A. Morancé. p. 7.OCLC464421....the oldest cathedral in Christendom, that of Etchmiadzin, founded in the fourth century.
^Holt, Peter Malcolm; Lambton, Ann Katharine Swynford & Lewis, Bernard (1977).The Cambridge History of Islam. pp. 231–32.
^Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.); N. Y.) Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York; Speros P. (jr.) Vryonis; Thomas F. Mathews; Jeffrey C. Anderson; Annemarie Weyl Carr; Henry Maguire; Robert G. Ousterhout; Ioli Kalavrezou; Eunice Dauterman Maguire; Olenka Z. Pevny; Joseph D. Alchermes; S. Peter Cowe; Thelma K. Thomas; Jaroslav Folda; Priscilla Soucek (1997). Helen C. Evans; William D. Wixom; William D.. Wixom (eds.).The Glory of Byzantium: Art and Culture of the Middle Byzantine Era, A.D. 843-1261. Metropolitan Museum of Art. p. 361.ISBN978-0-87099-777-8.OCLC1008249298.
^Richard G. Hovannisian (11 February 2004).The Armenian People from Ancient to Modern Times: Volume I: The Dynastic Periods: From Antiquity to the Fourteenth Century. Palgrave Macmillan US. pp. 23–31.ISBN978-1-4039-6422-9.OCLC805125065.
^Bournoutian, George A. (2021).From the Kur to the Aras: A Military History of Russia's Move into the South Caucasus and the First Russo-Iranian War, 1801–1813. Leiden: Brill. pp. 5–8.ISBN978-9004445154.
^Kirakosian, J. S. (1972).Hayastane michazkayin divanakitut'yan ew sovetakan artakin kaghakakanut'yan pastateghterum, 1828–1923 [Armenia in the documents of international diplomacy and Soviet foreign policy, 1828–1923] (in Armenian). Yerevan. pp. 149–358.
^Kieser, Hans-Lukas; Schaller, Dominik J. (2002),Der Völkermord an den Armeniern und die Shoah [The Armenian genocide and the Shoah] (in German), Chronos, p. 114,ISBN978-3-0340-0561-6
^Robert Melson,Revolution and Genocide: On the Origins of the Armenian genocide and the Holocaust, University of Chicago Press, 15 October 1992, p. 147
^Lehmann, Maike (Spring 2015). "Apricot Socialism: The National Past, the Soviet Project, and the Imagining of Community in Late Soviet Armenia".Slavic Review.74:9–31.doi:10.5612/slavicreview.74.1.9.
^Malkasian, Mark (1996).Gha-ra-bagh!: The Emergence of the National Democratic Movement in Armenia. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. p. 41.ISBN0-8143-2605-6.
^National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (NGDC/WDS): NCEI/WDS Global Significant Earthquake Database. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. (1972)."Significant Earthquake Information". NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information.doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K. Retrieved19 March 2024.
^Verluise, Pierre; Chorbajian, Levon (1995).Armenia in Crisis: The 1988 Earthquake. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. pp. 115–116.ISBN0-8143-2527-0.
^"Armenia, Azerbaijan: Baku Launches Military Operation In Nagorno-Karabakh".Stratfor. 19 September 2023. Archived fromthe original on 19 September 2023. Retrieved22 September 2023....the Russian peacekeeping contingent is incapable of preventing Azerbaijan's seizure of the region, despite this being a clear violation of the November 2020 ceasefire brokered by Russia that ended the last war.
^"Joint statement on Azerbaijan's attack on Nagorno-Karabakh". European Parliament.Archived from the original on 22 September 2023. Retrieved21 September 2023.We condemn in the strongest terms today's pre-planned and unjustified attack of Azerbaijan against Nagorno-Karabakh...We recall that the attack takes place in the context of a major humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh, following Azerbaijan's blockade of the Lachin Corridor for the past nine months, in violation of Baku's commitments under the ceasefire statement of 9 November 2020 and of the legally binding orders of the International Court of Justice. Humanitarian access to Nagorno-Karabakh needs to be fully and permanently restored.
^Ilyushina, Mary (19 September 2023)."Fighting flares between Azerbaijan and Armenia in Nagorno-Karabakh".The Washington Post.Archived from the original on 19 September 2023. Retrieved19 September 2023.Azerbaijan and Armenia have repeatedly clashed over Nagorno-Karabakh, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but largely populated by ethnic Armenians and largely governed by the unrecognized Republic of Artsakh.
^"Geographic Characteristic of The Republic of Armenia"(PDF).Marzes of the Republic of Armenia in Figures, 2002–2006. National Statistical Service of the Republic of Armenia. 2007.Archived(PDF) from the original on 25 March 2009. Retrieved22 July 2009.
^Rouben Paul Adalian (13 May 2010).Historical Dictionary of Armenia. Scarecrow Press. p. 85.ISBN978-0-8108-7450-3.Archived from the original on 28 May 2013. Retrieved28 April 2013.Although the mythology associated with the pagan worship of the mountain is now lost to popular belief, Mount Ararat has played a very ...
^James Minahan (1998).Miniature empires: a historical dictionary of the newly independent states. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 2–3.ISBN978-0-313-30610-5.Archived from the original on 28 May 2013. Retrieved28 April 2013.Mount Ararat, the legendary landing place of Noah's Ark, is located in what is now modern Turkey. Situated near the border, the peak is visible from nearly every area of Armenia. Historically, the mountain has been the Armenian people's most ...
^"Ancestry Data". U.S. Census Bureau. 2006.Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved22 July 2009.The 2001 Canadian CensusArchived 9 April 2013 at theWayback Machine determined that there are 40,505 persons of Armenian ancestry currently living in Canada. However, these are liable to be low numbers, since people of mixed ancestry, very common in North America tend to be under-counted: the 1990 census USindicatesArchived 24 July 2017 at theWayback Machine 149,694 people who speak the Armenian language at home."The Armenian Embassy in Canada". Archived fromthe original on 26 August 2006. Retrieved1 June 2016. estimates 1 million ethnic Armenians in the US and 100,000 in Canada. The Armenian Church of America makesa similar estimate. By all accounts, over half of the Armenians in the United States live in California.
^Turay, Anna."Tarihte Ermeniler". Bolsohays:Istanbul Armenians Like many other ethnicitiesArmenians in India too have played a role historically and had an impact historically. Today however the community has been reduced to about a hundred living inCalcutta.Archived from the original on 9 February 2008. Retrieved4 January 2007.
^"The Transcaucasian Soviet Federation".Russian Review.3 (24). Washington, D.C.: The Russian Information Bureau: 498. 15 December 1925. Retrieved20 April 2022.
^Charles Dowsett, E. Peters.Sayat'-Nova. An 18th-century Troubadour: a Biographical and Literary Study. Peeters Publishers, 1997ISBN90-6831-795-4; p. xv
Badalyan Riegg, Stephen (2020).Russia's Entangled Embrace: The Tsarist Empire and the Armenians, 1801–1914. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.ISBN978-1501750113.
Hacikyan, Agop J.; Basmajian, Gabriel; Franchuk, Edward S.; Ouzounian, Nourhan, eds. (2000).The Heritage of Armenian Literature: From the Oral Tradition to the Golden Age. Vol. 1. Detroit: Wayne State University Press.ISBN978-0-8143-2815-6.
Payaslian, Simon (2007).The History of Armenia: From the Origins to the Present. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.ISBN978-0-230-60858-0.
Saparov, Arsène (2015).From Conflict to Autonomy in the Caucasus: The Soviet Union and the Making of Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorno Karabakh. London: Routledge.ISBN978-1-317-63783-7.
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