The history o Yerevan dates back tae the 8t century BC, wi the foondin o the fortress oErebuni in 782 BC bi kingArgishti I at the wastren extreme o theArarat plain.[3] EfterWarld War I, Yerevan became the caipital o theDemocratic Republic o Armenie as thoosans osurvivors o theArmenie Genocide settled in the aurie. The ceety expandit rapidly durin the 20t century as Armenie became ane o thefifteen republics in theSoviet Union. In fiftie years, Yerevan wis transformed frae a toun o a few thoosan residents athin theRoushie Empire, tae Armenie's principal cultural, airtistic, an industrial center, as well as becomin the seat o naitional govrenment.
Wi the growthe o theeconomy o the kintra, Yerevan haes been unnergoin major transformation as mony pairts o the ceety hae been the recipient o new construction syne the early 2000s, an retail ootlets sic as restaurants, shops an street cafes, which wur rare durin Soviet times, hae multiplied.
In 2009, the population o Yerevan wis estimatit tae be 1,119,000 fowk wi theagglomeration aroond the ceety regroupin 1,245,700 fowk (2007 offeecial estimate),[4] mair nor a third o aw the population o Armenie.
Armenie haes aye excelled in chess wi its players bein vera aften amang the heichest ranked an decoratit. The heidquarters o the Armenian Chess Federation is locatit in theKentron (central destrict) in Yerevan an thare exists plenty o chess clubs in the ceety. In 1996, despite a severeeconomic crisis, Yerevan hostit the32nt Chess Olympiad.[5] In 2006, the fower members frae Yerevan o the Armenie chess team wan the37t Chess Olympiad inTurin an repeatit the feat at the38t Chess Olympiad inDresden. The Yerevan-born leader o this team,Levon Aronian, is currently ane o the warld's tap chess players an is nummer sax on the Aprile 2008FIDE rankins.
Yerevan is member o 6 internaitional organisations: the "International Assembly of CIS Countries' Capitals an Big Cities" (MAG), the "Black Sea Capitals' Association" (BSCA), the "International Association of Francophone Mayors"[6] (AIMF), the "Organization of World Heritage Cities" (OWHC), the "International Association of Large-scale Communities" an the "International Urban Community Lighting Association" (LUCI).
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