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Armenia.
Armenia
Alternate uses: see Armenia (disambiguation).
The Republic of Armenia is a landlocked country in southern Transcaucasia, between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, with Turkey to the west and Georgia to the north, and sharing borders with Azerbaijan in the east, and Iran and the Naxcivan exclave of Azerbaijan in the south.
Hayastani Hanrapetut'yunՀայաստանի Հանրապետություն
(In Detail) (Full size)
National motto:
Official language Armenian
Capital Yerevan
Capital's coordinates 40° 16' N, 44° 34' E
Largest City Yerevan
President Robert Kocharian
Prime minister Andranik Markaryan
Area - Total - % water Ranked 138th 29'800 km² 4.7%
Population - Total (2003 est) - Density Ranked 128th 3'326'448 112/km²
Independence From Soviet Union September 23, 1991
Currency Dram (AMD)
Time zone UTC +4 (DST +5)
National anthem Mer Hayrenik (Our Fatherland)
Internet TLD .AM
Calling Code 374
Table of contents showTocToggle("show","hide")
1 History
2 Politics
3 Provinces
4 Geography
5 Economy
6 Demographics
7 Culture
8 Miscellaneous topics
9 External links and references
History
Main article: History of Armenia
Armenia was incorporated into Russian Empire in 1828 and the USSR in 1920. Armenian leaders remain preoccupied by the long conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, a primarily Armenian-populated exclave, assigned to Soviet Azerbaijan in the 1920s by Moscow. Armenia and Azerbaijan began fighting over the exclave in 1988; the struggle escalated after both countries attained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. By May 1994, when a cease-fire took hold, Armenian forces held not only Nagorno-Karabakh but also a significant portion of Azerbaijan proper.
The economies of both sides have been hurt by their inability to make substantial progress toward a peaceful resolution, and the Turkish economic blockade of Armenia.
Politics
Main article: Politics of Armenia
The Government of Armenia's stated aim is to build a Western-style parliamentary democracy as the basis of its form of government. However, international observers have questioned the inherent fairness of parliamentary and presidential elections and constitutional referenda since 1995, citing polling deficiencies, lack of cooperation by the electoral commission, and poor maintenance of electoral lists and polling places.
The unicameral parliament (also called the National Assembly) is dominated by a coalition, called "Unity" (Miasnutyun). A new party, the Republic Party, is headed by ex-Prime Minister Aram Sargsian and has become the primary voice of the opposition.
Armenians voted overwhelmingly for independence in a September 1991 referendum. Levon Ter-Petrossian was president until January 1998, when public demonstrations against his policies on Nagorno-Karabakh forced his resignation. In 1999, the assassination of Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsian, parliament Speaker Karen Demirchian and six other officials led to a period of political instability, however President Robert Kocharian was successful in riding out the unrest.
Provinces
Main article: Provinces of Armenia
Armedia is divided into 11 provinces (marzer, singular - marz):
Aragatsotn
Ararat
Armavir
Geghark'unik'
Kotayk'
Lorri
Shirak
Syunik'
Tavush
Vayots' Dzor
Yerevan
Geography
Main article: Geography of Armenia
Armenia is a landlocked country located in south-west Asia, east of Turkey. The terrain is mostly mountainous, with fast flowing rivers and few forests. The climate is highland continental: hot summers and cold winters. The land rises to 4,095 m at Mount Aragats, and no point is below 400m above sea-level. Pollution from toxic chemicals such as DDT is not helping the already poor soil quality in many parts of the county. An energy blockade, the result of the conflict with Azerbaijan, has led to deforestation.
Economy
Main article: Economy of Armenia
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Armenia
Armenia is a primarily Oriental Orthodox country.
Culture
Main article: Culture of Armenia
Miscellaneous topics
External links and references
Southwest Asia
Afghanistan | Armenia | Azerbaijan | Bahrain | Cyprus | Egypt | Gaza Strip | Georgia | Iran | Iraq | Israel | Jordan | Kuwait | Lebanon | Oman | Qatar | Saudi Arabia | Syria | Turkey | United Arab Emirates | West Bank | Yemen
Commonwealth of Independent States
Armenia | Azerbaijan | Belarus | Georgia | Kazakhstan | Kyrgyzstan | Moldova | Russia | Tajikistan | Turkmenistan | Ukraine | Uzbekistan
This article is adapted from from Wikipedia All Wikipedia article text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License
Armenia: The Bradt Travel Guide by Nicholas Holding
The Cuisine of Armenia by Sonia Uvezian
Travel Map of Armenia and Azerbaijan by Roland W. Hardt
Lonely Planet Georgia, Armenia & Azerbaijan (Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, 1st Ed) by Keti Japaridze
Armenia: A Historical Atlas by Robert H. Hewsen
Armenia : Portraits of Survival and Hope by Donald E. Miller
A Concise History of the Armenian People: From Ancient Times to the Present by George A. Bournoutian
Armenian Folk Arts, Culture, and Identity: by Levon Abrahamian
Cuisines of the Caucasus Mountains: Recipes, Drinks, and Lore from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Russia by Kay Shaw Nelson
A Weave of Words: An Armenian Tale by Robert D. San Souci
Black Garden: Armenia and Azerbaijan Through Peace and War by Thomas De Waal
Edge of Time: Traveling in Armenia and Karabagh (Revised Second Edition) by Matthew Karanian
Looking Toward Ararat: Armenia in Modern History by Ronald Grigor Sunny
Phoenix: The Peoples of the Hills: Ancient Ararat and Caucasus by Charles Burney
The Armenian File by Kamuran Gurun
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