ARMENIA

HISTORY

ARMENIA, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a mountainous country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located in Western Asia it is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia to the north, the de facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and Azerbaijan to the east, and Iran and the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan to the south. Armenia is a unitary, multi-party, democratic nation-state with an ancient cultural heritage. The Satrapy of Armenia was established in the 6th century BC, after the fall of Urartu. In the first century BC the Kingdom of Armenia reached its height under Tigranes the Great. Armenia became the first state in the world to adopt Christianity as its official religion in between late 3rd to early years of the 4th century (the official date is 301 AD), becoming the first Christian nation As a result, previously predominant Zoroastrianism and paganism in Armenia gradually declined. An Armenian principality and later a kingdom, known as Cilician Armenia, existed on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea between the 11th and 14th centuries.

Between the 16th and first half of the 19th century, the traditional Armenian homeland composed of Eastern Armenia and Western Armenia came under rule of the rivalling Ottoman and successive Iranian Empires, passing between the two over the centuries. By the mid-19th century, Eastern Armenia had been conquered by Russia from Qajar Iran, while most of the western parts of the traditional Armenian homeland still remained under Ottoman rule. During World War I, the Armenians living in

their ancestral lands in the Ottoman Empire were systematically exterminated in the Armenian Genocide. In 1918, during the Russian Revolution, all non-Russian countries were granted independence from the dissolved empire, leading to the establishment of the First Republic of Armenia. By 1920, the state was incorporated into the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic, a founding member of the Soviet Union in 1922. In 1936, the Transcaucasia state was dissolved, leaving its constituent states, including the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, as full Union republics. The modern Republic of Armenia became independent in 1991 during the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Armenia's oldest known inhabitants were the Hayasa-Azzi tribes who lived in the Armenian Highlands. These tribes formed part of the Nairi tribal union which settled in the region until 13th century BC. The first significant state of Armenia was the Kingdom of Ararat, also known as Urartu during the 11th century BC. The kingdom lasted until 7th century BC, with subsequent kingdoms in the region including the Ervanduni Dynasty and the Achaemenian Iran. In 189 BC, Greater Armenia was formed and became the 3rd largest empire in the Near East. The kingdom lasted for the next 600 years. It was 301 AD when Armenia became the world's first ever Christian nation, when they adopted Christianity as the state religion. The rule of the Armenian kingdoms ended during the Seljuq conquest. The Seljuq were responsible for the first Armenian diaspora in the 11th century. Subsequent invasions included those of the Byzantine Empire, the Persian, and the Islamic empires. Re-establishment of the Armenian kingdom occurred in 1375 in Cilicia. Armenia was then conquered by both the Ottoman Empire and Russia. During the First World War, Ottoman Turkey became suspicious of the Christian Armenia's loyalty to Russia, and therefore planned a complete elimination of all Armenians from the region. Killings and forced evacuations started taking place in 1915 - which marked the modern world's first recorded genocide. About 1.5 million Armenians died from 1915 to 1918, while others were forced to leave their homeland and march through the desert to what is now known as Syria.

In 1920, the Soviet Union invaded and by 1922, Armenia became part of the USSR. Upon the fall of the Soviet Union, Armenia declared independence on Sept. 21, 1991.

CAPITAL (Flag and Map)

YEREVAN is the capital and largest city of Armenia, and one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country. It has been the capital since 1918, the thirteenth in the history of Armenia, and the seventh located in or around the Ararat plain.

POPULATIONArmenia has a population of 3,056,382 (As of July 2015 estimate). After registering a steady

increase all through the Soviet period, the population of Armenia declined from 3.604 million in 1991 to 3.211 million in 2003. The latest estimate is 2.872 million on October 12, 2011.

Armenia is the only republic of the former Soviet Union that has a nearly-homogeneous population. It is also the second-most densely populated post-Soviet state after Moldova. Ethnic minorities include Russians, Assyrians, Ukrainians, Yazidi Kurds,Iranians, Greeks, Georgians, and Belarusians. There are also smaller communities of Vlachs, Mordvins, Ossetians, Udis, and Tats. Minorities of Poles and Caucasus Germans also exist though they are heavily Russified. Most Armenians are Christian, primarily of Apostolic Church rite. Armenia is considered the first nation to adopt Christianity, which was first preached in Armenia by two Apostles of Jesus,St. Bartholomew and St. Thaddeus in the 1st century. The Armenian Apostolic Church can trace its roots back to the 3rd and 4th centuries. The country formally adopted the Christian faith in 301 A.D. Over 90% of Armenians belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church. It is a very ritualistic, conservative church, roughly comparable to the Coptic and Syrian churches. Armenia also has a population of Catholics and evangelical Protestants. There has been a problem of population decline due to elevated levels of emigration after the break-up of the USSR. The rates of emigration and population decline, however, have decreased drastically in recent years, and a moderate influx of Armenians returning to Armenia have been the main reasons for the trend,

which is expected to continue. In fact Armenia is expected to resume its positive population growth by 2010.

During 2015 Armenia population is estimated to be increased by 1 874 people and reach 2 976 571 in the beginning of 2016. The natural increase is expected to be positive, as the number of births will exceed the number of deaths by 13 059. If external migration will remain on the previous year level, the population will be declined by 11 185 due to the migration reasons. It means that amount of people who leaves Armenia to settle permanently in another country (emigrants) will prevail over the amount of people who moves into the country (to which they are not native) in order to settle there as permanent residents (immigrants).

According to estimations, daily change rates of Armenia population in 2015 will be the following:

105 live births average per day (4.36 in a hour) 69 deaths average per day (2.87 in a hour) -31 emigrants average per day (-1.28 in a hour) The population of Armenia will be increased by 5 persons daily in 2015.

Armenia population density is 100.0 people per square kilometre as of September 2015. Density of population is calculated as permanently settled population of Armenia divided by total area of the country. Total area is the sum of land and water areas within international boundaries and coastlines of Armenia. The total area of Armenia is 29 743 km2according to the United Nations Statistics Division.

CULTURE

Three things make the Armenian culture distinct and unique: an inimitable charm of its mountainous scenery, the ancient Christian heritage (Armenia was among the first countries to adopt it) and its unusual national culture. The last is the main treasure of Armenia which it has managed to preserve through the challenges of time. Convenient location of the country between the East and the West made it battle field for the great empires during the ancient times and the Medieval Ages. Romans, Iranians, Byzantiums, Arabs, Seljuks, and Mongols crossed through Armenia. They destroyed cities and interrupted cultural development leaving behind ruins in smoke. Nevertheless, local people managed to withstand powerful invaders and keep the culture. Even so the history left some traces on the culture. As a result the national culture of Armenia acquired some features from the both eastern and western civilizations. Rich ethnicity of the most ancient inhabitants of Armenian highlands formed everyday life and spiritual culture of people.

Armenian everyday life and spiritual culture have resulted from rich cultures of the most ancient inhabitants of Armenian uplands, all those ethnic elements which participated in the formation of Armenian people. Not worth saying about the role of Urartu culture. , the greatest role was played by the outstanding Urartu culture. Until 301 AD the national culture of Armenia was influenced by the western (Hellenism) and eastern (Parthia) cultures. Christianity, as one of the mighty sources of the world's culture, created new trends in architecture, fine arts, and music. The next important milestone in the cultural development was invention of Armenian alphabet and writing by Mesrop Mashtots in 405. 

“Ayastan – karastan” is Armenian for “Armenia - the stone country”. The mountainous landscape of the country defined the lines of its architecture. Powerfully and monumentally, like the mountains surrounding them, stand the monuments of medieval architecture. The stony soil, the jags of surrounding ridges and the outlines of architectural monuments merge into a uniform image.

The traditional architecture of Armenia is reflected in temple architecture of churches, monasteries and so forth. The early Middle Age architecture (5th – 6th centuries) is represented, basically, by basilicas. A basilica is a structure of rectangular shape divided, as a rule, into three parts by rows of columns; the central part towers over the others. In the end of the 6th – 7th centuries appeared Greek-cross and central-domd samples of temple architecture. The symmetrical cross-shaped facade of a temple was decorated with the side arches and crowned by a huge dome visible from distant corners of the temple. Later the temple shapes changed; simple and strict church structures become more elegant and complex. The shapes were improved; new elements such as domical drum were added. But in whole, traditional temple structures possess common basic features.

Each culture possesses a certain original element which becomes a symbol of the entire national culture. In Armenia such symbol is “khachkar”, the so-called crosses-stones, the monuments of Armenia which are not found anywhere in the world. The word “khachkar” is formed by two Armenian roots: “khach” (cross) and "kar" (stone). Khachkar is an art - decorative-architectural sculptures based on the ancient national traditions and made in a variety of shapes. Khachkars originated in the beginning of the 4 th century right after the adoption of Christianity. Instead of the pagan altars and in the places allocated for churches and monasteries wooden crosses were installed. Since wood was not durable, they were replaced by stone ones, and starting from the 9th century with the images of

crosses on stone rectangular slabs. At the same time khachkars were installed on various occasions: to commemorate a victory or completion of another temple or bridge, to thank God for a plot of land. They served as landmarks and very frequently as sepulchral monuments.

Traditionally, weaving, carpet weaving, pottery, lacemaking, jewelery making, household utensils were and still are the basic forms household occupations. As they developed, these national crafts turned into national arts and crafts, the most widespread and accessible to general public. Pottery, carpets, embroidery, silver ornaments, simple everyday objects reflected the basis of national world perception. They united and personified the art of Armenia.

You can see the first specimens of national painting on the architectural monuments of Echmiadzin, antique Garni and other temples, including the ones from Urartu period. Walls and floors in cult structures were covered by amazing ornaments, bas-reliefs and reliefs a lot of which have survived. They represented various plants and animals, the scenes connected with Christian religion – The Day of Judgment and Nativity, nobility life, people's activities. Expressive paintings transformed walls of temples into a figurative story. In parallel with it icon painting started to develop.

Just as the alphabet and writing were invented the first literature monuments in Armenian language started to appear. They are dated the 5th – 7th centuries. The most prominent are the historical works by Movses Khorenatsi. His “History of Armenia” contains the data on the countries of Western Asia.Khorenatsi managed to preserve the precious specimens of oral national poetry in his works. He mentioned songs and legends sung by people during his time. Another well-known author of medieval epoch was Koryun who described the life of Mashtots and did a number of translations of theological books into Armenian. The art of theater on the territory of Armenia began long before the Christian age. It was introduced by the founders of this art form – ancient Greeks - during Hellenistic epoch when the territory of Armenian uplands was occupied by Great Armenia with the capital in Tigranakert. It is known that Armenian tsar Tigran II the Great constructed the amphitheatre (survived in ruins) in the 1 st century BC where Greek actors invited by him showed Greek tragedies and comedies. According to Plutarch, Armenian tsar Artavazd II created tragedies which were shown in Artashat – the second capital of

Armenia (1st century AD). Even though the history of professional Armenian theatre totals more than two millennia, the true original revival of Armenian theater art is dated the second half of the 19 th century. In 1921 in Yerevan G.Sundukyan Theater, the largest drama theatre in Armenia was opened. Its repertory consists of the plays of western classics and well-known Armenian playwrights. In 1933 Yerevan Opera and Ballet Theatre was opened.

The State History Museum, the Museum of History of the city of Yerevan, the State Picture Gallery, the Modern Art Museum, Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts Matendaran and many others are located in Yerevan; the city of Sardarbad has the Museum of Ethnography and Folklore; in Echmiadzin you will find the Museum of Religious Arts.

Armenian music is like no other. It has its special melodic pattern and rich sounding. This originality is reached due to the use of original Armenian instruments which have survived from the early middle Ages – pander and bambir, the violin prototypes; the strings – tavikh and knar; the wind instruments –reed pipe, zurn, avagpog; percussions - drums. Since ancient times people have sung folk songs of ritual, labor, and military content. A lot of songs were created by people – about love and marriage, lullabies, and lamentations. The songs were sung by folk singers - gusans. Church

and choir music originated in the 5 th century. The songs for choir were called sharakans and were sung during masses and celebrations.

It’s hard to imagine Armenian music without its sad and deep sound of duduk, an old national woodwind instrument. Historical roots of duduk that in Armenia is called as tsiranapokh, goes back to the times of the Armenian king, Tigran the Great (95-55 BC). Duduk is made of an apricot wood. It can be of three sizes: 28 cm, 33 cm and 40 cm. Number of musical holes of the instrument vary: seven or eight on the facing side, and one or two on the reverse side – for the thumb. Duduk charms with its soft and muffled sound, harmonious and mellow timbre. In the world popularization of this musical instrument, huge credit should be given to a famous Armenian musician Djivan Gaparyan, a composer and skillful duduk player. The Professor of the Yerevan State Conservatory Gaparyan created a special school for duduk play that sometimes is called an Armenian flute or Armenian oboe. Gaparyan brought up many talented students in many parts of the world. Gaparyan and sound of duduk became famous with the screening of the film ‘Gladiator’ where few pieces are played on duduk.

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 of Western 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 American Big Band Jazz of the time.

Armenian folklore is extremely rich and various. The ancient myths about the gods’ dated Hellenistic epoch are considered its basis. The most known are the myths about death and resurrection of the god Ara the Charming his war with Queen Shamiram (Semiramis), the myth about Khaik and his descendants settling on the territory of Armenia, the myths about Vaagn – Armenian Hercules and epic legends about tsars and struggle against conquerors. In accordance with ancient Armenian mythology the Pantheon was headed by the father of Gods Aramazd. The following were – Vaagn, the God of War, the God defeating dragons and Goddess Anait – the patron of the country. The Gods Mikhr (Mitra) and Tir in various times were considered the

Sun Gods; the latter was also the God of Wisdom and Writing. Other gods were Nane and Astkhik – the Goddess of Love.

Besides the myths about gods and heroes, ancient Armenia had widespread epic legends dedicated to outstanding historical persons - tsars Ervand, Artashes, Nigran, Trdat, Sanatruk and others. The heroic medieval epos "David of Sasun" about the history of several generations struggling for freedom against Arabian yoke is known in many versions.

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 practiced on lakes, notably Lake 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 the Pan-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 by Hrant Shahinyan (sometimes spelled as Grant Shaginyan), who won two golds and two silvers in gymnastics at the 1952 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 Armenians athletes on Soviet Olympic teams came back with medals."

Armenian cuisine is as ancient as the history of Armenia, a combination of different tastes and aromas. The food often has quite a distinct aroma. Closely related to eastern and Mediterranean cuisine, various spices, vegetables, fish, and fruits 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.The pomegranate, with its symbolic association with fertility represents that nation. The apricot is the national fruit.

LANGUAGE

Armenia Language comes under the domain of Indo European language. Armenia Language is

one of the ancient forms of Proto-Indo- European language.  It is one of those dialects that resulted from the splitting up of the linguistic branch that deals with Proto-Indo-European language.Prior to the evolution of Armenian alphabet, Armenia Language was based on Greek and Aramaic alphabets. The origin of Armenia language dates back to 406 AD. Saint Mesrop Mashtots was the creator of the Armenian characters. The original version of Armenia alphabet used to come with 36 characters. In the following years two more characters were introduced to make the Armenia Language at par with other foreign languages. The evolution of Armenia Language brought about the first Golden Age in the history of the Armenian Republic. Armenia Language is mostly prevalent in the Armenian Territory. Western Armenian and Eastern Armenian are the two major categorizations of the Armenia Language. The National Academy of Sciences of Armenia is the main regulatory authority of Armenian Language. Besides the Armenian Territory, the Armenia Language is also spoken in many other nations in and around the Caucasus mountains. The ancient version of Armenia Language features seven vowels and lacks grammatical gender.

The first language that was recorded to be spoken in the Armenian Highland is the Hurrian language, which was spoken in the Mitanni and parts of the Armenia from around 2300 BC and had mostly vanished by 1000 BC. The Urartian language followed it. Urartian was spoken by the inhabitants of the ancient kingdom of Urartu that was located in the region of Lake Van, with its capital near the site of the modern town of Van, in the Armenian Highland, modern-day Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey. Armenia is an ethnically homogeneous country, where Armenian is the official language and is spoken as a first language by the overwhelming majority of its population. As of today, Russian is still, by far, the best known foreign language among the Armenian population. English is gaining popularity in recent years. French and several other languages have also begun to be studied and used. Kurdish is the largest minority language of Armenia spoken by the Yazidi minority. Other minority languages recognized by the Armenian government are Assyrian, Greek and Russian.

The Article 12 of the Constitution of Armenia states that "The state language of the Republic of Armenia is Armenian. Armenian is a major language used in education, administration and public life. Armenian belongs to an independent branch of the Indo-European language family and uses a unique 39-letter alphabet invented in the 5th century.

CROPS AND PRODUCTS

Armenia has 2.1 million hectares of agricultural land, 72% of the country's land area. Most of this, however, is mountain pastures, and cultivable land is 480,000 hectares (452,900 hectares arable land, 27,300 hectares in orchards and vineyards), or 16% of the country's area. In 2006, 46% of the work force was employed in agriculture (up from 26% in 1991), and agriculture contributed 21% of the country's GDP In 1991 Armenia imported about 65 percent of its food.

Agriculture is carried out mainly in the valleys and mountainsides of Armenia's uneven terrain, with the highest mountain pastures used for livestock grazing. Fertile volcanic soil allows cultivation of wheat and barley as well as pasturage for sheep, goats, and horses. With the help of irrigation, figs, pomegranates, apricots and olives also are grown in the limited subtropical Aras River valley and in the valleys north of Yerevan, where the richest farmland is found. Armenia also produces peaches, walnuts, and quince, and its cognac enjoys a worldwide reputation.

Irrigation is required by most crops, and the building of canals and a system of irrigation was among the first major state projects of the Soviet republic in the 1920s. By the 1960s, arable land had been extended by 20 percent, compared with pre-Soviet times. Most farms had electricity by the early 1960s, and machinery was commonplace. In the Soviet era, women made up most of the agricultural work force; a large percentage of the younger men had responded to the Soviet industrialization campaign by migrating to

urban centers. In 1989 farms were operating about 13,400 tractors and 1,900 combines. Unlike other CIS countries, Armenia did not suffer a catastrophic decline in its farm machinery inventory during the privatization, and in 2006 there were 14,600 tractors and 1,700 combines in Armenian farms. Agricultural production is heavily biased toward crops, which in 2006 accounted for 64% of gross agricultural output. The principal agricultural products are grains (mostly wheat and barley), potatoes, vegetables, grapes (both table and wine), and fruits. In 2006, Armenia produced 212,500 tons of grain, 539,500 tons of potatoes, 915,000 tons of vegetables and melons, 286,000 tons of fruits, and 201,400 tons of grapes. All these numbers (except for grain) constitute significant increases compared with 1989, when Armenia produced 200,000 tons of grain, 266,000 tons of potatoes, 485,000 tons of vegetables, 170,000 tons of fruit, and 119,000 tons of grapes. Livestock production in 2006 reached 66,800 tons of meat (slaughter weight), 620,000 tons of milk, and 464 million eggs. The corresponding livestock production numbers in 1989 were

105,000 tons of meat, 491,000 tons of milk, and 561,000 tons of eggs, i.e., only milk production increased significantly during the post-Soviet period

ECONOMY AND CURRENCY

After gaining independence Armenia "inherited" absolutely unviable economy from the Soviet system and found itself in the heaviest situation of all countries of Transcaucasia. From the agrarian-industrial country with developed metal working, mechanical engineering, chemical, light, the food-processing industry Armenia turned into a small state which could not boast neither rich natural resources nor favourable geographical position or fertile soils. Without own oil and gas the landlocked Armenia was under economic blockade since because of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict it was cut from Azerbaijan and Turkey, and because of Georgian-Abkhazian conflict – from Russia (the entire cargo transportation was used to be carried out via Abkhazian railway).

В 1991 the privatization began. The first were agricultural grounds, then came small and mid-sized industrial enterprises, and in 1995 – the major ones were privatized. In 1994 after the conclusion of armistice with Azerbaijan and obtaining funds from IMF and the World Bank the national economy was gradually stabilized. Inflation rate decreased, the GDP went up a little. A number of industrial enterprises were put into operation.

Armenia used to be the richest republic of the USSR. That was then. This is now. Since the collapse of the USSR in December 1991 and the ongoing conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia has been in a severe economic decline with small percentages of growth in select sectors, mainly restricted to Yerevan. Under the old Soviet central planning system, Armenia had developed a significant industrial sector, supplying machine tools, textiles, and other manufactured goods to other republics in exchange for raw materials and energy. Since 1991, Armenia has also switched to small-scale farming away from the behemoth agricultural complexes of the Soviet era. The agricultural sector has long-term needs for more investment and updated technology. The privatization of industry has been at a slower pace, and seems rife with corruption. Strategic interests such as Armenia's phone sector and electric generation plants, have been sold to Greek and Russian interests, respectively. Armenia is a food importer, and its mineral deposits (copper, gold, bauxite) are small.

By 1994, however, the Armenian Government had launched an ambitious IMF-sponsored economic program that has resulted in positive growth rates in 1995-2003. Armenia also has managed to slash inflation, stabilize the local currency (the dram), and privatize most small- and medium-sized enterprises. The service sector and small enterprises constitute the bulk of Armenia's growing economy. Armenia’s economic freedom score is 67.1, making its economy the 52nd freest in the 2015 Index. Its overall score has declined by 1.8 points from last year, reflecting considerable deterioration in property rights, labor freedom, and monetary freedom. This decline was the eighth-largest in the 2015 Index. Armenia is ranked 23rd among the 43 countries in the Europe region, and its score puts it above the world and regional averages. Armenia’s transition to a more dynamic and market-oriented economy has been facilitated by openness to global commerce and by regulatory reforms designed to encourage entrepreneurial activity. However, continued efforts, particularly to strengthen the independence of the judiciary and eradicate corruption, are needed to ensure progress in long-term economic development. Although Armenia performs relatively well in most categories compared to world averages, the historical gains are not fully institutionalized, and the country’s economic freedom has been on a five-year downward path. This decline has taken place across six of the 10 economic freedoms, most notably in labor freedom, freedom from corruption, and monetary freedom.

Today's Armenia is the industrial -agrarian country. The priority belongs to small-scale agricultural production. The country's GDP consists of agriculture – 31.1 %, industrial production – 21.8 %, trade - 8.7 %, construction – 8.5 %, transport – 5.1 %, other sectors - 24.9 %.

The leading industries are mechanical engineering and metal working, chemical and petrochemical, nonferrous metallurgy, manufacture of building materials (including the ones based on the deposits of tuffs, pearlites, limestones, granites and marbles), foodstuffs and light industries.

Agricultural grounds occupy about 44 % of all lands. The basic crops are melons and watermelons, potatoes, wheat, grapes, fruits, essential oil plants, tobacco, and sugar beet. Livestock sector specializes on dairy-meat cattle breeding, and sheep – breeding in the mountains. Armenia is divided into 5 economic regions which differ in natural and economic-geographical conditions and industrial specialization. Ararat (electric power, mechanical engineering, chemical industries, manufacture of building materials, and agriculture), Shirak (textile industry, mechanical engineering; livestock), Pridebed (copper, chemical industry; agriculture, mechanical engineering), Sevan-Agstevi (electric power, livestock, grains and tobacco), Syuniq (mining industry, agriculture, hydroelectric power industry and mechanical engineering).

The main industrial centre of Armenia is Yerevan followed by Gyumri and Vanadzor. In the foreign trade import prevails. Main exports are processed brilliants, machinery and equipment, copper ore. Imported are gas, oil, foodstuffs, etc. The major trade partners in export: Belgium, Russia, Iran, Turkmenistan, the USA, Georgia; import- Russia, the USA, Great Britain, Iran, Turkey, Belgium. Goods turnover with Russia is about 20 % of the entire foreign trade of the republic. Many large Armenian enterprises belong to Russian companies.

The national currency of Armenia, dram was issued on November 22, 1993. 1 dram is equal to 100 lum. In translation from Greek dram means money. The first record of the name was found in the XIIth century, silver coins had a name like that. To date, drams are represented by 11 denominations of banknotes: 10, 25, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, 20000 and 50000 drams. All bills have a high degree of protection. On the banknote are famous Armenian scientists, artists, as well as cultural and historical and cultural monuments. As of 1998 new banknotes were issued, and the old ones were removed from monetary circulation. Design of new banknotes of Armenian dram has been created by foreign experts from Germany and England. In 2001 banknote of 50000 drams was issued in honor of the 1700th anniversary of the recognition of Christianity as state religion in Armenia. Modern banknotes differ from the previous ones in enhanced level of protection. In 2009 banknotes of 100 000 with the image of King Abgar V was issued.

RELIGION

St. Thaddaeus and St. Bartholomew, the first illuminators, are considered to be the founders of Armenian Church. St. Thaddaeus mission lasted for eight years (35-43); the mission o St. Barthlomew– sixteen (44-60). The Holy Tradition of Armenian church says that after the Ascension of Christ one of His pupils, Thaddaeus arrived to Great Armenia with Christian sermon. Among the number of new Christians was Sandukht, the daughter of Armenian tsar Sanatruk. The Apostle along with Sandukht and other new Christians met their martyr death in Shavarshan by the tsar's order. After a while, after preaching in Persia, St. Bartholomew came to Armenia. He converted Vogui, the daughter of Sanatruk, and many nobles to Christianity; then, by Sanatruk's order he accepted martyr death in Arbanos is located between Lakes Van and Urmia.

The overwhelming majority of the population of Armenia is Christians of Armenian Apostolic Church which possesses the status of national church of Armenian people. There are also believers of Russian Orthodox Church, Moslems, Hebrews and representatives of other faiths including the so-called religious minorities in Armenia. Islam in Armenia was practiced mainly by Azerbaijanis and Kurds. However, most part of Muslims fled the country after Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The largest Muslim community, including Kurds, Iranians and Middle East nations has survived only in Yerevan. Most of them are Shafiit Sunnites. Among Kurds there are a lot of jezids whose religious beliefs include elements of Zoroastrism, Islam and animism.

The Constitution guarantees the freedom of worship including the right to practice any religion or atheism. To the middle of the 5th century Armenian Apostolic Church was one of the branches of uniform Christian Church. However, aspiring to strengthen the independence of Byzantium and and refusing to recognize the decisions of the 4th (Khalkidon) Ecumenical Council (451), Armenian Apostolic Church actually separated itself from both Oriental and Roman Catholic Church. Armenian Church differs from Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant churches. It belongs in the category of the so-called Monophysitic churches. Whereas Orthodox is related to

Dyophysitic, Dyophysites recognize Christ in two essences – human and divine; Monophysites - only divine. As of the seven sacraments, Armenian Church adheres to special rules: during christening a baby is water sprayed three times and submerged three times; the anointing is combined with christening; during communion only pure (not diluted) wine and fermented (yeast free) bread soaked in wine is used; only ecclesiastics are anointed right after death.

He is the Supreme spiritual leader of all faithful Armenians, the keeper and the defender of the belief of Armenian Church, its divine service ceremonies, canons, traditions and integrity. Within the canonic limits he possesses the complete power in managing Armenian Church. Echmiadzin is the spiritual and administrative centre of Armenian Apostolic Church. There are

two monasteries (4 th century), St. Ripsimeand St. Gayane which are classical monuments of Armenian architecture. In Echmiadzin there are also the Theological academy and seminary. Geographically Armenian Apostolic Church is present worldwide but is uniform in its doctrines. Under the influence of political and business factors a part of Armenian population, starting from the 9th century, was forced to leave the country and search for refuge abroad.

POLITICS

Politics of Armenia takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President is the head of government, and of a platform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament. The population of Armenia voted overwhelmingly for independence in a September 1991 referendum, followed by a presidential election in October 1991 that gave 83% of the vote to Levon Ter-Petrosyan. Ter-Petrosyan had been elected head of government in 1990, when the National Democratic Union party defeated the Armenian Communist Party. Ter-Petrosyan was re-elected in 1996. Following public demonstrations against Ter-Petrosyan's policies on Nagorno-Karabakh, the President resigned in January 1998 and was replaced by Prime Minister Robert Kocharyan, who was elected President in March 1998. Following theassassination in Parliament of Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan and parliament Speaker Karen Demirchyan and six other officials, on 27 October 1999, a period of political instability ensued during which an opposition headed by elements of the former Armenian National Movement government attempted unsuccessfully to force Kocharyan to resign. Kocharyan was successful in riding out the unrest. In May 2000, Andranik Margaryan replaced Aram Sargsyan as Prime Minister.

Kocharyan's re-election as president in 2003 was followed by widespread allegations of ballot-rigging. He went on to propose controversial constitutional amendments on the role of parliament. These were rejected in a referendum the following May at the same time as parliamentary elections which left Kocharyan's party in a very powerful position in parliament. There were mounting calls for the President's resignation in early 2004 with thousands of demonstrators taking to the streets in support of demands for a referendum of confidence in him.

The unicameral parliament (also called the National Assembly) is dominated by a coalition, called "Unity" (Miasnutyun), between the Republican and Peoples Parties and the Agro-Technical Peoples Union, aided by numerous independents. Dashnaksutyun, which was outlawed by Ter-Petrosyan in 1995–96 but legalized again after Ter-Petrosyan resigned, also usually supports the government. A new party, the Republic Party, is headed by ex-Prime Minister Aram Sargsyan, brother of Vazgen Sargsyan, and has become the primary voice of the opposition, which also includes the Armenian Communist Party, the National Unity party of Artashes Geghamyan, and elements of the former Ter-Petrosyan government.

Political corruption is a problem in Armenian society. In 2008, Transparency International reduced its Corruption Perceptions Index for Armenia from 3.0 in 2007 to 2.9 out of 10 (a lower score means more perceived corruption); Armenia slipped from 99th place in 2007 to 109th out of 180 countries surveyed (on a par with Argentina, Belize, Moldova, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu). Despite legislative revisions in relation to elections and party financing, corruption either persists or has re-emerged in new forms.

The United Nations Development Programme in Armenia views corruption in Armenia as "a serious challenge to its development

GOVERNMENT

The Republic of Armenia declared its sovereignty on August 23, 1990, and became an independent state a year later, on September 23, 1991. In October 1991, Levon Ter-Petrosian, who had been elected democratically as chairman of the Armenian Supreme Soviet under the Soviet system in 1990, was chosen president of the republic in a six-candidate election. As of early 1994, Armenia was a reasonably stable democratic state, although its party structure was fractious and its legislative branch ineffectual. Because no consensus could be reached on a new constitution, a standoff between parliament and the president remained unresolved in early 1994.

Armenia became independent from the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic on 28 May 1918 as the First Republic of Armenia. After the First Republic collapsed on 2 December 1920, it was absorbed into the Soviet Union and became part of the Transcaucasian SFSR. The TSFSR dissolved in 1936 and Armenia became a constituent republic of the Soviet Union known as the Armenian SSR. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, beginning on 21 September 1991 the official name of the nation has been the Republic of Armenia (Armenian: Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun). The data code for the country is AM.

The President of the Republic of Armenia is the head of State. The President ensures adherence to the Constitution and provides for regular functioning of legislative, executive and judicial authorities. The President is the guarantor of Republic of Armenia's sovereignty, territorial integrity and security. The President of Republic is elected by the citizens of the Republic of Armenia for a five year term of office.

Executive power is exercised by RA Government. The Government is composed of Prime Minister and Ministers. Based on consultations held with National Assembly factions, the President of Republic appoints the person nominated by the parliamentary majority to be Prime Minister or - where impossible - the person nominated by the largest number of NA membership. The President of the Republic appoints and discharges members of government on Prime Minister's proposal.

The single-chambered National Assembly is the supreme legislative authority of the Republic of Armenia. The National Assembly consists of 131 deputies /90 of which are elected on the basis of proportional representation and 41- majority representation/. The National Assembly is elected through general elections for a term of five years. Parliamentary elections were last held in 2012.

In the Republic of Armenia justice shall be administered solely by the courts in accordance with the Constitution and the laws. The courts operating in the Republic of Armenia are the first instance court of general jurisdiction, the courts of appeal, the Court of Cassation, as well as specialized courts in cases prescribed by the law. The highest court instance in the Republic of Armenia, except for matters of constitutional justice, is the Court of Cassation, which shall ensure uniformity in the implementation of the law. The Constitutional Court shall administer the constitutional justice in the Republic of Armenia. The independence of courts shall be guaranteed by the Constitution and laws. The Constitution and the law shall define the procedure for the formation and activities of the Council of Justice. The Office of the

Prosecutor General in the Republic of Armenia represents a unified, centralized system, headed by the Prosecutor General. The Office of the Prosecutor General shall operate within the powers granted by the Constitution and on the basis of the law.

EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

The Education System of the Republic of Armenia is an integrity of the state education standards, educational programmes of different levels and directions ensuring education continuity, and  education institutions and education management bodies" (RA "Law on Education", Yerevan 1999).The education system of the Republic covers:

 Complex of the state education standards and educational programmes of different levels and directions ensuring education continuity;

 Network of various types of education institutions implementing those programmes;  System of education management bodies and their subordinate entities and institutions" (RA

"Law on Education", Yerevan, 1999).

The education system of Armenia includes:

 Pre-school education;  General secondary education comprised of primary, middle level or basic and high  school;    Preliminary vocational, middle level vocational and higher professional education;    Post-graduate education, specialist training and qualification improvement institutions;  Education assessment and education services delivering institutions.

 A network of private education institutions

also operates in the Republic, such as preschool institutions, schools, colleges, and higher education institutions and etc, which, in addition to ensuring the existence of the education services market, make a significant contribution to the development of education system.  

In our days, the existing educational system, namely general primary-secondary education and diversified professional education, Higher Educational as well as Scientific Institutions have enabled Armenia to develop engineering and machine-tool industries, electronics and radio electronics, power engineering and nuclear energy, biotechnology, astrophysics, chemical and light industries.

Armenia Educational System

During the last 5-6 years, Armenia, with its 1500 years old history of education, has faced a problem of development of the national school and creating its peculiar system of education. Our republic, which has limited natural resources, on its way to the XXI Century can have considerable achievements only by developing the scientific sphere. With this aim in view, education acquires a special significance.

The system of education of the Republic of Armenia includes pre-school, general secondary, special secondary, vocational (professional-technical), higher and post-graduate education. Pre-school education will be realized through a network of establishments of different kinds of ownership, by contributing to the normal growth of children, to revealing their capabilities and shaping corresponding skills to communicate with others.

Secondary Education

According to the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia the secondary Education is compulsory and free of charge. Secondary Education in the republic contains 3 levels. Duration of study in secondary schools is 10 years.

The first level is Elementary School (1-3 grades). The basic goal of this level is to provide literacy for pupils.

The second level is Basic School (4-8 grades). The goal of secondary schools is implementation of general education. Students, who accomplish 8 grade, obtain the certificate of 8-year education (incomplete secondary education) and they can continue their study in the high school as well as in specialized secondary and technical secondary educational institutions.

The third level is High school (9-10 grades). The high school offers complete secondary education, which is realized in the following forms:

general education study; colleges (deepened study of some subjects);

Graduate students of the high school obtain certificate of complete secondary education, which is called Attestat/Certificate of maturity "Hasunutian Vkaiakan" and can continue their study in the Higher educational institutions.

There are 1418 secondary schools, 1 gymnasium, 1 lyceum, 25 state colleges, 4 academic schools, 11 private high schools, 15 private schools. There are deepened study forms in 197 high schools-colleges (74 -humanitarian, 68 - physics-mathematics, 53 - natural sciences, 22 economics) in the Republic of Armenia. 

Specialized and Technical Secondary Education

The admission into the specialized and technical secondary educational institutions is possible on the basis of 8-year or 10-year secondary education. After graduation of courses, defence of diploma research work and passing of state examinations in the specialized secondary educational institutions students earn the "technician" or other appropriate qualification, in colleges - "junior specialist" (for example: junior engineer and etc.)

Higher Education

There are both state and private institutions of higher education. There are 15 (21 with branches) state higher educational institutions in Armenia. There are close to 75 private universities. As there is no law on education in Armenia the Ministry of Education is the sole body for issuing accreditation to the institutions. 

Accreditation System

All the state institutions are accredited. However there isn't a clearly defined mechanism for the accreditation of the private institutions. A private institution gets first of all registered with the Ministry of Education or any other Ministry depending upon the type of institution (e.g. A school dealing with medicine would get registered with the Ministry of Health). Then the school gets reviewed by a committee from the Ministry with which it is registered. The committee reviews the building where the school is located, the facilities, academic plans, teachers (most of the teachers in the private institutions also teach in the State ones), sanitary-hygienic conditions. IF the institution complies with all the necessary conditions set forth by the committee then it is given the license for functioning and can already admit students. 

However for getting a final accreditation the institution should be functioning at least 5 years, should have a certain number of teachers with PHD-s. Their graduates should have a minimum of the required knowledge and a certain number of them should find jobs upon completion of the institute.  Yet because of the absence of the law on education it is not clearly defined which body is to check all these criteria and the compliance to them. Hence most of the private institutions have just a license to function. 

The admission into the higher educational institutions is being conducted on the base of 10-year education certificate and results of admission examinations. There is 20-marks assessment system in use (8 and more marks are positive).

Higher Educational Institutions in Armenia have Three-level structure.

First level (baccalaureate) includes 4 year-study in institutions (Universities). The main objective is to acquire general knowledge in subjects of specialty as well as to get acquainted with economics, history, philosophy, law, medicine and other subjects. Upon completion of the 4 year institution "Bakalavri kochum" that is Bachelor's degree is awarded. The "Diplom" is awarded if it is a five year institution.

Second level (magistracy) includes next 2 years of study. The objective is to acquire deepened knowledge in specialization subjects, to study additional specialization subjects. It can be either a one-year or a 2-year program. In both cases the student is awarded the Master's degree which in Armenian sounds "Magistrosi kochum" The Master's degree in Armenia is awarded only in the state institutions, the only exception is the American University of Armenia, which is a joint venture sponsored by the Diaspora Armenia foundations. However the degree of this institution (which is a campus of the UCLA) is recognized by the Republic of Armenia and is one of the best degrees in the Republic.

Third level ("aspirantura" - post-graduate studentship) continues 2 years. Students acquire necessary knowledge in order to conduct scientific-research work. After completion of this level and defending the dissertation the students are awarded the "Candidate of Science" degree or in Armenian "Gitutiunneri Teknatsu" 

After aspirantura and getting the Candidate of Science degree the researchers can do their doctoral studies in one of the research institutions of the Academy of Science of Armenia. Unlike the US system the doctoral studies do not imply taking any courses but it is mostly related to independent research work leading to the defense of a Doctoral dissertation. The dissertation is defended in front of the Highest Attestation Commission, an independent body comprised of Doctors, academicians and professors in the field. 

As it can be deduced from the above mentioned there still exists a division between the "Candidate of Science" and "Doctor of Science" in Armenia. However the difference is that the "Candidate of Science" "Gitutiunneri teknatsu" can be obtained in the State institutions of higher education as well as in the

research institutions pertaining to the system of the Academy of science. Whereas the Doctor of science "Gitutiunneri Doctor", can be obtained only through the Academy of Science research institutions.

Nowadays, there are 34,701 students at the Higher Education Institutions in Armenia. Both free of charge and paid higher education is available in Armenia. For 19,164 students the education is free of charge (Governmental budget), and for 15,537 students the education is paid. In 1997-98 academic year the cost for study is 200,000 - 800,000 Armenian drams ($1 = 500 AMD). The financial sources of Education are coming from i. Governmental Budget, ii. Private sourses. 

During the last 10 years more than 2000 foreign students have graduated Armenian higher educational institutions and successfully apply their knowledge in the USA, Canada, Latin America, Europe and Asia.

WEATHER AND LIMATE

Armenia is located in subtropics, however, because of the high-mountainous character the climate there is rather dry continental with hot summers (average temperature +25 С ) and cold winters (average temperature -6C).Maximum amount of precipitations falls out in spring and beginning of summer.

The weather in different areas of Armenia differs significantly, though. In the uplands the climate gets more severe and first turns to moderate-warm, then - moderate, and further transforms into continental (average temperature in January-14C, July +10 С ). Summers and autumns in Armenia are very sunny. In winter there is a lot of snow which in midlands and uplands is up to 30-100 cm and lasts for a long time. The highest mountain tops in Armenia as a rule are covered by snow all year round.

The climate in Armenia is mountainous, continental. Since the country is located high above sea level, weather, regardless the season, very often varies even in the nearby regions.

On the Ararat plain and in the basin of Arpa river summers are often hot. Average July temperature is 26 °С, maximum 42 °С. Winters are cold: average January temperature is -4 °С with low precipitation (350 mm per year). In the low hills summers are warm (average July temperature is 20 °С) and winters are cold (average January temperature is -7 °С) with heavy precipitation. In the middle hills of the central part of the country (altitude of 1500-1800m) summers are also warm. Average July temperature is 18-20 °С, but winters are cold: average January temperature is -10 °С with heavy snowfall. In the northern and south-eastern middle hills the weather is mild and humid. Average January temperature is -4-0 °С, in the mid-summer +18-19 °С. On the southeast and northeast of the country summer is long and very hot. Average summer temperature is about 24 °С, and winters are mild and without snow (average winter temperature is 0 °С). In the highlands the climate is cold and humid. Average January temperature is -14 °С, average July temperature is not higher than +10 °С. In the winter Armenia receives a lot of snow, which reaches 30-100 sm in the highlands and lies until the mid-spring.

Generally, rainfall in Armenia is infrequent. The capital city receives 33 cm of rain annually, though more rainfall occurs in the mountains. The maximum rainy season in Armenia occurs from spring to early summer.

Climate Diverstiy

Armenia’s climate is very different. The country is located in the subtropical zone, among ridges of the central part of the Lesser Caucasus Mountains. But despite this the subtropical climate is observed only in

the southern part of Armenia (Megri region). It is an area of such subtropical plants as oranges, lemons, olives and other plants. In other regions of Armenia the climate is markedly continental. Summer is dry and sunny, lasting from June to mid-September. Winter is short and quite cold with plenty of snow. In the mountains the average summer temperature ranges between +10 and +22°C, and in the winter temperatures range between +2 and -14 °C. In plain lands the average January temperature is -5 °C, and July temperature is +25 °C.

In autumn and spring frosts are frequently strong, and the soil temperature can fall to –28 °C at that. Heat distribution in Armenia depends on the height of the place. Even within a city the temperature between two neighboring districts can differ by 2-3 °C.

LAND AREA

Armenia is a landlocked country in the Transcaucasia region, between the Black and Caspian Seas, bordered on the north and east by Georgia and Azerbaijan and on the south and west by Iran and Turkey.

The terrain is mostly mountainous and flat, with fast flowing rivers and few forests but with many trees. The climate is highland continental: hot summers and cold winters. The land rises to 4,095 m above sea-level at Mount Aragats.

Pollution from toxic chemicals such as DDT is not helping the already poor soil quality in many parts of the country.

Armenia is trying to address its environmental problems. It has established a Ministry of Nature Protection and introduced taxes for air and water pollution and solid waste disposal, whose revenues are used for environmental protection activities. Armenia is interested in cooperating with other members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS, a group of 12 former Soviet republics) and with members of the international community on environmental issues. The Armenian Government is working toward closing the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant as soon as alternative energy sources are identified.

Armenia geography is blessed with endless natural treasure. The Armenian Territory stands in the heart of the southern Transcaucasus in Eurasia. Ararat Valley with its undulating landscape is the most prominent feature of Armenia geography.

The Republic of Armenia sprawls over an area of 29, 743 square kilometers in-between the European and Asian continents. Turkey, Iran, Georgia and Azerebaijan form the outer boundary of the Armenian Republic.

Features of Armenia Geography

Armenia Geography is characterized by rolling mountains and alpine landscape. Due to its hilly terrain, Armenia is popularly known as the Rooftop of Asia Minor. The ancient Armenia was much bigger in size and craggy in nature. The highlands of the Armenian Territory are also known as the Islands of Mountains

The Republic of Armenia is placed at a height of 1800 meters above the sea level. The lowest place in Armenia stands at a height of 390 meters.

Today's Armenia is mostly an inland nation. It also lacks navigable water bodies. The Ararat plain is the most fertile piece of land in the Armenian Republic.

Besides its mountainous landscape, Armenia Geography also features woodland, steppe, dry steppe, desert, basalt columns and waterfalls. Mineral spring and extinct volcano are some of the other interesting features of Armenia Geography.

Diversities in Armenia Geography offers enough to explore.

TOURSIM

Small mountainous country Armenia holds only the 138th place in the world with its territory. Besides, its entire territory (more than 90%) is situated on the height of 1000m above the sea level. With all that, it would be hard to find the second such country that would be rich for its ancient churches, monasteries and holy places as Armenia, the first country to accept Christianity as an official religion in 301. This is a real paradise for lovers of classical and cultural tourism. The capital Yerevan is full of impressions and sights, the city that everybody should pay a visit to. There are two churches not far from Yerevan – Etchmiadzin and Zvartnots built 1,5 millennia ago. Churches are considered as one of the oldest Christian monuments of Armenia and included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Tourism in Armenia is full of discoveries. For instance, the temple of Garni. This is amazing, but it is a fact that the temple was built in the 1st century on the funds provided by a sadly known Roman Emperor Nero. The temple of Garni, adorned with columns, looks like a piece of Ancient Greece in Transcaucasia. 

Even in this small mountainous country, there are places where they have not only uniqueness in the architecture, but also an imitable local dialect. It is all about Western Armenia, where you will find Gyumri, the second largest Armenian city, and Aruch, the ancient capital of Armenia. Armenian cuisine is wonderful and varied, with only kharavts and shashliks numbering more than 10 kinds. It is to remind that traditional Armenian thin bread “lavash” has been included in UNESCO Non-tangible Heritage List.

The most popular tours in Armenia are tours to mountain lakes among which is beloved Lake Sevan with many ancient temples on its shores. Also, there is the largest cemetery with ancient “khachkaras” (“crest-rocks”) on the shores of Sevan near the village of Noraduz. The Armenian history is inscribed on the stone khachkaras of Noraduz. Tours to hot mineral springs in Djermuk are popular too, followed by a visit to a wine factory in Areni with wine tasting part.

Tourism in Armenia is growing rapidly: Yerevan and little cozy resort cities of Dilijan, Djermuk andTsakhkadzor are improving tourist infrastructure. . You can travel to Armenia any time of the year regardless of weather: it has got mountain ski resorts and beautiful beaches, wonderful gastronomical tours and festivities. You will remember the melodic sounds of duduk and grand view of the biblical Mount Ararat forever.

World's Longest Cable Car Line in Armenia

On 23 October 2010 Guinness World Records longest cableway in Armenia, the 5.7km (3.5 miles) engineering feat spans a spectacular Vorotan River Gorge to the country's ancient Tatev monastery. The link will allow year-round access to Armenia's ninth-century Tatev monastery complex, one of the country's most important religious centres and a major tourist attraction. The cable car travels at a speed of 37km (23 miles) per hour and a one-way journey takes 11 minutes. At its highest point over the gorge, the car travels 320 metres (1,056 feet) above ground level. It has two cabins, each capable of carrying up to 25 passengers.

Pre-Historic and Early Christian Monuments

Through all the centuries, Armenia has managed to preserve a wealth of today's evidence of the evolution of humankind. There are innumerable historical monuments in Armenia. 40,000 are available for visiting and are waiting for an admiring traveller. Most of them are churches. However, only some 4,000 are readily accessible and commonly visited because of the difficulty of reaching the rest. Normally they are open round-the-clock without any admission charge.

Archaeological Sites & Excavations

The density of archaeological sites is unbelievable The very capital Yerevan was founded in 782 BC as fortress Erebuni (Happy Site). Another Urartian citadel inside Yerevan - Karmir Blur was built on the ruins of early Bronze Age settlement. Universe maps of Metsamor (Neolithic settlement 3 - 4000 BC), forty-five centuries old observatory of Karahunj, capital of ancient times Armavir, caravan inns alongside Silk Road are just a few examples of

what you can see during your tour. Keen traveller can visit dozens of active excavations starting from Paleolithic to Medieval periods.

Mountain Climbing and Hiking

Armenian highlands are a perfect place to practice mountain climbing, from beginner to expert. Thoroughly experienced instructors will guide you. Get acquainted with the tour alternatives available. Most beautiful landscapes a little off the beaten tracks provide an ideal setting for people seeking rest and recreation for both a beginner and the experienced. Many tour alternatives are available.

Cultural Activities and Local Festivals

There is a variety of events for any taste in Armenia: folk festivals, art exhibitions, chamber music, opera, modern and ballet dance, light music and jazz. Performances, by local artists, meet the most exacting standards. Permanent repertoires of theatres and orchestras are supplemented by a wide range of guest performances. The theatrical fare of Yerevan is varied and interesting enough to please the most discriminating connoisseur. The bargain prices will amaze you.