Armenia
Geography - People - Economy - Government - Communications - Transportation - Military - Transnational IssuesCountry information - Armenia
Country name - conventional long form : Republic of Armenia
Country name - conventional short form : Armenia
Country name - local long form : Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun
Country name - local short form : Hayastan
Country name - former : Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, Armenian Republic
Country code : AM
Government type : republic
Capital - name : Yerevan
Capital - time difference : UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
National holiday : Independence Day, 21 September (1991)
Population : 2,968,586 (July 2008 est.)
Nationality - noun : Armenian(s)
Nationality - adjective : Armenian
Languages : Armenian 97.7%, Yezidi 1%, Russian 0.9%, other 0.4% (2001 census)
Currency (code) : dram (AMD)
Currency code : AMD
Major infectious diseases - degree of risk :
Major infectious diseases - note :
Armenia is located Southwestern Asia, east of Turkey. The climate is highland continental, hot summers, cold winters. The terrain is Armenian Highland with mountains; little forest land; fast flowing rivers; good soil in Aras River valley.
Background
This entry usually highlights major historic events and current issues and may include a statement about one or two key future trends.Background : Armenia prides itself on being the first nation to formally adopt Christianity (early 4th century). Despite periods of autonomy, over the centuries Armenia came under the sway of various empires including the Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Persian, and Ottoman. During World War I in the western portion of Armenia, Ottoman Turkey instituted a policy of forced resettlement coupled with other harsh practices that resulted in an estimated 1 million Armenian deaths. The eastern area of Armenia was ceded by the Ottomans to Russia in 1828; this portion declared its independence in 1918, but was conquered by the Soviet Red Army in 1920. Armenian leaders remain preoccupied by the long conflict with Muslim Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, a primarily Armenian-populated region, assigned to Soviet Azerbaijan in the 1920s by Moscow. Armenia and Azerbaijan began fighting over the area 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. Turkey imposed an economic blockade on Armenia and closed the common border because of the Armenian separatists' control of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas.
