Armenia: Geography and History

• Armenia is a landlocked country in Transcaucasia, south of the Caucasus mountains, essentially the northwestern extremity of Asia.
• It is bordered by Georgia and Azerbaijan to the north and east.
• Iran and Turkey are its neighbors to the southeast and west.
• Naxçıvan, an exclave of Azerbaijan, borders Armenia to the southwest.
• The capital of Armenia is Yerevan.
• Modern Armenia is only a small part of ancient Armenia, one of the world's oldest centers of civilization.
• Ancient Armenia stretched from the south-central Black Sea coast to the Caspian Sea, and from the Mediterranean Sea to Lake Urmia in present-day Iran.

History

• Ancient Armenia was subject to constant foreign incursions, losing autonomy in the 14th century.
• Ottoman and Persian conquerors ruled for centuries, endangering the Armenian people.
• Eastern Armenia was annexed by Russia in the 19th century.
• Western Armenia remained under Ottoman rule; systematic massacres and forced deportations of Armenians occurred in 1894–96 and 1915.
• The portion of Armenia within the former Russian Empire declared independence on May 28, 1918.
• In 1920, Turkey and Soviet Russia invaded.
• The Soviet Republic of Armenia was established on November 29, 1920.
• In 1922, Armenia became part of the Transcaucasian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic.
• In 1936, it was dissolved and Armenia became a constituent republic of the Soviet Union.
• Armenia declared sovereignty on August 23, 1990, and independence on September 23, 1991.
• Nagorno-Karabakh, an enclave in southwestern Azerbaijan populated primarily by ethnic Armenians, was a source of conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan from 1988.
• By the mid-1990s, Karabakh Armenian forces had occupied much of southwestern Azerbaijan.
• After a war in 2020, they were compelled to withdraw from most of that area.

Geography

• Armenia is mountainous and geologically unstable.
• The average elevation is 5,900 feet (1,800 meters) above sea level.
• Half the territory is at elevations of 3,300 to 6,600 feet; only about one-tenth lies below 3,300 feet.
• The northwestern part of the Armenian Highland contains Mount Aragats which is the highest peak at 13,418 feet (4,090 meters).
• The area includes mountain ranges, deep river valleys, and lava plateaus with extinct volcanoes.
• The Somkhet, Bazum, Pambak, Gugark, Areguni, Shakhdag, and Vardenis ranges of the Lesser Caucasus lie across the northern sector.
• Elevated volcanic plateaus, cut by deep river valleys, lie amid these ranges.
• The Sevan Basin, containing Lake Sevan (525 square miles), lies at an elevation of about 6,200 feet.
• In the southwest, the Ararat Plain lies at the foot of Mount Aragats and the Geghama Range.
• The Aras River cuts the plain into halves, the northern half in Armenia and the southern in Turkey and Iran.
• Armenia is subject to damaging earthquakes.
• An earthquake on December 7, 1988, destroyed Spitak and severely damaged Gyumri, killing about 25,000 people.

Hydrology

• About two-thirds of precipitation evaporates, and one-third percolates into the rocks.
• Rivers are short and turbulent with rapids and waterfalls.
• Water level is highest in spring due to snowmelt and during autumn rains.
• Some rivers have great hydroelectric potential due to elevation differences.
• Most rivers drain into the Aras, a tributary of the Kura River of the Caspian Basin.
• The Aras forms a 300-mile boundary between Armenia and Turkey and Iran.
• The Akhuryan (130 miles), the Hrazdan (90 miles), the Arpa (80 miles), and the Vorotan (111 miles) are the Aras' main left-bank tributaries, irrigating most of Armenia.
• The Debed (109 miles) and the Aghstev (80 miles) are tributaries of the Kura, passing through Armenia's northeastern regions.
• Lake Sevan has a capacity in excess of 9 cubic miles of water and is fed by dozens of rivers, with only the Hrazdan leaving its confines.
• Armenia is rich in springs and wells, some with medicinal properties.

Soil

• More than 15 soil types occur in Armenia.
• Light brown alluvial soils are found in the Aras River plain and the Ararat Plain, poor in humus but cultivated.
• Rich brown soils are found at higher elevations in the hill country.
• Chernozem soils cover much of the higher steppe region.
• Soil is rich in nitrogen, potash, and phosphates, partly formed by residues of volcanic lava.
• Clearing surface stones and debris has made farming difficult.

Climate

• Armenia's climate is dry and continental due to its location in the northern part of the subtropical zone, enclosed by ranges.
• Regional climatic variation is considerable, with intense sunshine on many days.
• Summer is long and hot, with an average June and August temperature in the plain of 77° F (25° C).
• Winter is generally not cold; the average January temperature in the plain and foothills is about 23° F (−5° C).
• In the mountains, the winter temperature drops to 10° F (−12° C).
• Arctic air invasions can cause the temperature to drop sharply to a record low of −51° F (−46° C).
• Winter is particularly inclement on elevated plateaus.
• Autumn is long, mild, and sunny.
• The Lesser Caucasus ranges prevent humid air masses from reaching inner regions.
• Yearly rainfall approaches 32 inches (800 millimeters) on mountain slopes at elevations from 4,600 to 6,600 feet.
• Sheltered inland hollows and plains receive only 8 to 16 inches of rainfall a year.
• Climate changes with elevation, from dry subtropical and dry continental types in the plain and foothills up to 3,000 to 4,600 feet, to cold above 6,600 feet.

Vegetation and Animal Life

• Armenia lies at the junction of various biogeographic regions, producing a great variety of landscapes.
• Armenia has more than 3,000 plant species.
• There are five altitudinal vegetation zones: semidesert, steppe, forest, alpine meadow, and high-elevation tundra.
• The semidesert landscape ascends to 4,300 to 4,600 feet, with scanty vegetation, mostly sagebrush, juniper, sloe, dog rose, and honeysuckle.
• The boar, wildcat, jackal, adder, gurza, scorpion, and leopard inhabit this region.
• Steppes predominate, starting at 4,300 to 4,600 feet, ascending to 6,200 to 6,600 feet in the northeast, 6,600 to 7,200 feet in the central region, and 7,900 to 8,200 feet in the south.
• Lower elevations of steppes are covered with drought-resistant grasses, while mountain slopes are overgrown with thorny bushes and juniper.
• The forest zone lies in the southeast at 6,200 to 6,600 feet and in the northeast at 7,200 to 7,900 feet.
• Northeastern forests are largely beech, occupying nearly one-tenth of Armenia.
• Oak forests predominate in the southeastern regions, with hackberry, pistachio, honeysuckle, and dogwood in the lower part of the forest zone.
• The animal kingdom is represented by the Syrian bear, wildcat, lynx, and squirrel and birds like woodcock, robin, warbler, titmouse, and woodpecker.
• The alpine zone lies above 6,600 feet, with stunted grass providing good summer pastures.
• The fauna is rich and birdlife includes the mountain turkey, horned lark, and bearded vulture.
• The bezoar goat and the mountain sheep, or mouflon, are also found.
• The alpine tundra, with scant cushion plants, covers limited mountain areas and solitary peaks.

Population

• Armenians constitute nearly all of the country's population.
• They speak Armenian, a distinct branch of the Indo-European language family.
• The remainder of the population includes Kurds, Russians, Ukrainians, and Assyrians.
• Armenia was converted to Christianity about 300 ce, becoming the first kingdom to adopt the religion.
• Arsacid king Tiridates III was converted by St. Gregory the Illuminator.
• Armenians maintain an ancient and rich liturgical and Christian literary tradition.
• Believing Armenians belong mainly to the Armenian Apostolic (Orthodox) Church or the Armenian Catholic Church, in communion with Rome.