| Armenia , officially the Republic of | | | | emerging democracy and because of its |
| Armenia, is a landlocked mountainous | | | | strategic location, it lies among both |
| country in Eurasia between the Black Sea | | | | the Russian and Western spheres of |
| and the Caspian Sea, located in the | | | | influence. |
| Southern Caucasus. It shares borders | | | | Name |
| with Turkey to the west, Georgia to the | | | | The original Armenian name for the |
| north, Azerbaijan to the east, and Iran | | | | country was Hayq. The name later evolved |
| and the Nakhichevan exclave of | | | | into Hayastan a combination of Hayasa or |
| Azerbaijan to the south. A former | | | | Hayk with the Persian suffix '-stan' |
| republic of the Soviet Union, Armenia is | | | | (land) in the Middle Ages. Hayk was one |
| a unitary, multiparty, democratic | | | | of the great Armenian leaders after whom |
| nation-state and one of the oldest and | | | | the The Land of Hayk was named. |
| most historic civilizations in the | | | | According to legend, Hayk was a |
| world. It has a rich cultural heritage | | | | great-great-grandson of Noah (son of |
| and was the first nation to adopt | | | | Togarmah, who was a son of Gomer, who |
| Christianity as its official religion. | | | | was a son of Japheth, who was a son of |
| Although today Armenia is | | | | Noah), and according to an ancient |
| constitutionally a secular state, the | | | | Armenian tradition, a forefather of all |
| Christian faith plays a major role in | | | | Armenians. He is said to have settled at |
| both its history and the identification | | | | the foot of Mount Ararat, traveled to |
| of the Armenian people. | | | | assist in building the Tower of Babel, |
| Culturally, historically, and | | | | and, after his return, defeated the |
| politically, Armenia is considered to be | | | | Babylonian king Bel (believed by some |
| part of Europe. However, its location in | | | | researchers to be Nimrod) in 2492 BCE |
| the southern Caucasus means that it can | | | | near the mountains of Lake Van, in the |
| also be considered to be at the | | | | southwestern part of historic Armenia |
| arbitrary border between Europe and | | | | (present-day eastern Turkey). |
| Asia; in other words, a transcontinental | | | | Pre-Christian accounts suggest that |
| nation. However, both these | | | | Nairi, meaning "land of rivers", used to |
| classifications are entirely arbitrary, | | | | be an ancient name for the country's |
| as there is no easily definable | | | | mountainous region, first used by |
| geographic difference between Asia and | | | | Assyrians around 1200 BCE. In the fifth |
| Europe. | | | | century BCE Herodotus, in his review of |
| Armenia is currently a member of more | | | | the troops opposing the Greeks, he wrote |
| than thirty-five different international | | | | that “the Armenians were armed like |
| organizations, including the United | | | | the Phrygians, being Phrygian settlers |
| Nations, the Council of Europe, Asian | | | | (refugees). The traditional etymology |
| Development Bank, the Commonwealth of | | | | for the ethnology is from Armenak or |
| Independent States, the World Trade | | | | Aram, the great-grandson of Haik's |
| Organization and the Organization of the | | | | great-grandson, and another leader who |
| Black Sea Economic Cooperation. It is a | | | | is, according to Armenian tradition, the |
| Partnership for Peace (PfP) member of | | | | ancestor of all Armenians. Akkadian |
| NATO and in a military alliance of CSTO. | | | | language inscriptions (2400 BCE) mention |
| It is also an observer member of the | | | | Armani, locating them in the southern |
| Eurasian Economic Community, La | | | | Armenian Highlands near Lake Van. Armani |
| Francophonie, and the Non-Aligned | | | | was the earlier form of Armens who were |
| Movement. Armenia is also active in the | | | | of Proto-Indo-European descent. To this |
| international sports community with full | | | | day Assyrians (direct descendents of |
| membership in the Union of European | | | | Akkadians) refer to Armenians by their |
| Football Associations and International | | | | inscription form Armani. |
| Ice Hockey Federation. The country is an | | | | |