| Armine Hareyan | | | | Armenia is a fraction of the size of ancient |
| | | | Armenia. A land of rugged mountains and |
| Armenia prides itself on being the first | | | | extinct volcanoes, its highest point is Mount |
| nation to formally adopt Christianity (early | | | | Aragats, 13,435 ft (4,095 m). |
| 4th century). Despite periods of autonomy, | | | | |
| over the centuries Armenia came under the | | | | Government: Republic |
| sway of various empires including the Roman, | | | | |
| Byzantine, Arab, Persian, and Ottoman. It was | | | | President: Robert Kocharian (1998) |
| incorporated into Russia in 1828 and the USSR | | | | |
| in 1920. | | | | Prime Minister: Andranik Markarian (2000) |
| | | | |
| | | | Area: 11,506 sq mi (29,800 sq km) |
| | | | |
| By May 1994, when a cease-fire took hold, | | | | Population (2004 est.): 2,991,360 (growth |
| Armenian forces held not only | | | | rate: -0.3%); (Armenian, 93%; others, Kurds, |
| Nagorno-Karabakh but also a significant | | | | Ukrainians, and Russians); birth rate: 11.4 |
| portion of Azerbaijan proper. The economies | | | | 1000; infant mortality rate: 24.2/1000; life |
| of both sides have been hurt by their | | | | expectancy: 71.2; density per sq mi: 260 |
| inability to make substantial progress toward | | | | |
| a peaceful resolution. Turkey imposed an | | | | Capital and largest city: Yerevan, 1,462,700 |
| economic blockade on Armenia and closed the | | | | (metro. area), 1,267,600 (city proper) |
| common border because of the Armenian | | | | |
| occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and | | | | Other large cities: Vanadzor, 147,400; Gyumri |
| surrounding areas. | | | | (Leninakan), 125,300; Abovian, 59,300 |
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| Geography | | | | Monetary unit: Dram |
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| Armenia is located in the southern Caucasus | | | | Language: Armenian 96%, Russian 2%, other 2% |
| and is the smallest of the former Soviet | | | | |
| republics. It is bounded by Georgia on the | | | | Ethnicity/race: Armenian 93%, Russian 2%, |
| north, Azerbaijan on the east, Iran on the | | | | Azeri 1%, other (mostly Yezidi Kurds) 4% |
| south, and Turkey on the west. Contemporary | | | | (2002). |