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