| One of the world's oldest civilizations,
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| | the Armenian population to the deserts of
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| Armenia once included Mount Ararat, which
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| | Syria and Mesopotamia. According to the
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| biblical tradition identifies as the
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| | majority of historians, between 600,000
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| mountain that Noah's ark rested on after
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| | and 1.5 million Armenians were murdered
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| the flood. It was the first country in
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| | or died of starvation. The Armenian
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| the world to officially embrace
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| | massacre is considered the first genocide
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| Christianity as its religion (c. A.D.
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| | in the 20th century. Turkey denies that a
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| 300).
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| | genocide took place, and claims that a
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| In the 6th century B.C., Armenians
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| | much smaller number died in a civil war.
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| settled in the kingdom of Urartu (the
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| | After the Turkish defeat in World War I,
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| Assyrian name for Ararat), which was in
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| | the independent Republic of Armenia was
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| decline. Under Tigrane the Great (fl.
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| | established on May 28, 1918, but survived
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| 95-55 B.C.) the Armenian empire reached
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| | only until Nov. 29, 1920, when it was
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| its height and became one of the most
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| | annexed by the Soviet Army. On March 12,
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| powerful in Asia, stretching from the
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| | 1922, the Soviets joined Georgia,
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| Caspian to the Mediterranean Seas.
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| | Armenia, and Azerbaijan to form the
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| Throughout most of its long history,
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| | Transcaucasian Soviet Socialist Republic,
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| however, Armenia has been invaded by a
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| | which became part of the USSR. In 1936,
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| succession of empires. Under constant
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| | after a reorganization, Armenia became a
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| threat of domination by foreign forces,
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| | separate constituent republic of the
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| Armenians became both cosmopolitan as
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| | USSR. Since 1988, Armenia has been
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| well as fierce protectors of their
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| | involved in a territorial dispute with
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| culture and tradition.
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| | Azerbaijan over the enclave of
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| Over the centuries Armenia was conquered
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| | Nagorno-Karabakh, to which both lay
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| by Greeks, Romans, Persians, Byzantines,
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| | claim. Also in 1988, a devastating
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| Mongols, Arabs, Ottoman Turks, and
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| | earthquake killed thousands and wreaked
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| Russians. From the 16th century through
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| | economic havoc.
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| World War I major portions of Armenia
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| | Armenia declared its independence from
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| were controlled by their most brutal
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| | the collapsing Soviet Union on Sept. 23,
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| invader, the Ottoman Turks, under whom
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| | 1991. In 1992-1994, Armenia successfully
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| the Armenians experienced discrimination,
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| | fought Azerbaijan for control of
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| religious persecution, heavy taxation,
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| | Nagorno-Karabakh. The majority of the
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| and armed attacks. In response to
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| | enclave are Armenian Christians who want
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| Armenian nationalist stirrings, the Turks
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| | to secede from Azerbaijan and either
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| massacred thousands of Armenians in 1894
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| | become part of Armenia or gain full
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| and 1896. The most horrific massacre took
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| | independence. Enormous casualties were
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| place in April 1915 during World War I,
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| | involved.
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| when the Turks ordered the deportation of
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|
