Armenia

Landlocked on the Armenian Highland of West Asia, Armenia holds a strategic location at the junction of Europe and Asia. Armenia, is a little but important country in the South Caucasus with a population of about 2.9 million. With almost one-third of the national population living in Yerevan, the capital and biggest city of the country acts as its energetic center for culture and business.

Geographically, Armenia is bounded from the west by Turkey; from the north by Georgia; from the east by Azerbaijan; from the south by Iran and the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan. For millennia Armenia’s history, culture, and geopolitical relevance have been shaped in great part by this special site. The terrain of the nation is mostly mountainous; the Lesser Caucasus range dominates it and helps to create its varied ecosystems and natural beauty.

From the first Near Eastern civilizations millennia ago, Armenia’s history is both ancient and multifarious. From prehistoric times, the Armenian Highlands has been occupied; evidence of early human settlements from the Stone Age abound. The area had developed a unique Armenian language and culture by the sixth century BC, which would grow to be among the world’s oldest languages still in continuous use.

Armenia’s historical account is dotted with both great success and terrible suffering. Originally founded in the sixth century BC, the Kingdom of Armenia peaked under Tigranes the Great in the first century BC. Armenia expanded its influence over much of the Near East during this golden age, rising to be a major force in the area. But the kingdom’s strategic location between rival kingdoms frequently made it a target for conquest and a theater of war for more general geopolitical disputes.

When Armenia became the first country in the world to embrace Christianity as their official religion in 301 AD, one of the most defining events in Armenian history occurred. Made under the direction of King Tiridates III and with the spiritual direction of Saint Gregory the Illuminator, this historic choice would have a profound impact on Armenian culture, art, and identity. Established during this time, the Armenian Apostolic Church is still the oldest national church in the world and is indispensible in Armenian national identity and society.

Armenia went through periods of foreign control and autonomy alternately throughout the Middle Ages. The Bagratid dynasty brought back Armenian sovereignty in the ninth century, so ushering in a period of cultural and economic rebirth. Still, by the 11th century the kingdom had been invaded by Byzantine and Seljuk forces. Many Armenians responded to these difficulties by moving to Cilicia on the Mediterranean coast, where they founded the Kingdom of Cilician Armenia, which grew as a major ally of European Crusader states and hub of Armenian culture until the 14th century.

Armenia was split during the early modern era between the Ottoman and Persian empires; Eastern Armenia finally came under Russian rule in the 19th century. Armenian society, culture, and demographics were profoundly changed by this era of foreign control. Up to 1.5 million Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire were methodically killed during the Armenian Genocide of 1915–1923, the most terrible chapter in this age. Along with great death, this terrible event caused Armenians to be scattered all over the world, resulting in a sizable diaspora community still influencing Armenian politics and culture today.

Armenia underwent yet more dramatic changes in the 20th century. Armenia first became briefly independent as the First Republic of Armenia in 1918 following World War One and the Russian Revolution. But this time of sovereignty was fleeting since the nation was joined the Soviet Union in 1920 to form the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic. Armenia lived under Soviet rule for seven decades, benefiting from industrialization and modernization as well as from political repression and economic centralizing.

Armenia became once more an independent state when the Soviet Union broke apart in 1991. Economic hardship, energy shortages, and conflict with surrounding Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh were among the challenges of the change to independence and a market economy. Notwithstanding these difficulties, Armenia has made great progress toward establishing itself as a sovereign country on the global scene, modernizing its economy, and strengthening its democratic institutions.

Armenia today is a developing nation with a convoluted geopolitical posture. Although Armenia is physically in West Asia, it usually identifies politically and culturally with Europe. Its membership in several European agencies, including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Council of Europe, reflects this orientation. Armenia’s close relations with Russia and membership in the Eurasian Economic Union simultaneously highlight its function as a link between East and West.

Though still developing, Armenia’s economy has shown resilience and promise for expansion. Particularly in sectors including information technology and high-tech businesses, the nation has concentrated on growing its industrial sector. Important sources of Armenia’s economic growth have also been its mineral resources, which include copper, gold, and molybdenum. With people drawn to Armenia’s rich historical sites, breathtaking scenery, and distinctive cultural offers, tourism too has grown to be a rather important industry.