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General information
Armenia
Official Name: Republic of Armenia (RA), briefly – Armenia
Capital: Yerevan
Official language: Armenian
State flag
Red, blue, apricot (orange) poster rectangular horizontal and equal strips
Coat of arms
Coat of arms of the Republic of Armenia – in the center on a shield, Mount Ararat with Noah’s ark and the coats of arms of the four kingdoms of historical Armenia: top left – Bagratuni, top right – Arshakids, bottom left – Artashesids, bottom right – Rubenids. The shield is supported eagle (left) and the lion (right), and the shield depicts a sword, a branch, a sheaf, a chain and a ribbon.
Anthem
By the decision of the RA Supreme Council on July 1, 1991 as a basis for the anthem adopted by the song “Mer Hayrenik” – “Our Motherland”. Lyricist Mikael Nalbandian, composer Barsegh Kanachyan.
Head of state
The president
The highest legislative body
The unicameral National Assembly
administrative unit
Marz (total Number to 10)
Currency: Dram (AMD international importance)
Religion: Christianity (Armenian Apostolic Church – AAC)
Population: 3,249,500 (. 2010 census)
Ethnic composition: Armenians 98%
Minorities: Russian, Greeks, Assyrians, Jews, Yezidis, Kurds and others.
Area: 29 74 thousand square kilometers
Geographical information: the country is located in the west of Asia, north-eastern part
Armenian highlands
The average height above sea level: 1,800 meters
Highest point: Mount Aragats (4095 m)
The lowest point: the lower reaches of the river Debed 375 m
Maximum length
from north-west to south-east 360 km
from west to east 200 km
state boundary
In the north – with Georgia,
In the east – Azerbaijan,
In the west and south-west – with Turkey,
In the south – with Iran
Time
For the mean time GMT + 4 hours
Climate
The dry, continental
Historical information
August 23, 1990.
Adoption of the Declaration of Independence of the Republic of Armenia
September 21, 1991.
The day of the referendum on the independence of Armenia
December 21, 1991.
Armenia became a member of the CIS
March 2, 1992.
Armenia became a member of the UN
January 25, 2001.
Armenia became a member of the Council of Europe (CoE)
February 5, 2003.
Armenia became a member of the World Trade Organization
2 January 2015.
Armenia became a full member of the Eurasian Economic Community (EEC)
Official Name: Republic of Armenia (RA), briefly – Armenia
The name “Armenia” – is the international name of the country. Armenian-language name of the country sound of “Hayastan” and the Armenian people, “ah,” which is associated with the history of the Armenian origin.
According to the V century historian Movses Khorenatsi, the name “Armenia” and the corresponding Greek and Old Persian place names are named Urartu king of Aram.
According to one version, the country’s name comes from the mythical leader of the Armenians – Haik, who, according to legend, in 2492 BC. e. defeated in battle the army of the Assyrian king Bela, and later formed the first Armenian state. This year is considered the first in the traditional Armenian calendar. Another version relates that the name of the ancient state Hayasa.
Official language:
Creation of the Armenian alphabet
In 300 AD, Armenia adopted Christianity as a state religion, but prayed in the churches on the Greek and Syriac languages, according to the Byzantine rite. Spoken language of the common people is not well suited for worship and that’s how it usually happens in history, appears Mesrop Mashtots. He was in the military service, he served scribe and secretary in the royal chancellery. Mashtots Interpreting the Bible to the people, accessible only to the people of alien Greek and Assyrian languages.
National alphabet had become a means of development of Armenian culture and, thus, a means of preserving the political, religious and cultural identity of Armenians.
The spread of Christianity led Mesrop Mashtots begin work on the creation of the Armenian alphabet to translate the Bible and prayer books. For assistance in the creation of the Armenian alphabet Mesrop Mashtots addressed to Catholicos Sahak Partev
And in 405 Mashtots efforts were crowned with victory – a unique alphabet was created, in which the 36 letters and 39 sounds.
In the short term with the Syrian and Greek into Armenian all major theological works have been translated:
Mashtots has devoted 45 years of preaching Christianity and 35 years, the spread of the Armenian alphabet. The Armenian Apostolic Church canonized Mesrop Mashtots and Sahak Partev canonized.
In Armenia, besides the Armenian language, Russian is also common. Russian language functioning in an informative role (in Armenia relayed to the main Russian television channels, television and radio, published in Russian newspapers and magazines) and carries humanitarian function: it is necessary to read in Russian literature as an artistic and professional. Recently in Armenia are common English, French and other foreign languages, especially among young people.
Languages spoken in Armenia: 90% – Russian, 50% – English (the younger generation), other languages – selective knowledge.
State flag
The national flag of Armenia is a rectangular cloth with three equivalent horizontal stripes of red, blue and orange (from top to bottom), the ratio of width and length – 1: 2. The red color symbolizes the blood shed by the Armenian people in their struggle for freedom. Blue color – the clear sky of Armenia. Orange – the work of Armenians aimed at the creation and progress.
Coat of arms
In the center of the coat of arms, coats of arms depicted on the shield of the four dynasties of Armenian kings Arshakids, Artashesids, Bagratuni and Rubinyanov, which are located around the image of the Biblical Mount Ararat, on top of which is Noah’s Ark. The shield is supported eagle (left) and the lion (right), personifying the spirit of Armenia. Under the shield depicts a sword, a branch, a sheaf, a chain and a ribbon. The sword symbolizes the struggle of the Armenian people for freedom and independence, pen and ears represent the education, the pursuit of Armenians to the world and creation.
The main color of the coat of arms of the Republic of Armenia – the golden color of the kingdoms of historical Armenia: upper left – red, at the top right – blue, bottom left – blue, bottom right – red, as shown in the center on a shield, Mount Ararat – orange. These colors symbolize the colors of the flag of the Republic of Armenia.
Anthem
By the decision of the RA Supreme Council on July 1, 1991 as a basis for the anthem adopted by the song “Mer Hayrenik” – “Our Motherland”. Lyricist Mikael Nalbandian, composer Barsegh Kanachyan. It is based on a poem Mikael Nalbandian (1829-1866) “Song of the Italian Girl” (1859).
Head of state
The head of state and head of the executive branch is the President now – Serzh Sargsyan.
The president is elected for five years by secret ballot by direct universal suffrage, the same person can not hold the presidency for more than two consecutive terms.
The highest legislative body
The supreme legislative body is the National Assembly. The National Assembly consists of 131 deputies. The National Assembly is elected by popular vote for a five year term. A deputy can become a citizen of the Republic of Armenia is not under the age of 25, who has resided on its territory for at least three years prior to election day.
The last parliamentary elections held on 6 May 2012.
administrative unit
Administrative-territorial unit of Armenia is the Marz. The country has 10 marzes: Aragatsotn, Ararat, Armavir, Vayots Dzor, Gegharkunik, Kotayk, Lori, Syunik, Tavush, Shirak.
Currency: Dram (AMD international importance)
Currency News – AMD. AMD is in the treatment of 22 November 1993. Prior to issuance of a drama used Soviet rubles. In monetary circulation there are coins in denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 drams, as well as denominations of 1000, 5000, 10 000 20 000 50 000 or 100 000 AMD. The design of all modern banknotes designed by the British company «Thomas de la Rue».
Religion
Armenia was the first country in the world to adopt Christianity as a state religion. The history of Christianity in Armenia connected with two names: the first Armenian Catholicos Gregory the Illuminator and the Armenian King Trdat III the Great. The official date of the baptism of Armenia is considered to be 301
The Armenian Apostolic Church is officially called after the two disciples of Christ – the apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew. They are in the I century BC We came to Armenia and began to spread Christianity. In people, the Armenian Church is also called the Gregorian in honor of the first Catholicos Gregory the Illuminator (Gregory the Illuminator).
Most of the faithful of the Armenian population (99%) – Christians belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church – the Armenian Apostolic Church. More in Armenia live followers of Islam, Judaism, Orthodox and Catholic branches of Christianity and paganism. In Yerevan, the Muslim mosque acts, for the Jews – Synagogue. For the Orthodox – Orthodox church in Yerevan and regions of Armenia, for the Catholics – the community, for the Gentiles – the only surviving pagan temple of Garni in the Kotayk region.
Population
The resident population is estimated today more than 3.2 million people. The country has a very homogeneous ethnic composition, is the only country of the former USSR with almost monoethnic population (98% of which are Armenians). The largest ethnic minority in Armenia – Yezidi, Kurdish, Russian, Jews, Greeks and Assyrians.
The total number of Armenians in the world is 13 million., Whereas the population of Armenia is about 3.2 million. Diaspora greatly increased after the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey in 1915
Geographic information
The country is located in the west of Asia, north-eastern part of the Armenian highlands.
Armenia to the north and east is framed by ridges of Small Caucasus. It borders Georgia to the north, Azerbaijan to the east, Iran to the south and Turkey to the west and southwest. Armenia’s geopolitical location allows it to be close political and cultural ties with both Europe and Asia. Armenia is located at the crossroads between Europe and Asia, and is considered a transcontinental country.
The average height above sea level – 1,800 meters.
The highest point – Mount Aragats (4095 m).
The lowest point – the area of the lower reaches of the river Debed 375 m.
Armenia’s length – from the north-west to south-east 360 kilometers from west to east – 200 km
Climate
Features of the geographical location and the large differences in elevation are responsible for a variety of climatic conditions. Despite the fact that Armenia is situated on the latitude of the subtropical zone, subtropical climate is observed only in the southern part of Armenia (Meghri district of the city). In other areas of high-altitude climate is continental – hot summers and cold winters.