Republic of Armenia
Armenia
is a landlocked republic located between the Caucasus Mountains, the Black Sea, and the Caspian Sea. It became independent in the early 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Historical importance: Home of the first church in the world and the first country to adopt Christianity as a state religion.
Capital: Yerevan - a city rich in history and culture.
Area: It covers an area of 29,743 square kilometers.
Population: about 3 million people.
National currency: dram ($1 = 388 dram).
Official language: Armenian
Terrain: Mountainous country with an average elevation of 1800 metres. Mount Aragats is the highest peak with a height of 4090 metres.
Natural Marvel: Lake Sevan, the largest body of water in Armenia, located in the Caucasus region.
Notable Events: The devastating 1988 earthquake claimed nearly 25,000 lives.
Armenia, a former republic of the Soviet Union, is currently governed by democracy and multi-party politics and is a nation-state with a rich cultural heritage. The Kingdom of Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its religion, in the early years of the fourth century (traditional date 301 AD). The modern Republic of Armenia recognizes the Armenian Apostolic Church as the national church of Armenia, although the republic's system of government separates church and state.
Armenia is a member of more than 40 international organizations including the United Nations, Council of Europe, Asian Development Bank, CIS, World Trade Organization, World Customs Organization, Black Sea Economic Cooperation and La Francophonie. It is also a member of the CSTO Military Alliance and also participates in the NATO Partnership for Peace programme. In 2004, its forces joined the NATO-led international force in Kosovo. It is also an observer member of the Eurasian Economic Community and the Non-Aligned Movement. The country is one of the emerging democracies.
The original Armenian name of the country is “Haik”. In the Middle Ages, the name was extended to "Hayastan" by adding the Iranian suffix -stan, which means (land). Traditionally, the name is derived from "Hayik" (Հայկ) (pilgrim), the legendary patriarch of the Armenians and grandson of Noah, who according to Moses of Kurene defeated the Babylonian king Bel in 2492 BC, and established his nation in the Ararat region. The earlier origin of the name is uncertain. The name Armenia is mentioned in the form of Armenia in the ancient Persian Beston inscription (515 BC). ( ) As for Hecateus of Miletus, he mentioned “Armenians” in ancient Greek (476 BC). According to the stories of Moses Al-Korini and Michael Kamish, the name Armenia is derived from the name Aram, a direct descendant of Hayek.
Source: websites