Overview
Armenia is a landlocked country located in the Armenian highlands of West Asia, forming part of the Caucasus region. The country is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia to the north, Azerbaijan to the east, and Iran and the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan to the south. Yerevan serves as the capital, largest city, and financial center of Armenia.
Geography and Location
While Armenia is geographically situated in the South Caucasus, the country views itself as part of Europe and is generally considered geopolitical European. Armenia is a member of numerous European organizations including the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe, the Council of Europe, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The country also participates in regional Eurasian groups such as the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Eurasian Economic Union.
Early History
The Armenian highlands have been home to various ancient peoples including the Hayasa-Azzi, Shupria, and Nairi peoples. By at least 600 BC, an archaic form of Proto-Armenian, an Indo-European language, had spread into the Armenian highlands. The first Armenian state of Urartu was established in 860 BC, followed by the Satrapy of Armenia in the 6th century BC.
Archaeological evidence reveals a long human presence in the region. Acheulean tools have been found dating back more than 1 million years, and thousands of artifacts from 325,000 years ago have been discovered at the Nor Geghi 1 Stone Age site. Many Early Bronze Age settlements were established throughout Armenia, with Shengavit settlement being one of the most important sites and located at the site of present-day Yerevan.
Medieval and Classical Periods
The Kingdom of Armenia reached its height under Tigranes the Great in the 1st century BC. In AD 301, Armenia became the first state in the world to adopt Christianity as its official religion. The Armenian Apostolic Church, recognized as the world's oldest national church, remains the country's primary religious establishment today.
The ancient Armenian kingdom was divided between the Byzantine and Sasanian Empires around the early 5th century. Under the Bagratuni dynasty, the Bagratid Kingdom of Armenia was restored in the 9th century but fell in 1045. Between the 11th and 14th centuries, Cilician Armenia, an Armenian principality and later kingdom, was located on the Mediterranean coast.
Ottoman and Russian Rule
Between the 16th and 19th centuries, the traditional Armenian homeland comprising Eastern Armenia and Western Armenia came under the rule of the Ottoman and Persian empires. By the 19th century, Eastern Armenia had been conquered by the Russian Empire, while most of Western Armenia remained under Ottoman control. During World War I, an estimated 1.5 million Armenians were systematically exterminated in the Armenian genocide.
Modern Armenia
Following the Russian Revolution, the First Republic of Armenia declared independence in 1918. However, by 1920, the state was incorporated into the Soviet Union as the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic. Armenia regained independence in 1991 during the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Modern Armenia is a unitary, multi-party, democratic nation-state. As of 2023, the country ranks 69th on the Human Development Index. Its economy is primarily based on industrial output and mineral extraction.
Recent Developments
Armenia supported the de facto independent Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), which had seceded from Azerbaijan in 1991. However, Azerbaijan reincorporated the region through a siege and military offensive in 2023.