Armenia officially the Republic of Armenia is a sovereign state in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located in Western Asia, it is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia to the north.
The Capital and largest city is Yerevan. The president is Alen Simonyan.
The PM is Nikol Pashinyan. Major languages are Armenian and Russian; although the official language is Armenian.
Christianity is their faith. The Armenian Apostolic Church is the national church of the Armenian people. Part of Oriental Orthodoxy, it is one of the most ancient Christian communities. Many pagan temples were destroyed when King Tiridates III declared Christianity the official state religion.
Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official or national religion, in the early 4th century. The church claims to have originated in the missions of Apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus in the 1st century. Along with his fellow apostle Jude Thaddeus, Bartholomew is reputed to have brought Christianity to Armenia in the 1st century. Thus, both saints are considered the patron saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
The Country profile, the CIA Factbook, and the history.
Armenia is one of the world's oldest civilizations. It once included Mount Ararat, which biblical tradition identifies as the mountain that Noah's ark rested on after the flood. Genesis 9:18-19 says: Noah’s sons came out of the boat with him. Their names were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) These three men were Noah’s sons. And all the people on earth came from these three sons.
Armenia was the first country in the world to officially embrace Christianity as its religion (c. A.D. 300).
The Saint Vartan Armenian Cathedral is on 2nd Avenue @ E. 34th Street in NYC.
Armenia declared its independence from the collapsing Soviet Union on Sept. 23, 1991. An Armenian diaspora has existed throughout the nation's history, and Armenian emigration has been particularly heavy since independence from the Soviet Union. An estimated 60% of the total 8 million Armenians worldwide live outside the country, with 1 million each in the United States and Russia. Other significant Armenian communities are located in Georgia, France, Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Argentina, and Canada.
According to the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, 49 states have already recognized that an estimated 1.5 million Armenians from 1915 to 1923 were systematically killed in the Ottoman Empire, which is now modern-day Turkey.
The Ottoman Empire was one of the mightiest and longest-lasting dynasties in world history. This Islamic-run superpower ruled large areas of the Middle East, Eastern Europe and North Africa for more than 600 years.
The Roots of the Genocide (Turkey Muslims persecuting Christian Armenians).
After nearly 100 years of hostility between Turkey and Armenia over the murder of between 600,000 and 1.5 million Armenians at the hands of Ottoman Turks during World War I, in Oct. 2009 the two countries signed a peace agreement. They agreed to establish diplomatic relations and reopen the border between them.
U.S.-ARMENIA RELATIONS: The United States established diplomatic relations with Armenia in 1992, following its independence from the Soviet Union. Together, the two countries work to reduce poverty, expand trade and investment, promote the work of civil society groups, and broaden access to healthcare. The United States is committed to strengthening democracy and the formation of an open market economy in Armenia.
