|STATE STRUCTURE||Presidential republic|
|INTERNAL DIVISION||Armenia consists of 11 mrazs (regions).|
|CLIMATE||Subtropical, continental, temperate|
|OFFICIAL LANGUAGE||Armenian language|
|NATIONAL COMPOSITION||Armenians (97.89%), Yezidis (2.11%), Russians (0.46%)|
|TIMEZONE||UTC +4 / Moscow time +1|
The national flag of Armenia (Arm. Եռագույն “Eraguyn”) is a rectangular panel of three horizontal stripes: the top is red, the middle is blue and the bottom is orange.
Officially assigned color meanings:
Red symbolizes the Armenian Highlands, the struggle of the Armenian people for survival, the Christian faith, the freedom and independence of Armenia;
The blue color symbolizes the will of the people to live under a peaceful sky;
Orange color denotes the talent and ability to work of the people of Armenia.
The emblem consists of the following elements: Shield – in the center – Mount Ararat, which is a symbol of the Armenian nation, on its top is Noah’s Ark.
The shield is divided into 4 sections, which symbolize the four independent Armenian kingdoms in the history of Armenia:
at the top left – the Bagratids,
at the top right – the Arshakids,
at the bottom left – the Artashesids,
at the bottom right – the Rubenids.
Lion and Eagle, which support the shield, are the kings of the animal world and symbolize wisdom, pride, patience and nobility. For many centuries they have been symbols of royal families.
As an independent state, according to DIGOPAUL, Armenia was formed relatively recently – after the 1991 referendum. Until that moment, the country had been part of the Soviet Union for 70 years.
The rich history of the country has more than 2500 years. During this time, Armenia has almost always been in military conflicts. There were a lot of people who wanted to take possession of the valuable territory. Persians, Arabs, Turks, Romans, Russian Empire and other nations.
One of the most tragic dates in the history of the country is the genocide of 1894-1916. At that time, more than 2.5 million Armenians were persecuted by the Turkish government. Day of mourning for the dead is April 24th. On this day, thousands of Armenians come to churches and memorials to honor the memory of their ancestors. At the moment, there is not a single Armenian family that this tragedy would not have touched.
You can get to Armenia by plane – the most convenient and fastest way. During the morning flights, passengers watch a stunning picture – the sunrise from behind Mount Ararat.
The country’s main airport, Zvartonts, handles over 2 million passengers a year. It should be noted that over the past 10 years, passenger traffic has doubled.
Regular buses or taxis run from the airport to the city. Given the small remoteness of the air harbor from Yerevan, it will be convenient and inexpensive to get there by car.
The capital is located on a volcanic plateau north of the Ararat valley.
Even at the entrance to the city you notice the peculiarities of architecture – almost all buildings have a pinkish tint. This is due to the fact that the buildings here are built mainly from tuff, which is mined in a large deposit near the city of Artik. Houses, monuments, souvenirs – stone is a widespread material in the country.
It is difficult to describe Armenia in a nutshell. But what is felt right away is cordiality and calmness. According to the international rating, Armenia is on the 25th line of the safest countries in the world. And indeed – here you can walk with pleasure at night, admiring the ancient architecture and not worry about your life. Mostly tourists begin their acquaintance with the country from the center of Yerevan.
The famous Cascade, the Opera House and Republic Square are located here.
A distinctive feature of buildings in Armenia is their scale.
For example, the Cascade, which is an architectural and park complex, has a length of 500 meters, and the difference between the base and the top of the structure is 100 meters. Inside there are exhibition halls, where art from different eras is presented, cafes and small shops.
As a rule, shopping is an integral part of any trip.
In any souvenir shop you will find duduk – a national musical instrument that looks like a pipe, or clay vases, which are decorated with ancient ethnic ornaments.
You will be pleasantly surprised by the prices of locally produced products. The main rule is to bargain. In Armenia, this is welcomed not only in the markets, but also in stores.
Armenian cuisine and, of course, wine deserve special attention.
Simple in appearance, but difficult to prepare – this is what distinguishes Armenian dishes. The culinary tradition of this country is one of the oldest in Europe. Most of the dishes are meat, which is associated with the cattle breeding developed in the country. It is noteworthy that most of the dishes bear the names of the dishes in which they are made. The most popular meat product, basturma, can be bought at any store. And connoisseurs of strong drinks will be pleasantly surprised by the wealth of choice. Ararat and Noy brandy factories, known throughout the world, are located in Yerevan – you can go on a tour there and buy a couple of bottles of aromatic drink for yourself or as a gift.
Due to the peculiarities of the location, the climate of Armenia varies from dry to sharply continental. Hot summers and snowy winters. The country is good for tourism at any time of the year.
To see all the beauty of nature and enjoy walks in ancient cities, it is better to come to Armenia in spring or autumn. At this time of the year, the air warms up to 25 degrees Celsius during the day, and at night the temperature drops to 9 degrees and below, which is typical for the predominantly mountainous areas of the country.
In summer, residents go to the beaches of the largest lake – Sevan.
The open-air museum is located in the eastern part of Armenia. Rare species of fish live in the lake, and on the coast there is the ancient temple of Sev Vank (which means “black monastery” in translation) – the lake was named after him.
The flora and fauna of the country is rich. More than seventeen thousand mammals and 3500 plants. The diversity of flora and fauna is due to the diversity of relief and climate. Rare Iranian bears are found in the mountains, and steppe cats and many rodents are found on the plains.
In the south is perhaps the most popular attraction in Armenia – Tatev Monastery. The architectural complex dates back to 906 AD. and was founded by the princely couple of the Suni dynasty. At different times, the university, 680 villages and up to 1000 monks lived on the monastery territory. There are two ways to get to the monastery – the “Wings of Tatev” cable car or along the “death road” passing through the gorge leading to the monastery – that’s what the locals call it.
One of the unofficial symbols of Armenia is Ararat. According to legend, it is in the ice of a frozen volcano that Noah’s Ark is located – the great shrine of all Christians.
But, it is worth noting that since 1921 the mountain has been in Turkey. Therefore, Aragats is considered the highest point in Armenia.
Armenia has made a great contribution to the development of world civilization.
Culture, science, medicine, philosophy – this is an incomplete list of areas, the development of which was facilitated by the representatives of the Armenian people.
Armenia became the first state in which Christianity became the state religion. It happened in 301 AD. and largely determined the national flavor of the country.
World medicine owes the invention of MRI to Raymond Damadian.
It was he who invented a new method for detecting cancer in tissues. In 1977, the first experiments were carried out to study a person using magnetic resonance therapy, which turned out to be successful. To date, MRI is the most effective method for detecting cancer.
Few people know, but the American dollar owes its special green color to the Armenian chemist Christafor Ter-Sorobyan. It was he who created the color of banknotes, which was impossible to fake.
Great and unconquered Armenia fascinates with its history and surprises with the resilience of the spirit of the people. After thousands of years, it remains the guardian of Christian civilization and ancient culture, which is of interest to millions of people.