Armenia is a small country that carries a big punch. For its tiny size, its history has made a profound impact on human civilization.

Like other places that Sue has taken us this semester, Armenia is a blend of new and old, with a contrast between natural beauty and human-made wonders. To follow another familiar theme, over the centuries it has also been the site for bloody struggles over land and power.

This week we’ll learn much more about Armenia, especially its history and culture, which explains much of the place it is today.

Armenia is located in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia. It is a landlocked country that covers about 11,484 square miles  --spanning land in both the Northern and Eastern hemispheres. The historic Silk Road ran through Armenia as part of its trade route.

To give you a sense of scale, California is about 14 times larger than Armenia. It is more similar in size to, say, the state of Maryland.

The population is centered in the western and northwester parts of the country. The two biggest cities are Yerevan (population 1,086, 275) and Gyumri (120,000). The total population of the country, according to World Atlas, is 2,957,731. The ethnic population of the country is almost entirely….Armenian (98%). Several other groups in the population are Kurds and Russians (Armenia Britannica, 2022).

Early religious beliefs in Armenia were related to Zoroastrianism (observed in Persia). The Persian Sassanid Empire ruled Armenia for several centuries. Medieval Armenia was also ruled by the Arabic Emperor through the 800s.

Christianity took root in Armenia early on. The Armenian Church believes that Thaddaeus and Bartholomew, two of Jesus’ apostles, brought the religion to Armenia between 40-60 C.E. In 301, Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion.

To understand why the Armenian Genocide happened, it’s helpful to review some of the factors leading to conflict. For example, there was increasing tension between Muslims and Christians of the region. The Ottoman rulers viewed the Armenians as “infidels” and treated them unfairly. The Ottomans also made the Christians pay higher taxes, and they stripped them of political and legal rights (Armenian Genocide, 2022).

Even with these obstacles, the Armenians prospered under the Turks. They were better educated and were wealthier than the Turks, who resented them. In addition, the Turks were suspicious that Christian Armenians would be more loyal to Christian governments (Armenian Genocide, 2022).

As World War I raged in Europe, the Young Turk leadership of the Ottoman Empire moved to eliminate the Armenian population. They wanted to create a Turkish nation-state reaching from Lake Baykal in Central Asia all the way to Istanbul. 

All Armenians living under Turkish rule were subject to execution. Some Armenians fled, but many didn’t make it out. The Armenian Genocide was the first documented genocide of the 20th century. While no one knows the exact number of deaths, the United Nations estimated at least a million (Armenia Countries, 2022).

In 1918 the Young Turk leaders fled to Germany (who agreed not to prosecute them for the genocide). Since then the Turkish government has denied that a genocide took place.

Because Turkey is an important ally of the U.S. and other Western states, condemnation for the Armenian Genocide was slow in coming. In April of 2021, President Joseph Biden said, “The American people honor all those Armenians who perished in the genocide that began 10 years ago today” (Armenian Genocide).

For a few years after World War I (1918-1920) Armenia re-gained its independence when the Russian empire collapsed. But Armenia was in a tough spot, with Turkish forces again threatening to advance, and Russian Bolsheviks gaining strength. The Turkish-Armenian War, which broke out in 1920, was the breaking point. Armenia was forced to sign treaties leading to loss of land—and become a Soviet republic. Armenia was under Soviet rule through 1990, almost 70 years (Armenia Countries, 2022).

Soviet rule brought some stability to Armenia, as the country received provisions like food and medicine. The Armenian Church, however, was repressed under Soviet rule and struggled through the 1950s after Stalin’s death.

Armenia looked forward to the end of their identity as a Soviet-associated country. They welcomed the glasnost era (proclaimed by Mikhail Gorbachev). They demonstrated en mass in 1988, calling for reunification of Karabakh with Armenia. They also opposed the pollution from Soviet-built factories. The Armenians followed these demonstrations with general strikes.  The Soviets responded by tightening their hold over Armenia. They killed Armenians in Azerbaijan, which led to mass migration as thousands of Armenian refugees tried to flee.

A major earthquake in December of 1988 worsened the refugee and economic difficulties the Armenians were experiencing. The Armenians continued to resist.

When the Soviet Union broke apart in 1991, Armenia was able to claim its independence once again. Confrontations and conflict continued for several years with neighboring Azerbaijan over the Karabakh land.

Today Armenia is a democratic nation-state. The president (currently Vahagn Khachaturyan) is elected by popular vote for a five-year term. There is also a prime minister (appointed by president) who leads the government. A parliament or national assembly decides on laws (Armenia, 2022).

However, some international observers question the fairness of Armenia’s presidential and parliamentary elections. They cite polling inconsistencies, lack of cooperation by the election commissions, and poor record-keeping of polling places and electoral lists.

Armenia today is divided into 10 regions, with the capital located in Yerevan. Each region has its own chief executive to serve as leader. Armenia is a member of the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and other organizations that reflect its respect as an autonomous country.

• The first church in the world was built in Armenia.

• Echmiadzin Cathedral was the first official church, built in the IV century.

• Yerevan is one of the oldest cities in the world. It was founded in 782 by King Argishti I. Yerevan is 29 years older than Rome. In 2018 it celebrated its 2800 anniversary. 

• The Armenian alphabet is one of the most advanced in the world, along with Georgian and Korean.

• An Armenian mathematician created the world’s first textbook of arithmetic problems in the VI century. He was David the Invincible.

• Armenia is the homeland of the apricot. The apricot is thought to have originated in Asia and spread to Europe via Armenia (I guess that should have called it the Apricot Road rather than the Silk Road).  The apricot is mention in sources of the first century, where it was called the “Armenian apple.

• The Armenian Diaspora accounts for 10-12 million Armenians in the world (the country’s population is just 3 million).  After the 1915 genocide, nearly 500,000 Armenians fled to sites around the world.

• The Areni Winery is the oldest in the world. It was known to produce wine more than 6000 years ago.

• Also in Areni: the oldest shoe was discovered, dating back 5,500 years. It was from the right foot, made of leather, was a size 37 and filled with straw and grass. It still had shoelaces and holes.

• The Armenian language has one of the oldest alphabets. It was created in 405 AD by scholar and monk Mesrop Mashtots. Mastots’ alphabet consists of 36 letters with 7 vowels and 29 consonants. Linguists consider the Armenian alphabet to be one of the three most advanced in the world (next to Korean and Georgian).

• Armenian bread (lavash) is included in the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. 

• Armenians love chess!  And they have a history of playing chess that dates back to the 9th century. Today chess is a compulsory subject for school children. Armenian chess teams are among the strongest in the world.

Because of its landlocked location and rough terrain, Armenia relies on several different industries in order to survive. Under Soviet rule, Armenia had to develop its modern industrial sector. It had to supply machine tools, textiles, and other goods to its fellow Soviet republics in exchange for energy and raw materials. But today Armenia has switched back to small-scale agriculture. Armenia crops include potatoes, wheat, grapes, and tomatoes.

Armenia has also bolstered its economy by optimizing its natural resources, including mining and electrical generation. Other lucrative industries we see in Armenia are a growing real estate and construction market.

Tourism has also been a large sector of the economy since the 1990s.  Most international tourists come from Russia, EU states, US, and Iran. There are

four UNESCO sites in Armenia.

Armenia is also known for its specialized woolen, silk, and cotton goods, carpets, and footwear. Armenian needlelace, called Filet lace, is an example. Lacemaking was part of a woman’s life and craft in years gone by. This fine needlework decorated most clothing and household items.

With its literary legacy going back to the 5th century, Armenia remains a highly literate society (99%). Armenians have a rich culture of their own literature and art. The National Art Gallery has thousands of works dating back to the Middle Ages. These works reflect Armenian’s history and stories (as well as works by many modern masters).

Another aspect of culture is Armenian dance, which also dates back many centuries (and is documented in rock paintings from the 5th millennia B.C.E.).  Armenian folk dancing is a famous style known throughout the world.

As this lesson shows, several empires have conquered Armenia over the years, but Armenia has continuously regained its independence. Archeological sites in the area contain artifacts from the Medieval, Iron, Bronze, and Stone Age.

Yerevan is the largest city in Armenia, is its capital, and is one of the world’ oldest continuously inhabited cities. The Hrazdan River runs through Yerevan. The Erebuni Fortress is considered to be the city’s birthplace.It’s also the seat of the Arartian Potifical Diocese. This happens to be one of the oldest dioceses in the world.

Yerevan’s history dates back to the 8th century BCE. It was designed even then to be a religious center and headquarters for government and administration. Over the decades, Yerevan was the capital under Iranian and Russian rule. After World I it was the capital of the first Republic of Armenia, and it was where thousands of survivors of the Armenian genocide fled.

As the Armenian economy has strengthened, Yerevan has also grown. Retail outlets stories have expanded, as have street cafes, restaurants, and cultural sites. In fact, the Yerevan Opera Theater is a main hall in the capital, as are several world-class museums. The Metendaran collection of the History Museum of Armenia contains one of the largest depositories of ancient books and manuscripts in the world. In 2012 Yeravan was named the World Book Capital by UNESCO.

Hopefully reading this lesson has expanded your understanding of this little known country. Armenia represents the full spectrum of human faith, resilience, and intelligence. We can expect big things from Armenia!

Armenia. (2022). Retrieved from

https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Armenia

Armenia: Countries and Their Cultures. (2022). Retrieved from https://www.everyculture.com/A-Bo/Armenia.html

Armenia Britannica (2022). Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/place/Armenia

Armenia Economy. (2022). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Armenia

Armenian Genocide. (2022). Retrieved from https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/armenian-genocide

Armenia World Atlas.

https://www.worldatlas.com/maps/armenia

Yerevan. (2022). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yerevan