The
Armenian Language
The Armenian
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The
Armenian Literature
Armenia, The
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A Brief
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Republic of
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Famous
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The
Armenian Alphabet
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Armenian Language, Indo-European language; because of the presence of many words borrowed in ancient times from Iranian, it was long believed to be an Iranian dialect. Armenian is spoken by Armenians in Turkey and the Republic of Armenia, and in Armenian settlements elsewhere in the Middle East, Europe, and the United States. Modern scholarship has firmly established it as an independent branch of the Indo-European language family, although it diverged in striking ways from the presumed parent language; see Indo European Languages. Armenian is known to have replaced the earlier languages of the historical Armenian region (see Armenia) by at least the 7th century BC, and it may have been influenced by the languages it replaced. In 410 AD, according to tradition, Armenian acquired an alphabet invented by St. Mesrob, a monk and scholar. A literature appeared by the 5th century, and the written language of that era, called Grabar or Classical Armenian, with various changes remained the literary language until the 19th century. Meanwhile, the spoken language developed independently; many dialects appeared, not all mutually intelligible. A nationalist movement in the 19th century led to the creation of two slightly different modern literary dialects that are closer to the spoken language: Eastern or Yerevan Armenian (the official language of the Armenian republic) and Western or Turkish Armenian. Armenian has many harsh combinations of consonants and is particularly rich in affricative sounds (such as f, h, th). Both Classical Armenian and the modern spoken and literary dialects have a complicated system of noun declension, with six or seven cases (but no grammatical gender). The old verb inflections in general have been replaced by modern forms that require auxiliary verbs (comparable to English "he will go"), and negative verbs are conjugated differently than positive ones are. Grammatically, early forms of Armenian had much in common with Greek, but Modern Armenian appears, after centuries of geographical proximity, to have absorbed some grammatical influences from Turkish (for instance, postpositions instead of prepositions).
For almost 2,000 years the Armenian Church has grown in the light of the gospel message and has sheltered and nurtured her faithful in the warmth and truth of that light. This is her story. The Armenian Church The Armenian Church dates its existence from the time of Christ and the apostles. On the day of Pentecost (Acts 2), Jesus' apostles were sent out into the world to "make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19). Among the twelve, the apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew, called the "First Illuminators," brought the Gospel (Good News) of Jesus to Armenia. Despite many setbacks and with heroic evangelization by St. Gregory the Enlightener, Christianity finally became the official state religion around 301 A.D. with the baptizing of the Armenian King Drtad, his family, and the royal troops. Thus the Armenian Orthodox Church is apostolic because she teaches what the apostles taught and can trace her existence historically through the ordination of the bishops directly back to the apostles, and through them, to Christ. This is called "apostolic succession." The Armenian Church is not a loose fellowship of those who just profess Christianity as their religion. It is the community of baptized Armenians who are firmly united in the same faith, spiritually nourished by the same sacraments, and under the same spiritual discipline and authority. It is an organization with a purpose - which is to bring people to God - and possesses and teaches the means by which that aim can be reached. It is unlike any other organization because its founder is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our Lord.
Structure: The Armenian Church is a national church, united to the family of Christian churches like a branch to a tree. It is one of the group of five churches variously called the Oriental Orthodox or the Lesser Orthodox because they are the smallest and the Easternmost group of the Orthodox family, the larger group being the Eastern Orthodox (Russian, Greek). The hierarchy is as in the Eastern Orthodox, with deacons, married priests, celibate priests, bishops and patriarchs. The Armenian Church has two patriarchs - one in Jerusalem and one in Constantinople - and a Catholicos with limited jurisdiction based in Antelias, Lebanon. The spiritual head bf the Armenian Church is the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians who resides in Holy Etchmiadzln in Armenia, the world center of the Armenian Church.
Holy Tradition: It is always difficult to summarize the many facets of a faith and there is a great deal about the Armenian Church that deserves elaborate clarification. But the entire faith of the Church is embraced in what is called Holy Tradition. Holy Tradition is the ongoing life of a people; "tradition" literally means the passing on or giving over from one to another. Holy Tradition is, therefore, that which is passed on and given over within the Church from the time of Christ's apostles right down to the present day. This is not limited to just what is written, but concerns the total life and experience of the entire Church, inspired and guided by the Holy Spirit. Not everything in the Church belongs to its Holy Tradition; some things are just custom and passing traditions. Among the elements which make up the Holy Tradition of the Church, the Bible holds the first place. Other elements are the Church's liturgical life and prayer, its dogmatic decisions, canons (laws), its approved church councils, the writings of the church fathers, the lives of the saints, and finally its creative expressions such as music and architecture. As the church continues to live by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Tradition of the Church will continue to grow and develop.
The Bible : The written record of God's revelation is the Bible, a word which comes from the Greek for "book" or "books." In Armenian, it is appropriately called the Asdvadzashoonch or "breath of God." The Bible was written over thousands of years and is divided into two testaments, the Old and the New. They form the two parts of a great organic whole, the center of which is the person and mission of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament tells the story of the creation of the world and God's relationship with the first people he chose, the Hebrews. The most important books of the New Testament are the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, which all relate the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. All parts of the Bible are interpreted in the Armenian Church in the light of Christ, since everything in the Bible leads up to Christ and speaks about him. This fact is symbolized by the fact that only the book of the four gospels (avedaran) is enthroned on the altars of our churches and not the entire Bible. While the Bible is the inspired record of God's revelation, not all revealed truths are in the Bible. Along with biblical teachings, the instructions based on Holy Tradition are also essential.
The Councils and Canons : Many of the basic tenets of the Armenian Church can be traced to the councils convened because of a particular controversy or question. As the Church progressed through history, it was faced with many difficult decisions. These were always resolved by reaching a consensus of opinion among all believers inspired by God and led by their appointed leaders, first the apostles and then the bishops. The Armenian Church recognizes three ecumenical (embracing the whole church) councils and many other Armenian councils held over the centuries. From these ecumenical, provincial, and local councils emerged the canons. "Canon" literally means "norm or measure for judging." Canons vary in importance from the basic, unchanging rules of doctrine and dogma to those of a practical, ethical or structural character which are subject to change over time.
The Church Fathers : There are in the Armenian Church a number of theologians and spiritual teachers who defended and explained the doctrines of the Christian faith. These saints are called the holy fathers of the Church and their teachings are called the patristic teachings (from the Greek word for "father"). Some defended the Christian teachings against those outside the Church. A famous Armenian father in this category is Yeznik of Koib who wrote against the pagan sects in the 5th century. Some were simply teachers of the Christian faith, developing and explaining its meaning in a deeper and fuller way, such as the great Catholicos St. Nersess Shnorhall (Grace-filled) in the 12th century. Others were teachers of the spiritual life, giving instructions to the faithful about communing with God through prayer and Christian living. The greatest Armenian father of this type was St. Gregory of Narek who wrote an extraordinary collection of mystical prayers in the 10th century.
The Saints : The doctrine of the Armenian Church comes alive in the stories of its true believers, the saints. The saints are those who literally share the holiness of God. The lives of the saints bear witness to the authenticity and truth of the Christian gospel, the sure gift of God's holiness to all people. One of the greatest sources of inspiration to church members are the lives of these holy men and women. The Haysmavoork is the large volume of saints' lives traditionally read before certain liturgical services. The word haysmavoork is derived from the sentence that introduces these readings: "today is the commemoration of … "haysm avoor hishadag eh" … Over the centuries these readings formed an important part of every Armenian's Christian education, as simple men and women of faith listened with wonder to the stories of acts of courage and faith by people much like themselves.
The Nicene Creed : According to tradition, a primitive form of the creed was born on the day of Pentecost when the twelve apostles each articulated an article (hence the twelve articles of faith). As they carried the good news to the great cities of the world they were already using their own rule of faith. This slowly evolved into the formulation, in the first two ecumenical councils, at Nicea and Constantinople, of an official creed of the Church. This is the same creed we recite every Sunday during Badarak. In Armenian, it is called the Hankanag Havado or, more commonly, the Havadamk, which refers to its first word (we believe). The creed is the Church's answer to people's deepest questions. Where do we come from? How should we live? What hope is there for us? What will become of us? The creed has a very logical and dramatic composition. It starts with God the Father, creator of all things and father of all people and ends with the glorious destiny of those who will be judged and found worthy; It relates the drama of the life of our Lord from his birth to his ascension. And it teaches that the work of our Lord saves us, namely, makes us capable of living with God. This is the creed of the Armenian Church (it is the best summary of the faith of the Church):
* We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of things visible and invisible.
* And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of God the Father, only-begotten, that is of the substance of the Father.
* Who for our salvation came down from heaven, became a human being and was born perfectly of the holy virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit.
* From whom he took body, soul, and mind, and everything that is human, truly and not in semblance.
* He suffered and was crucified, and was buried, and rose again on the third day, and ascended into heaven with the same body and sat at the right hand of the Father.
* He is to come with the same body and with the gI6ry of the Father to judge the living and the dead; of whose kingdom there is no end.
* We believe also in the Holy Spirit, who is perfect and eternal and spoke through the law and in the prophets and in the Gospels. * Who came down upon the Jordan River, preached in the apostles and dwelt in the saints.
* We believe also in only one, universal, and apostolic Church;
* In one baptism with repentance for the remission and forgiveness of sins;
* In the resurrection of the dead, in the everlasting judgment of souls and bodies, in the kingdom of heaven and in the life eternal.
The Sacraments : The word sacrament comes from the Latin sacrare which means "to dedicate." Thus a sacrament is a rite which not only signifies some specific grace, but which produces that grace in the souls of the person to whom it is administered. What is grace? It is that which makes us fulfill our mission as children of God. It is not a state of being. It is a power that comes from God and regenerates and nourishes. It is the energy that feeds the growth of the believing spirit of people. The Armenian word for sacrament is khorhoort or "mystery." This implies that the fruits of the sacraments (such as being born to a spiritual life in baptism) are received mysteriously. Each sacrament has an inward and outward expression. The outward, for example, in baptism, is the water. This symbolizes the rebirth and cleansing of the soul of the child, which is inward. Although everything which is in and of the Church is sacramental, there are seven formal sacraments of the Armenian Church which correspond to the different states and situations of a person's life.
1. Baptism: Birth is necessary to begin a life; baptism is necessary so that the child can start a "new life as a child of God. This is not a conscious act of faith. God has already chosen us and entered our lives (Galatians 4:6). But it is through baptism that a new Christian is brought into the life of the Church and the hope of salvation. Thus it is an act of the people of God and not a single individual. The Armenian understanding of baptism draws upon the evidence of Scripture and Tradition to baptize infants - who are pledged to a life in Christ by godparents and community - as well as adults. Individuals who have not been baptized are always warmly invited by the church to do so. Baptism, chrismation and holy communion are all given at the time of baptism. Together these make the new believer ready to fully participate in the life of the Church.
2. Chrismation: In the process of growing up, the child needs strength of body and mind. Chrismation, or the anointing with oil at baptism, seals him or her with the Holy Spirit, promising spiritual strength as a member of the Church.
3. Penance: In confessing sins and seeking forgiveness, the faithful are made whole again as citizens of God's kingdom.
4. Holy Communion: We all need nourishment to live. The soul needs spiritual food to keep alive and to grow in the Kingdom of God. Holy Communion is the most important sacrament and the center of the Church's life; this union with the Lord is indeed the ultimate purpose of Christian life as a whole. Communion (haghortootiun in Armenian) refers to the mystical union of people with God and each other as they gather, pray, read the Bible, remember Christ and share in his redemption of the world through the bread and wine that become truly his body and blood. The faithful are encouraged to take communion as often as they can.
5. Marriage: Men and women join their lives together in love and for the glory of God.
6. Holy Orders: People dedicate their lives directly to God and to service in his Church.
7. Anointing of the Sick: This sacrament heals the soul and body of the sick.
Worship In the Armenian Church : The Armenian Church has always placed great emphasis on worship. Its main worship service - the Divine Liturgy or Soorp Badarak - has captured that element of sheer joy in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ that is found in the worship of the early church. It is from these services that the modem Armenian Badarak derives much of its form and content. Liturgy literally means the common work or action of a group of people. Thus the Divine Liturgy of the Christian Church means the common work of God done by the people of God. The living experience of both our worship service (even the hymns are sophisticated theological statements in song) and the liturgical celebrations (the feasting and fasting) of the Church year is a primary source of Christian doctrine. The essential event of the liturgy is the descent, the appearance, and the divine presence of the resurrected Christ, most especially in the Holy Communion. The Divine Liturgy appeals to the whole person through all the senses: through the visual beauty of the vestments and religious paintings, through the incense, through the music, the sacrament of Holy Communion, in the actions of crossing oneself, kissing the cross and Gospel, and lighting candles. The church building itself reflects the journey to the kingdom, with the vestibule symbolizing the world; the nave, the people of God; and the altar area, the Kingdom of God.
The Cross : The cross is the central symbol for Christians not only as the instrument of the world's salvation by the crucified Christ but also as the constant witness to the fact that we cannot be Christians unless we live with the cr9ss as the very content of our lives in this world. "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me" (Mark 8:34). For this reason, Christians see the cross throughout the church building and cross themselves before and after prayers and when receiving a blessing from the priest during liturgy. This is the sign that our hearts, minds, and strength are given to the love of God and humanity.
Prayer : Prayer is essential to Christian life. Jesus Christ himself prayed and taught others to pray The prayers of the Armenian Church are addressed to the Holy Trinity, to God the Father, to Jesus the Son, to the Holy Spirit, even to the saints as fellows-members of the Church, already glorified with God in his divine presence, foremost among which is Mary, Asdvadzadzin, the mother of Jesus. Prayer is a dialogue with God. It can be spoken or silent, carried on in the quiet of our hearts; it can be an awareness and remembrance of his name, his existence, his power, and his love. Christians pray privately, at home, at meals, etc. to enable themselves to know God and be made capable of accomplishing his will. In prayer at church, we unite our concerns and ourselves to the prayer of the whole Church, to the eternal prayer of Christ, the Holy Mother of God, the saints, and the brothers and sisters of our own church community.
Armenian Literature, works written in the Armenian language. Before the introduction of Christianity into Armenia in the 3rd century AD, Armenian literature was Assyrian or Medo-Persian in character. After that date, however, the language, literature, and finally the alphabet of Greece appeared in Armenian writing, although eastern Armenia retained the Syriac alphabet. The translation of the Bible into Classical Armenian, traditionally ascribed to the monk and scholar St. Mesrob, and his systematization of the Armenian alphabet in 410 opened a period of literary activity in the 5th century known as the Golden Age of Armenian literature. The principal Armenian writers of this age were translators. Other authors were the philosopher Eznik of Golp, or Kolb, who wrote Refutation of the Sects, especially valuable for its account of the Zoroastrian and Manichaean religions; Moses of Chorene, reputed author of a geography and of a history of Armenia; and the preacher Eliseus, author of History of Vardan and of the Battles of the Armenians. Arab rule over Armenia, lasting through most of the 6th to the 10th century, caused a decline in the production of literature in Armenian. In the 10th century Thomas of Ardsruni, an important historian, appeared, as did the poet and bishop Gregory Narek. In the 12th century the patriarch Nerses the Gracious, poet, theologian, and historian, wrote prayers and hymns still in use. New literary forms began to appear in the 13th century, but for the next four centuries Classical Armenian literature was confined to the monasteries. A body of literature in the contemporary or vernacular language, however, was produced by such poet-minstrels as Sayat-Novain the 18th century. During the 18th century Armenian congregations were established in many cities in Europe, as well as in Asia. A special impetus toward the preservation of Armenian literature was given by the establishment in 1717 of a college and convent on the island of San Lazzaro near Venice by the Armenian prelate Mechitar de Petro. In Venice, and at another congregation established later in Vienna, Mechitarist monks are still producing literature in Armenian. Beginning about 1850 a modern school of Armenian writers came into existence, especially in the Russian and Turkish parts of the country; the members of this school wrote exclusively in the dialects of Modern Armenian. This movement produced works in every literary form, though none of its writers won an international reputation; the movement is also responsible for important collections of Armenian folklore. After the founding of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1936, literature in Armenian was encouraged and carefully monitored by the Soviet government. The most successful field for the Armenian writer in the 20th century was journalism, with many periodicals written in Armenian being published in various parts of the world.
Armenia (region), historic region of western Asia, which in ancient times was an independent country comprising southern Caucasia and northeastern Asia Minor. The southwestern part of the region now belongs to Turkey, the southeastern part to Iran, and the northwestern part to Armenia. The region is a complex of plateaus traversed by mountain ranges; the highest point is Mount Ararat (5122 m/16,804 ft). It is drained by the headstreams of the Euphrates, Tigris, and Aras rivers; the principal lakes are Van, Urmia, and Sevana. Armenia has a generally healthful climate that varies between the subtropical and subtemperate. Sections of the region, especially the river valleys, are highly arable and contain rich vineyards and orchards. The high tablelands are chiefly pastoral. Armenia contains a variety of mineral deposits. In the Republic of Armenia portion, the mineral and agricultural resources are intensively exploited, but Turkish and Iranian Armenia are poorly developed. The geographical origins of the Armenians are obscure, but ethnologically they are classified as Caucasoid, and linguistically as Indo-European. According to some authorities, their ancestors include the aboriginal people of the region; the Chaldeans, who occupied it late in the 2nd millennium BC; and later invaders. The majority of modern Armenians dwell in the region, with the remainder scattered throughout Asia, Europe, and America, especially California. The valley of the Araxes (now Araks) River and the plateau around Lake Van was the dominion, from about 1270 to 850 BC, of a kingdom, sometimes called Van, but known in nearby Assyria as Urartu (Hebrew Ararat).
The name Armenia first appeared in the Behistun inscription of Darius I, king of Persia about 521 BC. In 612 BC Armenia was conquered by Media, which ruled it until 549 BC. Cyrus the Great, king of Persia and founder of the Persian Empire, seized the country in 549 BC, whereupon it became a satrapy of Persia. Some years after the death (323 BC) of Alexander the Great, who had conquered Persia, Armenia became independent. Antiochus III, king of Syria, conquered it in 212 BC and divided it into two satrapies under Armenian princes. These satrapies were independent kingdoms from 190 BC until 94 BC, when Tigranes the Great, king of Armenia, reunited them under his rule. Tigranes conquered parts of Asia Minor and Mesopotamia, but was beaten by the Romans in 69 BC. As a result, Armenia became a satellite of Rome. In the struggles between Rome and the Parthians, who had become masters of Persia, Armenia remained neutral and autonomous whenever possible. When the Sassanid Persians overthrew the Parthians in the 3rd century AD, they seized Armenia, but the Arsacid king Tiridates III, with the aid of Roman emperor Diocletian, liberated the country. Tiridates was converted to Christianity in 303 and established a state church some 20 years before Roman emperor Constantine the Great made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire.
As a center of Christianity, Armenia opposed the Zoroastrian Persians after the 4th century. The conquest of Persia by the Arabs in 642 was followed by their overlordship in Armenia. In 653, however, the Arab caliph chose an Armenian prince to administer the country, designating him patrician of Armenia. In time the patricians became virtual kings, and in 886 the Bagratuni dynasty reestablished the Armenian kingdom, and ruled the country during the 9th and 10th centuries. Many churches and vast irrigation works survive from that era. The major enemies of medieval Armenia were the Byzantine Empire and the Seljuks, who overran the country in the 11th century. Constant warfare drove many Armenians to seek homes elsewhere; one group founded a kingdom called Lesser Armenia, which included the ancient region of Cilicia, in 1082; it lasted until 1375.
About 1240 Armenia was invaded by the Mongols, who ruled it until the early 15th century. A period of confusion, during which Iran for a short time controlled Armenia, ended when the Ottomans conquered most of the region in the 16th century. Thereafter it suffered ceaseless warfare between Turkey and Iran. The Armenians remaining in the Iranian-controlled part were removed to another part of the country early in the 17th century, while those in the Turkish part, after the fall of Constantinople in 1453, were reorganized under the leadership of an Armenian bishop. They were given a large degree of religious, cultural, and political autonomy. Yet, Russian conquests in Caucasia in the 19th century were welcomed by the Armenians. After the Russians captured part of the region in 1828-29, most Armenians moved into the Russian-conquered area. At first the Russians welcomed them, possibly hoping that a friendly attitude would make the Armenians in Turkey their allies in the event of further hostilities.
Similar considerations of power politics involved Great Britain in Armenian affairs. In order to offset the role assumed by Russia as protector of Armenian Christendom, the British undertook to act as protector of the Armenians in Turkey, which was at that time under British influence. As a result of such foreign intervention, factions appeared among the Armenians, stimulating the development of nationalism, but directing it along divergent paths. Part of the Armenian leadership emphasized loyalty to Turkey, but other groups engaged in activities the Turks considered subversive. Turkish reprisals took the form of atrocities that shocked the world, including massacres of an estimated 200,000 Armenians in 1896 alone. Meanwhile the Russians, disturbed by the effect among Armenians of British propaganda against them, forbade the Armenians to speak their own language and to have their own schools and churches. They also deported various nationalist leaders to Siberia. British "protection" proved worthless. During World War I (1914-18) Armenia became a battleground for Russian and Turkish armies. Between January and August 1916, the Russians conquered the greater part of Turkish Armenia, but the revolution in 1917 forced their withdrawal, and the Turks reoccupied the country. As the war raged on, Turkish atrocities against Armenians increased, leading the government of the United States to send a formal note of protest to Turkey on February 17, 1916. Deaths attributed to massacres and famine reached an estimated total of 800,000 during the war period. Many Armenians fled, seeking homes in other lands, including the United States; about 200,000 found refuge in Russia.
On May 26, 1918, Armenians formerly under czarist rule declared their independence, establishing the Armenian Autonomous Republic, which was recognized by the Allies in 1920. During the Greco-Turkish war of 1920-22 the Armenians sided with the Greeks, and again the victorious Turks inflicted severe reprisals on them. In addition, the Turks invaded the republic, which they had refused to recognize. A settlement was finally reached in 1921, by which the republic of Armenia ceded about half its Caucasian lands to the Turks. In 1922 the Armenian republic joined with the Soviet Socialist republics of Azerbaijan and Georgia to form the Transcaucasian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic (SFSR), which became one of the four original republics of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). A separate Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR) was formed in 1936. Claims of discrimination against the Armenian minority still residing in the Azerbaijan SSR led to widespread sectarian fighting in the 1980s. In 1990 the Supreme Soviet of Armenia declared the country a sovereign republic and elected Levon A. Ter-Petrosyan, leader of the Armenian National Movement, as its president. In a referendum held on September 21, 1991, Armenia's voters approved a declaration of independence from the USSR. Two months later the new republic became a founding member of the Commonwealth of Independent States. The conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, the Armenian enclave there, escalated into open warfare, as the Armenian army invaded and occupied the disputed territory in 1992.
Armenia (republic), republic in the Transcaucasus region of western Asia, bordered by Georgia on the north, Azerbaijan on the east, and Turkey on the west and south. The Azerbaijani enclave of Naxçivan (Nakhichevan) also forms part of its southern boundary. Formerly a republic of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), Armenia is an extremely mountainous country with a limited amount of arable land. Population is concentrated in river valleys, especially along the Hrazdan River, where Yerevan, the capital and largest city, is located.
Armenia occupies about 29,800 sq km (about 11,500 sq mi) of the northeastern portion of the Armenian Plateau, an extensive upland area that extends as far south as Lake Van in Turkey. Armenia is characterized by high elevations and is extremely mountainous. Its average elevation is about 1800 m (about 5900 ft). Mount Aragats is the highest point in the republic, with an elevation of 4090 m (about 13,420 ft). Mountain ranges in the republic include the Pambak, Gegam, Vardenis and Zangezur branches of the Lesser Caucasus mountain system. Rainfall varies greatly by location and elevation, with the greatest precipitation occurring on mountain slopes. The most arid region of the country is found along the Aras River, where average annual precipitation is less than 300 mm (about 12 in) per year. Armenia is covered by a dense network of small rivers and streams that are part of the Aras-Kura river basin. Due to the mountainous terrain, waterfalls and rapids are frequent. The republic contains numerous mountain lakes, the largest of which is Lake Sevana, which holds more than 90 percent of all standing water in Armenia. Climate, soil, and vegetation vary greatly throughout Armenia, which contains twice as many soil types as European Russia. Vegetation typical of alpine, semi-desert, and steppe regions dominates much of the republic, although the extreme southeastern and northeastern portions contain forests of beech and oak. The republic's fauna includes wild boars, jackals, lynxes, and Syrian bears.
The population of Armenia-estimated in 1991 at 3,354,000-is characterized by a high degree of ethnic homogeneity. Armenians constitute more than 90 percent of the republic's population, a proportion that increased considerably in recent years with the departure of Azerbaijanis and the influx of Armenian refugees from the Nagorno-Karabakh territory of Azerbaijan, because of the conflict in that region. Kurds and Russians are the next two most populous ethnic groups in the republic, but they each comprise only about 1.5 percent of Armenia's total population. Small numbers of Ukrainians, Georgians, and Greeks also live in the republic. Armenia is highly urbanized, with more than two-thirds of all residents living in cities or towns. The largest city is Yerevan, which had an estimated population of 1,202,000 in 1990. The next most populous city, Gyumri (formerly Leninakan, also known as Kumari), is about one-tenth the size of Yerevan, with a population of 123,000 in 1990. The official language of Armenia is Armenian, an Indo-European language with a distinct 38-letter alphabet. Russian is also commonly spoken. The vast majority of the population is Christian. The Armenian Apostolic (Orthodox) Church is the most popular among Armenians. Russian Orthodoxy and Shiite Islam are also practiced.
Armenia is highly industrialized. Industry comprised 46.3 percent of the country's net material product in 1992, and 41 percent of the labor force was employed in industry and construction in 1990. Industrial production is dominated by manufacturing and mining, including gold, copper, zinc, and silver mining. Electrical engines, machine tools, and chemical products, such as synthetic rubber, comprise the chief manufactured goods. The industrial sector suffered greatly from the economic blockade imposed by Azerbaijan in 1991, which resulted in severe shortages of natural gas, petroleum, and other energy sources. In 1994 Armenian officials announced their decision to restart the power plant at Mdedzamor, the only nuclear power station in the Transcaucasus region, in order to compensate for the diminished energy supply. The plant had been shut down after northern Armenia suffered a devastating earthquake in 1988, although the plant was not damaged. The government of Azerbaijan protested the announcement to restart the plant, because of the possibility that the plant would be used to produce nuclear weapons. Agriculture is the second largest sector of the Armenian economy, producing about one-quarter of the country's net material product in 1991 and nearly 40 percent in 1992. It is also the second largest employer in Armenia; nearly 19 percent of the total labor force was employed in agriculture in 1990. Principal crops include wheat, potatoes, tobacco, vegetables, grapes, and other fruits. Agriculture is highly dependent on irrigation, especially in areas near the Aras River in the republic's south. Local food production does not satisfy domestic needs, however, so Armenia must import large quantities of food from abroad. During the Soviet period, Armenia imported about 60 percent of its bread and nearly two-thirds of its dairy products from other republics. The economic blockade by Azerbaijan and the civil war in Georgia caused food supplies to greatly diminish, but in contrast to industrial production, agricultural output increased considerably in the early 1990s. The increase in domestic food production was caused in part by the privatization of land holdings, which began in 1991. After the breakup of the USSR, Armenia continued to use the Russian ruble as its currency. Beginning in mid-1993, however, the Central Bank of Russia refused to accept rubles printed before that year. This action caused a massive inflow of rubles to Armenia and other former Soviet republics where the ruble was still allowed to circulate. Inflation accelerated greatly as a result of the influx of old rubles, which were worthless in Russia. The Central Bank of Russia demanded strict control of the new ruble, prompting Armenian leaders to issue a separate currency, called the dram, in November 1993. The dram was originally issued at a rate of 200 rubles per dram.
The head of state of Armenia is the president, elected by direct popular vote. The highest governmental authority is the parliament, formally called the Supreme Soviet, a unicameral legislative body. Multi-candidate elections for parliament were held for the first time in 1990. The president has the power to appoint the prime minister, who selects government ministers. The current constitution was formed in 1978 during the Soviet period and was scheduled to be replaced by a new constitution in 1995. The country is a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
American tennis player, winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon in 1992, at the United States Open in 1994, and at the Australian Open in 1995.
American singer and actor, who won an Academy Award in 1987 for her leading role in Moonstruck. She was born Cherilyn Sarkisian La Piere in El Centro, California.
Former Republican Governor of The State of California between 1983 - 1991.
A retired pathologist from Michigan assisting with suicides of terminally ill patients.
The owner of MGM Grand, and a majority shareholder in Chrysler Corporation.
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