About Armenia

Armenia is situated in the northeast of the Armenian Upland, between the Caucasus and Asia Minor. In the north and east it borders on Georgia and Azerbaijan, in the west and south, on Turkey and Iran. Armenia has a territory of 2,977 thousand square kilometers and lies between 1,000 and 2,500 meters above sea level. The highest peak is mount Aragats (4,090 meters), while the lowest point is River Debed (400 meters).

Armenians are the millennial travelers of civilization, they set forth from the lofty peaks of biblical Mt. Ararat, bearing the cross of timeless spiritual heritage.

Ancient Armenian tribes are believed to have first appeared on the territory of the Armenian Plateau 3-4 thousand years before Christ. Greek historians referred to Armenia per se 3,000 years ago. The first references to Armenia can be found in the Sumerian cuneiform inscriptions dating back to III millennium BC., and the Hittites attest to the existence of a country called Hayasa, which is believed to be the cradle of Armenians.

According to Assyrian-Babylonian cuneiform inscriptions (13- 7 cc. BC.) Armenia was called «Nairi» (Land of Rivers) comprising 60 small towns and kingdoms. The Armenian country is called the Ararat kingdom in the Bible.

Armenia is a Parliamentary Republic with a presidential form of government. The Construction of the Republic of Armenia was adopted through a national referendum on July 5, 1995.

The President guided by the Constitution and through the powers vested in him by the Constitution, regulates the legislative, executive and judicial branches of power to ensure their normal and effective work. The President is also the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and the guarantor of the country’s independence, territorial integrity and security.

Suffrage is universal in Armenia. Armenia has established diplomatic relations with 125 countries, many of them have accredited their ambassadors in the Republic of Armenia.

The flag of the Republic of Armenia is a tricolor of three horizontal and equal stripes of red, blue and orange. The Armenian flag is not only a representation of the country but each color has its own meaning. The color red symbolizes the blood shed by the Armenian people in their struggle for independence, the color blue symbolizes the clear sky of Armenia and the color orange symbolizes the creative drive of the nation.

The central shield of the emblem bears the charges of four royal Armenian dynasties: the Artaxids, the Arshakids, the Bagratunis and the Rubinyans (Cilician kingdom). They surround the image of Biblical mount Ararat with the outline of Noah’s Ark resting on its peak. A lion and an eagle support the shield, symbolizing the spirit, power, forbearance and valor. The sword at the bottom represents the struggle of the Armenian people for Freedom and independence, while the quill and cereal spikes symbolize its creativity.