Armenia (country), republic in the Transcaucasia region of western Asia, bordered by Georgia to the north, Azerbaijan to the east, Turkey to the west and south, and Iran to the south. The Azerbaijani enclave of Naxçıvan 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 River Hrazdan, where Yerevan, the capital and largest city, is located.
POPULATION
The population of Armenia, estimated at 3,325,307 (2004 estimate), is characterized by a high degree of ethnic homogeneity. Armenians constitute more than 90 per cent 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 per cent of Armenia’s total population. Small numbers of Ukrainians, Georgians, and Greeks also live in the republic. Life expectancy in 2004 was 67 years.
LANGUAGE
The official language of Armenia is Armenian, an Indo-European language with many dialects (and a unique 38-letter alphabet), spoken by the majority of the population. North Azerbaijani, an Altaic language, is a mother tongue for around 161,000 and is used in some schools. Kurmanji (an Indo-Iranian language), Assyrian Neo-Aramaic (a Semitic language), and Lomavren (an Indo-European language from the Armenian sub-group) are also spoken by some.
RELIGION
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 practised. The Armenian diaspora numbers some 5 million people, including 1.5 million in the former Soviet Union states, 2.5 million in the United States, and 400,000 in France.
POPULATION
The population of Armenia, estimated at 3,325,307 (2004 estimate), is characterized by a high degree of ethnic homogeneity. Armenians constitute more than 90 per cent 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 per cent of Armenia’s total population. Small numbers of Ukrainians, Georgians, and Greeks also live in the republic. Life expectancy in 2004 was 67 years.
LANGUAGE
The official language of Armenia is Armenian, an Indo-European language with many dialects (and a unique 38-letter alphabet), spoken by the majority of the population. North Azerbaijani, an Altaic language, is a mother tongue for around 161,000 and is used in some schools. Kurmanji (an Indo-Iranian language), Assyrian Neo-Aramaic (a Semitic language), and Lomavren (an Indo-European language from the Armenian sub-group) are also spoken by some.
RELIGION
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 practised. The Armenian diaspora numbers some 5 million people, including 1.5 million in the former Soviet Union states, 2.5 million in the United States, and 400,000 in France.
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