Independent States of the Former Soviet Union, 1992
Site Information: Newly Independent States of the Former Soviet Union
Title: Armenia
Public Affairs
Source: Bureau of Public Affairs, Office of Public
Communication
Description: Washington, DC
Date: May 27, 19925/27/92
Category: Site Information
Region: Eurasia
Country: Armenia, USSR (former)
Subject: History, Democratization, Trade/Economics,
Cultural Exchange
Map: Central, Eastern Europe, and the former Soviet Republics
[TEXT]
Overview
Armenia is a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States
(CIS) and is the second most densely populated of the former Soviet
republics. It is a land-locked country between the Black Sea and the
Caspian Sea, bordered on the north and east by Georgia and
Azerbaijan and on the south and west by Iran and Turkey.
Armenia was well-known to ancient authors. In 400 BC, the
Greek historian Xenophon described Armenia's local governing
structure in his famous work, Anabasis, which detailed the life of
Greek mercenaries in the Persian Empire.
After the destruction of the Seleucid Empire, the first
Armenian state was founded in 190 BC. At its zenith, between 95-
55 BC, Armenia extended its rule over eastern Turkey. For a time,
Armenia was the strongest state in the Roman East. Armenia
eventually became part of the Roman Empire and adopted a Western
political, philosophical, and religious orientation. In 301 AD,
Armenia became the first nation to adopt Christianity as a state
religion, establishing in the 6th century a church that still exists
independently of both the Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox
churches.
During its political eclipse, Armenia depended on the church to
preserve and protect its unique identity. For a brief period between
1918 and 1920, Armenia was an independent republic, but in 1922,
it became part of the Soviet republic of Transcaucasia until 1936,
when it became a separate republic within the USSR.
Armenians voted overwhelmingly for independence in a
September 1991 referendum, followed by a presidential election in
October that gave 83% of the vote to President Levon Ter-Petrosyan,
head of the government since 1990.
Armenia is rich in copper, bauxite, and precious metals but
must depend upon outside supplies of energy and raw materials. At
present, the economy must cope with an aging industrial
infrastructure as well as interference in the delivery of imports.
Supplies that arrive at landlocked Armenia via Turkey must be
reloaded at the border onto cars that fit the Armenian gauge, while
supplies crossing Georgia or Azerbaijan are subject to strikes and
blockades. Along with the breakdown of distribution systems
among the former Soviet republics, Armenia is struggling to recover
from the devastating 1986 earthquake. Its key industries are
machine-building and metal-cutting, chemicals, and light industry.
Yerevan at a Glance
Yerevan is located 14 miles from the Turkish frontier and is ringed
by extinct volcanic peaks-including the biblical
Mt. Ararat.
Although the first recorded reference to the city occurs in 607
AD, archealogical evidence dates back to the 6th millennium BC.
From the 6th century BC, Yerevan was part of the Armenian
Kingdom.
Because of its importance to east-west trade, Yerevan was
highly coveted by its neighbors. It was captured by the Turks in
1582, the Persians in 1604, and the Russians in 1827.
Today, Yerevan is remarkable for its pure air, but winters can
be very cold. City buildings are known for their colorful facades
constructed with local stone, including basalt, marble, onyx, and
volcanic rock. Yerevan has an excellent Museum of Modern Art-the
only one in the former USSR.
According to 1986 estimates, Yerevan has a population of
about 1.2 million.
Principal Government Officials
President: Levon Ter-Petrosyan
Prime Minister: Gagik Harutyunyan
Foreign Minister: Raffi Ovanissian
Capital: Yerevan