Armenia Tourism - Travel to Armenia

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Quick Facts
Capital	Yerevan
Government	republic
Currency	dram (AMD)
Area	total: 29,800 sq km water: 1,400 sq km land: 28,400 sq km
Population	3,330,099 note: Armenia's first census since independence was conducted in October 2001, but official figures have not yet been released (July 2002 est.)
Language	Armenian 96%, Russian 2%, other 2%
Religion	Armenian Apostolic 94%, other Christian 4%, Yezidi (Zoroastrian/animist) 2%

Armenia (Hayastan) is a former Soviet Union country that lies in the Caucasus region of southwestern Asia. It is a landlocked country that is surrounded by Turkey to the west, Georgia to the north, Iran to the south, Azerbaijan to the east and Azerbaijan's Naxcivan exclave to the southwest.

Contains Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan), the largest lake in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains range.

Regions in Armenia

Administrative divisions: 11 provinces (marzer, singular - marz); Aragatsotn, Ararat, Armavir, Gegharkunik (Geghark'unik'), Kotayk (Kotayk'), Lori, Shirak, Syunik (Syunik'), Tavush, Vayots Dzor (Vayots' Dzor), Yerevan

Although internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh is de facto independent, ethnically Armenian and only accessible via Armenia. Therefore a link is added from this page as well.

Map of Armenia

Cities in Armenia

Yerevan - Capital
Gyumri (Shirak Marz) - Second City
Vanadzor (Lori Marz) - Third City

Other destinations - Travel to Armenia

Bike Armenia Tour Route - Great route mapped out to see Armenia (and optionally Karabakh) by bike. Do the whole route or pick a leg!

Understand Armenia Tourism

Climate in Armenia

Highland continental, hot summers, cold winters; experiences droughts. All four seasons in full effect (WET spring, HOT summer, SNOWY/COLD WINTERS.. Come in the fall if you can). Bring lots of layers and be prepared for almost any weather condition.

Terrain

Consists of Armenian Highland with mountains; little forest land; fast flowing rivers; good soil in Aras River valley; Natural hazards : occasionally severe earthquakes.

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Debed River 400 m
highest point: Aragats Lerrnagagat' 4,090 m

History of Armenia

Armenia prides itself on being the first nation to formally adopt Christianity (early 4th century). Despite periods of autonomy, over the centuries Armenia came under the sway of various empires including the Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Persian, and Ottoman. A blossoming of Armenian architecture and culture took place in the 1200's which was eventually halted by the Mongol invasions. A literary and cultural revival in the late 1800s was repressed in Western Armenia by the Ottoman Turkish government. Eastern Armenia was incorporated into Russia in 1828 and the USSR in 1920. 1915-1921 witnessed the Armenian Genocide by the Ottoman Turkish government. Armenian leaders today remain preoccupied by the long conflict with Muslim Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, a primarily Armenian-populated region, assigned to Soviet Azerbaijan in the 1920s by Moscow. Armenia and Azerbaijan began fighting over the area in 1988; the struggle escalated after both countries attained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Independence: 21 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday: Independence Day, 21 September (1991)

By May 1994, when a cease-fire took hold, Armenian forces held not only Nagorno-Karabakh but also a significant portion of Azerbaijan proper. The economies of both sides have been hurt by their inability to make substantial progress toward a peaceful resolution.

Constitution: adopted by nationwide referendum 5 July 1995

Get into Armenia

Armenia is an isolated country. The border to Turkey and Azerbaijan are closed and militarized and no travel is permitted. The road to Georgia is very bad on the Georgian side. This means air travel is the main method used to reach Armenia.

Travel to Armenia By Plane

British Air, Austrian Air and Aeroflot serve Zvartnots airport with weekly flights. Armenian Airlines, the national carrier, currently visits Amsterdam, Istanbul, Frankfurt and a few other major cities via weekly flights also.

Travel to Armenia By Train

International train lines currently only service Georgia, while lines to Turkey and Azerbaijan lie idle.

Travel to Armenia By car

You can drive to Armenia from either Georgia or Iran. The road to Georgia is very poorly maintained on the Georgian side. The Armenian stretches of highway are amazing however, thanks to the considerable efforts of the Lindsey Foundation.

Travel to Armenia By Bus

Bus service to Iran, Georgia, Turkey and Russia is inexpensive.

Travel to Armenia By Boat

Armenia is landlocked.

Get around in Armenia

Taxis are cheap in Yerevan (1-2 dollars) and for day trips outside of the city, a guide and van costs 20-35 USD for the day.

Armenia Talk

Languages: Armenian 96%, Russian 2%, other 2%

Buy

RUGS! Be beware of rug dealers trying to cheat you. Every Saturday near Republic Square there is an open market with great shopping for tourists and locals alike.

Eat - Travel to Armenia

Khorovats (BBQ)

Drink

Vodka; Tan (Buttermilk); Jermuk carbonated water

Sleep - Armenia Tourism

Cheap: Nice hotels are relatively inexpensive. I'd suggest any of the Tufenkian hotels (currently 1 in Yerevan and 1 near Sevan)

There is a dormitory/hostel at 52 Mashtots Prospekt that I've been using for years. They are very kind and it is very clean.

If you're staying for an extended period of time, rent an apartment. Check the AUA (American University of Armenia) for rental listings.

Learn

Work

Stay safe - Armenia Tourism

This is one of the safest places I have ever been. I can walk around at 1 or 2 am and if I'm approached, it's for a cigarette or a light. A joy compared to Tbilsi.

Stay Healthy While You Travel to Armenia

Immodium of course. Traffic is the most dangerous thing here. People are killed on the streets almost every day. Walk a bit and use the understreet passes if you can.

Water is iffy at best. Buy lots of bottled water in the cities.

Respect

Contact

External Links for Armenia Tourism

http://www.cilicia.com - A thousand pages of information on Armenia and Armenians

The rest of this article is an import from the CIA World Factbook 2002. It's a starting point for creating a real aTRAVELdirectory country article according to our country article template. Please plunge forward and integrate it into the article above.

Geography in Armenia

Geographic coordinates: 40 00 N, 45 00 E
Area: total: 29,800 sq km
water: 1,400 sq km
land: 28,400 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Natural resources: small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, alumina
Land use: arable land: 17.52%
permanent crops: 2.3%
other: 80.18% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 2,870 sq km (1998 est.)
Environment - current issues: soil pollution from toxic chemicals such as DDT; the energy crisis of the 1990s led to deforestation when citizens scavenged for firewood; pollution of Hrazdan (Razdan) and Aras Rivers; the draining of Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan), a result of its use as a source for hydropower, threatens drinking water supplies; restart of Metsamor nuclear power plant in spite of its location in a seismically-active zone
Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

People in Armenia

Population: 3,330,099
note: Armenia's first census since independence was conducted in October 2001, but official figures have not yet been released (July 2002 est.)
Nationality: noun: Armenian(s)
adjective: Armenian
Ethnic groups: Armenian 93%, Azeri 1%, Russian 2%, other (mostly Yezidi Kurds) 4% (2002)
note: as of the end of 1993, virtually all Azeris had emigrated from Armenia
Religions: Armenian Apostolic 94%, other Christian 4%, Yezidi (Zoroastrian/animist) 2%

Government in Armenia

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Armenia
conventional short form: Armenia
local short form: Hayastan
former: Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic; Armenian Republic
local long form: Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun
Government type: republic
Legal system: based on civil law system
Judicial branch: Constitutional Court; Court of Cassation (Appeals Court)

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Arman KIRAKOSIAN
chancery: 2225 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles
FAX: [1] (202) 319-2982
telephone: [1] (202) 319-1976

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador John M. ORDWAY
embassy: 18 Baghramyan Ave., Yerevan 375019
mailing address: American Embassy Yerevan, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-7020
telephone: [374](1) 521-611, 520-791, 542-177, 542-132, 524-661, 527-001, 524-840
FAX: [374](1) 520-800

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, and orange

Economy in Armenia

Economy - overview: Under the old Soviet central planning system, Armenia had developed a modern industrial sector, supplying machine tools, textiles, and other manufactured goods to sister republics in exchange for raw materials and energy. Since the implosion of the USSR in December 1991, Armenia has switched to small-scale agriculture away from the large agroindustrial complexes of the Soviet era. The agricultural sector has long-term needs for more investment and updated technology. The privatization of industry has been at a slower pace, but has been given renewed emphasis by the current administration. Armenia is a food importer, and its mineral deposits (gold, bauxite) are small. The ongoing conflict with Azerbaijan over the ethnic Armenian-dominated region of Nagorno-Karabakh and the breakup of the centrally directed economic system of the former Soviet Union contributed to a severe economic decline in the early 1990s. By 1994, however, the Armenian Government had launched an ambitious IMF-sponsored economic program that has resulted in positive growth rates in 1995-2001. Armenia also managed to slash inflation and to privatize most small- and medium-sized enterprises. The chronic energy shortages Armenia suffered in recent years have been largely offset by the energy supplied by one of its nuclear power plants at Metsamor. Armenia's severe trade imbalance has been offset somewhat by international aid, domestic restructuring of the economy, and foreign direct investment.

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 44%, services 14%, industry 42% (2000 est.)
Industries: metal-cutting machine tools, forging-pressing machines, electric motors, tires, knitted wear, hosiery, shoes, silk fabric, chemicals, trucks, instruments, microelectronics, gem cutting, jewelry manufacturing, software development, food processing, brandy
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 36%
nuclear: 32%
hydro: 31%
Agriculture - products: fruit (especially grapes), vegetables; livestock
Exports - commodities: diamonds, scrap metal, machinery and equipment, brandy, copper ore
Exports - partners: Belgium 23%, Russia 15%, US 13%, Iran 10% (2000)
Imports - commodities: natural gas, petroleum, tobacco products, foodstuffs, diamonds
Imports - partners: Russia 15%, US 12%, Belgium 10%, Iran 9% (2000)
Currency: dram (AMD)
Currency code: AMD
Exchange rates: drams per US dollar - 564.08 (January 2002), 555.08 (2001), 539.53 (2000), 535.06 (1999), 504.92 (1998), 490.85 (1997)

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 600,000 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 50,000 (2002)
Telephone system: general assessment: system inadequate; now 90% privately owned and undergoing modernization and expansion
domestic: the majority of subscribers and the most modern equipment are in Yerevan (this includes paging and mobile cellular service)
international: Yerevan is connected to the Trans-Asia-Europe fiber-optic cable through Iran; additional international service is available by microwave radio relay and landline connections to the other countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States and through the Moscow international switch and by satellite to the rest of the world; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (2000)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 9, FM 6, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios: 850,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 3 (plus an unknown number of repeaters) (1998)
Televisions: 825,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .am
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 9 (2001)
Internet users: 30,000 (2001)

Transportation in Armenia

Railways: total: 852 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines
broad gauge: 852 km 1.520-m gauge (779 km electrified) (2001 est.)
Highways: total: 11,300 km
paved: 10,500 km (includes some all-weather gravel-surfaced roads)
unpaved: 800 km (these roads are made of unstabilized earth and are difficult to negotiate in wet weather) (1990)
Pipelines: natural gas 900 km (1991)
Airports: 12 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 5
over 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 7
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 1 (2002)

Military

Military branches: Army, Air and Air Defense Forces, Border Guards

Transnational Issues in Armenia

Disputes - international: Armenia supports ethnic Armenian secessionists in Nagorno-Karabakh and militarily occupies 16% of Azerbaijan - Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) continues to mediate dispute; border with Turkey remains closed over Nagorno-Karabakh dispute; traditional demands regarding former Armenian lands in Turkey have subsided

Illicit drugs: illicit cultivation of small amount of cannabis for domestic consumption; used as a transit point for illicit drugs - mostly opium and hashish - moving from Southwest Asia to Russia and to a lesser extent the rest of Europe

Armenia Tourism - Travel to Armenia

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