The Land

Located in the middle of the Caucasus, Armenia borders on Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey and

Iran. This picture was taken in the main square of the capital Yerevan.

Politics

Armenia achieved independence with the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. Communism

seems to be regarded as a bad dream. Oddly, Armenia is one of the few countries in the

world to maintain good relations with both Russia and the United States.

The Terrain

The land is rocky and green. Temperatures in the summer can exceed 40 degrees Centigrade,

and the entire country is buried in snow much of the winter. This picture was taken on the

shores of Lake Sevan.

The Language

Most people would consider it impossible to learn Armenian. It bears little resemblance to any

other language. Russian is widely used throughout the country because of the decades of Soviet

domination. The signs on this bus station are written in Armenian (on the left in this picture) and

in Russian (on the right). Yellow buses like this one connect the villages. The red canisters on

the roof are propane, which is used to propel the vehicle.

The Religion

The Armenian Apostolic Church was the first Christian church in the world, dating back to AD 301.

Stone Churches

There are medieval stone churches throughout the country, some of which were erected more

than one thousand years ago.

Industry

The breakup of the Soviet Union resulted in the closing of many factories in the country. Several

of them blight the otherwise beautiful landscape.

The Market

The fruits and vegetables are beautiful and delicious.

Souvenirs

Like every country, Armenia has no lack of souvenirs for the tourists.