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 In this section you will find great Armenia Luxury Resorts and Hotels. Great Luxury Tours. Plus tons of enjoyable virtual tours and streaming videos---You will find everything here, all the insider's secrets.Armenia is situated at a cultural, historical, and religious intersection and located at the crossroads between Europe and Asia, in the southern Transcaucasus. Armenia's landscapes offer boundless beauty.
The capital city, Yerevan, lies on the Hrazdan River, and is home to some 1.2 million people. The next three largest cities are Gyumri(pop. 121,000), Vanadzor (pop. 74,000) and Abovian (pop. 54,000). Another important city is Echmiadzin, located some 20 miles west of Yerevan, which is the seat of the patriarchate of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
POPULATION
Ethnic Armenians comprise nearly 96 percent of the republic's 3.6 million population, with the remainder being Kurds, Yezidis, Russians, Jews, Assyrians, and Greeks. The majority (68%) lives in urban areas. One third of the total population lives in the capital city of Yerevan. There are 27 cities, 31 towns, and 921 villages with the population density ranging from 17 to 330 per sq. kilometer. Armenia?s administrative structure consists of 10 districts and the city of Yerevan which has a district status.
In the beginning of the 1990s, there was a spontaneous migration of Armenians. Due to the lack of the official statistics, the numbers are based on the estimates. About 500,000 people (12-13% of the total population) have left Armenia since 1993. The most intensive migration was to the central and southern regions of the Russian Federation, as well as to various CIS [Commonwealth of Independent States] countries. At least 40, 000 people left for the United States and other industrialized countries. Estimated 60% of the total eight million Armenians lives outside Armenia in 60 countries, with one million in each the U.S. and Russia. Significant Armenian communities are in Georgia, France, Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Argentina, and Canada.
Minorities in Armenia enjoy equal rights and full freedom. The Government has adopted policies encouraging the minorities to develop their cultures and education. Minorities in Armenia have always been free from any persecution on their religious beliefs, languages, traditions and customs. These freedoms are enshrined in the Declaration of Independence which guarantees the "free and equal development of its citizens, regardless of national origin, race or creed." Next to the Russians, the largest minority are Yezidis, who live mainly in the rural areas of Armenia. They adhere to a distinct religion which bears traces of Iranian Zoroastrinism, Christianity and Islam. Though the language spoken by Yezidis is Kurdish, they tend to regard themselves as distinct from Kurds. The Kurdish community in Armenia is also very active. There is a Kurdological Department of the Institute of Oriental Studies at the Yerevan State University and a Kurdish Writers Union of Armenia. The Kurdish paper Ria Taza (New Way) has been publishing since 1930, and there are daily radio broadcasts in Kurdish. Today, after seven decades under Soviet rule, many Jews are finally coming forward to assert their Jewish identity. The Jewish community in Armenia dates back to the first century A.D., when Tigran the Great resettled some 10,000 Jews in Armenia following his retreat from Palestine. The most recent wave arrived during the World War II, as Armenia offered a safe haven for those driven away from the Nazi-occupied parts of Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine. Recently, a cultural center and a Sunday school were opened to provide a place to teach the history of Judaism and Hebrew. Almost two hundred students, half of which are adults, are now enrolled in the school.
Armenia - acknowledged as one of the cradles of civilization - is a beautiful country with a sophisticated people and a long and cultured history. As a result, Armenia is an intriguing tourist destination. Numerous monuments and masterpieces of the Ancient era and Middle Ages can be found throughout the country. Tourism in Armenia is rooted in the country's historical landmarks and natural attractions such as the water resorts of Lake Sevan,the hot springs of Arzni and Jermuk, the forests of Dilijan, Aghveran, Tsaghkadzor, Bjurakan and Gugark, and the mountainous natural caves and cliffs of the Southeast region. The 5165 meter Mount Ararat, geographically located in Turkey, is a national symbol of Armenia and is visible from much of the Southwest region.
Armenia is a nation still emerging from its Soviet past. Armenia's borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan are closed due to the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute. Long transportation routes and economic difficulties limit the availability of imported goods. Tourist facilities, especially outside of Yerevan, the capital city, are not highly developed, and many of the goods and services taken for granted in other countries may be difficult to obtain.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: A passport and visa are required. For further information on entry requirements, please contact the Armenian Embassy at 2225 R St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008, tel. (202) 319-1976, or the Armenian Consulate General in Los Angeles at 50 N. La Cienega Blvd., Suite 210, Beverly Hills, CA 90211, tel. (310) 657-6102.
REGISTRATION AND EMBASSY LOCATION: Americans are encouraged to register at the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy, and obtain updated information on travel and security within Armenia. The U.S. Embassy in Yerevan is located at 18 General Bagramian Street, telephone 011 (3742) 151-551 and fax 011 (3742) 151-550.
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