POPULATION 3,330,099
ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC 94 percent
OTHER CHRISTIAN 4 percent
OTHER 2 percent

Country Overview

Introduction

The Republic of Armenia is a small country located in southwestern Asia. South of the Caucasus Mountains, it is bordered by Georgia and Azerbaijan to the north and east, Iran to the south, and Turkey to the west. The historical Armenia was situated in a complex of volcanic and earthquake-prone mountain ranges known as the Armenian Highlands, a region 10 times the size of the modern country. According to tradition, in 301 C.E. Armenia became the first nation to adopt Christianity as its state religion.

Located between major empires of the East and the West, Armenia has endured a history marked by periods of both independence and foreign domination. It has been invaded by numerous powers, including Assyrians, Babylonians, Iranians, Romans, Arabs, Seljuks, Mongols, and Ottoman Turks. Despite attempts by many of the invaders to force religious...