Armenian Geography

Topography of Armenia.

Armenia (local name, Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun) is a state in southwest Asia, east of Turkey. It is a landlocked country located in Asia Minor, between the Black and Caspian seas. It is bordered to the north and east by Georgia and Azerbaijan, and to the south and west by Iran and Turkey.

Physical geography

Armenia is located in the Transcaucasia, the southwestern area of Russia, between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. It lies between the plateaus of Iran and Asia Minor, the Black Sea, and the Transcaucasian and Mesopotamian plains. Modern Armenia occupies part of historical Armenia, whose center was in the valley of the Araks River and the region around Lake Van in Turkey. Armenia is bordered by Georgia to the north, Azerbaijan to the east, the Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan to the southwest, Iran to the south, and Turkey to the west.

Relief

Armenian terrain is mainly mountainous. Twenty-five million years ago, geological upheaval pushed the earth's crust to form the Armenian Plateau, thus creating the complex topography of Armenia. The South Caucasus mountain range stretches from the north of the country, continuing southeast between Lake Sevan and Azerbaijan, then across the Armenian-Azerbaijani border to Iran. Thus situated, the mountains make traveling north-south and south-north very difficult. The geological process continues today, with devastating earthquakes. In December 1988, the country's second-largest city, Lininakan (now Gyumri), was badly damaged by an earthquake that killed more than 25,000 people.

About half of the 29,800 square kilometers of Armenia has an elevation of 2,000 meters or higher, and only 3% of the country's area is below 650 meters. The lowest elevation sites are found in the valleys of the Araks and Debet rivers, in the north of the country, with altitudes of 380 and 430 meters respectively. The altitude in the South Caucasus varies between 2,640 and 3,280 meters. To the southwest of that range is the Armenian Plateau, which is dotted with small mountain ranges and dormant volcanoes. The largest of these, the Aragats, at 4,095 meters above sea level, is also the highest point in the country. Most of the population lives in the western and northwestern part of the country, where the two largest cities are located: the capital Yerevan and Gyumri.

Rivers and lakes

Rivers are short and fast. Among the country's rivers we must mention the Araks and the Debet in the far north. The valleys of the Debet and Akstafa rivers form the main routes into Armenia from the north as it passes through the mountains.

Lake Sevan, 72.5 km at its widest point and 376 km long, is by far the largest lake. It is at 2,070 meters above sea level on the plateau. The terrain is most rugged in the far south-east, which is drained by the Bargushat River, and more moderate in the Araks valley in the far south-west. Most of Armenia is traversed by the Araks or its tributaries, the Hrazdan, which flows from Lake Sevan. The Araks form most of the Armenian border with Turkey and Iran while the Zangezur Mountains form the border between the southern Armenian province of Syunik and the neighboring Azerbaijani autonomous republic of Nakhchivan.

Climate

The climate is continental high altitude: hot summers and cold winters. The mountain formations block the moderating influences of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, which creates a great climatic difference between seasons: summers are hot (+40/42 °C) and cold winters (-15/20 °C).

The temperature varies between 22° and 36 °C. It generally depends on the altitude. In the plains, winters are long and severe and summers are short (from June to mid-September) and hot. Spring is short and autumns are long. In the mountains, the climate is cooler and conditions are much more extreme in the winter. On the Armenian Plateau, the average winter temperature is 0 °C while the average summer temperature exceeds 25 °C. Winters are very cold with a lot of snow and temperatures that vary between -10° and -5°C. The average temperature for the month of January is -11.6 °C, and that of June is 13.5 °C. Winter sports are popular in winter, such as skiing in the Tsakhkadzor hills, which are 30 minutes from Yerevan.

It is a dry climate, which attenuates the effect of high temperatures. The afternoon breeze, coming from the mountains, provides a welcome coolness. Average annual rainfall is 443 mm, but it varies greatly from one area to another. They range from 250 mm per year in the Aras river valley, the most arid area of the country, to 800 mm in the highest points of the country. Despite the harshness of winter in most of the country, the fertile volcanic soil of the plateau made Armenia one of the first agricultural sites in the world.

Source: BBC Weather

Environment

Landscape of the province of Vayots' Dzor, near the monastery of Noravank.

The vegetation is typically steppe. Forests are scarce. Armenia is a mountainous country, distributed among the biomes of temperate broadleaved forests, to the east, included in the ecoregion called mixed forest of the Caucasus; and prairie, to the west, which corresponds to the montane steppe of eastern Anatolia.

492,239 hectares are protected as wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, in two Ramsars: Lake Arpi and Lake Sevan. It has two national parks: Dilijan and Sevan.

The country's natural hazards are occasionally severe earthquakes and droughts. Earthquakes have abounded in the history of Armenia. In December 1988, the second largest city in the republic, Leninakan (now Gyumri), was seriously damaged by a massive earthquake that killed more than 25,000 people.

Environmental problems include soil contamination by toxic products such as DDT; the energy crises of the 1990s led to deforestation as citizens searched for firewood. A communication blockade, carried out by Turkey due to the conflict with Azerbaijan, has resulted in a process of deforestation. The rivers Hrazdan (Razdan) and Aras are also polluted; the drying up of the Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan), a result of its use as a source of hydroelectric power, threatens drinking water reserves and, finally, the recommissioning of the Metsamor nuclear power plant despite its location in an area active semi-seismic

Armenia is trying to solve its environmental problems. A Ministry of Nature Protection has been introduced, while taxes have been imposed for air and water pollution, as well as for the generation of solid toxic waste, the proceeds of which are used to carry out environmental protection and recovery projects.. The Armenian government is planning to shut down the country's only nuclear power plant, which dates back to Soviet times, as soon as alternative energy sources can be exploited.

Human Geography

The population is 2,967,004 (July 2009 est.). The ethnic groups are: Armenians 97.9%, Yesidis (Kurds) 1.3%, Russians 0.5%, other 0.3%. Religions: Armenian Apostolic 94.7%, other Christians 4%, Yesidis (monotheists with elements of nature veneration) 1.3%. Languages: Armenian 97.7%, Yesidi 1%, Russian 0.9%, other 0.4% (2001 census)

The capital is Yerevan. Other important cities, by number of inhabitants, Gyumri, Vanadzor, Vagharshapat and Hrazdan.

Armenia is administratively divided into 11 provinces, (marzer, singular - marz): Aragatsotn, Ararat, Armavir, Geghark'unik', Kotayk&# 39;, Lorri, Shirak, Syunik', Tavush, Vayots' Dzor and Yerevan.

Economic geography

The subsoil is rich in minerals such as gold, silver, copper, iron and salt.

Protected Areas of Armenia

Arevik National Park and Meghri Mountains in Winter

According to the IUCN, there are 35 protected areas in Armenia covering 6,860 km², or 23.11 percent of the territory. Of these, 4 are national parks, 25 are nature sanctuaries, 3 are state reserves, and 3 are Ramsar sites.

• Dilijan National Park
• Sevan National Park
• Arpi Lake National Park
• Arevik National Park