Armenia

Main article: Countries of the world

Population

Population

2018: Population decline since 1989 by 12% to 2.9 million

Children out of wedlock

Migration

2023: Mass emigration

Armenian politician and member of the "Group of Alternative Projects" Elinar Vardanyan in February 2024 spoke about mass emigration from Armenia, which puts the state on the verge of a national catastrophe.

For the period from 2021 to 2023, half of those who left abroad did not return to Armenia.

A huge number of Armenian citizens apply for a US green card: the number of applicants is much higher than, for example, in Georgia and Azerbaijan.

According to Vardanyan, this is not even emigration, but the decision of citizens to abandon their state, which is massive.

The politician believes that the reason for the exodus of Armenians from Armenia is the lack of an image of the future state, the ongoing war in which the country loses its territories, and social injustice.

Emigration is a direct consequence of the 2018 coup d'état during which Nikol Pashinyan was brought to power in Armenia by Western countries.

2021: Net outflow over 4 years

2015: Emigration

Male-to-female ratio

Life expectancy

National composition

Armenians

Russians

According to ArmInfo/FinPort, from March to August 2022, against the background of the conflict in Ukraine, about 100 thousand Russians moved to Armenia. By September, 300 large companies with Russian capital and 2,500 small businesses were registered.

Proportion of population outside the country

Xenophobia

Parliament

2024: US plans to promote pro-Western parties in parliamentary elections in Armenia in 2026

In November 2024, the press bureau of the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) reported that the US State Department doubts the final establishment of the pro-Western course of Armenia. Therefore, Washington is betting on the promotion of pro-Western parties on the eve of the 2026 parliamentary elections.

These include:

• " Republic" of Aram Sargsyan,
• "In the Name of the Republic" by Arman Babajanian,
• Tigran Khzmalyan's "European Party of Armenia,"
• Levon Shirinyan's "Christian Democratic Party."

The United States wants to ensure the passage of parties to parliament to support the pro-Western path and control the executive branch in order to prevent a repeat of the Georgian scenario.

2022: Women's share of parliament more than 40%

Government

Main article: Government of Armenia

Armed Forces

2025: Defense budget growth by 20% to $1.7 billion

In September 2024, Armenia reported an increase in the country's defense budget for 2025 by 20%, which will amount to approximately $1.7 billion. In 2024, the amount was $1.37 billion^[1] 2025]

2024

Reduction of personnel of the Russian Armed Forces in Armenia by 50%

On October 08, 2024, it became known that the Russian and Armenian parties agreed to jointly patrol the border with Iran and Turkey from January 1, 2025, as well as transfer control over the checkpoint with Iran to Armenian border guards.

Initially, only Russian border guards controlled the checkpoint on the border of Iran and Armenia, and from the Armenian side there were only customs officers. Now Russian servicemen have left the post.

Joint patrols imply nothing but fictitious security at the border. The Russian contingent is actually deprived of the powers that were previously.

In addition, the total number of personnel of the RF Armed Forces in Armenia has been reduced by 50%. Russian units have left several settlements, such as Goris, Sisian and Eraskh, for a long time.

Russian radar groups from the Martuni area near Lake Sevan also left their usual positions. It was they who provided control over the airspace of Armenia and transmitted data to the Armenians.

At the Margara checkpoint on the border with Turkey, Russian border guards were never allowed. At the same time, over the past few years, the number of personnel of the FSB of Russia on the Armenian-Turkish border has been purposefully reduced.

As a result, the most important border posts are no longer under the control of the FSB of Russia, namely through them the main economic flows and all other communication with Iran, and in the future - with Turkey.

Also, Russian servicemen left Zvartnots Airport in Yerevan in 2024.

According to Rybar, positions for American reconnaissance maneuvering groups will be equipped on the border with Iran in the Syunik region in October 2024, which will track Iran's activities and, in particular, missile launches. Iran's position in view of the strengthening of the West's position in Transcaucasia will become threatening.

American adviser appeared in the Ministry of Defense of Armenia

In July 2024, US Deputy Secretary of State Uzra Zeya, during her visit to Armenia, announced that an American adviser would now work in the Ministry of Defense of the republic.

The American official noted that this is the result of raising the level of relations between the two countries to a "strategic partnership."

The task of the Americans in Armenia is to oust Russia from the South Caucasus.

At the same time, joint exercises of the Americans with the peacekeeping contingent of the Armenian Armed Forces Eagle Partner-2024 are taking place.

Defense budget growth to $1.376 billion

2023

Army Reform Plan Following the Example of the Swiss Armed Forces

On November 24, 2023, Armenian President Nikol Pashinyan said during a live broadcast that the Armenian army would be reformed, and the Swiss armed forces were taken as an example. Interestingly, the Swiss Armed Forces have not participated in wars since 1815, and their structure can essentially be considered a militia for the country's defense.

Delivery of at least 20 French armoured personnel carriers

In November 2023, personnel of the unloading of French Bastion armored personnel carriers from a cargo ship in the Georgian port of Poti appeared in the Azerbaijani media. In the photo you can see at least 20 units of this type of equipment intended for the Armenian Armed Forces. At the same time, there was no talk of acquiring Bastions earlier - officially only discussed this option. There was an agreement between the countries over the supply of 50 units of other armored personnel carriers - VAB.

2021: Defence spending - 4.44% of GDP

Economy of Armenia

Main article: Economy of Armenia

Education

2019: Number of years of education by citizens over 25

Health care

Maternity leave

in

2020: Duration of guaranteed paid sick leave 6 months or more

Culture

Language

There are two Armenian languages - Western and Eastern. The literary western formed on the basis of the Constantinople dialect, and the eastern - on the basis of Tiflis. Armenians of Armenia (and Russia) speak predominantly Eastern Armenian, which feels much better than Western Armenian. Western Armenian is mainly the language of the Armenian diaspora in Western countries, where Armenians fled from the Turkish genocide at the beginning of the 20th century.

In the oral version, these languages ​ ​ are not even always mutual understanding, which creates certain problems. For example, there is a movement for the recognition of Western Armenian in Armenia as another state language. For 2024, the Western Armenian language has no official status in any country in the world. Languages ​ ​ differ not only in vocabulary, but also in phonetics and melody.

Crime

2021: Low rate of premeditated murder

and

Prisons

2022: The minimum age for children to be jailed is 14

2018: Number of prisoners per 100 thousand citizens

History

2024: Armenia transfers villages to Azerbaijan in enclaves that have been under its control since the 1990s

In April 2024, an official statement was made that Armenia was transferring to Azerbaijan enclaves that had been under the control of Armenians since the 1990s.

The road from Yerevan to Syunik passes through Tigranashen (which will now become Kärki and is at an altitude).

Through other settlements there is a route from Ijevan and a gas pipeline to the south of Armenia (specifically through Voskepar).

2023: Armenia surrenders control over Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan

In September 2023, due to the inaction of the Armenian authorities, Nagorno-Karabakh lost its independence and fully became part of Azerbaijan.

By September 27, about 47 thousand people had already crossed the border with Armenia, which is more than a third of the indigenous inhabitants living in Nagorno-Karabakh. By September 29, the number of people who left the region reached 93 thousand out of the total number of people living in 120 thousand.

On October 3, 2023, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that over 98 thousand civilians were evacuated from Nagorno-Karabakh to the territory of Armenia through the mediation of Russian peacekeepers.

The centuries-old history of Armenians living in Karabakh is coming to its tragic end.

2022: Armenian President Armen Sargsyan resigns

On January 23, 2022, Armen Sargsyan announced his resignation from the post of President of Armenia, which he held for almost four years. He explained his resignation by the extremely meager powers of the head of state. Read more here.

2020

Defeat in the second Karabakh war with Azerbaijan

The second Karabakh war, which began on September 27, 2020, was predetermined by many factors. Unlike the first war, which ended in the defeat of Azerbaijan, this time the victory was on the side of Baku, which converted military successes into an agreement to return to its control a significant part of the territories adjacent to Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as part of Nagorno-Karabakh itself - Shushi and Hadrut.

Among the factors contributing to the victory of Azerbaijan was its superiority in armament, primarily complete air dominance, which was achieved thanks to unmanned aerial vehicles purchased from Israel and Turkey. Experts believe that the Armenian side was taken by surprise by barraging ammunition ("kamikaze drones"). Among other factors that ensured Azerbaijan victory in the war was the help of Turkish military advisers, as well as, according to some reports, direct participation in the battles of Turkish military personnel, including pilots and gunners, as well as mercenaries from the Middle East (which, however, the Azerbaijani side categorically denies).

Speaking about the reasons for the defeat of Armenia, experts call the short-sighted policy of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who allowed the war in conditions when the country was not ready for it, the mistakes of the Armenian leadership in matters of military construction, strategic and tactical miscalculations of the Armenian military command.

The war ended on November 9, 2020 with the signing of a statement by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and President. Russia Vladimir Putin

The key point of the trilateral agreement was the agreement to deploy Russian peacekeepers in the conflict zone, which should eliminate the possibility of resuming armed confrontation and create conditions for restarting the diplomatic process, which has stalled for a quarter of a century.

The victory of Azerbaijan sharply devalued the calls made by Nikol Pashinyan throughout the year in Yerevan to grant Nagorno-Karabakh a special status. There is not a word in the trilateral statement of the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia on November 9 about the need for a special status of Karabakh.

In this regard, in his address to the nation the very day after the signing of the trilateral statement of November 9, Ilham Aliyev said: "Well, Pashinyan? Where is your status? There's no status and there won't be. This is part of Azerbaijan, Pashinyan. "

In turn, the press secretary of the Russian president Dmitry Peskov, after signing the statement by the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, confirmed Moscow's commitment to the principle of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. "Yes, this document does not talk about the status of Karabakh, at the moment we continue to proceed from all relevant basic acts of international law, primarily the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and other documents,"^[2].

After the Victory Parade in Baku on December 10 and negotiations with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was present at the celebrations, Ilham Aliyev made a conciliatory statement to Armenia. "We discussed the creation of a unified platform for the development of the region in peace. This platform provides for cooperation between Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkey and Iran. If Armenia draws the right conclusions from the ended war, we can cooperate with Armenia. We need to put an end to this feud, open a new page, "Ilham Aliyev said.

It is not yet clear, however, who from the Armenian side will have to draw conclusions from what happened. A significant number of citizens of the country consider Prime Minister Pashinyan guilty of a shameful defeat in the war, the opposition is seeking his resignation.

The death of the military on both sides on the border of Armenia and Azerbaijan

The first thunderstorm of the impending storm, which was not given much importance at first, sounded on July 12, 2020. On that day, clashes took place on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, hundreds of kilometers from Nagorno-Karabakh, which became the largest military incident between the parties since April 2016.

Then many politicians, diplomats and experts considered the incident to be of local importance.

Several Azerbaijani and Armenian soldiers were killed and injured during clashes on the border, the defense ministries of the two countries reported on July 13, 2020.

The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense reported that four Azerbaijani soldiers were killed and five were injured.

The Ministry of Defense of Armenia reported two injured Armenian military. The parties exchanged accusations of violating the ceasefire and shelling.

Frozen conflict is a concern for the international community because it threatens stability in the region, which is a corridor for pipelines through which oil and gas enter world markets.

1921: Territories with Mount Ararat transferred to Turkey under the Treaty of Kars

Mount Ararat is the most important symbol of the Armenian nation. According to the Old Testament, Noah stopped the ark on the mountains of Ararat during the flood. And in the original Hebrew Bible, Armenia was called the Ararat kingdom. In 1921, the territories on which the mountain is located were given to Turkey as part of the Treaty of Kars.

1700: As part of Safavid Persia

600g

114: Roman Emperor Trajan's military campaign

30 BC: Great Armenia

129 BC.

200 g BC.

250 g BC.

326 BC: As part of the empire of Alexander the Great

500 BC: As part of the Achaemenid Persian State

640 BC: Under Scythian domination

Sport

2022: The most popular sport is football

Main article: Football

in

1971

Calendar

Notes