The Guinness Encyclopedia

home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search

/ The Guinness Encyclopedia / The Guinness Encyclopedia - Wayzata Technology (3221-1B) (Disc 2) (1995).iso / countrie / 16in_cou.ntr / card_5822.xml < prev next >

Wrap

Extensible Markup Language | 1995-06-13 | 5KB | 19 lines

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?> <!DOCTYPE card PUBLIC "-//Apple, Inc.//DTD card V 2.0//EN" "" > <card> <id>5822</id> <filler1>0</filler1> <cantDelete> <false /> </cantDelete> <showPict> <true /> </showPict> <dontSearch> <false /> </dontSearch> <owner>5472</owner> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="stylesheet_3106.css" /> <content> <layer>background</layer> <id>31</id> <text>ARMENIAOfficial name: Hayastani HanrapetutΓÇÖyun (Republic of Armenia)Member of: UN, CIS, OSCEArea: 29800 km2 (11506 sq mi)Population: 3550000 (1993 est)Capital: Yerevan 1283000 (1991 est)Other major city: Kumayri (Gyumri; formerly Leninakan) 163000 (1991 est)Languages: Armenian (official; 93%), Azeri (3%)Religion: Armenian Apostolic (Orthodox) majorityGOVERNMENTA 185-member State Council and an executive President are elected by universal adult suffrage for four years.GEOGRAPHYAll of Armenia is mountainous ΓÇô only 10% of the country is under 1000 m (3300 ft). The highest peak is Mt Aragats at 4090 m (13418 ft). Climate: Armenia has a dry continental climate with considerable local variations owing to altitude and aspect.ECONOMYThe industrial sector includes chemicals, metallurgy, textiles, precision goods and food processing. Major projects have provided hydroelectric power and irrigation water for agriculture. Privatization has begun. The war against Azerbaijan has devastated the economy and resulted in a severe energy shortage. Currency: Dram.HISTORYAncient Armenia was incorporated, in turn, into the Persian Empire, the empire of Alexander the Great and the Seleucid Empire. Independent Armenian states appeared in the 2nd century bc and a united Armenian kingdom was established c. 55 bc. Christianity was adopted c. ad 300. In the 4th and 5th centuries Armenia was divided between the Byzantine Empire and Persia. An independent kingdom (Greater Armenia) emerged in the 9th century, but was constantly threatened by invasion from the Arabs, Byzantines, Persians and Seljuks. When Greater Armenia fell to the Mongols (1236ΓÇô42), many Armenians fled to Cilicia (modern southeast Turkey), where the kingdom of Little Armenia flourished until the 14th century, when it was overrun by Mamluk armies from Egypt. In the 16th century Armenia was fought over by Persia and the Ottoman Turks. After 1620 west and central Armenia was ruled by the Turks and eastern Armenia (the present state) was taken by Persia.Russia annexed Persian Armenia between 1813 and 1828. The Armenians under Ottoman rule suffered persecution and, in 1896 and in 1915, large-scale massacres. During World War I Turkey deported nearly 2000000 Armenians (suspected of pro-Russian sympathies) to Syria and Mesopotamia. The survivors contributed to an Armenian diaspora in Europe and the USA. Following the collapse of Tsarist Russia, an independent Armenian state emerged briefly (1918ΓÇô22), but faced territorial wars with all its neighbors. Armenia was annexed by the Soviet Union in 1922 and became a separate Union Republic within the USSR in 1936. After the abortive coup by Communist hardliners in Moscow, Armenia declared independence and received international recognition when the USSR was dissolved (1991). From 1990 to 1994 Azeri and Armenian forces were involved in a violent dispute concerning the status of Nagorno Karabakh, an enclave of Orthodox Christian Armenians surrounded by the Shiite Muslim Azeris. In 1994, after Armenia had overrun 20% of Azerbaijan, a Russian-brokered ceasefire was signed.</text> </content> <name>Armenia</name> <script></script> </card>