A huge world to explore "Armenia"

                                                                    ARMENIA

GENERAL INFORMATION

Armenia is located in the southern Caucasus. It is bordered by Georgia to the north, Iran to the south, Azerbaijan to the northeast and southwest, Turkey to the west. The Republic of Armenia occupies a territory of 29 800 square km, at an average altitude of 1800 m above sea level. The highest point is Mount Aragats (4090 m), while the lowest point is the valley of the Debed River (400 m).

“The capital is Yerevan.”

The state religion of Armenia is Christianity, which was adopted in 301.

The official language is Armenian—a separate branch in the Indo-European language family, the Armenian alphabet is completely different from all other alphabets. State buildings and public places have tablets written in Latin as well. In addition to Armenian, Russian, and English are also widely used in the country.

The national currency of Armenia is called “dram” (the code – AMD). Armenia has a dry tropical climate. Clear and sunny days are predominant in a year (more than 300 days in a year). Summers are hot here, the temperature varies between +22C to +36C. Winters are mainly cold, snowy, the average temperature is between -15C to -1C. The mountain peaks are covered with eternal snow, while their slopes are bordered by alpine meadows.

Culture/Customs

Armenia's culture epitomizes the nature of the Silk Road, with its distinctive customs and unique art forms, which are the product of the blending of Eastern and Western civilizations over centuries. Mythical heroes inspired by the Greek gods and transformed under the Orthodox faith are brought to life through oral and literary tradition. Hellenistic temples compete with monasteries, which mirror their Georgian counterparts but boast unique designs. Hand-woven carpets resemble those of their Iranian and Turkish neighbors, until a closer look reveals distinctly Armenian clues. The peace of the Armenian Lands has often been destroyed by the invasion of larger and more powerful neighbors, and traces of Persian, Arab, Byzantine, Mongol, and Turkish cultures can be found in Armenia as a pervasive reminder of its oppressive past. However, with each assault, the Armenian people managed not only to hold on to their heritage, but also to strengthen their values and determination.

Today, Armenia is seen as one of the oldest nations on earth and its unique culture is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Those who travel to Armenia can expect an exciting journey into over a thousand years of history, in its pink tufa architecture, lively theaters and renowned paintings that reflect modern Armenian life.

Food

It can be said that Armenian cuisine has an event in its history that characterizes it: the Soviet period since 1920, which opened the influence to all the culinary customs of the East. Before this event, other cultures were leaving their mark on Armenian cuisine, perhaps because it was a place of passage: the Greek cuisine through Alexander the Great, as well as the dishes of Mongolian cuisine and Arabic cuisine.

Dairy products are important in its cuisine and better if they are fermented as the “panir” cheese, one of the most popular vegetables in Armenian cuisine is the pumpkin, despite not being very common in the markets, one of the most traditional dishes made with this vegetable is the ghapama that includes nuts. 

Cereals are part of a great source of calories in the Armenian diet. 'Dzwar' is the name of the shelled cereal grains, 'atchar' (spelled) is very popular in soups and dolmas. Meats are considered in Armenia as a symbol of fullness and abundance in food, eating it is a prestige offered to guests of high rank, and thus the more it is offered to a guest the greater honor is done to him. The most traditional Armenian barbecue is the khorovats, with great meanings of celebration of the joy and the company, it is celebrated in any time of the year, it usually has different skewers (denominated 'shish' or also 'shampoor' or 'mangal') elaborated with meats and vegetables strung and put on the fire of charcoal embers. 

The use of herbs (called 'kanachi' in Armenian, especially aromatic ones) is abundant, and this generous use can be seen even today. Any dish that makes abundant use of cut herbs contains in its name the Armenian word 'aghtsan'. Among the most commonly used herbs is one called sindrick, a herb with a bitter taste that is also attributed with medicinal properties. Some traditional herbs of Armenian cuisine are Rumex crispus ('Avelook') which is a herb widely used in Armenian stews and Dandoor which is cooked in the same way as spinach.

Armenian cuisine highly values herbs in the preparation of dishes. Armenian cuisine also makes great use of salt, especially the inhabitants of the mountains rather than the valleys, and for this reason there are abundant cured foods for salting: salted cheeses.

Interesting facts 

—Their favorite game is chess. So much so, that they have been champions in the last two world championships, beating countries such as the United States, Russia or China. A very healthy and stimulating pastime.

—One of their typical drinks is cognac -although it should be produced in France, it is a very worthy equivalent-. It is a very respected and consumed drink among Armenians. They also produce wine and beer.

— The original Armenian alphabet had a total of 36 letters -a few more than the Latin alphabet-although a couple more have been added over time. It is considered the most difficult language in the world to learn.

—One of their proudest legends is that the Garden of Eden was located within their borders. This myth finds its argument in the great vegetation that is born and grows in the valleys of Armenia. 

—Although there are not many Armenians who are famous, there are personalities from all fields of culture with Armenian roots. André Agassi, Alain Prost, Cher or even Seymour Skinner, the character from The Simpsons.