Armenia

1. Republic of Armenia KNOW YOUR COMMUNITY-KNOW YOUR WORLD

2. Speaker:

3. Armenia is located in a region known as the South Caucasus. It is one of the most secluded countries in the world because it is landlocked and surrounded by high mountains. Armenia is slightly smaller than Maryland in area. Sadly, most of the land cannot be lived on because it is so dry.

4. Country Quick Facts Full name: Republic of Armenia Population: about 3 million (July 2014) Capital: Yerevan Largest city: Yerevan Official language: Armenian Major religion: Armenian Orthodox (92.6%) Life expectancy: Male-71, Female-78 Monetary unit: Armenian Dram Main exports: iron, copper, metal, gold, diamonds, mineral products, energy, foodstuffs GNI per capita: $8,880

5. Armenian History in Brief Humans have lived on the land that is Armenia today since prehistoric times The area was passed between the Persian and Roman Empires and was conquered by Arabs, Mongols, and then the Turks when it became part of the Ottoman Empire In the 1800s, Armenia was taken over by Russia Armenia became part of the Soviet Union in 1920 September 21, 1991 became independent from the USSR 1991-Conflict with Azerbaijan broke out over the Nagorno- Karabakh region that still remains a problem today

6. The Armenian Genocide April 24, 2015 marked the 100 year anniversary of the Armenian Genocide At the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th there was a minority of about 3 million Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire (present-day Turkey) Armenians wanted more rights in the Empire, which was seen as threating to the governments power and plans Between 1915-1923 it is estimated that 1 million Armenians were killed after the Ottoman government ordered large-scale round-ups, deportations, and killing of Armenians throughout the Empire There is international disagreement over whether this mass killing of Armenians was actually a genocide by definition, with Turkey arguing that genocide was not committed Turkey says the deaths were a tragic result of famine and problems related to World War II

7. The Forget-Me-Not flower is the official emblem of the 100th Year Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide It serves as eternal remembrance of all those who died in the genocide

8. Language HELLO: Barev / GOODBYE: Hajoghutyun /' YES: ayo/ NO: voch/ THANK YOU: Mersi/ YOURE WELCOME: Khndrem/ PLEASE: Khentrem / I LOVE YOU: Sirum em kez/ HOW ARE YOU: Vonts es? /

9. Government President: Serzh Sargsyan Prime minister: Hovik Abrahamyan Type of government: republic Voting age: 18 years old Sargsya n Abrahamya n

10. Current Issues Government corruption High unemployment, people very poor, no jobs Pollution is high from the agricultural factories Conflict with Azerbaijan and Turkey, especially over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is part of Azerbaijan but is mostly inhabited by ethnic Armenians Rely too much on Russia Turkey does not acknowledge the deaths of Armenians in the 1915 as genocide

11. Economy Armenias economy has had a hard time since its independence in 1991 Armenia must rely on other nations for energy such as natural gas Agricultural sector is suffering because people that own the farms cannot afford to keep up with the demand for food Relies on Russia for help in its industries Mineral mining in Armenia is one of the few industries

12. Currency Armenian dram 1 US dollar= 477.18 Armenian dram (July 2015)

13. Armenian Music and Dance Armenia is most famous for its classical music Well-known Sabre Dance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyBnByXq9 3k Music is very important to Armenians and if affordable, children almost always take lessons for at least one instrument, mostly common would be piano Armenian folk dancing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1RXqZmsk

14. Traditional Clothing

15. Life in Armenia Most Armenians live in apartments in the city that most of us would consider very small Apartments are crowded because they probably live with their grandparents and sometimes even aunts and uncles in addition to their parents and siblings Both parents will work and the grandparents will take care of the children and household Most families dont own and car and if they do they rarely use it Students walk or take public transportation to school A lot of times there is little hot water and no electricity in the

16. School Life in Armenia Children begin school when they are 5 years old and continue through high school They learn subjects similar to the ones in America and then they learn Russian and sometimes English In high school, students decide what they want to do for a career and their choice determines whether they go on to college or trade school Armenian children learn about their culture in school, like folk dancing They dont take gym class, sports are outside of school

17. Free Time Kids enjoy playing soccer, basketball, tennis, gymnastics, and wrestling outside of school Almost all children will take a musical instrument lesson Pets are seen as very important and they are well taken care of by children Most children dont watch television, play on the computer, or have Xbox or PlayStation Children play at the park a lot because the house/apartment is small and they make up their own games since they dont have a lot of toys Sometimes help the family earn money by getting a job themselves when they are old enough, or at least do chores around the home

18. Armenian Food Armenian food has Islamic roots Very spicy and has a lot of garlic Lamb shish kebabs cooked over open fire Solyanka- stew made of beef parts and heavily spiced with herbs Yogurt is very popular and is used as a side dish or put in soup Pshat- fruit of the oleaster tree that has a dry taste Lavash- thin bread Tahn- a drink made with salt and minted yogurt

19. Pshat fruit (left), lavash bread (below), and tahn

20. Fun Facts Armenia was the worlds first Christian nation when it made Christianity its official religion in 301 AD Mount Ararat is a national symbol of Armenia, even though its currently located inside Turkeys borders There are about 11 million Armenians (or people of Armenian descent) outside of Armenia, many of which are in the US, including the Kardashians! Armenia has one of the oldest and longest cable cars in the world Armenia has an important lake called Lake Sevan, which is one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world

21. Wings of Tatev, left, is one of the longest and oldest cable cars in the world. Lake Sevan (right)

22. View of Mount Ararat, a national symbol of Armenia, from the Yerevan, the capital city

23. This is the St. Gregory of Narek Armenian Church in Cleveland. There are about 3,000 people of Armenian descent in Cleveland!

24. Armenian Cultural Garden, Cleveland

25. Links and Resources on Armenia and the Armenian Genocide Website of documentary on the Armenian Genocide: http://watchersofthesky.com/ Watchers of the Sky trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e0HFCKcVhc Armenian Genocide lesson plans: https://www.facinghistory.org/for- educators/educator-resources/resource-collections/armenian-genocide- resource-collection/lessons-and-units Armenian Culture Garden, Cleveland: http://culturalgardens.org/gardenDetail.aspx?gardenID=3 The Ash Tree by Daniel Melnick from Beachwood, Ohio is a story about an Armenian immigrant in the US https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/am.html http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/europe/am.htm

Armenia

Education