A republic in southwestern Asia; formerly an Asian Soviet; throughout 2500 years the Armenian people have been invaded and oppressed by their neighbors; Also called: Hayastan.
Country in W Asia, bounded E by Azerbaijan, N by Georgia, W by Turkey, and S by Iran.
Government
There is a 260-member legislature, the supreme council, to which deputies are elected by a majority system, and a second ballot “run-off” race in contests in which there is no clear first-round majority. From the majority grouping within the supreme council, a prime minister (chair of the cabinet of ministers) is drawn. The state president is directly elected.
History
Armenia was in ancient times a kingdom occupying what is now the Van region of Turkey, part of nw Iran, and what is now Armenia. Under King Tigranes ii (95–55 bc) the kingdom reached the height of its power, controlling an empire that stretched from the Mediterranean to the Caucasus. Thereafter, it fell under the sway of the Byzantine Empire, then the Muslim Turks from the late 11th century, the Mongols in the 13th century, and the Ottomans from the 16th century. This domination by foreign powers bred an intense national consciousness and encouraged northward migration of the community.
Under Soviet control
With the advance of Russia into the Caucasus during the early 19th century, there was a struggle for independence which provoked an Ottoman backlash and growing international concern at Armenian maltreatment. In 1915 an estimated 1,750,000 Armenians were massacred or deported by the Turks. Conquered by Russia 1916, Armenia was briefly independent 1918 until occupied by the Red Army 1920. Along with Azerbaijan and Georgia, it formed part of the Transcaucasian Soviet Socialist Republic, but became a constituent republic of the ussr 1936.
Growth of nationalism
As a result of glasnost, Armenian national identity was reawakened and in 1988 demands for reunion with Nagorno-Karabakh led to a civil war 1989–91, resulting in the intervention of Soviet troops. The Armenian National Movement, which was formed Nov 1989 by Levon Ter-Petrossian and Vazguen Manukyan, and the militant Karabakh Committee were at the fore of this growing nationalist campaign. The campaign included attempts to secure full control over the Azeri enclave of Nakhichevan, leading to the flight of almost 200,000 Azeris from the republic. In the 1990 elections to the republic's supreme soviet (parliament) nationalists polled strongly and Ter-Petrossian and Manukyan were chosen as president and prime minister respectively.
Struggle for independence
On 23 Aug 1990 a declaration of independence was made but ignored by Moscow. The republic boycotted the March 1991 ussr referendum on the preservation of the Soviet Union and in April 1991 property belonging to the Communist Party of Armenia (cpa) was nationalized. Four months later the cpa dissolved itself. In a referendum held Sept 1991, shortly after the failed anti-Gorbachev coup in Moscow, 94% voted for secession from the ussr. Independence was formally proclaimed by President Ter-Petrossian, but this failed to secure Western recognition.
Nagorno-Karabakh dispute
A cease-fire agreement signed by Armenia and Azerbaijan on 24 Sept 1991 collapsed Nov 1991 when the Azeri parliament, dominated by communists-turned-nationalists, voted to annul Nagorno-Karabakh’s autonomous status. Soviet troops were gradually withdrawn from the enclave, leaving it vulnerable to Azeri attacks. In response, after a referendum and elections Dec 1991, Nagorno-Karabakh’s parliament declared its “independence”, precipitating an intensification of the conflict.
Armenian independence achieved
On 16 Oct 1991, Ter-Petrossian was overwhelmingly reelected president, capturing 83% of the vote, in the republic's first direct election. In Dec 1991 Armenia joined the new Commonwealth of Independent States, which was formed to supersede the Soviet Union. Also in Dec Armenia was accorded diplomatic recognition by the us and in Jan 1992 was admitted into the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe; in March 1992 it became a member of the United Nations.
Nagorno-Karabkh conflict worsens
During early 1992 Armenia suffered a trade and energy embargo imposed by Azerbaijan in the escalating conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenian forces captured the Azeri strategic strongholds of Shusha and Lachin in May, but by Aug had lost much of their newly gained territory in a surprise counteroffensive by Azeri troops. They recovered their losses during 1993 and by July reputedly controlled one-fifth of Azeri territory, including much of Nagorno-Karabkh.