Six things you may not know about Armenia: BBCMay 3, 2018 - 12:32 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenians have been making headlines by shutting down cities with major protests. How much do you know about this landlocked former Soviet republic in the southern Caucasus? The BBC has compiled a list of six facts to get you started. 1. More Armenians live outside the republic than in it The country's population is around three million but millions more live aboard. There are big diasporas in the United States, Russia and France. Many recent Armenian migrants go to Russia for its proximity and because many speak Russian. 2. Mount Ararat is considered a national symbol Even though it is in Turkey...
The snow-capped mountain (5,165m; 16,945ft) dominates the horizon in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, and is named in the Bible as the place Noah's Ark grounded after the flood. 3. It is one of the earliest Christian civilisations Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion in the early 4th century and its Church is completely autonomous from other Christian Churches of the world. 4. Learning chess is compulsory Since 2011, all children in Armenia from six to eight years old have had compulsory chess lessons.
The country has produced numerous grandmasters and it currently has more than 3,000 qualified trained chess teachers in its schools. 5. It is proud of its brandy During World War Two, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin sent Winston Churchill several dozen cases of Armenian brandy as a present. Many years later, in 2013, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave David Cameron a bottle of Armenian brandy recalling the story.
6. Many famous people have Armenian roots These include French composer Charles Aznavour; Russian grandmaster Garry Kasparov; US singer Cher and celebrity Kim Kardashian West, who tweeted her support for the latest protests. "It’s so inspiring to see all Armenians united in peaceful protests making a difference. It’s a historic day for Armenia. I used this image of me in Armenia because this woman touched my heart and to me she represents the heart of so many strong Armenians!" she said. Related links: Top stories David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. The number of state universities will be reduced from 23 to 8 by 2030, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan has said. From September 21 to November 11, a total of 2,820 Russians registered at a place of residence in Armenia, the police has said. The situation on the contact line between Karabakh and Azerbaijan was relatively stable overnight, the Defense Army says. Partner news | Kazakhstan welcomes Yerevan, Baku’s agreement to meet in Almaty Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed the agreement of Baku and Yerevan to hold negotiations in Almaty. Armenia offers to temporarily host, preserve Gaza manuscripts The Armenian Foreign Minister has said Yerevan is ready to help preserve manuscripts from the conflict zone in Gaza. Aliyev says no need for mediators in Armenia-Azerbaijan process Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev believes that Baku and Yerevan do not mediators in the process of normalizing relations. U.S. believes peace is “possible” in South Caucasus The United States continues to believe that peace is possible in the South Caucasus, Vedant Patel said. |