WHERE DO ARMENIANS COME FROM

 

Armenian people with their deep history for thousands of years lived and developed their culture in Armenian Highland and surrounding regions, as well as in Mediterranean Cilicia.

Today most part of Armenian Highland is covered by Turkey, all of Armenia is part of it, northwestern Iran, western Azerbaijan and southern Georgia are also there. The territory of Highland is almost 400,000 square km.

The Armenian Highland was consist of Armenia Minor and Greater Armenia.

Armenia Minor is located to the west of the Euphrates River. This part was only periodically influenced on the formation of Armenian state and regularly got through invasions and control by the neighboring powerful ethnic groups.

Greater Armenia is the main part of Armenian Highland. The heart of this area was the region Ararat with the highest mountain and valley. It hosted most of Armenian capitals, residents and palaces of the kings and archdukes. The other regions around Ararat also played big role and were involved in the formation of rich cultural and economically dominant state of Armenia.

 

Greater Armenia is a mountaintop country with 1800 m. average elevation above sea level. Four rivers: Tigris, Euphrates, Araks and Kura, are the main ones on the Highland. In Armenia can be found also the highest pics of the region: Ararat (5165m), Aragats (4095m), Sipan (4058m).

Salt-water lakes Van and Urmia and the freshwater lake Sevan embellish the Highland.