1. Name: Armenia takes its name from the ancient Persian Bisutun inscriptions (from 515 BC), where the word ‘Armina’ appears. In Armenian, Armenia is called “Hayk”
2. Population: There are 8 – 10 million Armenians in the world. The majority of Armenians living abroad live in Russia (estimated: 1.5 – 2.9 million) and the USA (estimated: 0.5 – 1.5 million)
3. Yerevan: The capital of Armenia, Yerevan, was originally called Erebuni and has been inhabited for more than 2,700 years, making it one of the oldest cities in the world (second only to cities such as Jerusalem and Damascus)
4. The heyday: Armenia’s heyday was in the years 95 – 55 BC under Tigran the Great, when the Armenian Empire stretched from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean, covering Georgia, Azerbaijan, Lebanon and Syria, as well as parts of Turkey, Iran and Iraq
5. Christianity: Armenia was the first country to officially convert to Christianity. Although some claim it happened in 301 AD, the consensus today is that 314 AD is the correct date. In any case, both of these dates come before 391 AD, when the Roman Empire officially became Christian

Fact: The Armenian flag is called ‘Yeraguyn’ in Armenian and was adopted on August 24, 1990
6. The Bible: Armenian was the eighteenth language in which the Bible – in whole or in part – was written. The Armenian translation of the Bible from 433 AD is considered one of the best in the world
7. Gothic churches: Armenians built Gothic-style churches a century before the first similar churches were built in Europe
8. Foreign rulers: Armenia has been conquered by Greeks, Romans, Persians, Byzantines, Mongols, Arabs, Ottomans, Turks and Russians throughout history
9. Genocide: The most brutal rulers in Armenia were the Turkish Ottomans, who from the late 1800s repeatedly killed Armenians. In 1915, the Ottomans deported the Armenian people to the deserts of Syria and what was then Mesopotamia (now Iraq), where between 600,000 and 1.5 million Armenians died of starvation. Along with the Herero people of South Africa, the Armenians are the only people to have suffered genocide in the 20th century
10. Famous Armenians: Famous Armenians include: Garry Kasparov (chess player), Kirk Kerkorian (businessman and co-owner of Chrysler), Jack Kevorkian (pathologist), and singers Cher and Charles Aznavour
Genocide

The Armenian genocide was most extensive in the years 1915 – 1918, when 1 – 1.5 million Armenians were killed by the Turkish Ottomans. Here is a group of Armenians being taken to a prison in Mezireh (Kharpert, Armenia) by Ottoman soldiers