ARMENIA
ARMENIAN HIGHLANDS
The Armenian Highland is located in the central part of Southwestern Asia and is distinguished by its clearly defined physical-geographical characteristics.
To the west of the highland extends the Asia Minor (or Anatolian) Plateau; to the southeast lies the Iranian Plateau. The northern boundary is formed by the Greater Caucasus Range, the southern boundary by the Mesopotamian lowlands. To the east stretches the Kura–Araxes plain adjoining the Caspian Sea, while the northwest reaches the Black Sea, and the southwest is bordered by the coastal mountain ranges of the Mediterranean.
Compared to the neighboring Asia Minor and Iranian plateaus, the Armenian Highland stands 600–800 meters higher. This trait was already noted by German researchers in the 19th century, who referred to the region as “Berginsel” — “mountain island.”
The Armenian Highland is situated in the mid-latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere: at 37°20′ N in the south and 42°10′ N in the north; at 36°45′ E in the west and 48°00′ E in the east. It lies entirely within the northern part of the subtropical climatic zone.
Politically, the territory of the Armenian Highland is currently divided among Turkey, the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Artsakh, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Iran.
The highland is 195 km from the Mediterranean Sea, 80 km from the Caspian Sea, and 825 km from the Persian Gulf. Its area belongs to the drainage basins of the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea, and the Indian Ocean (via the Persian Gulf).
The Armenian Highlands belong to those regions of the Earth where the formation of modern humans took place. In this geographical area, archaeologists have discovered numerous traces of early human presence, beginning with the Lower Paleolithic. Permanent populations and settlements appear in the highland starting from the Holocene.
Anthropologists such as Lushan, Chantre, Virchow, Pantyukhov, Anuchin, Bunak, and others have confirmed that the Armenoid–Armenic racial groups are indigenous to the Armenian Highlands.
According to anthropologists, the Armenoid type was widespread from the southern parts of Mesopotamia to the upper regions of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers; westward it extended to the western edge of the Anatolian Peninsula on one side, and into the interior regions of Iran on the other.
Together with other groups, the Armenoids contributed to the formation of several intermediate anthropological types in Europe, India, and the Near East (Litorid, Carpathid, Assyroid, Yemenid, Indo-Brachid). Later migrations further increased their influence across various world regions, particularly in Central Europe.
Throughout the historical territory of Armenia—where it formed and, up to the beginning of the 20th century, maintained numerical predominance—the Armenian people made their contribution to world civilization.
HAYOTS ASHKHARH — ARMENIAN WORLD
The Armenian people emerged, developed, and followed their historical path in this historical-geographical region located in the northern part of Western Asia. This region fully encompasses the Armenian Highlands, one of the largest highlands of Western Asia.
The country of Armenia, as an ethno-geographical, physical-geographical, and urban-geographical unit, has been known to the civilized world since the 2nd millennium BCE.
Appearing on the stage of history more than four and a half millennia ago, Armenia, or the Armenian world, has gone through a difficult and heroic path of development. It experienced periods of growth and prosperity, notable achievements, as well as periods of decline and loss. It was at times among the major states of its era, yet frequently lost its political independence and, partially or entirely, fell under the rule of foreign conquerors.
Various states (kingdoms) formed at different times in different parts of the Armenian Highlands (historical Armenia) were called Armenia—for example, the Kingdoms of Greater and Lesser Armenia, the Bagratuni Kingdom, and the Kingdom of Cilicia, as well as the modern Republic of Armenia. Certain parts of the Armenian Highlands continued to be called Armenia even when the Armenian people lacked independent statehood.
Foreigners referred to the country by different names, including Nairi, Urartu, Armenia, Ermenia, Somkheti, and Ermenistan. In modern times, the Armenian people reestablished their national statehood in 1918 in the form of a republic.
By the early 21st century, on only about 10% of the territory of historical Armenia, there existed two Armenian states: the internationally recognized Republic of Armenia and the de facto, but internationally unrecognized, Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). Since 2023, the entire territory of Artsakh has been occupied by Azerbaijan.
ARMENIA’S «ASHKHARHNER»
Historical Armenia had its traditional internal division, which was established around 2,000 years ago and has been preserved for us thanks to the work “Ashkharhats’oyts” by the 7th-century Armenian scholar Anania Shirakatsi.
The work was geographical in nature, with the territorial divisions primarily based on the ethnic composition of the population, the geographical location, and the natural conditions. It should be noted that the data presented by Shirakatsi refer not to his own time (7th century), but to the period of the Arsacid Kingdom.
According to the “Ashkharhats’oyts”, the boundaries of Greater Armenia extended from the Kura River to Upper Mesopotamia, and from the Caspian Sea to the Western Euphrates. It was divided into 15 “ashkharhner” (also translated as provinces or houses), each of which consisted of gavars (districts), numbering approximately 200 in total. Some of the ashkharhner functioned as administrative units—such as principalities or marzpanates (for example, Syunik, Mokk, Gugark, Tayk, Aghdznik)—while others (Ayrarat, Vaspurakan, Turuberan, etc.) were geographical-territorial units encompassing several administrative subdivisions, with each gavar serving as a local administrative unit (a marzpanate could include one, two, or more gavars). These units also differed in their historical destinies and in their roles and significance in the political, economic, and cultural life of the country.
Each territorial unit—province or gavar—had its own natural conditions and was separated from the others by natural boundaries such as rivers, mountains, and so forth.
