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50 Interesting Facts About Armenia
By Editorial Staff
Last updated on January 31st, 2023

Armenia is located in Asia and it is located in close proximity to Russia, Iran, and Turkey. Armenia is a very sophisticated country with a wonderful culture rooted in ancient history. this country is one of the most cleanest and beautiful places in the world, and its citizens have a high degree of moral standing and are of decent character, largely.

Indeed the world has much to envy of such a country, and although not perfect, it would be an ideal place to relocate for many people escaping the ills of life in the modern world. Let’s take a look at 50 Interesting facts about Armenia and you can discover some of the reasons why this country has got to be one of the greatest countries in the world in so many different ways.

1. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as a state religion. Today, 97% of the country is Christian and it is home to one of the world’s most beautiful churches. The country was converted to Christianity in 301 AD by Saint Gregory the Illuminator and since that time many churches have been built in this country.

2. The first state church was built in the 4th century. Holy Etchimiadzin is the first state Church and in the last few years has been under remodeling, so currently there are no pictures that are available. This location is one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in the entire world.

3. Armenian contains almost entirely Armenians and it is one of the most mono ethnic countries in the world today. Approximately 97% of the population is made up entirely of Armenians with the remaining 3% containing Russians, Kurds, Ukrainians, and several other groups.



4. Armenia is home to what is believed to be the world’s oldest Winery. Archaeologists discovered this Winery in 2011 near the village of Areni. Situated in a small cave this Winery predates any other wineries that are known that have ever been discovered anywhere else in the world.

5. Armenia is the first country in the world to make chess mandatory in schools. The sport of chess is integrated into the national curriculum, and many Armenians play chess in their daily lives. The men’s team won the European Team Championships in 1999 and the World Team Championship as well as the Chess Olympiad in several other years. Chess is an important feature in every day Aremenian life.

Armenia on map


6. During the Armenian Genocide, Armenia lost 1.5 million Armenians. Orchestrated in 1915 by the Ottoman Empire, 1.5 million Armenians were exterminated and what has been considered a genocide, however, Turkey denies it.

7. More Armenians live outside of Armenia then live inside of it. Because of the Armenian genocide in 1915 many Armenians fled Armenia. Approximately 5.6 million Armenians live outside Armenia versus the 3 million that continue to live in the country.

8. Armenia has celebrity connections including Cher and Andre Agassi. The frontman for American Metal band System of a Down also has Armenian heritage and tries to publicize the injustices of the Armenian Genocide in 1915.



9. Many Armenians believe that they know where the location of Noah’s Ark is. Despite many expeditions to the top of Mount Ararat, the Ark has not been located, nonetheless many Armenians believe that Noah’s Ark is embedded in the icy top of this mountain.

10. Armenia is home to one of the world’s oldest capitals. Yerevan was constructed 29 years before Rome was and is home to a wide variety of historic buildings and a good number of interesting museums.

David of Sassoun statue and Yerevan Railway Station - Armenia
David of Sassoun statue and Yerevan Railway Station – Armenia. Interesting facts about Armenia. Photo © Leonid Andronov
11. Yerevan is called the “Pink City”. The reason for this name is that the buildings are constructed with volcanic rock from the area which has a rosy hue to it. Since most of the buildings contain volcanic rock with this color, most of the city appears pink in color.

12. The Yalta Conference which was held between world leaders after World War II was fueled by Armenian Cognac and champagne. It was said that buckets of champagne were drunk by then prime minister Winston Churchill.

13. Armenia is still technically at war with its neighbor Azerbaijan, and despite a Russian-brokered ceasefire in 1994, fresh fighting breaks out periodically and has this year as well.

14. Armenia has a large bird population and is home to 345 of Europe’s estimated 530 species of birds. Eagles, swans, and falcons are plentiful in Armenia and are featured on the coat of arms for the country.

15. Armenia has a lot of interest in sports and has won gold and silver medals at the Rio Olympics. They seem to be a particularly tough breed with wrestling and weightlifting being at the center of their sports world.

stacks of lavash bread selling on farmers market at Armenia
Stacks of lavash bread selling on farmers market at Armenia. Interesting facts about Armenia. Photo © Lightfieldstudiosprod
16. Lavash is a type of bread that is indigenous to Armenia and is listed in the UNESCO list. This tasty flatbread is served as a compliment to meals daily across Armenia.

17. Lake Sevan is the largest lake in the Caucasus and one of the largest lakes in the world. It is overlooked by a monastic complex that is one of the top attractions in the country.

18. A survey of 44,000 US men has dubbed Armenian women to be the sexiest women in the world.

19. Armenians are not good at football. Even though football or soccer is the national sport, they have failed to qualify for any of the national and international competitions and appear to be completely incompetent when it comes to football.

20. The Armenian alphabet turned 1600 years old in 2005 and a number of monuments have been erected near the final resting place of its creator, a certain Mesrop Mashtots.

Ancient monastery in setting sun. Tatev. Armenia
Ancient monastery in setting sun, Tatev, Armenia. Interesting facts about Armenia. Photo © Volodymyr Goinyk
21. Aremenia is home to three UNESCO world heritage sites including several monasteries and cathedrals that grace the land in Armenia. These world heritage sites also includes several churches as well.

22. Singer Shakira inadvertently carried her national flag upside down during a concert in neighboring Azerbaijan, causing a stir. It appears Armenians like Shakira because of this in a certain kind of way perhaps.

23. You can go skiing in Armenia as there is an interesting ski resort there which boasts some 27 km of slopes with a total of six different lifts to carry you up to the top.

24. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the Tatev aerial Tramway is the longest non-stop cable car in the world and is 18,871 ft long connecting the Tatev monastery and the Vorotan River Gorge.

Cableway and support against the backdrop of the picturesque mountains of Armenia near the Tatev Monastery, Armenia
Cableway and support against the backdrop of the picturesque mountains of Armenia near the Tatev Monastery – a landmark of Armenia. Photo © kosmos111
25. Winston Churchill apparently loved Armenian Cognac and was known to drink this brandy like water. Apparently, he had drank enough of this cognac to fill three railway carriages by the time he was 71.

26. The Armenian national symbol is Mount Ararat which is actually located in Turkey. This mountain is actually featured on the coat of arms for the country of Armenia, however, it is not in Armenia.

27. Armenia is one of the oldest wine producing countries in the world which is attributed to its location below the Mount Ararat which has fertile valleys which is ideal for growing grapes.

28. The famous bread lavash is cooked underground in ovens concealed below the Earth. These ovens are known as a tonir. This bread can apparently be stored for a year without going bad and it is made out of flour, water, and salt.

mount Ararat in the background of the city of Yerevan, the capital of Armenia
View of the city of Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. Mount Ararat (5,137 m), the national symbol of Armenia, is the background of the city, but on Turkish territory. The lower mountain on the left side is Little Ararat (3,896 m). In parts of Christianity it is accepted that Mount Ararat is the resting place of Noah’s Ark. Interesting facts about Armenia. Photo © guenterguni/istock
29. Mount Ararat is worshipped by Armenians and is believed to have stopped very strong earthquakes from happening. This mountain is considered a sacred place to Armenians.

30. One of the symbols of Armenia is the apricot. The Armenian flag is orange in color and it’s actually comes from the color of the apricot. All kinds of apricot products are sold in Armenia marketplaces including apricot wine and dried apricots.

A pair of storks. 
A pair of storks. Interesting facts about Armenia. Photo © Sergey Yushchenko
31. Armenia is home to what is known as a stork village. Stork nests set on top of poles throughout several areas within Armenia. The storks migrate to Africa and go back and forth between Africa and Armenia during the year.

32. Armenia is known to be friendly towards tourists and there doesn’t appear to be any discrimination between tourists and locals in Armenia. Tourists are treated with the respect and there is no animosity between locals and people who visit Armenia.

33. Armenia is an ancient land and appeared before the Bronze Age and can be traced to the very beginnings of civilization. Petroglyphs in Armenia date back to 12000 BC and shoe leather has been found in one of Armenia’s cities dating back to 3500 BC.

34. The Armenian alphabet is one of the most advanced alphabets in the entire world. The sophistication of this alphabet makes Armenia one of the most interesting, if different, cultures that exist on the planet.

Matenadaran the Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts
Matenadaran the Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts is a repository of ancient manuscripts, research institute and museum in Yerevan, Armenia. Photo © Demerzel21
35. The world’s first mathematics textbook was created by an Armenian mathematician. Armenian scientist David the Invincible created the first textbook which is now housed in The Institute of ancient manuscripts in Matenadaran.

36. The oldest shoes in the world were discovered in Armenia in 2008. The footwear was discovered with a pair of goat horns in a hole in a wall. The footwear was protected by a thick layer of sheep excrement that protected it from the elements over the years.

37. In the Armenian language which is very hard to understand and read the word “merci” is an acceptable form of the expression “thank you”. Tourists often struggle with the language when they visit Armenia.

38. Armenia has a deep soviet-style Metro that operates and is buried within its capital city. This metro is used daily by Armenian citizens and tourists who visit the country regularly.

39. There are apparently 11 million citizens of Armenian descent distributed around the world which is partially attributed to the Armenian Genocide of 2015. There are many Armenians living in the United States of America as well.

Aerial view of the famous temple of Garni in Armenia.
Aerial view of the famous temple of Garni in Armenia. The Ionic pagan temple is the only standing Greco-Roman colonnaded building in Armenia and the former Soviet Union. Photo © guenterguni
40. Armenia borders six different countries including Iran, Turkey and soviet Georgia. Armenia gets along with all of its neighbors except for Azerbaijan which they have been at war with technically for quite some time.

41. Cars known as Ladas are everywhere apparently. This brand of car constitutes at least one quarter enough to one third of the number of cars that are present in Armenia. The Ladas are very popular in Armenia.

42. Although the grocery stores in Armenia are typically small, they are known to carry a large assortment of international ingredients and products. This variety of products underscores the sophisticated culture of Armenia.

43. Armenia has a restriction on the playing of musical instruments at night. Instruments such as guitars, banjos, etc. are forbidden from being played in the evening time in Armenia and you will get a citation if you violate this.

44. Due to ties to the former Soviet Union, Russian is the favourite language spoken by most Armenians. Although not the national language, Russian is the preferred language by most Armenians on a daily basis.

Flag of Armenia

Armenia flag
Armenia flag.
45. By a strange coincidence if you hold the Armenian flag upside down it closely resembles the Colombian flag. Although this is true, it was never intentional, and there is no dispute between the two countries that we are aware of.

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