The country is located in an active seismic region. The dome-shaped massif of the extinct Ararat volcano in the Armenian Mountains is located near the border between Turkey and Armenia and its diameter at the base is 40 km. In 1988 one of the most destructive earthquakes inflicted enormous damages on the third largest city in the country – Gyumri.

Erevan is one of oldest cities in the world. The first Armenian state was founded in 4-3 c. BC and reached its heyday under Tigranes II the Great (1 c. BC). In 3-4 c. the country was divided between Persia and the Byzantine Empire. Armenia first in the world adopted Christianity in 301. In 17th c. it was conquered by the Ottomans. In order to survive, many Armenians left their birth places and that is why there are numerous Armenian communities in the world.

In 1918 Armenia obtained its independence. In 1920 it became a constituent country in the Soviet Union and was one of the richest and most developed Soviet republics.

After the separation of Armenia from the USSR in 1991 the armed conflict with Azerbaijan related to the dispute about Nagorno-Karabakh, where a large group of Armenian people live, seriously aggravated.