Geography

Armenia is a landlocked state which lies between the Ararat Highlands and the mountain ranges of the Lesser Caucasus. The land borders Georgia and Azerbaijan, its exclave Nakhichivan, Iran and Turkey. Armenia is extremely mountainous; its highest peak, at a height of 4090m, is the northern summit of Mt Aragats. The mountain region is seismologically extremely active and is an exceedingly rich source of mineral resources such as iron, copper, molybdenum and gold. Armenia’s largest expanse of water is Lake Sevan, which covers an area of 1242 square km at a height of around 1900 m. The largest surface area of the country is covered with barren steppe-vegetation; wooded areas cover less than 13% of the land. Besides the capital and metropolitan Yerevan, with its population of just over a million, Gyumri and Vanadzor are other important urban centres.