Twenty-five million years ago, a geological upheaval pushed up the Earth's crust to form the Armenian Plateau, creating the complex topography of modern Armenia.

The TSFSR dissolved in 1936 and Armenia became a constituent republic of the Soviet Union known as the Armenian SSR.

Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, beginning on 23 September 1991 the official name of the nation has been the Republic of Armenia ( Armenian: Hayastani Hanrapetut ' yun ).

Despite marked progress, Armenia still suffers from a large trade imballance and is still largely dependent upon foreign aid and remittances from Armenian nationals working abroad, and members of the diaspora donating aid through non-governmental organizations ( NGOs ) such as churchES.

In September 2002, the Armenian government handed over Armenia ’ s largest cement factory to the Russian ITERA gas exporter in payment for its $ 10 million debt for past gas deliveries.

On November 5, 2002, Armenia transferred control of 5 state enterprises to Russia in an assets-for-debts transaction which settled $ 100 million of Armenian state debts to Russia.

Furthermore, Aghajanov points to the Armenian government's failure to eliminate widespread corruption and mismanagement in the energy sector – abuses that cost Armenia at least $ 50 million in losses each year, according to one estimate.

So Armenia has to maintain good relations at least with Iran and Georgia though international pressure against trade with Iran and while separatist tends of Armenian minority in Javakheti.

Armenia has been joined by many nations, in demanding recognition of the Armenian genocide.

Countries that officially recognize the Armenian genocide include Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Lithuania, The Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Uruguay, Vatican City and Venezuela ; additionally, some regional governments of countries recognize the Armenian genocide, such as New South Wales in Australia and Wales in the United Kingdom, also officially recognize the Armenian Genocide.

The current conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh ( NK ) began in 1988 when Armenian demonstrations against Azerbaijani rule broke out in both Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh Supreme Soviet voted to secede from Azerbaijan and join Armenia.

In May 1992, Armenian forces seized Shusha and Lachin ( thereby linking Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia ).

* Constantine II, King of Armenia ( died 1344 ), first Latin King of Armenian Cilicia of the Lusignan dynasty

Narseh retreated to Armenia to fight Galerius ' force, to Narseh's disadvantage ; the rugged Armenian terrain was favorable to Roman infantry, but unfavorable to Sassanid cavalry.

* 1951 – Andranik Margaryan, Armenian politician, 14th Prime Minister of Armenia ( d. 2007 )

After defeats in battle, the desertion of his Armenian allies and his failure to capture Parthian strongholds convinced Antony to retreat, his army was further depleted by the hardships of its retreat through Armenia in the depths of winter, losing more than a quarter of its strength in the course of the campaign.

Armenian militia, or " fedayee " played a major role in the independence of various Armenian states, including the now inexistent Western Armenia, the Democratic Republic of Armenia, and the currently de-facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.

This friction has been due to disputes including the self annexation of the Hatay Province to Turkey in 1939, water disputes resulting from the Southeastern Anatolia Project, and Syria ’ s support for the outlawed Kurdistan Worker's Party ( PKK ) and the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia ( ASALA ), but relations have improved greatly since October 1998 ; when PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan was expelled by Syrian authorities.

* 2008 – Turkish President Abdullah Gül attends an association football match in Armenia after an invitation by Armenian President Serzh Sarkisyan ; he is the first Turkish head of state to visit the country.

John Kourkouas subdued a rebellion in the theme of Chaldia and intervened in Armenia in 924.

Peroz sent the Persian Governor of Armenia to Iberia to quell the rebellion.

But no sooner had he left the province, that Armenia rose in rebellion and chose an Armenian Christian called Bargatide as its Emperor.

The Persian Governor, Adar-Vishnasp after restoring Persian rule in Iberia rushed to Armenia to quell the rebellion but was squarely defeated.

Balash, with the aid of Armenia, put down the rebellion, captured and killed him.

The rebellion of their fellow Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh had an immediate effect in Armenia.

The main rebellion was in the Persian provinces of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Fars, Sistan ( in 649 ), Tabaristan, Khorasan ( 651 ), and Makran ( 650 ).

Following the death of Osroes I, Vologases III extended his rule through most of Parthia but had to contend with Mithridates IV, incursions of the nomadic Alans into Cappadocia, Armenia, and Media, and rebellion in Iran by an unknown usurper, c. 140.

Following the advice of economic advisors who cautioned Armenia's leadership against the consolidation of economic power in the hands of a few, in January 2001, the Government of Armenia established the State Commission for the Protection of Economic Competition.

Armenia supports ethnic Armenians in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan in the longstanding and very bitter separatist conflict against the Azerbaijani Government.

Soon, violence broke out against ethnic Azeris in Armenia and ethnic Armenians in Azerbaijan.

Following a revolt against the Empire in Armenia in the late 530s and possibly motivated by the pleas of Ostrogothic ambassadors, King Khosrau I broke the " Eternal Peace " and invaded Roman territory in the spring of 540.

Octavian responded with treason charges: of illegally keeping provinces that should be given to other men by lots, as was Rome's tradition, and of starting wars against foreign nations ( Armenia and Parthia ) without the consent of the Senate.

His war against the Parthian Empire ended with the attack of the capital Ctesiphon and the annexation of Armenia and Mesopotamia.

He led a Roman army ( four legions ) through the mountainous country of Armenia, against the fortress at Volandum, to the southwest of Artaxata.

* Sittas, Byzantine general, suppresses a revolt in Armenia in protest against heavy taxation.

In conjunction with another victory over the Arabs in Armenia, it marks the beginning of the Empire's resurgence, and its counteroffensive against the forces of Islam.

* The Byzantine offensive against the Muslim troops starts anew in Cilicia, Mesopotamia and Armenia.

He secures the co-operation with Arsaces, king of Armenia, who fights a bloody guerrilla war against the Persians.

* Emperor Constantius II intervenes against the Persians in Armenia.

* Publius Canidius Crassus invaded Armenia and Iberia ( Georgia ); he forced Parnavaz II into an alliance against Zober, king of Albania.

Iran has astonishingly even supported Christian Armenia against Shi ' ite Azerbaijan and has been careful not to lend too much support to Islamic Tajiks in Tajikistan, where the language is basically a dialect of Persian .</ BLOCKQUOTE > In this regard the Islamic Republic resembles another revolutionary state, the old Soviet Union.

After a preliminary strike against the Arabs in Armenia, Justinian managed to augment the sum paid by the Umayyad Caliphs as an annual tribute, and to regain control of part of Cyprus.

With the help of his new troops, Justinian won a battle against the enemy in Armenia in 693, but they were soon bribed to revolt by the Arabs.

On the fall of Pompey, Pharnaces II, son of Mithridates, took advantage of Julius Caesar being occupied in Egypt, and reduced Colchis, Armenia, and some part of Cappadocia, defeating Gnaeus Domitius Calvinus, whom Caesar subsequently sent against him.

After the initial successes against Mithradates VI of Pontus and Tigranes the Great of the Kingdom of Armenia, Pompey began to pursue the defeated enemy northwards.

However, Plutarch ( Pompey 36 ) asserts that Afranius marched against the Parthians, drove them out of Armenia, and pursued them as far as the district of Arbela ( modern Arbil, Iraq ) within the borders of the Parthian Empire.

In 55 he received orders from Roman Emperor Nero to levy troops to make war against the Parthians, and in the year 59 he served under General Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo against King Tiridates I of Armenia, brother of the Parthian King Vologases I of Parthia.