This suggests that tax collection in Armenia is improving at the expense of ordinary citizens, rather than wealthy citizens ( who have been the main beneficiaries of Armenia's double-digit economic growth in recent years ).

After his predecessor Levon Ter-Petrossian was ousted as President, Kocharyan was elected Armenia's second President on March 30, 1998, defeating his main rival, Karen Demirchyan, in an early presidential election marred by irregularities and violations by both sides as reported by international electoral observers.

The heaviest fighting took place on May 18, when the Armenians captured Nakhchivan's exclave of Karki, a tiny territory through which Armenia's main North-South highway passes.

# Armenia's railway, held by the Russian-owned South Caucasus Railway ( SCR ) ( formerly Russia ’ s state-run rail company, RZD )

Since early 2008, Armenia's entire rail network is managed by the Russian state railway.

During Soviet times, Armenia's rail network connected to Russia's via Georgia through Abkhazia along the Black Sea.

An economic blockade with Turkey and Azerbaijan has cut Armenia's rail link between Gyumri and Kars to Turkey ; the rail link with Iran through the Azeri exclave of Nakhichevan ; and a natural gas and oil pipeline line with Azerbaijan.

This effectively crippled Armenia's economy, as 85 % of the cargo and goods arrived through rail traffic.

Eighty-five percent of Armenia's rail traffic came from Azerbaijan, and this embargo caused shortages of petrol and food in Armenia.

" The compact includes a $ 67 million to rehabilitate up to 943 kilometers of rural roads, more than a third of Armenia's proposed " Lifeline road network ".

The Araks forms most of Armenia's border with Turkey and Iran while the Zangezur Mountains form the border between Armenia's southern province of Syunik and Azerbaijan's adjacent Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.

Environmental conditions in Armenia have been worsened as a result of war with Azerbaijan over Armenia's claim of historic rights to Azerbaijan's province.

Armenia's economy is highly anticompetitive with government-connected individuals enjoying de facto monopolies over the import and distribution of basic commodities and foodstuffs, and under-reporting revenue to avoid paying taxes.

In the 2000s, along with the construction sector, the services sector was the driving force behind Armenia's recent high economic growth rate.

According to the National Statistical Service, during the January – August 2007 period, Armenia's industrial sector was the single largest contributor to the country's GDP, but remained largely stagnant with industrial output increasing only by 1. 7 percent per year.

During the first half of 2008, Armenia's widening current-account trade deficit grew by 66 percent to $ 1. 39 billion USD, with a 40 percent rise in imports.

According to the National Statistical Service, Armenia's trade deficit in 2006 was $ 1. 2 billion with growth in exports being largely flat.

As of early 2011, trade with China is dominated by imports of Chinese goods and accounts for about 10 percent of Armenia's foreign trade.

Political observers say that Armenia's economic cooperation with Russia has been one of the least transparent areas of the Armenian government ’ s work.

* Armenia: The vast majority of Armenia's population consists of ethnic Armenians at about 98 % of the population, with the remainder consisting of a few small ethnic minorities.

Iran also reacted to Armenia's attacks by conducting military maneuvers along its border with Nakhchivan in a move widely interpreted as a warning to Armenia.

Most of Armenia's so-called " oligarchs " ( government-connected entrepreneurs who enjoy de facto monopoly on lucrative forms of economic activity ) are now affiliated with the RPA.

Aragatsotn's western edge forms part of Armenia's border with Turkey.

President Serzh Sargsyan announced Armenia's suspension of diplomatic relations and all official communications with Hungary on the day of Safarov's release.

In 1172 Bohemond invaded Armenia, in response to Mleh of Armenia's alliance with Nur ad-Din.

In 394 AD, with the help of blessing of Armenia's Catholicos, Sahak Partev, Mesrop set out on a mission of spreading the word of God to a pagan or semi-pagan people.

It was founded in 1887 by Avetis Nazarbekian, Mariam Vardanian, Gevorg Gharadjian, Ruben Khan-Azat, Christopher Ohanian, Gabriel Kafian and Manuel Manuelian, a group of college students in Geneva, Switzerland, with the goal to gain Armenia's independence from the Ottoman Empire, which is part of Armenian national liberation movement.

One of Armenia's famous national heroes Andranik Ozanian, at first, joined the Hunchak party, but disagreement with party policies led Andranik to leave the Hunchak ranks and join the Dashnak party and on to the Armenian Democratic Liberal Ramgavar Party.

Dmitri Shostakovich praised Terterian as " very talented " and " with great future " in one of his letters, published by his friend Isaak Glikman, having heard a recording of Terterian's works at Armenia's " House of Composers " summer resort, in Dilijan, Armenia.

From this city the Turks presented the Armenian republic with an ultimatum that Armenia was forced to accept — otherwise Turkey would have invaded Yerevan, Armenia's capital, from their headquarters in Gyumri.

The Armenian economy's competitiveness is low and stagnating according to the Global Competitiveness Index, in which Armenia's ranking slipped from 80th out of 132 countries in 2006-2007 index to 93rd out of 131 countries in the 2007-2008 index ( just below Libya, Namibia, Georgia, Serbia and Pakistan ).

The Upper Lars border crossing ( at Darial Gorge ) between Georgia and Russia across the Caucasus Mountains served as Armenia's sole overland route to the former Soviet Union and Europe.

In 1936, Beria and Stalin worked to deport Armenians to Siberia in an attempt to bring Armenia's population under 700, 000 in order to justify an annexation into Georgia.

" The new pipeline has attracted Armenia's northern neighbor, Georgia which seeks to lessen its dependence on energy from Russia.

About half of Armenia's area of approximately has an elevation of at least, and only 3 % of the country lies below.

Economic analysts say that the project would cost at least $ 1 billion ( equivalent to about 40 percent of Armenia's 2008 state budget ).

The Nakhchivan region ( highlighted in light purple ) at the time of Armenia's Vaspurakan | Kingdom of Vaspurakan ( 908-1021 ).

Syunik is home to many of Armenia's largest mining operations ( at Kajaran, Kapan, Agarak ) as well as the largest tailing dams ( at Artzvanik, Voghtchi, Darazami, Geghanoush ).

The traditional date for Armenia's conversion to Christianity is established at 301, which precedes the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great's conversion and the Edict of Milan by a dozen years.

* Kiesling, Rediscoving Armenia, p. 100 – 102, available online at the US embassy to Armenia's website

* Kiesling, Rediscoving Armenia, pp. 14, available online at the US embassy to Armenia's website

It starts at the northwest extremity of Lake Sevan and flows south through the Province of Kotayk and Armenia's capital, Yerevan.

According to different participants at the Moscow Conference, Joseph Stalin's participation in Kars Treaty was huge in the context of the large area of Democratic Republic of Armenia's territory which was transferred to Turkey.

:*-Arthur Sarkisian, head of the Public Relations Department for Armenia's Ministry of Transport, speaking at a United Nations meeting, announces that Armenia is investigating building a railway link with Iran that would completely bypass Turkey and Azerbaijan.