Armavir Province

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For other uses, see Armavir (disambiguation).
Armavir
Արմավիր
Province
Location of Armavir within Armenia
Location of Armavir within Armenia
Coordinates: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Country Armenia
Capital
Largest city		 Armavir
Vagharshapat
Government
 • Governor Ashot Ghahramanyan
Area
 • Total 1,242 km2 (480 sq mi)
Area rank 10th
Population (2011[1])
 • Total 265,770
 • Rank 3rd
 • Density 210/km2 (550/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+04
Postal code 0901-1149
ISO 3166 code AM.AV
FIPS 10-4 AM03
Website official website

Armavir (Armenian: Արմավիր), is a province (marz) in the western part of Armenia. Its capital is Armavir, and the largest city is Vagharshapat. It is located in the Ararat valley, between Mount Ararat and Mount Aragats, and shares a 45-mile border with Turkey to the south and west.

The province is home to the spiritual centre of the Armenian nation; the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin of the Armenian Apostolic Church. It is the seat of the Catholicos of All Armenians.

The province is named after the ancient city of Armavir founded in 331 BC. The province is also the site of the decisive Battle of Sardarabad in 1918 that resulted in the foundation of the Republic of Armenia. The battle is seen as a crucial historical event not only by stopping the Turkish advance into the rest of Armenia but also preventing the complete destruction of the Armenian nation.[2]

The Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant is also located in Amravir Province near the town of Metsamor.

The Yerevan Zvartnots International Airport is located near the village of Parakar in Armavir Province (12 km west of Yerevan).

Etymology

The province is named after the ancient city of Armavir, one of the 13 historic capitals of Armenia. According to Movses Khorenatsi, ancient Armavir was built by Aramayis; the grandson of Hayk, who moved from Taron to the Ararat plain.

Geography

Aerial view of Ararat plain in the Armavir region

Armavir has an area of 1,242 km2 (4.2% of total area of Armenia) making it the smallest province of the country in terms of the total area. It is bordered by the Turkish provinces of Kars from the wst and Iğdır from the south, with a length of 130.5 km bordrerline, where Aras River separates Armenia from Turkey. Domestically, it is bordered by Aragatsotn Province from the north, Ararat Province from the east and the capital Yerevan from the northeast.

Historically, the current territory of the province mainly occupies the Aragatsotn canton and parts of the Arsharunik canton of Ayrarat province of Ancient Armenia.

The province is entirely located at the heart of the Ararat plain, mainly consisted of agricultural lands.

Metsamor river (also known as Sevjur river) is the only river that originates from the province.

History

From 1930 until 1995, modern-day Armavir was divided into 3 raions within the Armenian SSR: Baghramyan raion, Hoktemberyan raion, and Etchmiadzin raion. With the territorial administration reform of 1995, the 3 raions were merged to form the Armavir Province.

Demographics

The village of Yervandashat. The heights in the background are the site of ancient Yervandashat

According to the 2011 official census, Armavir has a population of 265,770 (130,078 men and 135,692 women), forming around 8.8% of the entire population of Armenia. The urban population is 85,050 (32%) and the rural is 180,720 (68%). The province has 3 urban and 94 rural communities. The largest urban community is the town of Vagharshapat (Etchmiadzin), with a population of 46,540. The other urban centres are Armavir and Metsamor.

With a population of 5,584, the village of Parakar is the largest rural municipality of Armavir.

Ethnic groups and religion

The majority of the Armavir Province population are ethnic Armenians who belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church. The regulating body of the church is the Diocese of Armavir, headed by Bishop Sion Adamyan. The ([Holy Mother of God Cathedral, Vagharshapat|Holy Mother of God Cathedral]] in Vagharshapat is the seat of the diocese.

However, there is a significant number of Yazidis in Armavir totaling around 5,000 people, mainly in the villages of Zartonk, Yeraskhahun, Nalbandyan, Yeghegnut, Artashar, Nor Artagers and the small village of Ferik where the Yazidis form the majority.

The village of Nor Artagers is also home to a small Assyrian community totaling around 260 people.[3] They belong to the Assyrian Church of the East.

Economy

Agriculture

Occupying a major part of the fertile Ararat plain, Armavir Province has a major contribution in the agricultural sector of the Republic of Armenia. The economy of the province is largely based on agriculture, including farming and cattle-breeding. Around 78% (970 km²) of the total area of the province are arable lands, out of which 40% (388 km²) are ploughed.[4] The main crops are grapes, apricot, peach, plum, grains, dry seeds and vegetables. Currently, the province has a contribution of 17.8% in the annual total agricultural product of Armenia.

The Baghramyan and Arax poultry farms are located in the villages of Myasnikyan and Jrarbi respectively.

Recently, fish farming has significantly developed in the province.[5]

Industry

Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant

The province has a contribution of 4% in the annual total industrial product of Armenia.[6] The industry of is mainly based on food-processing. The "MAP" company in Lenughi and "Karas" company in Arevadasht are the leading wine and brandy producers in the province.

The Echmiadzin dairy factory is one of the major producers of dairy products in Armenia.

Being located near the capital Yerevan, the villages of Parakar and Tairov are home to a large number of small and middle-size plants, including furniture manufacturing workshops and producers of polymeric materials. The village of Musaler is home to a factory for polyethylene products and a plant for heavy-duty paper products. The village of Merdzavan has a clothing and sewing factory.

The Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant is the largest plant in Armavir and the entire republic. It was opened in 1969 near the town of Metsamor and produces around 40% of the consumed electricity in Armenia.

Tourism

Etchmiadzin Cathedral, 303 AD, UNESCO World heritage site

The province is home to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Etchmiadzin Cathedral, Zvartnots Cathedral, Saint Hripsime Church, Saint Gayane Church and Shoghakat Church, grouped overall as the Cathedral and Churches of Echmiatsin and the Archaeological Site of Zvartnots.

In spite of being the spiritual and religious centre of the Armenian nation worldwide, the tourism services in the province are not developed enough.[7] However, being home to the Zvartnots International Airport, Parakar is home to many gambling houses and night clubs.

The Vordan Karmir Sanctuary is the only protected natural area in the province. It is home to the Armenian cochineal, an insect that formerly used to produce an eponymous crimson carmine dyestuff known in Armenia as vordan karmir. The red dye of the insect was largely used in Armenian miniatures as well as other types of artworks throughout the history of ancient and medieval Armenia.

Education

Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Manuscript Depository

The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin in Vagharshapat is home to the Gevorkian Theological Seminary (theological university) of the Armenian Apostolic Church. It is also home to the Karekin I Centre of Theology and Armenology.

The province has the private "Grigor Lusavorich University" (uncredited) in the town of Vagharshapat. As of the 2015-16 educational year, Armavir has 119 schools, as well as 2 schools for special needs.[8] As of the end of 2015, the number of the students in the schools of the province is 31,100.[9]

During the Soviet period, there were 98 public libraries in Armavir with only 21 of them are still functioning.

The Etchmiadzin complex has a number of museums and libraries:

  • Catholicosal Museum,
  • Etchmiadzin Cathedral Museum,
  • Khrimian Museum,
  • Alex and Marie Manoogian Treasury House,
  • Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Manuscript Depository,
  • Printing house and Bookstore of the Mother See.

Sport

The Jubilee Stadium in July 2014, during the FIFA "Live Your Goals" program

Football is the most popular sport in the province. FC Armavir represented the town of Armavir in the domestic football competitions between 1965 and 2003 before being dissolved due to financial difficulties. Likewise, FC Vagharshapat represented Etchmiadizn between 1967 and 2005 before being dissolved.

The Jubilee Stadium of Armavir is the 3rd-largest football venue in Armenia.

The town of Vagharshapat is also home to a football stadium with minor capacity.

Attractions

Fortresses and archaeological sites

Menhirs of Metsamor

Churches and monasteries

Saint Hripsimé Church of 618

Other

Communities

Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Armavir Province was formed after the new law of 4 September 1995, regarding the Administrative-territorial division of the Republic of Armenia.

The province consists of the following 97 communities (hamaynkner), of which 3 are considered urban and 94 are considered rural.[10]

Towns or urban communities

Image City (town) Province Founded Land area (km2) Population (2011 census)
Armavir central square.jpg Armavir Armavir 1931 6 29,319
Metsamor town view.jpg Metsamor Armavir 1969 4 9,191
Edschmiatsin Armenia.jpg Vagharshapat Armavir 685 BC 13 46,540

Villages or rural communities

Non-community villages

Gallery

References

  1. ↑ Armavir population, 2011 census
  2. ↑ Balakian, Peter. The Burning Tigris: The Armenian Genocide and America's Response. New York: HarperCollins, 2003, p. 321 ISBN 0-06-055870-9
  3. ↑ The ethnic minorities of Armavir Province
  4. ↑ Armavir.agro general information
  5. ↑ Armavir general information: Economy
  6. ↑ Armstat: Armavir
  7. ↑ Armavir: general information
  8. ↑ Armavir province schools list
  9. ↑ Armradio: Armavir province students and schools
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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