Armenia is located in the mountainous Caucasus region between Asia and Europe. Among the earliest Christian civilizations, Armenia is defined by religious sites including the Greco-Roman Temple of Garni and 4th-century Etchmiadzin Cathedral, headquarters of the Armenian Church.

Modern Armenia comprises only a small portion of ancient Armenia, one of the world’s oldest centers of civilization. At its height, Armenia extended from the south- central Black Sea coast to the Caspian Sea and from the Mediterranean Sea to Lake Urmia in present-day Iran. Ancient Armenia was subjected to constant foreign incursions, finally losing its autonomy in the 14th century AD (CE). The centuries-long rule of Ottoman and Persian conquerors imperiled the very existence of the Armenian people. Eastern Armenia was annexed by Russia during the 19th century, while western Armenia remained under Ottoman rule, and in 1894–96 and 1915 the Ottoman government perpetrated systematic massacres and forced deportations of Armenians.

The portion of Armenia lying within the former Russian Empire declared independence on May 28, 1918, but in 1920 it was invaded by forces from Turkey and Soviet Russia. The Soviet Republic of Armenia was established on November 29, 1920; in 1922 Armenia became part of the Transcaucasian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic; and in 1936 this republic was dissolved and Armenia became a constituent (union) republic of the Soviet Union. Armenia declared sovereignty on August 23, 1990, and independence on September 23, 1991.

The status of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh), an enclave in southwestern Azerbaijan populated primarily by ethnic Armenians, has been and is a source of bitter conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan since 1988. By the mid-1990s Karabakh Armenian forces had occupied much of southwestern Azerbaijan, but, after a devastating war in 2020 (aka 44-day war) they were compelled to withdraw from most of that area. An estimated 3,822 Armenians, including soldiers and civilians, died in the conflict and 208 were still missing as of March 2022.

Today Armenia remains a land-locked country with very few natural resources and relies on trade with neighboring nations to develop and progress. The blockades imposed by Turkey and Azerbaijan have created a difficult situation within the country, as the cost of transport to Iran and Georgia is consistently on the rise. The blockades imposed by Turkey and Azerbaijan has often wrongly been referred to as an embargo or as trade sanctions on Armenia. However, in terms of international law, the economic blockade and diplomatic boycott are directly against the principle outlined in the United Nations Charter requiring the peaceful resolution of conflicts.

To understand the current humanitarian crisis threatening Artsakh with the blocking of The Lachin Corridor (the only road connecting Artsakh to Armenia and the rest of the world) by Azerbaijan since December 12, 2022 please read the below articles.

Artsakh is home to 150,000 ethnic Armenians, of whom 30,000 are children and another 30,000 have been displaced in recent years. The blockade continues to isolate the population from food and other resources, including medicine for over 200 days.

Humanitarian Crisis

Blockade