Geography of Armenia#Extreme points

Image:Armenia 2002 CIA map.jpg

Armenia is located in the southern Caucasus, the region southwest of Russia between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea.{{citation-attribution|1={{Cite book|last=Curtis|first=Glenn E.|url=https://www.loc.gov/item/94045459/|title=Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia : country studies|date=1995|publisher=Federal Research Division|isbn=0-8444-0848-4|edition=1st|location=Washington, D.C.|pages=25–29|oclc=31709972}}}} Modern Armenia occupies part of historical Armenia, whose ancient centers were in the valley of the Araks River and the region around Lake Van in Turkey. Armenia is bordered on the north by Georgia, on the east by Azerbaijan, on the south by Iran, and on the west by Turkey.

In Armenia forest cover is around 12% of the total land area, equivalent to 328,470 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, down from 334,730 hectares (ha) in 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 310,000 hectares (ha) and planted forest covered 18,470 hectares (ha). Of the naturally regenerating forest 5% was reported to be primary forest (consisting of native tree species with no clearly visible indications of human activity) and around 0% of the forest area was found within protected areas. For the year 2015, 100% of the forest area was reported to be under public ownership.{{Cite book |url=https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/a6e225da-4a31-4e06-818d-ca3aeadfd635/content |title=Terms and Definitions FRA 2025 Forest Resources Assessment, Working Paper 194 |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |year=2023}}{{Cite web |title=Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020, Armenia |url=https://fra-data.fao.org/assessments/fra/2020/ARM/home/overview |website=Food Agriculture Organization of the United Nations}}

Image:Armenia Topography.png{{See also|List of rivers of Armenia|List of lakes of Armenia|Mountains of Armenia}}

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 Lesser Caucasus range extends through northern Armenia, runs southeast between Lake Sevan and Azerbaijan, then passes roughly along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border to Iran. Thus situated, the mountains make travel from north to south difficult. Geological turmoil continues in the form of devastating earthquakes, which have plagued Armenia. In December 1988, the second largest city in the republic, Leninakan (now Gyumri), was heavily damaged by a massive quake that killed more than 25,000 people.

About half of Armenia's area of approximately {{convert|29,743|km2|sqmi|1|abbr=on}} has an elevation of at least {{convert|2000|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}, and only 3% of the country lies below {{convert|650|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}. The lowest points are in the valleys of the Araks River and the Debed River in the far north, which have elevations of {{convert|380|and|430|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}, respectively. Elevations in the Lesser Caucasus vary between {{convert|2640|and|3280|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}. To the southwest of the range is the Armenian Plateau, which slopes southwestward toward the Araks River on the Turkish border. The plateau is masked by intermediate mountain ranges and extinct volcanoes. The largest of these, Mount Aragats, {{convert|4090|m|ft|0|sp=us|abbr=}} high, is also the highest point in Armenia. Most of the population lives in the western and northwestern parts of the country, where the two major cities, Yerevan and Gyumri, are located.

The valleys of the Debed and Akstafa rivers form the chief routes into Armenia from the north as they pass through the mountains. Lake Sevan, {{convert|72.5|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} across at its widest point and {{convert|376|km|mi|1|abbr=on}} long, is by far the largest lake. It lies {{convert|1900|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} above sea level on the plateau and is {{convert|1279.18|km2|sqmi|1|abbr=on}} large.{{Cite web|url=https://www.armstat.am/file/article/eco_booklet_2018.doc.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.armstat.am/file/article/eco_booklet_2018.doc.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|title=ENVIRONMENTAL STATISTICS OF ARMENIA FOR 2018 AND TIME-SERIES OF INDICATORS FOR 2014-2018}} Other main lakes are: Arpi, {{convert|7.5|km2|sqmi|1|abbr=on}}, Sev, {{convert|2|km2|sqmi|1|abbr=on}}, Akna {{convert|0.8|km2|sqmi|1|abbr=on}}.

Image:Europe biogeography countries en.svg]]

Terrain is most rugged in the extreme southeast, which is drained by the Bargushat River, and most moderate in the Araks River valley to the extreme southwest. Most of Armenia is drained by the Araks or its tributary, the Hrazdan, which flows from Lake Sevan. 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.

Image:Armenian terrain.jpg

{{Main|Climate of Armenia}}

Temperatures in Armenia generally depend upon elevation. Mountain formations block the moderating climatic influences of the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea, creating wide seasonal variations with cold snowy winters, and warm to hot summers. On the Armenian Plateau, the mean midwinter temperature is {{convert|0|°C|°F}} to {{convert|−15|°C|°F}}, and the mean midsummer temperature is {{convert|15|°C|°F}} to {{convert|30|°C|°F}}. Average precipitation ranges from {{convert|250|mm|in|1|sp=us}} per year in the lower Araks River valley to {{convert|800|mm|in|1|sp=us}} at the highest altitudes. Despite the harshness of winter in most parts (with frosts reaching {{convert|-40|°C|°F}} and lower in Shirak region{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}}), the fertility of the plateau's volcanic soil made Armenia one of the world's earliest sites of agricultural activity.

{{More citations needed|section|date=October 2020}}

Area:
total: 29,743 km²

:country comparison to the world: 143

land: 28,203 km²
water: 1,540 km²

Area comparative

• Australia comparative: about one third (33%) the size of Tasmania
• Canada comparative: greater than half (56%) the size of Nova Scotia
• Turkey comparative: about a quarter (24%) smaller than the size of Konya Province.
• United Kingdom comparative: about one third larger (30%) than Wales
• United States comparative: slightly smaller (7%) than Maryland
• EU comparative: slightly smaller (8%) than Belgium

Land boundaries:
total: 1,570 km
border countries:

Azerbaijan 566 km, Azerbaijan-Nakhchivan exclave 221 km, Georgia 219 km, Iran 44 km, Turkey 311 km

Coastline:

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: 375m
highest point: Mount Aragats 4,090 m

Extreme points of Armenia:
North:

Tavush ({{Coord|41|17|N|45|0|E|type:landmark_region:AM}})
South:

Syunik ({{Coord|38|49|N|46|10|E|type:landmark_region:AM}})
West:

Shirak ({{Coord|41|5|N|43|27|E|type:landmark_region:AM}})
East:

Syunik ({{Coord|39|13|N|46|37|E|type:landmark_region:AM}})

{{More citations needed|section|date=October 2020}}

{{See also|Mineral industry of Armenia|Agriculture in Armenia}}

Natural resources:

deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, bauxite

Armenia has significant deposits of copper, molybdenum and gold, as well as smaller deposits of zinc, lead and silver. Some copper-molybdenum and polymetallic ore deposits are rich in elements such as bismuth, tellurium, selenium, gallium, indium, thallium, rhenium and germanium.{{Cite web |title=Armenia - Mining and Minerals {{!}} Privacy Shield |url=https://www.privacyshield.gov/article?id=Armenia-mining-sector#:~:text=Armenia%20has%20significant%20deposits%20of,,%20thallium,%20rhenium%20and%20germanium. |access-date=2022-12-08 |website=www.privacyshield.gov |language=en}}

Land use:

arable land:4.456 km², 15.8%
permanent crops: 1.9%
permanent pastures: 4.2%
forest (2018): 11.2%
other: 31.2% (2011)

Irrigated land: 2.084 km² (2018)

Total renewable water resources:

7.77 m³ (2011) Armenia is considered to be a big water “supplier” in the Caspian basin; as a result, the country lacks water, especially in summer when the rate of evaporation exceeds the amount of precipitation. That is the main reason why since ancient times inhabitants have built water reservoirs and irrigation canals in the area. Lake Sevan contains the largest amount of water in the country.

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 2.86 km³/yr (40%/6%/54%)
per capita: 929.7 m³/yr (2010)

{{Portal|Environment|Geography}}

• Atlas of Armenia
• Biogeographic regions of Europe
• Geography of Asia
• Geography of Europe
• Geology of Armenia

{{Reflist}}

• {{Cite Historic Maps of Armenia}}

{{Armenia topics}}

{{Geography of Asia}}

{{Asia topic|Climate of}}

{{Geography of Europe}}

{{Europe topic|Climate of}}