Territorial Area

Territorial Area

With eight ecological zones, seven climates, nine altitudes, sixteen soil zones, plus over half of all plant species in the Transcaucasus and two-thirds of all bird species found in Europe, Armenia’s small territory is a stunning biological region. more..

Mountain Ranges

The Sevan Mountains are the oldest standing in Armenia, weighing in at 380-1,200 million years old.  Volcanoes and massive earthquakes formed the base of the mountainous region, carving mountains, valleys and plateaus on a land that now has an average altitude of 2000 meters (6,560 ft), with less than 10% of the country lying below 1000 meters (3280 ft.). more..

Lakes and Rivers

More than 200 rivers and streams run through the country, most of which are fed from melting snows and tens of thousands of springs.  There is still an astonishing amount of water which runs through the main tributaries into the Arax River on the Armenian/Turkish border and the Kur River in Azerbaijan. more..

Forests

The country’s forested areas are concentrated in the north and the far southeast areas of the country with a few pockets of forest area in the central part of the country.  Although forests have covered approximately 45 percent of the country in the first millennium, BCE, and 25 percent at the beginning of the 20th century, they now cover less than 10% of the land mass. more..

Armenia’s rich diversity of terrain includes Dry Sub-Tropic, Mediterranean, Desert, Semi-Desert, Mountain Steppe land, Mixed Forest, Sub-Alpine and Alpine vegetation zones.  These are further subdivided in to 17 specific vegetation zones. There are even a few glaciers thrown in for extra measure in the upper altitudes.  The area around Yerevan alone stretches over five vegetation zones, with a mixture of flora and fauna rarely seen elsewhere. more..

Geology

Armenia’s territory can be crossed by plane in less than an hour, yet in that time you can see a kaleidoscope of terrains with snow-covered mountain crests, fertile plains, forests, turquoise lakes, dry subtropics, semi-deserts, alpine meadows, mountain steppes and large fields of sun-blasted stone. more..

Flora and Fauna

Armenia has over 3,500 species of flowers, over half of those found in the Transcaucasus region. 

Armenia has over a dozen varieties of poppies, varying in color from deep red to the color of sand.  Endemic to Armenia are rare varieties of iris, ranunculus, colchicum, fritillaria, gladioli, tulip, hyacinths, orchids, crocus, punica, tournefortia, calendula, and vincas.  These are but a few of the thousands that draw botanical tourists each year from around the world. more..