The Republic of Armenia (formally the Armenian S.S.R.) is bounded to the north of Georgia, to the east of Azerbaijan and to the south and west by Turkey and Iran. It has an area of 11,490 sq. mi. (29,800 sq. km.) and a population of 3.7 million. Capital: Yerevan. Agriculture including cotton, vineyards and orchards, hydroelectricity, chemicals ? primarily synthetic rubber and fertilizers, and vast mineral deposits of copper, zinc and aluminum and production of steel and paper are major industries. The earliest history of Armenia records continuous struggles with Babylonia and later Assyria. In the sixth century B.C. it was called Armina. Later under the Persian empire it was a vassal state. Conquered by Macedonia, it later defeated the Seleucids and thus Greater Armenia was founded under the Artaxis dynasty. Christianity was established in 303 A.D. which led to religious wars with the Persians and Romans who the divided it into two zones of influence. The Arabs succeeded the Sassanids. In 862 A.D. Ashot V was recognized as the ?prince of princes? and established a throne recognized by Baghdad and Constantinople in 886 A.D. The Seljuks overran the whole country and united with Kurdistan which eventually ran the new government. From 1240 A.D. onward the Mongols occupied almost all of western Asia until their downfall in 1375 A.D. when various Kurdish, Armenian and Turkoman independent principalities arose. After the defeat of the Persians in 1516 A.D. the Ottoman Turks gradually took control with Kurdish tribes settling within Armenian lands. In 1605 A.D, the Persians relocated thousands of Armenians as far as India to develop colonies. Persia and the Ottoman Turks were again at war, with the Ottomans once again prevailing. The Ottomans later have obsolute civil authority to a Christian bishop allowing the Armenians free enjoyment of their religion and traditions. Russia occupied Armenia in 1801 until the Russo-Turkish war of 1878. British intervention excluded either side from remaining although the Armenians remained more loyal to the Ottoman Turks. In 1894 the Ottoman Turks sent in an expeditionary force of Kurds fearing a revolutionary movement. Large massacres were followed by retaliations, an amnesty was proclaimed which continued to 1916, when Armenia was occupied by Russian forces. From 1917-1918 the Georgians, Armenians and Azerbaijanis formed the short-lived Transcaucanism Federal Republic which split into three independent republics on May 26, 1918. Communism developed and in Sept. 1920 the Turks attacked Armenian Republic; the Russians soon followed suit, routing the Turks. On Nov. 29, 1920 Armenia was proclaimed a Soviet Socialist Republic. On March 12, 1922, Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan were combined to form the Transcaucanism Soviet Federated Socialist republic, which on Dec. 30, 1922, became a part of U.S.S.R. On Dec. 5, 1936, the Transcaucanism federation was dissolved and Armenia became a constituent republic of the U.S.S.R. A new constitution was adopted in April 1978. Elections took place on May 20, 1990. The Supreme Soviet adopted a declaration of sovereignty in Aug. 1991, voting to unite Armenia with Nagorno-Karabakh. This newly constituted Republic of Armenia became independent by popular vote in Sept. 1991. It joined the CIS in Dec. 1991. Fighting between Christians in Armenia and Muslim forces of Azerbaijan escalated in 1992 and continued through early 1994. Each country claimed the Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian ethnic enclave in Azerbaijan. A temporary cease-fire was announced in May 1994. Monetary System: 1 Ruble = 100 Kopeks