GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT ARMENIA

The coat of arms                          The national flag

Geographical Information

Armenia is located in the South Caucasus, bordered by Georgia from the north, Iran from the south, Azerbaijan from the north-east and the south-west and Turkey from the west. The Republic of Armenia occupies a territory of 29 800 square km, lying at an average altitude of 1800 meters above sea level. The highest point is Mount Aragats (4090m), while the lowest point is the valley of the Debed River (400m). The capital is Yerevan. According to the general census of 2003 the population of Armenia is 3,2 million, 1,1 million of which lives in Yerevan.

Government

The President - The President of the Republic is the head of state. The President of the Republic is elected by the citizens of the Republic of Armenia for a five-year term. In 2013 Serzh Sargsyan was re-elected as RA President.
The legislative power - The unicameral National Assembly is the supreme legislative body in Armenia. The National Assembly is elected by popular vote for a five-year term.
The executive power - The executive power is exercised by RA Government. The Government consists of the Prime Minister and the Ministers.

Climate

Armenia has a dry tropical climate. Clear sunny days are mostly dominant in a year. The summers are hot here, the temperature fluctuates between +22C to +36C. The winters are mainly cold, the average temperature is between -15C to -1C. The mountain peaks are covered with eternal snow, while their slopes are lined by alpine meadows. The best time to visit Armenia is spring or autumn. Daily weather forecasts can be found at the following web-page: http://www.meteo.am.

Banking

Armenia. The banks in Yerevan are open from 10 am to 4 pm on week-days and from 10 am to 1 pm on Saturdays, without lunch breaks. The ATMs can be found on all the main streets of Yerevan.

Currency

The national currency of Armenia is called "Dram" (the code is AMD). It was put into circulation in 1993. There are banknotes of 1000, 5000, 20000, 50000, 100000 Dram denomination. There are also coins of 10, 50, 100, 200, 500 Dram denomination. Foreign currency can be exchanged in banks and currency exchange offices throughout the city. The approximate exchange rate is:

1 USD = 479 AMD
1 EUR = 512 AMD
1 RUB = 8.23 AMD
1 GBP = 587 AMD

Current exchange rates can be found at the official web-site of the Central Bank of the Republic of Armenia: http://www.cba.am

Electricity

The electricity in Armenia is 220 volt, 50 Hz , as in almost all of Europe.

Flights

Armenia has two major airports. The main airport is Zvartnots International Airport, which is located at a distance of about 12 km from the centre of Yerevan, while the second one is situated in Gyumri. There are flights to and from Yerevan from more than 50 cities of the world, including
Moscow, Paris, Vienna, Prague, Rome, London, Beirut, Saint Petersburg, Tehran, Milan, Warsaw, Istanbul etc.

Holidays and Non-working Days

Both public and religious holidays are celebrated in Armenia. The shops and restaurants are generally open also on holidays. The following holidays are non-working:
• Christmas and New Year (from December 31 to January 6),
• Army Day - January 28,
• The International Women's Day - March 8,
• Labour Day - May 1,
• Victory and Peace Day - May 9,
• Republic Day - May 28,
• Constitution Day - July 5,
• Independence Day - September 21.
April 24 is also a non-working day - the commemoration day of the Armenian Genocide victims.

Language

The official language is Armenian, a separate branch of the Indo-European language family. The Armenian letters are radically different from the letters of other languages. Generally the state buildings and public places are also marked with Latin-letter signboards. Besides Armenian, Russian is also widely used, and many can communicate in English, too.

Cuisine

The traditional Armenian cuisine has a large variety of richly flavoured dishes. Fresh vegetables and meat are among the most favourite food products. No Armenian celebratory table can be imagined without the most favourite barbecue, kyufta, dolma or ghapama. The dinner party foresees a great ritual, starting from its preparatory process until the last moment at the table. The numerous restaurants in Yerevan offer a unique selection of local dishes. There are also many restaurants serving the dishes of different internationally recognized cuisines.

Post Offices

The post offices in Armenia work every day from 9 am to 7 pm. Sunday is a day-off. One of the central post offices is located at the Republic Square, opposite the Government building.

Public Transportation

The following means of public transportation are available in Armenia:
Metro. Yerevan subway system has one line stretching from the north to the south of the city with 10 stations. The fare is 100 AMD.
Buses. There are buses running in major directions. The fare is 100 AMD.
Minibuses. 12-15 seater minibuses run in almost every direction. The fare is 100 AMD.
Taxi Services. There are many taxi service offices, which accept orders by phone and they offer comfortable cars. The fare is 100 AMD per km (the minimum fare is 600 AMD). It is possible to take a taxi also at the crossroads and the crowded places.

Religion

The state religion in Armenia is Christianity which was adopted in 301 AD. The religion is deeply and strongly rooted here.
The majority of the Armenians living in Armenia belong to the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox church. The head of the church is the Catholicos of All Armenians, who resides in Holy Echmiadzin.

Telephone Calls

The country code is 374, Yerevan city code is 10.
Outgoing international calls can be made by dialing 00 followed by the country code, the city code and the number.

There are 3 mobile operators - "Beeline", "VivaCell", "Orange", functioning over almost the entire territory of Armenia, and their cards can be purchased at Zvartnots International Airport, at the offices of these operators or at the big stores, having the passport copy. The cards provide 3G connection and high speed Internet. For making calls by the cell phone to the fixed-line number in Yerevan it is necessary to dial 010 followed by the number.

Time Zone

Armenia Standard Time is 4 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+4). Starting from 2012 Armenia has abolished daylight saving time.