Armenia receives most of its gas supply from Russia and, like some other republics of the former Soviet Union, has had to face sharp price rises. Armenia has registered strong economic growth since 1995, with double-digit growth rates in the past 6 years. Armenia is not a significant exporter of conventional weapons, but it has provided substantial support, including materiel, to ethnic Armenian separatists in the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh located within Azerbaijan's borders.
Armenia and Azerbaijan continue to observe the cease-fire that has been in effect since May 1994, and in late 1995 both also agreed to OSCE field representatives being based in Tbilisi, Georgia, to monitor the cease-fire and facilitate the peace process. Armenia was a tribal society, which means thatthe social and political units arelooselyorganized; old tribes disappear as new ones come into being, dependingon the situation.
Armenia's reputation as a stable, democratic country in a troubled region has taken a battering recently. The Armenian massacre is considered the first genocide in the 20th century. An Armenian diaspora has existed throughout the nation's history, and Armenian emigration has been particularly heavy since independence from the Soviet Union. The Armenian language is part of the Indo-European family but its alphabet is unique. Conversely, Armenia is richly endowed with potential as a tourist destination and recent figures indicate that some success is being achieved in attracting visitors.
The Government of Armenia's stated aim is to build a Western-style parliamentary democracy as the basis of its form of government. In addition, the effects of the 1988 earthquake, which killed more than 25,000 people and made 500,000 homeless, are still being felt, though international donors and diaspora Armenian groups continue to fund reconstruction efforts in the earthquake zone. The Armenia Nuclear Power Plant (ANPP) provides around 40% of electricity generation for the country, and hydro and thermal plants provide roughly 30% each.
Peace talks in early 1993 were disrupted by the seizure of Azerbaijan's Kelbajar district by Nagorno-Karabakh Armenian forces and the forced evacuation of thousands of ethnic Azeris. Historically Armenia and Azerbaijan have been long associated with Asia and the Middle East. Among the important rivers that take their rise in Armenia are the Euphrates, the Tigris, and the Araxes. The modern period of Armenian literature can well be dated from the renaissance of letters among the Armenians in the twelfth century.
The religious orders among the Armenians are of but comparatively recent origin and are not very prosperous.
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