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 Armenia prides itself on being the first nation to formally adopt
Christianity (early 4th century). Despite periods of autonomy, over the centuries
Armenia came under the sway of various empires including the Roman, Byzantine, Arab,
Persian, and Ottoman. It was incorporated into Russia in 1828 and the USSR in 1920.
Armenian leaders remain preoccupied by the long conflict with Muslim Azerbaijan over
Nagorno-Karabakh, a primarily Armenian-populated region, assigned to Soviet Azerbaijan
in the 1920s by Moscow. Armenia and Azerbaijan began fighting over the area in 1988;
the struggle escalated after both countries attained independence from the Soviet
Union in 1991.
By May 1994, when a cease-fire took hold, Armenian forces held not
only Nagorno-Karabakh but also a significant portion of Azerbaijan proper. The
economies of both sides have been hurt by their inability to make substantial progress
toward a peaceful resolution. Turkey imposed an economic blockade on Armenia and
closed the common border because of the Armenian occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and
surrounding areas.
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