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Introducing Armenia
Watching over revered Mt Ararat, Armenia spans rocky highlands while also boasting lush forests and serene, turquoise Lake Sevan. There are remote regions and monasteries to explore (Vayots Dzor & Syunik, for example), but highlights are as likely to be Yerevan’s buzzing arts scene, the Mediterranean mind-set and café culture, or a spontaneous shared meal – and tipple – with locals.
Much of the current tourist traffic comprises diaspora Armenians seeking a slice of their homeland. Their high standards enticed some international hotel chains and caused overdevelopment in places like Sevan. Yet it’s still easy to escape to hidden gems, including stalactite-filled caves and summer villages inhabited by Yezidi Kurds and Armenian shepherds. The Debed Canyon is rich with history and culture, and Goris is a fascinating time-warp town that warrants a few days' exploration. As most travellers whiz through on a brief side trip between other places, serious explorers will have the best sights to themselves.
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Latest headlines for Armenia
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Armenia-Turkey thaw tinged with pain
4 July 2009 11:36PM
Attempts to reconcile Armenia and Turkey please some villagers near the countries' border, but anger others, the BBC's Tom Esslemont reports.
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Karabakh guns still at the ready
25 June 2009 6:58AM
A solution to the frozen Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh still seems a long way off, the BBC's Tom Esslemont reports.
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Turkey demands Karabakh progress
13 May 2009 5:48PM
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan rules out re-opening the border with Armenia until it pulls troops out of Azerbaijan.
