Armenian Highland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Armenian Highland (also known as the Armenian Upland or Armenian Plateau) is part of the Transcaucasian Highland and constitutes the continuation of the Caucasus mountains, also referred as eastern Armenia. Most of the Armenian Highland is in Turkey, with some part in Iran. Almost all of Armenia is within the Armenian Highland. The Armenian Upland also extends into western parts of Azerbaijan.
Its total area is about 400,000 km².[1] The highest point is Mount Ararat, 5,165 metres (16,945 ft). It is a mixture of lava plateaus, volcanic cones, and fault-fold ranges featuring mountain steppes and semi-deserts. There are a number of lakes in tectonic depressions (Lake Sevan, Lake Van, Lake Urmia). The name Armenian Highland is not used by the neighboring countries of Armenia for political and historical reasons.[2][3][4] In Turkey, the term Eastern Anatolia Region (Doğu Anadolu Bölgesi) is now generally used.
The apricot, a native to China, spread to Europe through the Armenia Highlands. It came to be known throughout the ancient world as the Armenian fruit, and its botanical name Prunus armeniaca, derives from the Latin vernacular for apricot, Armeniacum.
The Armenian Plateau has been called the "epicenter of the Iron Age". [5] It is also traditionally believed to be one of the possible locations of the Garden of Eden. [6]
See also
- Eastern Armenia
- Western Armenia
- Kingdom of Armenia
- Greater Armenia (political concept)
- Lesser Armenia
- Lesser Armenia (Cilicia)
- Russian Armenia
- Armenian Genocide
- Wilsonian Armenia
- Eastern Anatolia
References
- ^ "Armenian Highland." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopædia
- ^ Kalantar, Ashkharbek, Armenia: From the Stone Age to the Middle Ages, Civilisations du Proche Orient, Se´rie 1, Vol. 2, Recherches et Publications, Neuchâtel, Paris, 1994; ISBN 978-2-940032-01-3
- ^ Kalantar, Ashkharbek, The Mediaeval Inscriptions of Vanstan, Armenia, Civilisations du Proche-Orient: Series 2 - Philologie - CDPOP 2, Vol. 2, Recherches et Publications, Neuchâtel, Paris, 1999; ISBN 978-2-940032-11-2
- ^ Kalantar, Ashkharbek, Materials on Armenian and Urartian History (with a contribution by Mirjo Salvini), Civilisations du Proche-Orient: Series 4 - Hors Série - CPOHS 3, Neuchâtel, Paris, 2004;ISBN 978-2-940032-14-3
- ^ S. K. Dikšit. Introduction to Archaeology, Moscow, 1960.
- ^ Mesopotamian Trade. Noah's Flood: The Garden of Eden, W. Willcocks, H. Rassam pp. 459-460
