Armenia Among 6 Most Ancient Countries of the World

MOSCOW — The Russkaya Semyorka website has classified Armenia in 6 most ancient countries of the world. The first states emerged about 6,000 years ago, but not all of them have survived. Some disappeared forever, others have only their name left.

According to the website Armenian statehood has a history of about 2500 years, though its roots should be found even deeper, in the Arme­Shupria Kingdom (XII BC), which, according to the historian Boris Piotrowski, turned into the Scythian­Armenian Union in VII and VI centuries BC.

Ancient Armenia was a motley conglomeration of states and kingdoms that existed at the same time or succeeded one another. The website writes that the term “Armenia” was first mentioned in the Behistun inscription (521 BC) of the king of Persia Darius I, who this way called the Persian satrapy in the territory of the disappeared Urartu.

The Kingdom of Ararat that was later formed in the valley of Araks River served as a basis for three others – Sofena, Lesser Armenia and Great Armenia. Starting from 3rd century BC the center of the political and cultural life of the Armenian nation moved to the Ararat Valley.

Besides Armenia, Russkaya Semyorka mentions Iran, China, Greece, Egypt and Japan as the other 5 most ancient countries.