More From the Peace Corps Welcome Book - Part I

I’m saving Culture Smart Armenia and Lonely Planet Armenia (and the dictionary) for the way over and when I get there, and I’ll discuss learnings of interest as I go along. In the meantime, some more information from the Peace Corps Armenia Welcome Book:

I mentioned the contrast between urban and rural earlier. There is also the contrast of the young country and the ancient society, with roots back to centuries B.C. I also mentioned the rural poverty – many Armenians emigrate to other countries because they feel the lack of opportunity and hope. Elsewhere, though, it notes that the people are strong and determined. Armenians are hospitable and welcoming to Americans. Peace Corps is now well-established in Armenia and has a strong reputation.

Although Armenians have embraced democracy, free markets, and business, many, especially older Armenians, long for the old Soviet days when things were more stable and livelihood was guaranteed (Interestingly, I heard this when I was originally applying to the Peace Corps. There was an RPCV in one of my non-profit classes, and she told me that the former Soviet Union was depressing because the people were depressed. She advised me to go somewhere sunny, because the people were happy. I’ve served now in two sunny countries, and the people were indeed happy. But I’ve also met RPCVs who served in the former Soviet Union, and the ones I have met talked about how much they loved it and loved the people. And I knew PCVs in Morocco and the Philippines who were miserable. Conclusion – everyone has his or her own experience!).

Armenia has been part of, been under contention between, or conquered by: Persia, Alexander the Great, Rome, Parthia, the Byzantines, the Turks, the Mongols, the Ottomans, Iran, Russia, the Transcaucasian Alliance (with Georgia and Azerbaijan – short-lived, and then incorporated into the Soviet Union). St. Gregory the Illuminator brought Christianity in 300 AD. The Republic of Armenia constitutes about 10 percent of what was historically Greater Armenia.

Armenia’s highland location at the junction of various biogeograpical (a new word for me) regions includes a variety of landscapes – semidesert, steppe, forest, alpine meadow, and high-altitude tundra. Because of its protected position and generally high elevation, the climate is mostly dry and continental, although there are regional variations. Intense sunshine occurs for many days of the year (so maybe the people are happy!). Summer is long and hot (and here I have been worried about being cold! Betty told me I would be hot in Yerevan; her site was the coldest in the country). Average July temperature in Yerevan is 77 degrees, but it can rise as high as 108 degrees. Winters tend to be moderately severe, with an average temperature of 26 degrees. Autumn is generally mild, sunny and long, while spring is usually short and wet.

As for the government - there’s an executive branch with a president and a prime minister and a legislative branch with a National Assembly or Parliament; members have four-year terms. There’s a judicial branch with a Supreme Court and regional and city courts. Based on the list of government ministries that Peace Corps says that they work with, I deduce that my job falls under the Ministry of Trade and Economic Development.