Armenia:
On October 27, 1999, five gunmen burst into the Armenian parliament and shot dead the prime minister, Vazgen Sarkisian, and other seven other top government officials. They then took several hostages and said they were taking over the government. However, they forgot that in a coup you're supposed to have a large number of armed men back you up. After a few hours, the assasins gave themselves up to the police and military who had surrounded the parliament building.
This incident illustrates how Armenia is not a stable place yet. The war with Azerbaijan over the Armenian enclave of Nagorno Karabakh is still going on. There are frequent shortages of food and medical supplies, and the infrastructure has a lot of problems as well. For instance, the electricity supply is erratic, and the sewage system has been known to break down.
But Armenia wants tourists, and if you chance going there you will not be surrounded by other tourists.
The land of Armenia is mostly a dry, semi-desert, but this is good for growing grapes and producing wine and cognac. In the south, around the town of Diligan, there are some green, beautiful forests. Yerevan, the capital, has a tourist market called Vernisage, where you can buy art and craft items. There are good museums, amazing old churches, and hotel rooms for $20 a night. The countryside of Armenia has many pleasant towns, and Lake Sevan is a brilliant turquoise colour.
This site last updated October 28, 1999.