ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 1996 by Richard L. Ney This tour guide is prepared for personal information-use only. Absolutely no part of this tour guide, its complete form, or the information contained within it may be reprinted, copied or otherwise duplicated for the purposes of resale or commercial gain. Any duplication or copying of this guide, any part thereof, and the information contained must receive the express permission of the author.

The geographical location of Armenia and its unique topography creates as many weather contrasts as the country itself. Armenia is protected from the harsh winter conditions of the Russian land mass by the Northern Caucasus Mountains, and consequently receives much of its weather from the Persian and Syrian Plains. In the Southern regions, during the winter the mountains may be covered with snow, but lower valleys and towns gentle and warm. The southernmost area of the country is considered Sub-Tropical: while Giumri is still receiving its last winter snowfall, in Meghri fruit trees are in full bloom, and the first vegetables of the season are being picked. Ararat Valley is one of the lowest areas in Armenia, and consequently does not receive as much snowfall or rain as the upper reaches. It is also a very fertile area, and with intensive irrigation (canals date back to the reign of Semiramis), it produces the lion’s share of agricultural produce for the country. Mountains ring this large valley, and extend throughout the Republic. Once you leave the Ararat Valley in any direction, you will soon be moving up into their realms and further on down into other mountain valleys. The highest point in Armenia is Mount Aragats (el. 4090 meters/13,415 ft.), which is where most of the winter sport resorts are located, and where--along with Lake Sevan-- locals travel to in summer months to escape the Ararat Valley heat. Less than 10% of the country lies below 1000 meters/3,280 ft. It is not unlikely that you will pass from semi-desert foothills to Alpine country within a few kilometers drive.

The contrasts continue: In Northwest Armenia lay two sub-regions called Amassia and Ashotsk. They are also dubbed "Armenian Siberia" for being the coldest regions in Armenia, both in summer and winter. They are also populated by descendants of the Old Russian Orthodox Religion, exiled in the 18^th century by Catherine the Great. In North Eastern and Southern Armenia lie the mass of the remaining forest land, as well as many of the most stunning architectural sites.

In Northeast Armenia lay the summer and winter resorts of Dilijan and Tzaghkadzor, Northeast of Vanadzor. Dilijan looks like a Swiss chalet village, and the approaching roads twist and wind through heavily forested mountains. It has some of the most beautiful autumnal views in Armenia. Around Noyemberian and Ijivan, in the Northeastern-most areas of the country, the trees do not tumble over each other as they do around Dilijan, but they are an excellent picture of what the Western portions of the country were like before forests were clear-cut hundreds of years ago.

In Southern Armenia is the monastery of Tatev, which is still undergoing renovation. The size of the ramparts and protective walls, as well as the church itself will remind you of the great cathedrals in Europe. The surrounding area is called "Armenia’s Grand Canyon"; The river bed at places is more than a kilometer below the mountain plain, and the rock formations along its walls make for spectacular vistas and excellent climbing and repelling.

In the middle mountain regions of Armenia, the contrasts continue. Within a few kilometers, the traveler can leave forlorn foothills defining the colors of red and brown on the rocky precipices and enter a deciduous paradise where trees and wild fox, deer (even bears) flourish. The area between Giumri and Yerevan on the Western side of the country looks barren and rocky, but mountain streams and irrigation provide hundreds of oasis' and verdent gradens. It has its own unique eco-system, much like hte American Southwest (this entire area was a desert for hundreds of years, and much of the vineyards and orchards you see West of Artashat was reclaimed in the last fifty years). The Southern area around Sisian has is considered Armenia’s bread basket for its wheat (thre is a small museum showing the different strains of wheat grown--one dating back to the the times of the earliest Beer makers--yup, Armenians). The high mountain plain areas are lined on both sides with towering jagged peaks that form the borders of Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan. Around Kapan and Goris, the area most resembles Switzerland, including the architecture of the buildings.

Northeast of Yerevan lies Lake Sevan, one of the highest freshwater lakes in the world, and the largest in the Transcaucasus Region. Formed by a series of volcanoes long since extinct, the lake is moody, ever-changing from a mirror like surface of emerald green in the summer to black, choppy waves in the winter. The temperature of the water rarely rises above 20° C (68° F), which makes it ideal for hot, sunny days. Due to its elevation, the sunshine is deceptively strong, and visitors can easily be sunburned in an hour or less. Lake Sevan has 5% of its water surface, due to a massive Soviet water tunnel stretching more than 50 kilometers from Sevan to Arpa, and to the use of the water to generate electricity at Hrazdan. When the waters receded, they revealed a host of historic sites going back to the earliest times of settlement.

The weather changes according to the great variety of geographic terrain. While it may be sunny and hot in the Ararat valley, 60 kilometers away in Sevan it may be cold and rainy, and snowing in the upper regions of Aragats. Common July temperatures range between Ararat Valley highs of 25-30° C (77-86° F) to middle mountain regions summer highs of 18-20° C (64-68° F). The absolute recorded high was 42° C (107.6° F), in Ararat Valley. Common January temperatures range between Ararat Valley lows of -5 to -7° C (23 to 19° F), with an absolute recorded minimum of -30° C (-22° F); to middle mountain regions common lows of -8 to -12° C (16 to 12° F) and an absolute low of -46° C (-46° F) recorded at Arpi. The average number of frost-free days in Armenia is 250 in Ararat Valley, and 150-200 days in the middle mountain areas. In the upper elevations no more than 30-50 days are considered frost-free.

Rainfall: Armenia receives a total average precipitation of 550 mm (21.6 inches). Ararat Valley receives the least amount of precipitation, 200-250 mm (7.9 to 10 inches). The most amount of precipitation occurs in the upper regions, and during Spring and early Summer, with a second rainy season in October and November. When rain falls in the summer months, it often begins with a drizzle and soon develops into a downpour. In the winter months, snow does not last in the Ararat Valley, as the temperatures often vary between freezing and just above. In the middle mountain areas, the snow will keep for long periods of time, and commonly reaches 100 cm (40 inches).

Sunshine: Armenia receives an average of 2700 sun hours of light a year. In the summer months, the Ararat valley is perpendicular to the sun, and each sq. cm of land receives per minute 1.46 calories of heat. Because of the perpendicular alignment of the land with the sun, people who sunbathe can obtain very even suntans (listen up, beach bums).