Britannica Student Encyclopedia - 2010

length from about 6 inches (15 centimeters)

to 5 feet (1.5 meters). Armadillos

are usually brownish black with some

yellow markings. Their armor is a type

of hardened skin. It is made up of solid

plates and flexible bands. It covers most

of the body, including the head and usually

the tail.

Most armadillos have very little hair.

The pink fairy armadillo, however, has a

coat of soft, white hair on its underparts

and sides.

Armadillos are usually active at night.

They live in burrows, or holes that they

dig in the ground. Armadillos also dig to

find food. They eat mainly termites and

other insects, worms, roots, and small

animals.

Female armadillos usually bear one to 12

identical young. All develop from a

single egg inside the mother.

#More to explore

Anteater • Mammal • Sloth

The nine-banded armadillo is the only kind

of armadillo that lives in the United States.

Some types of

armadillo are

able to roll

themselves into

a ball to protect

their

underparts

from enemies.

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Armadillo 183

 

Armenia

The Republic of Armenia is one of the

world’s oldest centers of civilization.

Yerevan, the capital, is also one of the

world’s oldest cities.

Geography

Armenia is located in western Asia,

between the Black Sea and the Caspian

Sea. It is bordered by Georgia, Azerbaijan,

Iran, and Turkey. Armenia is a

mountainous country. The Lesser Caucasus

Mountains stretch across the

north. Armenia’s highest peak, Mount

Aragats, is 13,418 feet (4,090 meters)

high. The area has experienced many

earthquakes, including one in 1988 that

killed some 25,000 people.

Armenia has a dry climate. Summers are

generally hot.Winters are generally not

very cold, except in the mountains and

on the windy plateaus.

Plants and Animals

Junipers, dog roses, and honeysuckles

grow in the lower areas of Armenia.

Thorny bushes cover the mountain

slopes. There are beech forests in the

northeast and oak forests in the southeast.

Among the animals found in Armenia

are wild boars, wildcats, jackals, Syrian

bears, lynx, ibex (a kind of wild goat),

and mountain sheep.

People

About 98 percent of the people are ethnic

Armenians. There are small numbers

of Kurds and other groups. Armenian is

the official language. Most people are

The Khor Virap monastery is an important

religious site for Armenians. It is associated

with Gregory the Illuminator. He introduced

Christianity to the Armenians more than

1,700 years ago. Behind the monastery

rises Mount Ararat, in Turkey.

184 Armenia BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

Christians of the Armenian Apostolic

church. Historically, the Armenian

church has been independent of both

the Roman Catholic and the Eastern

Orthodox churches.

Economy

Despite the growth of cities and industries,

agriculture is very important to

Armenia’s economy. Farmers raise potatoes,

wheat, tomatoes, barley, grapes,

watermelons, sheep, and cattle. Factories

make food products, metal products,

jewelry, machinery, chemicals, tobacco,

and textiles. Mines provide copper.

Transportation can be difficult because

of the mountains, but Armenia has a

network of roads and railways and an

airport.

History

Armenian civilization began as early as

the 500s BC. It reached its greatest size

and influence in the 1st century BC.

The Roman Empire conquered

Armenia in 30 BC. From the 300s to

the 1800s Persians, Byzantines, Arabs,

Mongols, Turks, Russians, and others

conquered and ruled Armenia at

different periods.

During 1895–96 Ottoman Turks killed

thousands of Armenians, who wanted

independence from the Ottoman

Empire. In 1915, at the beginning of

WorldWar I, another 600,000 Armenians

died of starvation or were killed by

Turks. After the war Armenia enjoyed a

brief period of independence.

In 1920 the Soviet Union invaded

Armenia and forced it to accept a Communist

government. Two years later the

Soviets formed the Transcaucasian Soviet

Federated Socialist Republic, which

included Armenia, Azerbaijan, and

Georgia. The three countries became

separate republics within the Soviet

Union in 1936.

On September 23, 1991, Armenia

declared its independence from the

Soviet Union. However, Armenia still

relied on economic and military help

from Russia.

In the 1990s Armenia fought with

neighboring Azerbaijan over control of

Nagorno-Karabakh, an area of Azerbaijan

with a largely Armenian population.

Armenia took control of the region

and other Azerbaijani territory in 1993.

The continuing conflict hurt Armenia’s

economy. Many Armenians left the

country.

..More to explore

Azerbaijan • Ottoman Empire • Union

of Soviet Socialist Republics • Yerevan

Schoolchildren walk toward a monument in

Yerevan. The monument honors thousands

of Armenians who were killed in 1915.

Facts About

ARMENIA

Population

(2008 estimate)

2,996,000

Area

11,484 sq mi

(29,743 sq km)

Capital

Yerevan

Form of

government

Republic

Major cities

Yerevan, Gyumri,

Vanadzor

(Kirovakan)

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Armenia 185

 

Armor

When people think of armor, images of a

knight covered in clanking metal often

come to mind.However, the word armor

is used for any kind of clothing that is

intended to protect the wearer in combat.

As weapons have changed, armor has