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    Norway: Sunnylvsfjord. Go Now!

    Norway
    Known for its natural beauty, Norway is home to isolated villages, fjords, and mountains that create a culture and landscape without compare. Begin Your Journey!

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    Vatican City: Vatican Museums. Go Now!

    Vatican City
    The smallest country in the world offers the heart of Catholicism and among the world's finest art collections, including the Sistine Chapel and the Raphael Rooms (ceiling pictured). Go to Vatican City!

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    Macedonia: Traditional architecture. Go Now!

    Macedonia
    Macedonia is a country still finding its unique identity, but its architecture is already one of a kind. Explore Macedonia!

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    Austria: Belvedere Palace. Go Now!

    Austria
    Belvedere Palace (pictured) is just one of many palaces found in Vienna. The capital is a good start to Austria, which also features the Alps, the Lakes District, and incredible history & food. Go Now!

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    Spain: Guell Park and Gaudi architecture. Go Now!

    Spain
    Fusion foods, lively music, historic ruins, and cultural events like the Running of the Bulls and La Tomatina make Spain and Barcelona (pictured) a favorite tourist destination. Explore Spain!

  • Ukraine!

    Ukraine: Traditional Village. Go Now!

    Ukraine
    Ukrainian culture is based on village life, particularly that found in the Carpathian Mountains (pictured). Begin Your Journey!

Culture & Identity of Armenia

Introduction

The way of life in Armenia is still heavily reliant on the land as farming is the occupation for almost half the working population. However, other industries have made an impact, as does religion, and the large Armenian diaspora abroad, many of whom give the country a significant amount of money to help improve the infrastructure, educational system, and healthcare.

For the large proportion of agricultural workers, life is heavily based on the sun as work generally begins and ends with the sun. Life is also somewhat seasonal as the long summer days are busy and the short winter days tend to be slower. For many of these farmers fruits, including grapes, vegetables, and animals are the more common forms of agriculture. For the other half of the working population, which is heavily centered in the services industry, life has a more set pattern and schedule. These people also tend to be more urbanized, as nearly 65% of the people live in cities today. Work tends to begin at about 9:00am and ends at about 6:00 pm during the work week.

School occupies the days of most children as education is very important to the Armenians and children attend school from about age six to at least sixteen. Schools are struggling though as many people have turned to private schools, which are expensive, but often times seen as a worthwhile investment. For most children the school day is about five hours long, but tends to be a bit shorter for younger children and a bit longer for teenagers. However, the school work assigned to be done at home is generally quite significant.

Evenings and weekends (Saturday-Sunday) are often focused on family and friends. For many of the Armenians attending Armenian Orthodox church services on Sunday are common and this is often a day spent with family, but most days are spent with family. On evenings during the school year many children do homework and sometimes this spills over into the weekend. The night life and social calendar in Armenia is significant in large cities, especially among young singles, but family truly comes first in Armenia and most people would rather be with family sharing a meal than out at a dance club.

Identity

Armenians define themselves as Armenians and this identity has a very specific culture, ethnicity, language, and religion associated with it. Armenians identify in this way no matter where they live; whether that is in Armenia itself or even those born and raised abroad. To be Armenian generally means the individual is first a Christian, they are independent, and they look out for each other with fierce loyalty. The people are also united in their common Armenian language, their ethnicity, and other aspects of their culture.

Today the Armenian Diaspora contributes more to the economy in remittances and donations than the citizens of Armenia do. Each Armenian, whether in Armenia or abroad, sees his or her people as victims of time so quickly stand up for and defends one another.

This page was last updated: November, 2013