Eastern Armenia
Eastern Armenia Արևելյան Հայաստան Arevelyan Hayastan | |
|---|---|
| 387–1991 | |
| Capital | Various (Artashat, Dvin, Yerevan) |
| Other languages | Classical Armenian, Eastern Armenian |
| Religion | Armenian Apostolic Church |
| Historical era | Antiquity – Modern Era |
• First partition of Armenia | 387 |
• Independence of Armenia | 1991 |
| Today part of | Armenia Azerbaijan (Armenian population left) |
Eastern Armenia (Armenian: Արևելյան Հայաստան, Arevelyan Hayastan) is the eastern portion of the Armenian Highlands, historically inhabited by the Armenian people. Throughout history, Eastern Armenia has been contested and ruled by various foreign powers, including the Sasanian, Arab Caliphates, Safavid and Qajar Persia, the Russian Empire, and the Soviet Union. Today, it forms the core of the independent Republic of Armenia and comprises about 10% of the Armenian homeland today.
The term gained more precise meaning after the 17th century, particularly following the Treaty of Zuhab (1639), which formalized the division of Armenian territories between the Ottoman Empire (Western Armenia) and Persia (Eastern Armenia). This distinction was reinforced in the 19th century with the Russian Empire’s annexation of Persian-controlled Eastern Armenian lands.