The population of Armenia is about 3.017400. The capital Yerevan is home for 1.250 million people. Density is 325/sq. miles (126/sq. km), 68% of the population is urban and consists of the following ethnic groups: Armenian 95%, Russian 2%, others (Kurdish, Yesdi, Jewish, Assyrian, Greeks, Ouds, Gypsy). Life expectancy is 75 for females, 68 for males. The literacy rate is 98%. Armenians are among Europe’s oldest and most distinct ethnic groups, having inhabited the area east and south of the Black Sea since the seventh century BC. Both the Armenian alphabet and the Armenian Church date back to the fourth century and remain substantially unchanged today.

Armenian is the official language and is spoken by 99% of the population. Before creating an Armenian alphabet, Armenians used Aramaic and Greek characters. Foreign language schools existed from the 2nd century BC on. Early Armenian churchmen sought knowledge and wisdom mainly in Assyrian and Greek. A devoted scholar and monk, Mesrop Mashtots, created a distinctly Armenian alphabet after traveling all over Armenia to gather the sounds of Armenian speech. In 405 AD he introduced the thirty six unique characters that make up the basis of the Armenian alphabet.