NATURAL ARMENIA Travel Guide® – Special Edition Lori Marz: page 2 of 48 - TourArmenia © 2007 Rick Ney ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - www.TACentral.com Travel Guide® – Special Edition Lori Marz: page 3 of 48 - TourArmenia © 2007 Rick Ney ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - www.TACentral.com Travel Guide® – Special Edition With eight geographic zones, seven climate 250 mm (10 inches) a year in the lowlands to 550 NATURAL ranges, nine altitudes, sixteen soil zones, half the mm (21 inches) in the mountains. At the same ARMENIA plant species in the Transcaucasus and two-thirds ECOLOGY time, ecosystems formed by large forests in of Europe’s bird species, Armenia’s small territory Northeastern and Southern Armenia produce their is a stunning biotops region. More varieties of GEOGRAPHY, CLIMATE own climates, so that the region around Haghbat By Rick Ney flora and fauna can be found per square kilometer Armenia’s rich diversity of terrain includes Dry and above Kapan can count on 50-60 inches of Maps by Rafael Torossian in Armenia than almost anywhere on earth. The Sub-Tropic, Mediterranean, Desert, Semi-Desert, precipitation annually. Most of the country's Edited by Bella Karapetian relative ease of exploring these often over-lapping Mountain Steppes, Mixed Forest, Sub-Alpine and precipitation comes from snowfall, which averages flora and fauna zones makes Natural Armenia a Alpine vegetation zones. These are further 100 cm (40 inches) in the middle mountain regions TABLE OF CONTENTS destination of its own. subdivided in to 17 specific vegetation zones. alone. There are even a few glaciers thrown in for extra INTRODUCTION (p. 4) measure in the upper altitudes. The area around Yerevan alone stretches over five vegetation zones, with a mixture of flora and fauna rarely GEOGRAPHY, CLIMATE (p. 4) seen elsewhere. MOUNTAINS (p. 5) Mountain List Topography The terrain was created by millions CAVING (p. 7) of years of volcanic and tectonic plate activity RIVERS, LAKES & SPRINGS (p. 7) which slowly enclosed a vast sea that once covered MINERALS (p. 9) the entire country up to the Sevan Mountain HUMAN ECOLOGY (p. 9) Range. In its earliest period (380 million years BCE), almost the entire Republic lay under water. REGIONAL ECOLOGIES (p. 11) Around 170 million years BCE volcanic activity ECOLOGICAL PROBLEMS (p. 18) began to from land masses and by 10 million years BCE the Geghama Lehr (Mountain Range) and the FLORA AND FAUNA mountains making up Southern Armenia were FLOWER ARMENIA (p. 19) formed. As recently as 500,000 years BCE (by Flora Spring Tour (p. 21) which time Homo Sapiens had been inhabiting the Birding and Flower Watching have already put Armenia is protected from the harsh winter Flora Summer Tour (p. 22) area for at least 500,000 years), at least five Armenia on the map, with birders and flower volcanoes were still active: Aragats, Azhdahak, conditions of the Russian landmass by the FAUNA ARMENIA (p. 23) lovers coming from around the world. Trekkers Spitakasar, Vardenis and Astghonk. Northern Caucasus Mountains, and consequently Birding Armenia and Mountain Climbers can explore 85 mountains receives much of its weather from the Persian and Birds by Species (p. 24) over a mile high, in diverse ranges that cover and Syrian Plains. In wintertime, the Southern regions Birds by Habitat (p. 25) divide the country into micro-climates and and northernmost regions are thew warmest. Birding Spring Tour (p. 28) topographies. Mt. Aragats, Armenia's tallest While the mountains may be covered with snow, mountain, can be surmounted in a tight 6 week lower valleys are clear, getting their first spring OTHER FAUNA (p. 28) span of July to mid-August. flowers as early as the end of January. The southernmost area of the country is considered ECOTOURING (p. 29) For avid spelunkers, the most spectacular images Dry Subtropical: while Giumri is still receiving its in Armenia are underground, and with more than last winter snowfall in April, Meghri has begun its EXPLORING NATURAL ARMENIA (p. 31) 10,000 caves throughout the country, Armenia second harvest. Ararat Valley is one of the lowest aims to please to subterranean explorer. There areas in Armenia, and does not receive as much The Other Side of Garni (p. 31) are hundreds of mineral springs (both cold and snowfall or rain as the upper elevations. hot) to delight taste buds and soothe tired bodies. There is even a hot spring on top of a mountain, Weather The weather changes according to the Aragats Climbing (p. 39) inside a dormant volcano. great variety of geographic terrain. While it may be sunny and hot in the Ararat valley, 60 Arai Lehr: Sermiramis Rising (p. 44) Other tourists hike, bike, climb, glide, swim, boat kilometers away in Sevan it may be cold and rainy, and horseback ride their ways across the country, and snowing in the upper regions of Aragats. RESOURCES (p. 46) exploring remote regions where one feels alone in Climate Much of this is due to Armenia’s unique Common July temperatures range between Ararat the world, or village-hopping, savoring the delights weather systems, which mix moisture from heavy Valley highs of 25-30° C (77-86° F) to middle of home living. snowfalls in the mountains and the Black and mountain regions summer highs of 18-20° C (64- Caspian Seas with hot blasts of air from the Syrian 68° F). The absolute recorded high was 42° C INTRODUCTION What follows we hope will whet the appetite for a and Iranian plateaus. The mixture produces (107.6° F), in Ararat Valley. Common January little natural exploration of Armenia. incredibly diverse amounts of rainfall, from a mere temperatures range between Ararat Valley lows of Lori Marz: page 4 of 48 - TourArmenia © 2007 Rick Ney ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - www.TACentral.com Travel Guide® – Special Edition -5 to -7° C (23 to 19° F), with an absolute 34 mountain ranges crisscross the country, each recorded minimum of -30° C (-22° F); to middle protecting unique pockets of wildlife and terrain. mountain regions common lows of -8 to -12° C (16 More than 85 mountain peaks higher than 1300 to 12° F) and an absolute low of -46° C (-46° F) meters (4,264 ft) grace the landscape. 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. Photo courtesy Tigran Nazaryan © MOUNTAINS The Sevan Mountains are the oldest standing in Armenia, weighing in at 380-1,200 million years old. Volcanoes and massive earthquakes formed Photo courtesy Tigran Nazaryan © the base of the mountainous region, carving mountains, valleys and plateaus on a land that now has an average altitude of 2000 meters (6,560 ft), with less than 10% of the country lying below 1000 meters (3280 ft.). 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 highest point in Armenia is Mount Aragats (el. the Ararat valley is perpendicular to the sun, and 4090 meters/13,415 ft.) Absolute elevation ranges each sq. cm of land receives per minute 1.46 from 450-4,090 m (1,476-13,419 ft) above sea calories of heat. Because of the perpendicular level. alignment of the land with the sun, people who sunbathe can obtain very even suntans (listen up, Lying between continental plates, Armenia and the beach bums). Transcaucasus continue to be subject to earth tremors, which in prehistoric times shaped the great rocky mountains in the Southern and Northern parts of the country. Natural Armenia: page 5 of 48 - © 2005 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - www.TACentral.com Travel Guide® – Special Edition Karabakh Kashatagh 2901 / 9,515 Sevan Range Gegharkunik Range Bazenk 3221 / 10,565 Siunik Mountainous Armenia Upland The tallest 85 mountains in Armenia | See also Teksar 2898 / 9,505 Teksar Range Vayots Dzor Tzaghkunyats Gutanasar 2299 / 7,541 Kotaik www.masis.am/ for detailed info and killer pics. Khustup- Range Khustup 3214 / 10,542 Siunik Eshak Katar Range Zangezour Altitude Mountain Mehdun 2862 / 9,387 Siunik Bartas 2269 / 7,442 Meghri Range Siunik Name Region Range Meters/Feet Range Zangezour (Pass) Shahaponk 3204 / 10,509 Siunik Gugarats Range Chatin 2244 / 7,360 Lori Geghama Range Aragatz 4090 / 13,419 Aragatz Aragatzotn Armaghan 2829 / 9,729 Gegharkunik Javakhk Range Achkasar 3196 / 10,483 Lori Vardenis Range Berdakar 2163 / 7,095 Meghri Range Siunik Astghonk 3926 / 12,877 Gegharkunik Zangezour Range Parakan 2825 / 9,266 Siunik Karabakh Range Yerablur Tzitzernakar 3187 / 10,453 Siunik Yerablur 2124 / 6,967 Siunik Zangezour Range Range Kaputiugh 3904 / 12,805 Siunik Range Bazumtar 2796 / 9,171 Bazum Range Lori Zangezour Kaghamakhut 2106 / 6,908 Shirak Range Shirak Gokhtan 3147 / 10,322 Siunik Zangezour Range Ayrisar 2781 / 9,122 Halab Range Lori Gazanasar* 3829 / 12,559 Siunik Gugarats Range Paghakn 2072 / 6,796 Tavush Gogi 3120 / 10,234 Vaik Range Vayots Dzor Harsnasar 2773 /