Armenia is the smallest of the three sovereign countries in the South Caucasus by area.
Armenia covers about 29,743 square kilometres. The landlocked country lies in the mountainous South Caucasus and borders Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkey.
The three sovereign South Caucasus states are Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Armenia is smaller than Georgia, which covers about 69,700 square kilometres, and Azerbaijan, which covers about 86,600 square kilometres. Turkey borders the region but is not one of its three South Caucasus states.
Armenia became independent from the Soviet Union in 1991. Yerevan, founded in 782 BCE as Erebuni, is one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited urban centres and serves as Armenia's capital.