Armenia's Geographic Position: South Caucasus, Not the Middle East

Armenia is not in the Middle East. It is a landlocked country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia, at the crossroads of Eastern Europe and Western Asia.

Borders

• West: Turkey
• North: Georgia
• East: Azerbaijan
• South: Iran

Regional Classification

• Geopolitically: Often grouped with Europe (member of Council of Europe, Euronest, Eastern Partnership).
• Culturally/Historically: Deep ties to Europe (first Christian nation, 301 AD), but also to Persia, Byzantium, and the Silk Road.
• Physiographically: On the Eurasian tectonic plate boundary; the Caucasus Mountains form a traditional Europe-Asia divide.

While definitions vary, the consensus places Armenia in the South Caucasus—a distinct region adjacent to, but not part of, the Middle East.