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Armenian diaspora

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Map of the Armenian diaspora.

The Armenian diaspora is a term used to describe the communities of Armenians living outside of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Of the total Armenian population living worldwide (in 2004 estimated to be 9,000,000), only about 3,000,000 live in Armenia and about 130,000 in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Armenian diaspora population is estimated to be 8,000,000.[1] (See chart of population breakdown by country below). Only one-fifth of the world's Armenian population lives in the former Soviet republic of Armenia, and their pre-World War I homeland until the 1920s once covered five or six times that of present-day Armenia, including the eastern regions of Turkey, parts of Iran and Syria.

Although an Armenian diaspora existed since the Armenian loss of statehood in 1375 (when the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia fell to the Mamelukes), it grew in size only after the Armenian Genocide. Although many Armenians perished, others managed to escape, and established themselves in various Eastern European, Balkan, and Middle Eastern cities, such as Moscow, Russia; Sochi, Russia; Odessa, Ukraine; Sevastopol, Crimea (Ukraine); Tbilisi, Georgia; Batumi, Georgia; Plovdiv, Bulgaria; Athens, Greece; Beirut, Lebanon; and Aleppo, Syria. Israel has a sizable Armenian community centered on the Armenian Quarter in Jerusalem.

Several million Armenians settled in Western Europe (i.e. France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands) and in the Americas (North and South) as early as in the 1890s. Substantial Armenian communities also exist in the Russian Far East as well as in the former Soviet republics of Central Asia. Some of these groups were encouraged to settle in the area by both Tsarist and Soviet authorities while others had no choice but to come, being part of Stalin's population deportations. Armenian communities can also be found in India, Australia, New Zealand, Sub-Saharan Africa (Sudan, South Africa, and Ethiopia), and as far east as Singapore, Myanmar and Hong Kong. Armenian exile communities even once thrived in China, Japan and the Philippines, but the status of Armenian culture in these countries have all but disappeared.

Immediately after the Armenian Genocide, the Armenians of the diaspora lived in refugee camps. However, as their financial situation improved, the camps grew into towns, and these towns became cities. This was the case of many of the Armenian-populated regions in Lebanon like Anjar and Bourj Hammoud. In time, the Armenians organized themselves by building churches, schools, community centers, etc. Various political parties and benevolent unions, such as the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF or Dashnaktsutiun), the Social-Democrat Hunchakian party (Hunchak), and the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU), were established wherever there was a considerable number of Armenians.

In the 1940s and 1950s, the Soviet Union was trying to extend its influence throughout the world, and especially in the Middle East. The Social-Democrat Henchagian party, being ideologically close to communism, supported the Soviet Union in its struggle to expand in the Middle East. Partisans of the AGBU, supposedly being politically neutral, also supported the Soviet Union, because Armenia was part of Soviet Union. The ARF, despite its socialist background was a nationalistic party, objected, as it propagated the idea of a free, independent, and united Armenia. As the ARF struggled to preserve the flag, coat of arms, and national anthem of the Independent Armenian Republic of 1918-1922, others chose to support Soviet Armenia, seeing it as the only place in the world where Armenians could live safely as Armenians.

There was also a conflict between the leaders of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Armenians had 2 Catholicoses. One of them was located in Echmiadzin, Armenia and was supported by the Soviet KGB, the Hunchaks, and the Ramgavars, while the other was located in Antelias, Lebanon and was supported by the Dashnaks, as they thought that the Catholicosate of Echmiadzin was a tool for propagation of communism. In the 1950s, during the climax of this conflict, there were armed clashes between partisans of the 2 "sides", and also assassination attempts, acts of desecration, etc. However, tensions eased out in 1975 during the Lebanese Civil War, when Armenians had to stick together in order to overcome opposing forces. And unfortunately, some Armenians fought for Iraq in the army under Saddam Hussein in the 1980s Iran-Iraq war, two countries known to have large Armenian communities until the 2000s.

Following the expansion of Pan-Arabism in Egypt and Syria, Islamism in Iran, and the Lebanese Civil War, tens of thousands of Armenians emigrated from the Middle East and established themselves in the United States, Canada, France, and elsewhere, where they founded lobbies to support the Republic of Armenia and extend the international recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide. Today, the countries with the largest number of Armenians (excluding Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh) in rank of order are Russia, United States, France, Iran (although the community shrunk in size since the 1970s), Lebanon, Georgia (republic), Syria, Argentina, Canada, and Ukraine.

Armenian Diaspora Political Organizations

Armenians in the world

Rank Country Capital Centres of Armenian population Population of Armenians Dialect(s) spoken Further information
1 Armenia Armenia Yerevan The entire country 3,215,800 (2005 estimate) Eastern Armenian
2 Russia Russia Moscow Moscow, North Caucasus, Vladivostok 1,130,491 (2002 census)[2] Western and Eastern Armenian Armenians in Russia
3 France France Paris Paris, Marseille, Lyon 500,000[3][4] Western and Eastern Armenian Armenians in France
4 Iran Iran Tehran Tehran, Isfahan, New Julfa, Tabriz, Urmia, Northern Iran 400,000[5] Eastern Armenian Armenians in Iran
5 United States United States Washington, D.C. Los Angeles, Glendale, Fresno, Boston, Watertown, Detroit 385,488 (2000 census)[6] Western and Eastern Armenian Armenians in the United States
6 Georgia (country) Georgia Tbilisi Tbilisi, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Adjara 248,900 (2004 census)[7] Eastern Armenian Armenians in Georgia
7 Syria Syria Damascus Damascus, Aleppo, Kamishli 190,000[8] Western Armenian Armenians in Syria
8 Lebanon Lebanon Beirut Beirut, Bourj Hammoud, Anjar 140,000[9] Western Armenian Armenians in Lebanon
9 Republic of Artsakh Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Stepanakert The entire region 138,000[10] Eastern Armenian
10 Argentina Argentina Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, Córdoba 130,000[11] Western Armenian Armenians in Argentina
11 Ukraine Ukraine Kiev Kiev, Odessa, Crimea, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, Kharkiv 99,894 (2001 census)[12] Eastern Armenian Armenians in Ukraine
12 Poland Poland Warsaw 92,000 [13] Western and Eastern Armenian Armenians in Poland
13 Turkey Turkey Ankara Istanbul, with remaining communities in Vakıflı and Sason as well as Hamshenis who have retained their Armenian dialect (Homshetsi) in the Artvin Province. 40,000 to 70,000 (the Hamshenis are not included)[14] Western Armenian Armenians in Turkey
14 Jordan Jordan Amman 70,000[15] Western Armenian Armenians in Jordan
15 Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Tashkent 70,000[16] Eastern Armenian Armenians in Uzbekistan
16 Germany Germany Berlin 42,000[17] Western and Eastern Armenian Armenians in Germany
17 Canada Canada Ottawa Montreal, Laval, Toronto, Cambridge, Vancouver 40,505 (2001 census)[6] Western and Eastern Armenian Armenians in Canada
18 Brazil Brazil Brasília Greater São Paulo area 40,000[18] Western Armenian Armenians in Brazil
19 Greece Greece Athens Athens, Thessaloniki, Piraeus 35,000[19] Western and Eastern Armenian Armenians in Greece
20 Australia Australia Canberra Melbourne, Sydney 45,000[20] Western and Eastern Armenian Armenians in Australia
- Abkhazia Abkhazia Sukhumi Sukhumi, Gagra and Gulripsh districts 44,869 (2003 census)[21] Western Armenian
21 Turkmenistan Turkmenistan Aşgabat 30,000[22] Eastern Armenian Armenians in Turkmenistan
22 Bulgaria Bulgaria Sofia Sofia, Plovdiv 30,000[23] Western and Eastern Armenian Armenians in Bulgaria
23 Belarus Belarus Minsk 25,000[24] Eastern Armenian Armenians in Belarus
24 Kazakhstan Kazakhstan Astana 25,000[25] Eastern Armenian Armenians in Kazakhstan
25 Iraq Iraq Baghdad Baghdad, Mosul, Zakho,Basra,Avzrog,Kirkuk. 20,000[26][27] Western Armenian Armenians in Iraq
26 Uruguay Uruguay Montevideo 19,000[28] Western Armenian Armenians in Uruguay
27 United Kingdom United Kingdom London London, Manchester 18,001[29] Western and Eastern Armenian Armenians in the United Kingdom
28 Hungary Hungary Budapest Budapest and Pest county 15,000[30] Western Armenian Armenians in Hungary
29 Belgium Belgium Brussels 10,000[31] Western Armenian Armenians in Belgium
30 Czech Republic Czech Republic Prague 10,000[32] Western Armenian Armenians in the Czech Republic
31 Israel Israel/State of Palestine Palestine Jerusalem Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem 9,800 Western Armenian Armenians in Israel
32 Egypt Egypt Cairo Cairo, Alexandria 8,200 Western Armenian Armenians in Egypt
33 Moldova Moldova Chişinău 7,000 Eastern Armenian Armenians in Moldova
34 Netherlands Netherlands Amsterdam Amsterdam, Dordrecht, The Hague, Leiden, Rotterdam 6,000 Western Armenian Armenians in the Netherlands
35 Tajikistan Tajikistan Dushanbe 6,000 Eastern Armenian Armenians in Tajikistan
36 Latvia Latvia Riga 5,000 Eastern Armenian Armenians in Latvia
37 Switzerland Switzerland Bern 5,000 Western Armenian Armenians in Switzerland
38 Sweden Sweden Stockholm 5,000 Western and Eastern Armenian Armenians in Sweden
39 Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait City 5,000 Western Armenian Armenians in Kuwait
40 Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan Bishkek 3,285 Eastern Armenian Armenians in Kyrgyzstan
41 United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi 3,000 Western Armenian Armenians in the United Arab Emirates
42 Denmark Denmark Copenhagen 3,000 Western Armenian Armenians in Denmark
43 Austria Austria Vienna 3,000 Western Armenian Armenians in Austria
44 Cyprus Cyprus Nicosia Nicosia, Limassol and Larnaca 2,740 (1987 census) Western Armenian Armenians in Cyprus
45 Venezuela Venezuela Caracas 2,500 Western Armenian Armenians in Venezuela
46 Lithuania Lithuania Vilnius 2,500 Eastern Armenian Armenians in Lithuania
47 Italy Italy Rome Milan, Rome, Venice 2,500 Western Armenian Armenians in Italy
48 Estonia Estonia Tallinn 2,000 Eastern Armenian Armenians in Estonia
49 Romania Romania Bucharest 1,780 Western Armenian Armenians in Romania
50 Spain Spain Madrid 1,000 Western Armenian Armenians in Spain
51 Norway Norway Oslo 1,000 Western Armenian Armenians in Norway
52 Finland Finland Helsinki 1,000 Western Armenian Armenians in Finland
53 Chile Chile Santiago 1,000 Western Armenian Armenians in Chile
54 Sudan Sudan Khartoum 1,000 Western Armenian Armenians in Sudan
55 Thailand Thailand Bangkok 1,000 Western Armenian Armenians in Thailand
56 Honduras Honduras Tegucigalpa 900 Western Armenian Armenians in Honduras
57 New Zealand New Zealand Wellington 600 Western Armenian Armenians in New Zealand
58 Mexico Mexico Mexico City 560 Western Armenian Armenians in Mexico
59 Albania Albania Tirana 500 Western Armenian Armenians in Albania
60 India India New Delhi Kolkata 500 Western and Eastern Armenian Armenians in India
61 Colombia Colombia Bogotá 250–300? Western Armenian Armenians in Colombia
62 Monaco Monaco No official capital 200 Western Armenian Armenians in Monaco
63 South Africa South Africa Pretoria 200 Western Armenian Armenians in South Africa
64 Qatar Qatar Doha 150 Western Armenian Armenians in Qatar
65 Cuba Cuba Havana 100 Western Armenian Armenians in Cuba
66 Ethiopia Ethiopia Addis Ababa 100 Western Armenian Armenians in Ethiopia
67 Dominican Republic Dominican Republic Santo Domingo 75 Western Armenian Armenians in the Dominican Republic
68 Republic of Ireland Ireland Dublin 50 Western Armenian Armenians in Ireland
69 Costa Rica Costa Rica San José 40 Western Armenian Armenians in Costa Rica
70 Singapore Singapore Singapore 35 Western Armenian Armenians in Singapore
71 Peru Peru Lima 35 Western Armenian Armenians in Peru
72 Zimbabwe Zimbabwe Harare 28 Western Armenian Armenians in Zimbabwe
73 Indonesia Indonesia Jakarta 20 Western Armenian Armenians in Indonesia
74 Pakistan Pakistan Karachi 20–200? Western Armenian Armenians in Pakistan
75 Guatemala Guatemala Guatemala City 20–50? Western Armenian Armenians in Guatemala
76 Nicaragua Nicaragua Managua 2,907 Western Armenian Armenians in Nicaragua
77 Ecuador Ecuador Quito 2,098 Western Armenian Armenians in Ecuador

See also

References

  1. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6382703.stm
  2. ^ The 2002 Russian census recorded 1,130,491 Armenians (0.78% of the population).
  3. ^ The Education for Development Institute maintains an extensive site about Armenia that includes information about the Armenian diaspora in various countries. Their numbers generally agree with other sources when those are available; where we don't have a more authoritative source, we are following their numbers.
  4. ^ "French in Armenia 'genocide' row". Retrieved 2007-04-21.
  5. ^ The Encyclopedia of the Orient states that there are 400,000 ethnic Armenians living in Iran.
  6. ^ a b See Armenian-American; EuroAmerican.net presents official data from the 2000 U.S. Census (including state-by-state data), which states that there are 385,488 people of Armenian ancestry currently living in the United States. The 2001 Canadian Census determined that there are 40,505 persons of Armenian ancestry currently living in Canada. However, these are liable to be low numbers, since people of mixed ancestry, very common in North America tend to be under-counted. The Armenian Embassy in Canada estimates 1 million ethnic Armenians in the U.S. and 100,000 in Canada. The Armenian Church of America makes a similar estimate. By all accounts, over half of the Armenians in the United States live in California.
  7. ^ Georgia: The State Department for Statistics of Georgia: 248,900 represents 5.7 % ethnic Armenians in an estimated national population of 4,371,500 (The Official data of 2002). The World Factbook: 267,000 represents 5.7 % ethnic Armenians in an estimated national population of 4,693,892 (July 2004 est.). Nationmaster.com: Georgia: 400,000 represents 8.1% ethnic Armenians in an estimated national population of 4,934,413 (The Official data of 1989).
  8. ^ The Encyclopedia of the Orient states that 160,000 Apostolic Armenians and 30,000 Catholic Armenians live in Syria. That number together makes up 190,000.
  9. ^ The Encyclopedia of the Orient states that 120,000 Apostolic Armenians and 20,000 Catholic Armenians live in Lebanon. That number together makes up 140,000.
  10. ^ Nationmaster.com:Azerbaijan: 156,000 represents 2% ethnic Armenians in an estimated national population of 7,830,764 (July 2003 est.) combined with the note "almost all Armenians live in the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region".
  11. ^ There are 130,000 Armenians living in Argentina according to Armeniandiaspora.com.
  12. ^ The 2001 census Ukrainian census held in 2001 recorded 99,894 Armenians.
  13. ^ There are 92,000 Armenians living in Poland according to Armeniandiaspora.com.
  14. ^ Turay, Anna. "Tarihte Ermeniler". Bolsohays:Istanbul Armenians. Retrieved 2007-01-04. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  15. ^ The Encyclopedia of the Orient states that 70,000 Armenians live in Jordan.
  16. ^ There are 70,000 Armenians living in Uzbekistan according to Armeniandiaspora.com.
  17. ^ There are 42,000 Armenians living in Germany according to Armeniandiaspora.com.
  18. ^ There are 40,000 Armenians living in Brazil according to Armeniandiaspora.com.
  19. ^ The Armenian-Greek Community website estimates 35,000.
  20. ^ There are 45,000 Armenians living in Australia according to Armeniandiaspora.com.
  21. ^ 2003 Census results Template:Ru icon
  22. ^ Turkmenistan: Focus on Armenian migrants
  23. ^ There are 30,000 Armenians living in Bulgaria according to Armeniandiaspora.com.
  24. ^ There are 25,000 Armenians living in Belarus according to Armeniandiaspora.com.
  25. ^ There are 25,000 Armenians living in Kazakhstan according to Armeniandiaspora.com.
  26. ^ There are 20,000 Armenians living in Iraq according to Armeniandiaspora.com
  27. ^ Radio Free Europe
  28. ^ There are 19,000 Armenians living in Uruguay according to Armeniandiaspora.com.
  29. ^ There are 18,001 Armenians living in the United Kingdom according to Armeniandiaspora.com.
  30. ^ Demographic information of Hungary.
  31. ^ There are 10,000 Armenians living in the Belgium according to Armeniandiaspora.com.
  32. ^ There are 10,000 Armenians living in the Czech Republic according to Armeniandiaspora.com.

External links

Template:Armenian topics

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