Армения вошла в топ-10 стран, получивших названия необычным образом

ЕРЕВАН, 25 авг — Sputnik. Исследователи зачастую называли обнаруженные ими страны, основываясь на различных легендах и суевериях. Многие знают о том, как получили свои имена Гренландия и Исландия. Викинг Флоки Вильдегарсон назвал Исландию (страна льдов) из-за айсбергов, окружающих ее. Эрик Рыжий назвал открытую им страну Гренландией (зеленая страна) из-за огромных зеленых долин, простиравшихся прямо от берега. Сайт worldartdalia.blogspot.com приводит примеры того, как получили свои названия некоторые другие страны.

1. Китай (Поднебесная)

© Sputnik / Л. Бергольцев

Великая Китайская стена

У наиболее населенной страны в мире было множество названий. Слово «Китай» впервые появилось при династии Цинь, основателем которой был Цинь Шихуанди, первый император. Практически идентичное название — «Катай» дал стране знаменитый путешественник Марко Поло, который назвал так север Китая (юг Китая он поименовал «Манги»).

Еще одно распространенное название Китая — «Чжунго», которое было образовано путем слияния слов Чжун (центр) и Го (страна). Буквально это означает «центральная страна», но более распространенным переводом является «Поднебесная». На протяжении веков китайцы верили, что их страна находится в самом центре мира под небесами. И чем дальше удаляться от этого центра, тем земли становятся все более варварскими и негостеприимными.

2. Армения (Фамильное древо)

© Sputnik / Папикьян

Араратская долина в Армении

Армения, граничащая с Турцией, Ираном, Азербайджаном и Грузией, имеет древнюю историю и является первой страной, которая приняла христианство в качестве государственной религии в 301 году. Топоним «Армения» восходит к хурритскому названию смежной с Мелитеной области Armi-, расположенной на Армянском нагорье.

Также страна имеет другое самоназвание — «Айк», в честь потомка Ноя, который поселился на этих землях в районе горы Арарат. По легенде, Айк на некоторое время оставил страну для того, чтобы помочь строить Вавилонскую башню. По легенде в 2492 году до н. э. Айк разбил в битве войско вавилонского царя Бэла, а позже образовал первое Армянское государство. Этот год считается первым в традиционном армянском календаре. Позже название страны было изменено на Айастан (персидский суффикс «стан» означает «земля»).

По мнению крупнейшего армянского средневекоого историка Мовсеса Хоренаци, название «Армения» и соответствующие древнегреческие и древнеперсидские топонимы даны по имени урартского царя Арама.

3. Науру (Добро пожаловать или страна пляжей)

8 ноября 1798 года британский капитан по имени Джон Фирн, который плыл на парусном судне в Китай через Новую Зеландию, высадился на отдаленном острове в Тихом океане. Туземцы произвели очень благоприятное впечатление на него. Фирн писал, что «поведение туземцев было очень вежливым, и они приглашали капитана бросить якорь возле их острова». Капитан назвал это место Приятным островом (Pleasant Island). Тем не менее, у Науру, одной из самых маленьких стран во всем мире, уже было совершенно иное название, которое произошло от местного слова «Anaoero», что означает «я иду на пляж».

4. Аргентина (Легендарные серебряные горы)

Аргентина горы

Испанец Хуан Диас де Солис якобы убил свою жену в Португалии. Чтобы избежать суда, он бежал обратно в родную страну и принял участие в нескольких морских экспедициях во время золотой эры испанской колонизации. 8 октября 1515 года Диас де Солис в составе эскадры из трех кораблей пытался найти проход в Тихий океан. Он нашел устье реки (названое им «Маре Дульче» или «сладкое море») и поплыл по реке вглубь материка. В районе современного Буэнос-Айреса исследователь нашел свою смерть — его пленили каннибалы и съели на глазах шокированного экипажа.

После этого экспедицию возглавил сводный брат де Солиса, Франсиско де Торрес. После кораблекрушения испанцы встретили других туземцев, на этот раз оказавшихся вполне дружелюбными. Местные жители принесли чужеземцам дары, среди которых были блестящие украшения, сделанные с чистого серебра. Спустя годы другой исследователь, Себастьян Кабот, нашел выживших и они рассказали ему о мифических горах серебра у туземцев. Так Аргентина стала «серебряной страной».

5. Чили (Край земли)

горное озеро в Чили

Название Чили произошло от слова языка мапуче «чилли», которое означает «где кончается земля». Возможно, когда мапуче мигрировали на запад из Аргентины, то выяснили, что далее простирается бескрайний океан. Другим возможным происхождением названия является «чили-чили», имитация крика птиц.

6. Испания (История ошибочных названий)

© Sputnik / Владимир Родионов

Испанское побережье

Испанцы придумали много названий для земель, которые они обнаружили, и ряд этих названий сохранился до нашего времени. Приведем один из примеров. В 1499 году испанские исследователи Алонсо де Охеда и Америго Веспуччи, проплывая вдоль северного побережья Южной Америки, увидели туземцев, живущих в домах на сваях вдоль берега. Они назвали эту землю Венесуэла (Маленькая Венеция). Что самое интересное, саму Испанию также назвали на основании ошибочного суждения.

Древние финикийские мореплаватели около 3000 лет назад нашли земли далеко на западе Средиземного моря. Из-за того, что на этих землях обитало множество животных, которых они сочли даманами (мышами-землеройками), финикийцы окрестили найденную ими страну «И-шапан-им» (Остров даманов). На самом деле, это были кролики.

7. Молдова (Лучший друг человека)

© Sputnik / Яков Берлинер

Виноградники Молдавии

Римский принц Драгош во время охоты на зубра преследовал это могучее животное с несколькими охотничьими собаками несколько дней. В итоге, зубра удалось загнать на берег реки. В результате жестокой битвы погиб не только зубр, а и любимая собака принца по кличке Молда. В ее часть Драгош назвал окружающие земли Молдавией.

8. Канада (Маленькие деревни)

© Sputnik / Сергей Субботин

Косули в Национальном парке «Омега» в Канаде

Когда французский исследователь Жак Картье проплывал мимо реки Святого Лаврентия, гид рассказал ему, что это дорога к «Каната». На самом деле местные жители подобным словом называли маленькие деревушки, но Картье ослышался и назвал страну «Канада».

9. Пакистан (Страна — сокращение)

© Sputnik / Н. Оботов

Мечеть Бадшахи Масджид

«Пакистан» на языке урду означает «чистая земля». Современное государство Пакистан образовалось 14 августа 1947 года после раздела Британской Индии. Тем не менее, впервые это слово использовал на десять лет раньше мусульманский националист Чаудхури Рахмат Али, который выступал за создание отдельного мусульманского государства. Али опубликовал свою брошюру «Сейчас или никогда» 28 января 1933 года, призывая британское правительство предоставить независимость 30 миллионам мусульман из следующих регионов: Пенджаб, Афганистан, Кашмира, Синд и Белуджистан. Объединение этих названий создало аббревиатуру «PAKSTAN».

10. Чехословакия (Споры из-за дефиса)

© Sputnik / Наталья Селиверстова

Города мира. Прага

После «бархатной революции» 1989 года в Чехословацкой социалистической республике местные политики решили придумать новое название для демократической страны. Все согласились, что нужно отказаться от слова «социалистическая». Новая страна должна была получить название «Чехословацкая Республика», причем это было одним из предыдущих названий страны.

Но словацким политикам не понравилась эта идея, поскольку им показалось, что подобное название преуменьшает значение чехов. Они предложили добавить дефис, назвав страну «Чехо-Словацкая Республика», но это не понравилось уже чехам. В итоге, споры из-за дефиса прекратились только 1 января 1993 года, когда было принято решение разделить страну на две — Чехию и Словакию.

90000 European Neighbourhood Policy And Enlargement Negotiations 90001 90002 90003 EU — Armenia Relations 90004 90005 90006 The EU cooperates with Armenia in the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy and its eastern regional dimension, the Eastern Partnership. Relations between the European Union and Armenia are based on the EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which was signed in the margins of the Eastern Partnership Summit in Brussels in November 2017 and entered into provisional application on 1 June 2018.The new agreement provides a framework for the European Union and Armenia to continue working together 90003 for the benefit of Armenian citizens 90004. The CEPA is modern, comprehensive and ambitious. It takes into account the new global, political and economic interests shared by both sides. The agreement will enable stronger cooperation in sectors such as energy, transport, environment and trade. 90009 90006 EU assistance to Armenia supports the objectives of the EU-Armenia CEPA. It is linked to the country’s reform commitments under the CEPA and aims at improving the quality of life of ordinary Armenians in a tangible and visible manner, strengthening the rule of law, as well as improving the business climate, and supporting greater connectivity between Armenia and the EU in the areas of energy and transport.90009 90006 EU assistance to Armenia support these policy objectives and is funded through the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) for the period 2014-2020. It replaces the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) of 2007-2013. Other funding sources are the thematic programmes, focused on human rights and civil society. 90009 90002 90003 EU — Armenia Cooperation 90004 90005 90006 The European Union’s framework for cooperation with Armenia is the multiannual programing document for the period 2017-2020 (Single Support Framework).It is based on the Eastern Partnership priorities to achieve a: 1 / stronger economy, 2 / stronger governance, 3 / stronger connectivity and 4 / stronger society. In addition it includes horizontal support to civil society, strategic communication, and capacity development / institution building. 90009 90006 In line with the multiannual programming framework, the European Commission annual action programmes that aim to deliver benefits to the Armenian citizens. More information on specific programmes is available below.90009 90002 90003 Key facts and figures 90004 90005 90006 90003 Stronger Economy 90004 90009 90030 90031 The 90003 EU is Armenia’s biggest export market 90004, with metals and diamonds among the top exports to the EU. 90034 90031 The EU accounts for around 90003 22% of Armenia’s total trade 90004. 90034 90031 The EU provides Armenian companies with funding, training, and export support to new markets through the EU4Business initiative. Since 2009 more than € 473 million have been allocated to companies, 90003 25,000 enterprises have been supported, and 900 new jobs have been created 90004.90034 90043 90006 90003 Stronger Governance 90004 90009 90030 90031 The EU supports 90003 democratic governance reforms in Armenia 90004, the rule of law, anti-discrimination efforts, the promotion and protection of human rights, and fundamental freedoms. The Human Rights Budget Support programme is the only one of its kind in the world, with strict conditions attached to the disbursement of the funds. 90034 90031 The EU has provided € 7.5 million to assist the Armenian Government in 90003 improving electoral legislation.90004 90034 90031 The EU supports the Armenian government in its efforts to 90003 fight corruption 90004. € 14.8 million has been committed to assist with the implementation of the government’s anticorruption strategy and the carrying out of customs and border management reforms. 90034 90031 The EU 90003 supports civil society initiatives 90004 that promote anti-corruption reforms and act as government watchdogs in Armenia. 90034 90031 The EU supports 90003 reforms in the justice sector 90004, promotes the independence of the judiciary, and contributes to the improvement of infrastructure; 12 court buildings have been built or reconstructed in Armenia 90034 90031 The 90003 EU is the main promoter of e-governance in Armenia 90004.To date, the EU has supported the introduction of an electronic document-management system in Armenia government institutions; an e-system for submitting tax statements; an electronic civil status registry; a one-stop-shop vehicle registration system, an automated driver’s license issuing system, an e-visa system, and an online business registry 90034 90043 90006 90003 Stronger Connectivity 90004 90009 90030 90031 The EU is funding better energy exchange and 90003 transit between Armenia and Georgia, 90004 in part by linking Armenia to the EU’s power grid.90034 90031 With EU support, 90003 improvements to the Yerevan Metro 90004 have resulted in modern carriages, safer metro operations, and substantial energy savings. 90034 90031 The 90003 quality of drinking water for 1.1 million people 90004 in Yerevan has been improved with EU support 90034 90031 The EU initialled a comprehensive 90003 EU-Armenia Air Transport Agreement 90004. Once in force, this will pave the way for a larger exchange of travellers, lower prices, and new business opportunities.90034 90043 90006 90003 Stronger Society 90004 90009 90030 90031 The EU-Armenia Visa Facilitation and Readmission Agreements entered into force in 2014 року, 90003 making visa applications for Armenians easier, quicker, and cheaper 90004. 90034 90031 In the period 2015-2017, 90003 1,300 students and academic staff from Armenia 90004 have studied or taught in Europe as part of the Erasmus + programme. 90034 90031 90003 17 vocation education colleges across Armenia have been renovated 90004 with EU support 90034 90031 90003 70 Armenian schools 90004 have participated in the eTwinning Plus platform to increase cooperation through the use of online tools.90034 90043 90002 90003 Factsheets available to download: 90004 90005 90006 EU-Armenia Relations 90009 90006 90003 Cross-cutting issues: 90004 90009 90006 90003 Stronger Economy: 90004 90009 90006 90003 Stronger Connectivity: 90004 90009 90006 90003 Stronger Society: 90004 90009.90000 Neighboring Countries are Skeptical of Revolution in Armenia: Five Experts 90001 90002 Azerbaijan, Baku, 3 March / corr. Trend R. Agayev, R. Hafizoglu, D. Khatinoglu, A. Gasimova, N.Kirtskhlia / Experts of .neighboring countries of Armenia do not rule out e destabilization of the situation in the country even after the curfew and are skeptical of the possible revolution. If there were plans to make an orange revolution in Armenia, then the police and government would have faced with a fitting rebuff while dispersing the demonstration, Sergey Merkedonov, the renowned Russian expert said.90003 90002 The President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan decreed on 2 March to impose a state of emergency for 20 days after the demonstration of the opposition against the false outcome of the election that lasted for many days flared into a confrontation with the police. According to the Health Ministry of Armenia of 3 March, the general number of those injured during the clashes in Yerevan on 1 and 2 March totaled 131 and 8 people were shot dead. 90003 90002 «There is no doubt that the majority is dissatisfied with the Armenian government, but it is not the critical mass that could make an orange revolution,» Markedonov, the head of Department for the International Relation Problems of the Institute of the Political and Military Analysis of Russia said.90003 90002 According to the expert, the Armenian government should learn a lesson from the latest developments and if the government will go on using force, it will not be to its favor; however, if some of the demands by the opposition can be taken into account, then the danger of orange revolution could be averted. «The complicated situation in Armenia is attributed to the fact that the government and opposition are not prepared to cooperate with discussions at the moment,» the political scientist said.»We do not know who stands behind the latest developments in Armenia as we do not have access to certain documents at the moment. Both the government and the opposition are to be blamed,» he said. 90003 90002 Markedonov said that disorder took place in Armenia in тисяча дев’ятсот дев’яносто шість as well when Ter-Petrosyan won the presidential elections and the opposition candidate Vazgen Manukyan organized mass demonstrations. According to Markedonov, similar developments took place in Azerbaijan in 2003 and in Tbilisi in January 2008.»As for the human victims, this aggravates the general situation which is typical of the post-soviet space as in the case of Kyrgyzstan,» Mammadov said. 90003 90002 The Turkish expert Arif Keskin said that Armenia is the ground where the interests of Europe and Russia clash and it is impossible to make a revolution in the country. «It is impossible to presume a revolution as the Armenian people are more pro-Russian rather than pro-western. In general, the population of Armenia is not ready for the orange revolution that took place in Ukraine and Georgia,» Kaskin, the expert of the Eurasian Center of the Strategic Studies said to Trend on a telephone from Ankara on 3 March.90003 90002 The Iranian expert Hasan Shariatmadari said that the government in Armenia can not be overthrown which related with Russia and it is impossible to hold independent elections in the country. According to the expert, the re-run of independent elections in Armenia is inevitable. «If United States supports the opposition which is under Russian influence indirectlyand pressure from the opposition to the government will be consistent, the re-run of the elections with the participation of international experts may be the final way out of the tension,» Shariatmadari said to Trend on 3 March on a telephone from Berlin.90003 90002 Azerbaijani expert Rasim Musabayov said that the latest developments in Armenia simply are the wish of the government to draw out its existence by false means. «There is no secret context here,» Musabayov said to Trend on 3 March. Concerning the possibility of the orange revolution in Armenia, Musabayov said that there are already 8 dead in Armenia, but the orange revolution is the peaceful replacement of the current regime. 90003 90002 Ramaz Sakvarelidzeh, the Georgian political scientist said that the confrontations that took place in Armenian society were at its peak within the last few days.»The people are dissatisfied with the political elite. On top of it all the Armenian Diaspora, who have a strong influence on the Armenian society also expressed their dissatisfaction,» Sakarelidzeh said to Trend in Tbilisi on 3 March. 90003 90002 In this case if the government will not take serious measures, the confrontations will cause further aggravation, he said. «However I do not think that the conflict will erupt into armed confrontation and civil conflict the expert said.» The developments in Armenia are less likely to have an impact on regional security, «Sakarelidzeh said.90003 90002 There have been opposition demonstrations and sit-down strikes in Yerevan since 20 February. Organizers of the demonstrations are dissatisfied with the outcome of the presidential elections held on 19 February announced by the Central Election Commission. Serj Sarkisyan, the candidate from the government and prime minister won the elections by polling 52% of the votes. Levon Ter-Petrosyan, the former president of Armenia came second in the elections with 21.5% of the votes 90003.90000 Countries Bordering The Most Other Countries 90001 90002 By Oishimaya Sen Nag on April 25 2017 in World Facts 90003 90004 Yurts and semi-nomadic livestock herders along the 2,906-mile-long Mongolian-Chinese border, China’s longest among the 14 neighbors it borders.90005 90002 International borders are often more political than cultural, as people and there customs usually seem to find a way across them, whether legally or illegally. Some of the borders in the world allow for an ease of access between proximate nations, while others are characterized by fences, patrols, and the threat of death or imprisonment for those who disobey their bounds.Below we have listed the countries in the world bordering the most others, each of which have at least 8 neighbors. For our purposes, we have listed Macau and Hong Kong as separate countries bordering China. 90003 90008 11.Zambia (8 neighbors) 90009 90002 Zambia is a small, land-locked country located in southern Africa. Covering a total area of ​​around 752,615 square kilometers, the country is roughly equivalent to the size of the U.S. state of Texas. Zambia has a total of 5,664 kilometers of land boundaries, sharing its borders with 8 African nations. Namely, these are the Democratic Republic of the Congo for 1,930 kilometers, Angola for 1,110 kilometers, Malawi for 837 kilometers, Mozambique for 419 kilometers, Tanzania for 338 kilometers, Namibia for 233 kilometers, Zimbabwe for 797 kilometers, and Botswana for less than 1 kilometers (0.62 miles). Though the population of Zambia is comprised of 7 main and 75 minor tribes, there has also been a large influx of refugees from the neighboring countries of Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo in recent years. 90003 90008 10.Turkey (8 neighbors) 90009 90002 Turkey shares a unique location in the world map, having a land area of ​​756,816 square kilometers in Western Asia (Anatolia) and a land area of ​​23,764 square kilometers in Southeastern Europe (Thrace). The country shares its boundaries with a large number of European and Asian countries. It is bounded on the north by the Black Sea, northeast by Armenia and Georgia, on the east by Azerbaijan and Iran, west and southwest by the Mediterranean Sea, on the southeast by Iran and Syria, and northwest by Greece and Bulgaria.Throughout its history, the critical location of Turkey has acted as a bridge of exchange of thoughts and culture between the European World and the Asian civilizations, rendering the country a rich hub of culture and trade activities. Presently, however, Turkey is facing a tough situation offered by the influence of the ethnic and sectarian strife creating havoc in its neighboring countries of Iraq and Syria. 90003 90008 9.Tanzania (8 neighbors) 90009 90002 The East African country of Tanzania is bordered by 8 neighboring countries including Kenya and Uganda to the north, Mozambique to the south, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west, and Malawi and Mozambique to the south. The country maintains amicable and friendly relations with its neighbors and often helps them in settling disputes in a peaceful manner. In September of 1999 року, Tanzania signed the East African Cooperation Treaty with Uganda and Kenya to encourage economic and regional cooperation among the countries.Tanzania, in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has also played an active role hosting refugees from its neighboring countries, particularly Burundi, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Mozambique. 90003 90008 8.Serbia (8 neighbors) 90009 90002 Serbia, a country on Southeastern Europe’s Balkan Peninsula, is a landlocked country bordered by 8 neighboring countries. It shares its borders to the north with Hungary, to the east with Bulgaria and Romania, to the south with Macedonia, and to the west with Montenegro, Croatia, Albania, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Serbia enjoys relatively good relations with its neighbors. However, border disputes concerning the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina along the Drina River continue to be an issue.90003 90008 7. Austria (8 neighbors) 90009 90002 Austria is a small Alpine mountainous landlocked country located in south-central Europe.In the north, Austria shares its borders with the Czech Republic and in the north-east, it is bounded by Slovakia. The eastern boundaries of the Alpine nation is shared with Hungary. Austria also shares its borders with Slovenia in the south, Italy in the south-west, Switzerland and Liechtenstein in the west and Germany in the north-west. The geographical location of Austria places it in an extremely crucial center point in the European Union. It is the center of European traffic between the eastern and western countries as well as the northern and southern countries of Europe.As such, Austria’s neighbors, all members of the European Union, maintain healthy ties with the country, allowing free exchange of capital, goods and people between the neighbors. 90003 90008 6.Metropolitan France (8 neighbors) 90009 90002 France has a roughly hexagonal outline and lies towards the western end of the Eurasian landmass. The country is bordered on the northeast by Luxembourg and Belgium and on the east by Italy, Germany and Switzerland. The French boundary towards the south is shared with the countries of Spain and Andorra and to the north lies England. In Europe, France is a major country which has played a leading role in the European and world history since the Medieval times.The main allies of the country are Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom, who also happen to be among the neighbors of France. France and its neighbors, all being members of the European Union, maintain friendly relations with each other, allowing for the free exchange of goods, capital, and people. 90003 90008 5.Germany (9 neighbors) 90009 90002 Germany shares its borders with 9 neighboring countries. On the extreme north Germany is bounded by Denmark. To the west of Germany lies Netherlands, Luxembourg and Belgium and to the south-west lies France The entire southern boundary of Germany is shared with Austria and Switzerland. The south-east border of Germany is shared with the Czech Republic and the easternmost frontier adjoins Poland.Germany maintains amicable relations with its neighbors who are all members of the European Union and also developed nations themselves. Thus exchange of people, goods, services and capital between these countries is allowed freely, leading to the overall economic development of Germany and its neighbors. 90003 90008 4.DR Congo (9 neighbors) 90009 90002 The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is the second largest country in Africa and is landlocked on all sides except for the 25 mile coastline shared with the Atlantic Ocean. To the north of this country lies the Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, and Sudan, to the east, DR Congo is bounded by Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda. Zambia lies to the southeast of the country and Angola to the south-west.DR Congo is currently in the grip of a civil war which has drawn military forces from its Ugandan, Rwandan, and Burundian neighbors who are helping fuel the rebel movement, thus spoiling the relations between DR Congo and these countries. Various insurgency groups are also taking advantage of the political imbalance in the country to infiltrate DR Congo and use it as a base to attack the neighboring countries. 90003 90008 3.Brazil (10 neighbors) 90009 90002 Brazil shares its borders with 10 other South American countries and territories; namely, Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela, Uruguay, French Guyana (an overseas department and region of France), Paraguay, Guyana, Peru, and Suriname. Among these countries, Brazil shares the strongest, most powerful, and yet complex, relationship with its neighbor Argentina. Even though there were initial periods of muted disputes between the two countries, the relationship was not completely adversarial at any point of time.A high volume of trade and population migration between these two countries has also generated closer ties between these two countries. Brazil also shares strong bonds with Paraguay and provides sea access to the landlocked nation via its own port. 90003 90008 2.Russia (14 neighbors) 90009 90002 With a series of borders running 20,241 kilometers in total, Russia has the second longest set of land borders among the world’s countries. The country shares its borders with 14 separate, neighboring, sovereign countries. To the south, Russia shares its borders with North Korea, Mongolia and China, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan. Russian borders in the southwest and west are shared with the Ukraine, Estonia, Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Norway, and Finland.Russia has extremely complex relationships with its neighboring states. In 2014 року, Russia founded the Eurasian Economic Union with the neighboring states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, and Armenia in order to encourage economic development within and between each of the participating countries. Russia’s attempt to restore influence in the former Soviet space and attempts to economically punish neighbors who are establishing ties with E.U., is exerting some strains on the country’s relations with her neighbors.90003 90008 1. China (16 neighbors) 90009 90002 The second largest country in the world by land area, the People’s Republic of China shares its international borders with 14 sovereign states and 2 special territories.The country is bordered by North Korea and Russia in the northeast and Mongolia on the north. Bordering China to the south are countries of the Indian subcontinent, including India, Bhutan, and Nepal. Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar lie to the southeast of China, and Pakistan to its southwest. The western borders of China are shared with the countries of Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. Besides these 14 countries, China also shares a 3-kilometer-long border with Macau, a Portuguese territory until 1999 року, as well as a 30-kilometer-long border with the former British territory of Hong Kong.Today, Hong Kong and Macau are autonomous, Special Administrative Regions of China. With land borders totaling 22,117 kilometers, the country has the longest system of land borders in the world. 90003 .90000 Armenia strongly condemns Azerbaijani ceasefire violations targeting country’s north-east — Armenian News 90001 90002 90003 Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has strongly condemned the recently reported ceasefire violations targeting the country’s north-east. 90004 90005 90002 90003 In a statement released after midnight, it made a call upon Azerbaijan to refrain from provocative cross-border attacks, promising to demand responsibility for future actions from the country’s politico-military leadership.90004 90005 90002 «We condemn in the strongest terms the ceasefire violations by the Azerbaijani armed forces in the direction of the Tavush region of the Republic of Armenia starting from the afternoon of July 12, accompanied by the attempts to infiltrate into Armenian positions with the use of artillery . As a result of the proportionate actions of the Armenian side, these provocative actions have been effectively suppressed. 90005 90002 «The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, in coordination with the Prime Minister of Armenia and the Minister of Defense, is in constant contact with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, presenting the situation on the ground and the consequences of further escalation.90005 90002 «Recently, the Azerbaijani side, in contradiction to the calls of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to refrain from provocative actions and warmongering rhetoric, to strengthen the ceasefire, constantly resorts to the threats of use of force and military escalation. The political -military leadership of Azerbaijan bears full responsibility for the consequences of the provocative action undertaken amid these threats, «reads the statement. 90005 90002 The Ministry of Defense reported a border infiltration attempt by the Azerbajani armed forces at 12:30 local time.According to an official statement, Azerbaijani servicemen tried to cross into Tavush in a minivan. After a warning by the Armenian side, they returned to the starting positions, leaving the vehicle on Armenia’s territory. 90005 90002 The adversary repeated the border transgression attempt at 1:45 am local time, opening fire in the same direction, but was subsequently suppressed and pushed back, suffesring losses. Armenia reported no casualties. 90005 90002 Ministry’s, Shushan Stepanyan, said took to Facebook later to report a renewed attack from a 82-mm mine launcher and a tank against the same military position.Hours later, she said that the gunfire continued at different intensity levels, «with all the attempts by the adversary being targeted and neutralized.» 90005 90002 In another post late at night, Stepanyan said that the Armed Forces of Armenia had stopped firing in the direction of Azerbaijani settlements. «Only engineering infrastructure and military equipment is being targeted,» she wrote. 90005 90002 — 90005 90002 90003 The Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh broke out in тисячі дев’ятсот вісімдесят вісім when the Armenian majority of the then autonomous region declared its intention to break away from Azerbaijan.In a referendum held on December 10, 1991 (days before the collapse of the USSR), the population voted overwhelmingly in favor of independence (99.89%). The move was followed by Azerbaijan’s large-scale military operations against Nagorno-Karabakh and seven neighboring regions. The armed violence left around 25,000-30,000 people dead; thousands were internally displaced. The Ceasefire Accord, which went into effect in May 1994 formally put an end to the armed attacks in the conflict zone, but sporadic fighting in the area breaks out time and again.Since 1994 the OSCE Minsk Group, a mission co-chaired by France, the United States and Russia, has been spearheading the efforts towards a peaceful solution to the conflict. . 90004 90005 90002 90003 The hostilities escalated to an unprecedented degree in April 2016 in what was later dubbed a Four 90004 90005.