Editing Geography of Armenia (section)

==Topography and drainage==
[[Image:Armenia Topography.png|thumb|left|Topography of Armenia]]{{See also|List of rivers of Armenia|List of lakes of Armenia|Mountains of Armenia}}

Twenty-five million years ago, a geological upheaval pushed up the Earth's crust to form the Armenian Plateau, creating the complex topography of modern Armenia.<ref name=":02" /> The Lesser Caucasus range extends through northern Armenia, runs southeast between [[Lake Sevan]] and Azerbaijan, then passes roughly along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border to Iran.<ref name=":02" /> Thus situated, the mountains make travel from north to south difficult.<ref name=":02" /> Geological turmoil continues in the form of devastating earthquakes, which have plagued Armenia.<ref name=":02" /> In December 1988, the second largest city in the republic, Leninakan (now [[Gyumri]]), was heavily damaged by a massive quake that killed more than 25,000 people.<ref name=":02" />

About half of Armenia's area of approximately {{convert|29,743|km2|sqmi|1|abbr=on}} has an elevation of at least {{convert|2000|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}, and only 3% of the country lies below {{convert|650|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}.<ref name=":02" /> The lowest points are in the valleys of the [[Aras (river)|Araks River]] and the [[Debed|Debed River]] in the far north, which have elevations of {{convert|380|and|430|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}, respectively.<ref name=":02" /> Elevations in the Lesser Caucasus vary between {{convert|2640|and|3280|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}.<ref name=":02" /> To the southwest of the range is the Armenian Plateau, which slopes southwestward toward the Araks River on the Turkish border.<ref name=":02" /> The plateau is masked by intermediate mountain ranges and extinct volcanoes.<ref name=":02" /> The largest of these, [[Mount Aragats]], {{convert|4090|m|ft|0|sp=us|abbr=}} high, is also the highest point in [[Armenia]].<ref name=":02" /> Most of the population lives in the western and northwestern parts of the country, where the two major cities, [[Yerevan]] and [[Gyumri]], are located.<ref name=":02" />

The valleys of the Debed and [[Aghstafa (river)|Akstafa]] rivers form the chief routes into Armenia from the north as they pass through the mountains.<ref name=":02" /> [[Lake Sevan]], {{convert|72.5|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} across at its widest point and {{convert|376|km|mi|1|abbr=on}} long, is by far the largest lake.<ref name=":02" /> It lies {{convert|1900|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} above sea level on the plateau and is {{convert|1279.18|km2|sqmi|1|abbr=on}} large.<ref name=":02" /><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.armstat.am/file/article/eco_booklet_2018.doc.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.armstat.am/file/article/eco_booklet_2018.doc.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|title=ENVIRONMENTAL STATISTICS OF ARMENIA FOR 2018 AND TIME-SERIES OF INDICATORS FOR 2014-2018}}</ref> Other main lakes are: [[Lake Arpi|Arpi]], {{convert|7.5|km2|sqmi|1|abbr=on}}, Sev, {{convert|2|km2|sqmi|1|abbr=on}}, [[Lake Akna (Kotayk)|Akna]] {{convert|0.8|km2|sqmi|1|abbr=on}}.<ref name=":0" />
[[Image:Europe biogeography countries en.svg|thumb|right|400px|Biogeographic regions of [[Europe]]]]
Terrain is most rugged in the extreme southeast, which is drained by the Bargushat River, and most moderate in the Araks River valley to the extreme southwest.<ref name=":02" /> Most of Armenia is drained by the [[Araks]] or its tributary, the [[Hrazdan]], which flows from Lake Sevan.<ref name=":02" /> The Araks forms most of Armenia's border with Turkey and Iran,<ref name=":02" /> while the [[Zangezur Mountains]] form the border between Armenia's southern [[Syunik Province|province of Syunik]] and Azerbaijan's adjacent Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.
[[Image:Armenian terrain.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Armenian terrain]]