ARMED NEUTRALITY 256 ARMENIA electric generator, by the movement of which the current is generated. In electricity (a) the internal and ex- ternal armatures, or coatings of a Ley- den jar, and the coatings of tinfoil on its interior, and part of its exterior, sur- face; (b) Siemens' armature or bobbin, an armature designed for magneto-elec- trical machines, in which the insulated wire is wound longitudinally on the core, instead of transversely, as is the ordinary arrangement. In architecture, iron bars, employed for the consolidation of a building. ARMED NEUTRALITY, the condition of affairs when a nation assumes a threatening position, and maintains an armed force to repel any aggression on the part of belligerent nations between which it is neutral. This condition pre- vailed between the United States and Germany for several weeks in 1917, prior to the declaration of war on April 6. ARMENIA, a mountainous country of western Asia, of great historical interest, as the original seat of one of the oldest civilized peoples in the world. It was shared until the World War of 1914-1918 between Turkey, Persia, and Russia. It has an area of about 137,000 square miles, and is intersected by the Euphra- tes, which divides it into the ancient di- visions, Armenia Major and Armenia Minor. Topography. — The country is an ele- vated plateau, inclosed on several sides by the ranges of Taurus and Anti-Tau- rus, and partly occupied by other moun- tains, the loftiest of which is Ararat. Several important rivers take their rise in Armenia, namely, the Kur or Cyrus, and its tributary the Aras or Araxes, flowing E. to the Caspian Sea; the Halys or Kizil-Irmak, flowing N. to the Black Sea; and the Tigris and Euphrates, which flow into the Persian Gulf. The chief lakes are Van and Urumiyah. The climate is rather severe. The soil is on the whole productive, though in many places it would be quite barren were it not for the great care taken to irrigate it. Wheat, barley, tobacco, hemp, grapes, and cotton are raised; and in some of the valleys apricots, peaches, mulberries, and walnuts are grown. People. — The inhabitants are chiefly of the genuine Armenian stock, a branch of the Aryan or Indo-European race. The total number of Armenians is esti- mated at 3,000,000. Almost one half of these, previous to the World War, lived in Transcaucasia, about 650,000 in Turk- ish Armenia, about 500,000 in what was formerly European Turkey, about 600,- 000 in Asiatic Turkey outside of Arme- nia, about 100,000 in Persia, and about 15,000 in Hungaria, Transylvania and Galicia. In the last 15 years Armenian emigration to the United States has been considerable, almost 10,000 coming in in 1913, the year before the World War. Thirty-nine times the Armenians by force of arms have won the indepen- dence of their country, only to lose it again. During the period the Turks were in control of the country everything pos- sible was done to destroy the military spirit of the people. The Armenians were not allowed to bear arms, being compelled instead to pay a tax or indem- nity to the Turks. This was only one of the many taxes levied upon them, the total reaching a large and almost crush- ing amount. In the collection of these taxes the Turks were cruelly ingenious. Langioage. — The Armenian language belongs to the Indo-European family of languages, and is most closely connected with the Iranic group. The old Armenian or Haikan language, which is still the literary and ecclesiastical language, is distinguished from the new Armenian, the ordinary spoken language, which con- tains a large intermixture of Persian and Turkish elements. Religious Belief. — The Armenians re- ceived Christianity as early as the 2d century. During the Monophysitic dis- putes they held with those who rejected the twofold nature of Christ, and, being dissatisfied with the decisions of the Council of Chalcedon (451), they sepa- rated from the Greek Church in 536. The Popes have at diflferent times attempted to gain them over to the Roman Catholic faith. There are small numbers here and there of United Armenians, who ac- knowledge the spiritual supremacy of the Pope, agree in their doctrines with the Catholics, but retain their peculiar ceremonies and discipline. But the far greater part are yet Monophysites, and have remained faithful to their old reli- gion and worship. Their doctrine differs from the orthodox chiefly in their ad- mitting only one nature in Christ, and believing the Holy Spirit to proceed from the Father alone. History. — Little is known of the early history of Armenia, but it was a separate state as early as the 8th century b. C., when it became subject to Assyria, as it also did subsequently to the Medes and the Persians. It was conquered by Alex- ander the Great in 325 B. C, but regained its independence about 190 B. C. Its King Tigranes, son-in-law of the cele- brated Mithridates, was defeated by the Romans under LucuUus and Pompey
