Eastern Armenia

Eastern Armenia (Armenian: Արևելյան Հայաստան, Arevelyan Hayastan) refers to the eastern part of the Armenian Highlands, historically home to the Armenian people. Over the centuries, Eastern Armenia was repeatedly contested and partitioned, falling under Persian, Russian, and later Soviet rule before forming the modern Republic of Armenia.

The term has been used to distinguish Eastern and Western Armenia, particularly after the Treaty of Zuhab (1639), which divided Armenian lands between Persia and the Ottoman Empire. Eastern Armenia remained under Persian control until the early 19th century, when it was annexed by the Russian Empire (Treaty of Gulistan, 1813; Treaty of Turkmenchai, 1828). After the collapse of the Russian Empire in 1917, Eastern Armenia became part of the short-lived First Republic of Armenia (1918–1920) before being incorporated into the Soviet Union. Today, it forms the core of the independent Republic of Armenia.