Armenian Highland

Armenian Highland, mountainous region of western Asia. It lies mainly in Turkey, occupies all of Armenia, and includes southern Georgia, western Azerbaijan, and northwestern Iran. The highland covers almost 154,400 square miles (400,000 square km). The average elevation of the Armenian Highland is 5,000 to 6,500 feet (1,500 to 2,000 metres), but several peaks exceed 14,000 feet (4,000 metres). The highland is a segment of the Mediterranean alpine volcanic zone of folding and has a subtropical continental climate. It is rich in minerals including chromite, gold, and iron.