Kotayk district

Kotayk district is situated in the central part of the Republic of Armenia. It’s the only “internal” district of RA. In ancient times Kotayk district was the part of Airarat province of Great Armenia occupying mainly Kotayk and Nig districts.

Natural conditions and resources

Kotayk is characterized by a great diversity of natural conditions and resources. Here on a relatively limited area there are high mountain peaks and deep canyons, river valleys and mountain plateaus. In the western part, where Gegham Mountains places, centers of volcanic eruptions are spread. Waters absorbed by the rocks of Geghama Mountains, in the form of springs arise at the foot of the mountains as well as in the gorges of Hrazdan and Azat rivers. The cold waters of famous springs, such as Karasunakn, Arzni and Garni though pipes reach to the residents of Yerevan. Separate parts of gorges of rivers Azat and Hrazdan are unique and natural monuments. The basalt prisms which columns are stand out against a background of rocks is very impressive.

Population

The territory of district was inhabited for thousands of years, but mechanical increase of population has a great influence on the current situation. Since 1830 many Armenian families have resettled here from Persia and Western Armenia. But the greater influx was after the 1950's, when highly developed industry. The Armenians came from both Georgia and Azerbaijan, as well as from other parts of Armenia. The formation and development of the all towns of district was conditioned by the building of the cascade of hydroelectric power plants Sevan - Hrazdan and on its bases by building of new factories.

Towns

Hrazdan is the administrative center and the biggest town of district. It was built on the place of village Nerkin Akhta and several neighboring villages. Its central position upon the whole republic promoted the rapid development of the town. The town is located on the Yerevan-Sevan highway and it is also a knot of railways. The largest industrial centers of Hrazdan are such giants as Hrazdan thermal power (the most powerful in the country), cement factory, machine-building plant "Razdanmash".

The second town of district is Abovyan (in ancient time it was called Elar). It was built as a satellite city of Yerevan and in the years of rapid industrial development of Armenia, it attracted new built factories and thereby slowed down the inappropriate growth of Yerevan. So the powerful plants of precision engineering especially electronic instrument making were built here.

Other towns have its particular place in the economic life of Kotayk district and the whole Republic. For example, Charentsavan is known as the center of mechanical engineering, Nor Hatchn is a center of instrument engineering and diamond treatment, Tzaghkadzor is a resort center.

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Districts differ by their recreational resources and because of its uses the recreational sphere is developing. Here there are Arzni and Hankavan sanatoriums. Tzaghkadzor is a sport complex where both in winter and in summer visitors from Armenia and abroad relax.