Ministry of Emergency Situations
of the Republic of Armenia

The formation of the administrative territorial units has begun in parallel with the approval of the Soviet system which was characteristic of the Soviet Union. It was regulated by the Decree of the Supreme Soviet “On the Order of Resolving issues of Administrative-territorial Structure of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic”. According to the current legal acts there were classified into urban and rural settlements. Therewith, the cities and country- towns within the republican jurisdiction were considered as urban settlements, villages and districts were the rural settlements irrespective of administrative jurisdiction. The Republic of Armenia was divided into 37 administrative units.

The reform of territorial administration in the Republic of Armenia has started since 1995. Establishment of the state institutions and administrative system was urgent for newly independent Armenian Republic. Changes in state administrative system are stipulated in the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, which was adopted by referendum in 5 July 1995.

Administrative territorial division in the state administrative system has its particular place and it is no coincidence that among the number of laws aimed at the democratization of the public administration system the RA Law "On Administrative-Territorial Division of the RA"(4 December, 1995) was one of the first laws, which was adopted, taking into consideration that Article 104 of the RA Constitution stipulates administrative territorial units, that is marzes(regions) and communities, as well as those marzes, which consist of rural and urban communities.

The administrative territorial units are marzes, the city of Yerevan, which has status of marz, urban and rural, as well as district communities of Yerevan. According to the RA Law "On Administrative-Territorial Division of the RA” the territory of the RA is divided into 10 marzes (regions): Aragatsotn. Ararat, Armavir, Gegharquniq, Lory, Kotayq, Shirak, Syuniq, Vayots Dzor, Tavush. Territorial administration is exercised in these regions. The Decree “On Public Administration in the RA marzes” and the Decree “On Public Administration in the city of Yerevan” were signed in May 2, 1997. These basic documents with their changes and amendments are the main documents which regulate the territorial administration system in Armenia.