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History

Armenian History

One of the world’s oldest civilizations, Armenia has had a long, tumultuous history marked by wars and massacres.

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The Armenian Flag

The Armenian flag consists of three colors: red, blue and orange. Each color serves a special meaning.

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Armenia’s Amazing Facts

Did you know Armenia reportedly has the world’s best apricots? And is also well-known for its cognac?

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Armenian Quick Facts

Want to know more about Armenia but don’t have the time? Here are some quick facts by the CIA World Fact Book.

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Slavik’s Cataract Surgery

Slavik was working in his workshop with an angle grinder when the disc broke and hit him in the eye.

“Right away I felt a severe pain and my eye became dark,” Slavik said. “I was taken to the hospital and there, the doctors told me that my cornea was damaged. I have already had several eye surgeries in Russia. Coming to Armenia was my last hope.”

The surgery was performed a week before we met Slavik. Before the surgery, he had only “light perception,” which gave him just the ability to tell light from dark and the general direction of a light source. But on the day after his surgery, Slavik could see lights and differentiate between objects.

31% of people in the U.S. need vision correction due to presbyopia or age related "farsightedness."

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Myth: An eye examination is necessary only if you are having eye problems.

Fact: Everyone should follow proper eye care, including regular eye exams, whether or not you're having any noticeable signs of problems. For adults, the frequency depends on your doctor's advice and may be every two years or more often. If you have diabetes or an eye disease, you should have a comprehensive eye exam every year.

Myth: Squinting can damage your vision.

Fact: The worst thing that can result from squinting are those pesky wrinkles around your eyes knows as crow's feet. Although squinting doesn't actually hurt your eyes, it could be a sign of an underlying problem.

Myth: There is nothing you can do to prevent vision loss.

Fact: At the very first sign of symptoms, such as blurred vision, eye pain, flashes of light, or sudden onset of floater in your eyes, you should see a doctor. If detected early enough, depending on the cause, there are treatments that can correct, stop, or at least slow down the loss of vision.

Shant’s Medical Observership

Twenty-three-year-old Shant Korkigian, a second-year student at the Medical School of the Michigan State University, never thought medicine would be his calling. While one might think that following in his father’s footsteps — a successful physician — would be the obvious choice, Shant says, “I wanted to make my own career selection.”

“I did not want it to be predestined or a field that was pre-determined by my parents,” Shant continues. “I was very hesitant about going to medical school because I wanted it to be my choice. I made the decision to go into the field of medicine only after a number of experiences led me in that direction and I realized that helping people as a physician was something that I really wanted to do for a lifetime.”

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82% of people living with blindness are aged 50 and above.

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Anatomy of the Eye

Armenia Quick Facts

Matching Donations

Armenian Government

Armenia is a parliamentary democracy with a strong executive branch. Many political parties have formed and disappeared in Armenia’s first decade of independence, and the parties are often based on the popularity of one leader, or dislike of a current leader. There are also some political parties which formed over 100 years ago, and represented in the Armenian government in 1918-1921, have survived in Diaspora communities and have come back and reestablished themselves in Armenia after independence.

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