Shirak Province is one of the ten Provinces (Marz) of Armenia, which were formed in 1995. The former administrative regions of Akuryan, Artik, Ani, Amasia and Ashotsk were included within the borders of Shirak Province. Artik, and Maralik are major towns of the Province, with the regional center located in the city of Gyumri (population 150,000).

The territory of Shirak Province is 2.500 square km., with a population of 360,000 people. Shirak Province forms part of Armenia’s International border: to the west Shirak borders Turkey, while to the north is Georgia. There are railway and roadway connections from Gyumri to Tiflis (Georgia), and formerly to Kars (Turkey) before the closing of the Turkish border.

The population of Shirak Provinces’ cities and towns’ main economic activities are concerned with trade, the foodstuffs industry, and light manufacturing. The economic activities of rural communities are focused on agriculture; cattle breeding, bee keeping, dairy, and farming. The rural regions of Shirak are rich in tillage, especially for grain and the development of animal-based agricultural industries. There are three State and three Private Higher Education Institutes located in Gyumri, and 130 NGOs are registered in Shirak Province.

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[AMASIA][ARTIK][ANI][AKHURYAN][ASHOTSK]