Yerevan
Yerevan exhibits extreme primacy: 37% of population and 57% of GDP concentrate in Armenia's capital, founded 782 BCE as Erebuni—one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities.
Yerevan demonstrates extreme primacy: 37% of Armenia's population lives here, generating 57% of national GDP. Founded in 782 BCE as the Urartian fortress of Erebuni—making it one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities—Yerevan has accumulated functions that smaller states typically distribute across multiple urban centers. The capital hosts essentially all government, most higher education, the dominant tech sector, and critical international connections including the sole functioning airport.
This concentration intensified after independence. The tech sector—including Synopsys, VMware, PicsArt, and hundreds of startups—clusters almost entirely in Yerevan, creating a knowledge economy enclave surrounded by agricultural provinces. The city absorbed over 100,000 refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023, straining housing and services but also adding skilled labor. Soviet-era pink tufa stone construction gives Yerevan a distinctive visual character that contrasts with the glass-and-steel startup offices reshaping its center. Mount Ararat, visible from every elevated point, reminds residents daily of territorial loss—the national symbol belongs to Turkey since 1921.