Hoktemberyan was given the status of a town in 1947. The population of the town was further increased in the 1950s and 1960s upon the arrival of repatriated Armenian families from Iran, Syria and Lebanon. In 1966, the Armavir branch of the Yerevan Brandy Company was opened. In 1967, Hoktemberyan became a city of republican subordination. Following the independence of Armenia in 1991, Hoktemberyan was renamed Armavir on 7 November 1995, to become the provincial centre of the newly-formed Armavir Province, as per the 1995 administrative reforms of Armenia. Geography Modern-day Armavir occupies an area of 8.51 km² within the fertile Ararat plain, at a road distance of 47 km west of the capital Yerevan. The territory around Armavir is among the most important regions of Ancient Armenia. The town is built 6 km northeast of the ancient city of Argishtikhinili and 8 km north of historic Armavir. The region corresponds with the Aragatsotn canton of the ancient Armenian Kingdom. The town is surrounded by many large villages including Sardarapat, Norapat, Mrgashat, Maysisyan and Noravan. Climate Armavir has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSk), with mildly cold winters and hot summers. The average temperature in January is –3.2 °C and +25 °C in July. The annual precipitation level is around 305 mm. Demographics Upon its foundation in 1931, the town was originally populated by Armenians from Javakheti, Shirak and Zangezur. Later, Yazidis, Kurds and Assyrians from the nearby villages have also settled in Armavir. Many Armenians from Iran, Syria and Lebanon were resettled in Armavir during the 1950s and 1960s, as part of the Armenian repatriation process. The town's population reached its peak with around 47,000 during the final years of the Soviet Union. Following the independence of Armenia and the resulting economic crisis, it has drastically declined, showing 32,034 in the 2001 census, 29,319 in the 2011 census, and around 28,900 as per the 2016 official estimate. The town's Saint Gregory of Narek Church was opened on 30 May 2014 and named after . Since its consecration in 2014, the church became the seat of the Diocese of Armavir of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The healthcare in the town is served by the Armavir Medical Center, with a capacity of 280 beds. Culture The territory of modern-day Armavir is surrounded with many archaeological sites that are considered major centers of ancient Armenian civilization, including the nearby settlements