Editing Aragatsotn Province (section)

==Demographics==
===Population===
According to the [[Soviet Census (1989)|1989 Soviet census]], the Aragatsotn Province (then part of the [[Aparan District|Aparan]], [[Aragats District|Aragats]], [[Ashtarak District|Ashtarak]], and [[Talin District|Talin]] districts in 1930–1995)<ref name=":12">{{Cite web|title=Legislation: National Assembly of RA|url=http://www.parliament.am/legislation.php?sel=show&ID=2243&lang=rus|access-date=2022-02-11|website=www.parliament.am}}</ref> had a population of 141,611. 24,277 or 17.14% of which was urban, distributed in the city of Ashtarak, and 117,334 or 82.86% were rural, distributed in the districts of Aparan (21,654), Aragats (13,401), Ashtarak (42,701), and Talin (39,578).<ref name=":02">{{Cite web|title=Демоскоп Weekly - Приложение. Справочник статистических показателей.|url=http://www.demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/sng89_reg1.php|access-date=2022-02-10|website=www.demoscope.ru}}</ref>[[File:Oshakan Village.JPG|thumb|[[Oshakan]], the largest village in Aragatsotn]]
According to the 2011 official census, Aragatsotn has a population of 132,925 (66,738 men and 66,187 women), forming around 4.4% of the entire population of Armenia. The urban population is 31,376 (23.6%) and the rural is 101,549 (76.4%). Aragatsotn has the highest percentage of rural population in Armenia.

The province has 3 urban and 111 rural communities. The largest urban community is the provincial centre of Ashtarak, with a population of 19,615. The other urban centres of Aparan and Talin have a population of 6,451 and 5,310 respectively.

With a population of 4,780, the village of [[Oshakan]] is the largest rural municipality of Aragatsotn.

===Ethnic groups and religion===
[[File:^ Եկեղեցի Մեսրոպ Մաշտոց 03.JPG|thumb|[[Saint Mesrop Mashtots Church]]]]
The province is primarily inhabited by [[Armenians]] who migrated from [[Moush]], [[Manzikert]], [[Sasun]], [[Kars]], [[Khoy]], and [[Alashkert, Armenia|Alashkert]] in the 19th and 20th centuries as well as a minority of [[Armeno-Tat]] who belong to the [[Armenian Apostolic Church]]. The regulating body of the church is the [[Diocese of Aragatzotn|Diocese of Aragatsotn]], headed by Bishop Mkrtich Broshyan. The [[Saint Mesrop Mashtots Church]] of [[Oshakan]] of is the seat of the diocese.

There is also a significant presence of [[Yazidis in Armenia|Yazidis]] in the province. The 20 following villages of Aragatsotn are almost entirely populated by Yazidis: [[Alagyaz]], [[Arevut]], [[Avshen]], [[Charchakis]], [[Ddmasar]], [[Hako, Aragatsotn|Hako]], [[Jamshlu]], [[Kanch]], [[Kaniashir]], [[Metsadzor]], [[Mijnatun]], [[Mirak, Armenia|Mirak]], [[Otevan]], [[Rya Taza]], [[Sadunts]], [[Shamiram, Armenia|Shamiram]], [[Shenkani]], [[Sipan, Armenia|Sipan]], [[Sorik]] and [[Tlik]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.hra.am/hy/point-of-view/2012/02/29/yezidi |title=Yazidi communities in Aragatsotn |access-date=2015-11-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180912165728/http://www.hra.am/hy/point-of-view/2012/02/29/yezidi |archive-date=2018-09-12 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.slaq.am/arm/news/106016/|title=Yazidis or Kurds}}</ref> The villages of [[Arteni]], [[Oshakan]], [[Vardenut]] and [[Voskevaz]] have a significant Yazidi population as well. Yazidis are also found in the towns of [[Aparan]] and [[Talin, Armenia|Talin]].

The village of Alagyaz is also home to a small number of [[Kurds in Armenia|Kurds]].