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Top British magazine The Economist has named Armenia its country of the year 2018, saying that the county has a "chance of democracy and renewal" after the change of government.

In an article published on Tuesday the paper says that its annual “country of the year” award goes not to the most influential nation, nor to the richest, nor to the one with the tastiest food, but it celebrates progress and goes to the country that has improved the most in the past 12 months.

“It is a tricky choice. A stellar performance in one year is no guarantee of future success. Last year’s pick, France, is now racked by riots. Myanmar, our winner in 2015, has regressed bloodily,” says the article, adding Britain, Ireland, Ecuador, Peru, Malaysia and Ethiopia were among the award contenders.

“Autocracies, alas, seldom die quietly. Yet in Armenia that is exactly what seems to have happened,” The Economist says.

“The president, Serzh Sargsyan, tried to dodge term limits by making himself into an executive prime minister. The streets erupted in protest. Nikol Pashinyan, a charismatic and bearded former journalist and MP, was swept into power, legally and properly, on a wave of revulsion against corruption and incompetence. His new party alliance won 70% of the vote in a subsequent election.

“However, an ancient and often misruled nation in a turbulent region has a chance of democracy and renewal. For that reason, Armenia is our country of the year. Shnorhavorum yem!” the article concludes.