Armenia has 46 municipalities designated as urban communities (Armenian: քաղաքային համայնքներ k’aghak’ayin hamaynk’ner) as of 2017.The other 457 municipalities in Armenia are considered rural communities (գյուղական համայնքներ, gyughakan hamaynk’ner).[1] Yerevan, Gyumri, and Vanadzor are the three largest urban settlements of the republic, currently having populations of more than 50,000.They were considered as "cities of republican subordination" (հանրապետական ենթակայության քաղաքներ) during the Soviet period.Agarak, Dastakert and Shamlugh were downgraded from towns to villages as a result of the administrative reforms took place during 2017.