The Aras (also known as Araks, Arax, Araxi, Araxes, Araz, or Yeraskh; Armenian: Արաքս or Երասխ (Araqs or Erasx), Azerbaijani: Aras or Araz, ارس or آراز, Persian: ارس‎ (Aras), Turkish: Aras, Kurdish: Aras or Erez; Russian: Аракс; Latin: Aboras), is a river located in and along the countries of Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Iran. Its total length is 1,072 kilometers (666 mi). Given its length and a basin that covers an area of 102,000 km², it is one of the largest rivers of the Caucasus.

The Aras River highlighted on a map of the Kura River watershed.

Aras River in Poldasht District border region.

Aras River from Iğdır.

Astronaut photograph of the Aras River.

See Ἀράξης for the origin of the Greek name.

The Aras River rises near Erzurum, Turkey. It meets with the Akhurian River southeast of Digor, flows along the Turkish-Armenian border, and then near a corridor that connects Turkey to Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan exclave. It then flows along the Iranian-Azerbaijan and the Iranian-Armenian border. The river then flows along the border between Iran and the main territory of the Azerbaijan to meet with the Kura River at the village of Sabirabad. It then directly flows into the Caspian Sea. About 101,937 km² of the Araz River basin is located in Azerbaijan.^{[citation needed]}

Harout Pamboukjian (Armenian: Հարութ Փամբուկչյան), (born in 1950 in Yerevan, Armenian SSR, Soviet Union), more commonly known as Dzakh Harut (Ձախ Հարութ Left Harout) is an Armenian American pop singer living in Los Angeles. His Armenian dance, folk and revolutionary and romantic songs make him a favorite among Armenians worldwide.

In his early teens, he took up lessons for many musical instruments including the guitar, the bouzouki and saz (stringed instruments), the dhol (drums) and the piano, later forming a band called Erebouni. His interest in music was initially influenced by his mother, a singer. Erebouni went from village to village playing everything from Charles Aznavour to Deep Purple and Elvis, at weddings and universities. Due to restrictions under the Soviet Union, Harout and most of his family left Soviet Armenia in 1975. After a year in Lebanon, he went to Los Angeles and took up residence in Hollywood.

Only two months after his arrival in L.A., Harout put together a studio band and recorded his first album, "Our Eyir Astvats" (Where Were You, God?), in reference to the Armenian Genocide at the Quad Teck studio. He never received permission to use any of Arthur Meschian’s work (including the song "Where Were You, God?")