The U.S. State Department has named Armenia among the world's safest countries for travel and leisure.

The department changed the previous phrasing from the previous warnings and alerts, which some travelers found confusing, to a colored-number system of advisories with more explicit descriptions of what yielded the ranking.

Countries are now labeled No. 1 for taking normal precautions, No. 2 for using increased caution, No. 3 urging travelers to reconsider a trip and No. 4 for recommending against travel at that time. Specific threats will be described with summaries such as C for crime, T for terrorism and U for civil unrest.

Reviews are done annually for countries ranked No. 1 or 2, and every six months for No. 3 or 4, with more frequent reviews if events warrant.

Azerbaijan is ranked No. 2, while Russia is a No. 3 country.