Armenian is natively spoken by about 2.6 million people, primarily in Armenia and the Armenian diaspora in Russia, the United States, France, and other countries. It is an integral part of Armenian cultural identity, with a history that includes early Christian traditions, medieval literature, and a unique alphabet created by Mesrop Mashtots in the 5th century. Armenian grammar includes a free word order, seven cases for nouns, and a system of verb conjugation that reflects tense, mood, and aspect.