{{Redirect|CIS}}{{Redirect|CIS}}{{Redirect|CIS}}{{Redirect|CIS}}{{Redirect|CIS}}{{Redirect|CIS}}
{{For|the region|Nagorno-Karabakh}}
{{Armenians}}
The
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (
NKR) ({{lang-hy|Լեռնային Ղարաբաղի Հանրապետություն}}
{{lang|hy-Latn|Lernayin Gharabaghi Hanrapetut’yun}}, {{lang-az|Dağlıq Qarabağ Respublikası}}) or
Artsakh Republic ({{lang-hy|Արցախյան Հանրապետություն}}
{{lang|hy-Latn|Arts'akhyan Hanrapetut’yun}}) is a
de factoDe facto is a Latin expression that means "by [the] fact". In law, it is meant to mean "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but without being officially established"...
independentIndependence is the self-government of a nation, country, or state by its residents and population, or some portion thereof, generally exercising sovereignty....
republicA republic is a form of government in which the head of state is not a monarch and the people have an impact on its government. The word 'republic' is derived from the Latin phrase res publica which can be translated as "a public affair".Both modern and ancient republics vary widely in their...
located in the
Nagorno-KarabakhNagorno-Karabakh is a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, lying between Lower Karabakh and Zangezur and covering the southeastern range of the Lesser Caucasus mountains...
region (or
Artsakh region) of the
South CaucasusThe South Caucasus is a geopolitical region located on the border of Eastern Europe and Southwest Asia also referred to as Transcaucasia, or The Transcaucasus...
, about 270 kilometers (170 miles) west of the
AzerbaijanAzerbaijan , formally the Republic of Azerbaijan , is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to the south...
i capital of
BakuBaku , sometimes known as Baqy, Baky, Baki or Bakou, is the capital, the largest city, and the largest port of Azerbaijan and all the Caucasus. Located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, the city consists of two principal parts: the downtown and the old Inner City...
and very close to the border with
ArmeniaArmenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
.
The predominantly Armenian-populated region of
Nagorno-KarabakhNagorno-Karabakh is a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, lying between Lower Karabakh and Zangezur and covering the southeastern range of the Lesser Caucasus mountains...
became disputed between
ArmeniaArmenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
and
AzerbaijanAzerbaijan , formally the Republic of Azerbaijan , is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to the south...
when both countries gained independence from the
Russian EmpireThe Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia, and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
in 1918. After the
Soviet UnionThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
established control over the area, in 1923 it formed the
Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous OblastThe Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast was an autonomous oblast of the Soviet Union created in the Azerbaijan SSR in 1923. After the beginning of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in 1987 between the Armenian and Azerbaijan SSRs, it grew into a full-scale war by the end of 1991...
(NKAO) within the
Azerbaijan SSRThe Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Azerbaijan SSR for short, was one of the republics that made up the former Soviet Union....
. In the final years of the
Soviet UnionThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
, the region re-emerged as a source of dispute between
ArmeniaArmenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
and
AzerbaijanAzerbaijan , formally the Republic of Azerbaijan , is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to the south...
, culminating in a large ethnic conflict and, eventually, in the
Nagorno-Karabakh WarThe Nagorno-Karabakh War was an armed conflict that took place from February 1988 to May 1994, in the small enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in southwestern Azerbaijan, between the majority ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh backed by the Republic of Armenia, and the Republic of Azerbaijan...
that was fought from 1991 to 1994.
On December 10, 1991, as the Soviet Union was collapsing, a referendum held in the NKAO and the neighboring
ShahumianThe Shahumian Region is a disputed region, formerly a district of Azerbaijan SSR outside of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast. Before the Nagorno-Karabakh War of the 1990s, the region had a substantial Armenian population...
region resulted in a
declaration of independenceA declaration of independence is an assertion of the independence of an aspiring state or states. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another nation or failed nation, or are breakaway territories from within the larger state...
from Azerbaijan as the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. The country remains
unrecognized by any
international organizationAn intergovernmental organization, sometimes rendered as an international governmental organization and both abbreviated as IGO, is an organization comprised primarily of sovereign states , or of other intergovernmental organization...
or
countryIn geography, a country is a geographical region. The term is often applied to a political division or the territory of a state, or to a smaller, or former, political division of a geographical region...
, including Armenia.
Since the ceasefire in 1994, most of Nagorno-Karabakh and several regions of
AzerbaijanAzerbaijan , formally the Republic of Azerbaijan , is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to the south...
around it remain under the joint Armenian and
Nagorno-Karabakh militaryThe Nagorno-Karabakh Defence Army was officially established on May 9, 1992 as the formal defence force of the de-facto Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, uniting previously disorganized self-defence units which were formed in the early 1990s in order to protect the ethnic Armenian population of...
control. Representatives of the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan have since been holding peace talks mediated by the
OSCE Minsk GroupThe OSCE Minsk Group was created in 1992 by the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe to encourage a peaceful, negotiated resolution to the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh.The Helsinki Additional Meeting of the CSCE Council on 24 March 1992, requested the...
.
History
{{Main|History of Nagorno-Karabakh}}
{{See also|Artsakh}}
{{History of Nagorno-Karabakh}}
Government and Politics
{{Main|Politics of Nagorno-Karabakh}}
Nagorno-Karabakh is a
presidential democracyA presidential system is a system of government where an executive branch exists and presides separately from the legislature, to which it is not accountable and which cannot, in normal circumstances, dismiss it....
. The
executive power}}In the study of political science the executive branch of government has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the democratic idea of the separation of powers .In many...
rests mainly at the president. The president appoints and dismisses the prime minister. The National Assembly of Nagorno-Karabakh is the parliament, and has 33 members, 22 elected for a five year term in single seat
constituenciesA constituency is any cohesive body of people bound by shared identity, goals, or loyalty. Constituency can be used to describe a business's customer base and shareholders, or a charity's donors or those it serves...
and 11 by
proportional representationProportional representation , sometimes referred to as full representation, is a category of electoral formula aimed at securing a close match between the percentage of votes that groups of candidates obtain in elections and the percentage of seats they receive...
.
Political Parties
{{Main|List of political parties in Nagorno-Karabakh|Elections in Nagorno-Karabakh}}
Nagorno Karabakh Republic has a multi-party system. The votes are divided in such a way that the governments formed are almost always coalitions of various parties. The main parties are:
Democratic Party of ArtsakhThe Democratic Party of Artsakh is the ruling political party in Nagorno-Karabakh .The Democratic Party received 12 out of 33 seats in the 19 June 2005 elections....
,
Free MotherlandThe Free Motherland is a political party in Nagorno-Karabakh .Free Motherland received 10 out of 33 seats in the 19 June 2005 elections....
,
Armenian Revolutionary FederationThe Armenian Revolutionary Federation is an Armenian political party founded in Tiflis in 1890 by Christapor Mikaelian, Stepan Zorian, and Simon Zavarian...
(Artsakh section),
Movement 88The Movement 88 is a political party in Nagorno-Karabakh .The party was part of an electoral alliance of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and the Movement 88, that won at the 19 June2005 elections 3 out of 33 seats....
and Communist Party of Artsakh. A number of non-partisan candidates also take part in elections, and with some success. In 2005, eight of the 33 members to the National Assembly successfully took their seat without officially running under the banner of established political parties in the republic.
Constitution
{{Main|Nagorno-Karabakh constitutional referendum, 2006}}
On November 3, 2006, the then President of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Arkadi Ghukasyan signed a decree to carry out a referendum on a draft Nagorno-Karabakh constitution. This was held on 10 December of the same year among the citizens of Nagorno-Karabakh, which voted overwhelmingly in favour of a new
constitutionA constitution is a set of rules for government—often codified as a written document—that establishes principles of an autonomous political entity. In the case of countries, this term refers specifically to a national constitution defining the fundamental political principles, and establishing the...
. According to official preliminary results, with a turnout of 87.2%{{Citation needed|date=December 2008}}, as many as 98.6 percent of voters approved the constitution. The 1st article of the document describes the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic as "a sovereign, democratic legal and social state".
However, the European Union, OSCE and
GUAMGuam is an island in the western Pacific Ocean and is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. The island's capital is Hagåtña...
have rejected the referendum. The EU announced it was "aware that a 'constitutional referendum' has taken place," but reiterated that only a negotiated settlement between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenians can bring a lasting solution.
In a statement, the OSCE chairman in office
Karel De GuchtKarel Lodewijk Georgette Emmerence De Gucht is the current European Commissioner from Belgium. Previously, he had been the Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs, and a former chairman of the Flemish Liberals and Democrats , a Belgian political party...
called the vote potentially harmful to the ongoing conflict settlement process, which, he said, has shown "visible progress" and is at a "promising juncture". The outcome was also criticised by Turkey, which traditionally sides with Azerbaijan because of ethnic Turkic roots.
Foreign relations
{{Main|Foreign relations of Nagorno-Karabakh}}
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is based in
StepanakertStepanakert is the largest city and capital of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic , a de facto independent republic which is recognized as a part of Azerbaijan. The city comprises about 50,000 Armenians...
. The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic operates five{{Citation needed|date=August 2009}} permanent Missions and one Bureau of Social-Politic Information in France. The goals of the offices are to present the Republic's positions on various issues, provide information and to facilitate the peace process. The NKR Permanent Missions exist in
ArmeniaArmenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
,
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
,
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
,
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
,
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and one for
Middle EastThe Middle East is a region that spans southwestern Asia, southeastern Europe, and northeastern Africa. It has no clear boundaries, often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East...
countries based in
BeirutBeirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon with a population of over 2.1 million as of 2007. Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's coastline with the Mediterranean sea, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan Area, which...
.{{Citation needed|date=June 2009}}
The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is a member of the
Community for Democracy and Rights of NationsThe Community for Democracy and Rights of Nations is an international organization uniting several states in the former Soviet Union which are not generally recognized.-History:...
, commonly known as the "Commonwealth of Unrecognized States".
Military
{{Main|Military of Nagorno-Karabakh|Nagorno-Karabakh War}}
The
Nagorno-Karabakh Defense ArmyThe Nagorno-Karabakh Defence Army was officially established on May 9, 1992 as the formal defence force of the de-facto Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, uniting previously disorganized self-defence units which were formed in the early 1990s in order to protect the ethnic Armenian population of...
was officially established on May 9, 1992 as the formal defense force of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, uniting previously disorganized self-defense units which were formed in the early 1990s in order to defend the ethnic Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh from the attacks. Currently Nagorno-Karabakh Defence Army is around 15,000-20,000 well-trained and equipped officers and soldiers. It consists of infantry, tanks, artillery and anti-aircraft systems.
The Army has taken a crucial role in establishing the republic with decisive battles such as
Battle of Shusha/ShushiThe Capture of Shusha marked the first significant military victory by Armenian forces in the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave during the Nagorno-Karabakh War...
in 1992, the opening of the
Lachin corridorThe Lachin corridor is a mountain pass within de-jure borders of Azerbaijan, it is the shortest route which connects Armenia with Nagorno-Karabakh Republic...
between The Republic of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh (1992), the defense of the
MartakertMartakert is a province of the de facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. Its territory is a de jure part of Azerbaijan, divided between the Tartar and Kelbajar rayons after Azerbaijan's abolition of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast in 1991...
front from 1992-1994.
Land mines
{{Main|Land mine situation in Nagorno Karabakh}}
The region of
Nagorno-KarabakhNagorno-Karabakh is a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, lying between Lower Karabakh and Zangezur and covering the southeastern range of the Lesser Caucasus mountains...
is considered to be one of the most heavily mined regions of the former
Soviet UnionThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
. Mines were laid from 1991-1994 by both conflicting parties in the
Nagorno-Karabakh WarThe Nagorno-Karabakh War was an armed conflict that took place from February 1988 to May 1994, in the small enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in southwestern Azerbaijan, between the majority ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh backed by the Republic of Armenia, and the Republic of Azerbaijan...
. The
United NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and the achieving of world peace...
and the
U.S.The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
had estimated the number of mines in Nagorno-Karabakh at 100,000. There have been many civilian casualties resulting from the land mines. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) says 123 people have been killed and over 300 injured by landmines near the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh since a 1994 truce ended a six-year conflict between ethnic Armenian and Azerbaijani forces. The
HALO TrustThe HALO Trust is a registered British charity and American non-profit organization whose purpose is to remove the debris left behind by war, in particular, landmines and unexploded ordnance that might present a danger to civilians. HALO is an acronym of Hazardous Area Life-Support Organisation....
- UK based demining NGO, is the only other organisation conducting
deminingDemining is the process of removing land mines or naval mines from an area. Minesweeping is the detection of such mines. There are two distinct types of mine detection and removal: military and humanitarian.-Mine clearance:...
in Nagorno Karabakh.
Current situation
Today, Nagorno-Karabakh is a
de facto independent state, calling itself the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. It is closely tied to the Republic of Armenia and uses the same currency, the dram. According to
Human Rights WatchHuman Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo, Toronto,...
, "from the beginning of the Karabakh conflict, Armenia provided aid, weapons, and volunteers. Armenian involvement in Karabakh escalated after a December 1993 Azerbaijani offensive. The Republic of Armenia began sending conscripts and regular Army and Interior Ministry troops to fight in Karabakh." The politics of Armenia and the de-facto Karabakh republic are so intermingled that a former president of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Robert Kocharyan, became first the prime minister (1997) and then the president of Armenia (1998 to 2008).
Still, successive Armenian governments have resisted internal pressure to unite the two, due to ongoing negotiations under the auspices of the
OSCE Minsk GroupThe OSCE Minsk Group was created in 1992 by the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe to encourage a peaceful, negotiated resolution to the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh.The Helsinki Additional Meeting of the CSCE Council on 24 March 1992, requested the...
. In his case study of Eurasia, Dov Lynch of the Institute for Security Studies of WEU believes that "Karabakh's independence allows the new Armenian state to avoid the international stigma of aggression, despite the fact that Armenian troops fought in the war between 1991-94 and continue to man the Line of Contact between Karabakh and Azerbaijan." Lynch also cites that the "strength of the Armenian armed forces, and Armenia's strategic alliance with Russia, are seen as key shields protecting the Karabakh state by the authorities in Stepanakert."
At present, the mediation process is at a standstill, with the most recent discussions in
RambouilletRambouillet is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France.It is located in the suburbs of Paris southwest from the center...
, France, yielding no agreement. Azerbaijan's position has been that Armenian troops withdraw from all areas of Azerbaijan outside Nagorno-Karabakh, and that all displaced persons be allowed to return to their homes before the status of Karabakh can be discussed.{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}} Armenia does not recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as being legally part of Azerbaijan, arguing that because the region declared independence at the same time that Azerbaijan became an independent state, both of them are equally successor states of the Soviet Union.{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}} The Armenian government insists that the government of Nagorno-Karabakh be part of any discussions on the region's future, and rejects ceding occupied territory or allowing refugees to return before talks on the region's status.{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}}
Representatives of
ArmeniaArmenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
,
AzerbaijanAzerbaijan , formally the Republic of Azerbaijan , is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to the south...
,
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
,
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
met in
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and in
Key WestKey West is an island in the Straits of Florida on the North American continent at the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys.Key West is politically within the limits of the city of Key West, Monroe County, Florida, United States. The city also occupies nearby islands and portions of nearby...
,
FloridaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
, in the Spring of 2001. The details of the talks have remained largely secret, but the parties are reported to have discussed non-hierarchical relationships between the central Azerbaijani government and the Karabakh Armenian authorities.{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}} Despite rumours that the parties were close to a solution, the Azerbaijani authorities — both during
Heydar AliyevHeydar Alirza oglu Aliyev , also spelled as Heidar Aliev, Geidar Aliev, Haydar Aliyev, Geydar Aliyev was the president of Azerbaijan for the New Azerbaijan Party from June 1993 to October 2003, when his son Ilham Aliyev succeeded him.From 1969 till 1982, Aliyev was also the leader of Soviet...
's period of office, and after the accession of his son
Ilham AliyevIlham Heydar oglu Aliyev is the current President of Azerbaijan. He also functions as the Chairman of the New Azerbaijan Party.-Biography:...
in the October 2003 elections — have firmly denied that any agreement was reached in Paris or Key West.
Further talks between the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents, Ilham Aliyev and Robert Kocharyan, were held in September 2004 in Astana,
KazakhstanKazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a country situated in Eurasia that is ranked as the ninth largest country in the world. It is also the world's largest landlocked country. Its territory of 2,727,300 km² is greater than Western Europe...
, on the sidelines of the
Commonwealth of Independent States{{Redirect|CIS}}{{Redirect|CIS}}{{Redirect|CIS}}{{Redirect|CIS}}{{Redirect|CIS}}{{Redirect|CIS}}{{Infobox Geopolitical organisation|native_name = Commonwealth of Independent States...
(CIS) summit. Reportedly, one of the suggestions put forward was the withdrawal of the occupying forces from the Azeri territories adjacent to Nagorno-Karabakh, and holding
referendumA referendum , ballot question, or plebiscite is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal...
s (plebiscites) in Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan proper regarding the future status of the region. On February 10 and 11, 2006, Kocharyan and Aliyev met in
RambouilletRambouillet is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France.It is located in the suburbs of Paris southwest from the center...
,
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
, to discuss the fundamental principles of a settlement to the conflict, including the withdrawal of troops, formation of international peace keeping troops, and the status of Nagorno-Karabakh.{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}} During the weeks and days before the talks in France,
OSCE Minsk GroupThe OSCE Minsk Group was created in 1992 by the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe to encourage a peaceful, negotiated resolution to the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh.The Helsinki Additional Meeting of the CSCE Council on 24 March 1992, requested the...
co-chairmen expressed cautious optimism that some form of an agreement was possible.{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}} French President
Jacques ChiracJacques René Chirac served as the President of France from 17 May 1995 until 16 May 2007. As President he also served as an ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra and Grand Master of the French Légion d'honneur. Chirac was the second-longest serving President of France , behind François Mitterrand...
met with both leaders separately and expressed hope that the talks would be fruitful.{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}} Contrary to the initial optimism, the Rambouillet talks did not produce any agreement, with key issues such as the status of Nagorno-Karabakh and whether Armenian troops would withdraw from
Kalbajar]Kalbajar is a rayon of Azerbaijan. Before the outbreak of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh in 1992, it was a predominantly Kurdish inhabited area. Kalbajar is a Kurdish name meaning Stone City. The entire region is now under the control of Armenian forces who call the western half Karvajar...
still being contentious.
The latest talks were held at the Polish embassy in
BucharestBucharest is the capital city, industrial and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmboviţa River....
. Again, American, Russian, and French diplomats attended the talks that lasted over 40 minutes. Earlier, Armenian President Kocharyan announced that he was ready to "continue dialogue with Azerbaijan for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and with Turkey on establishing relations without any preconditions."
Unfortunately, according to Armenian foreign minister,
Vardan OskanyanVardan Oskanyan served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia during the administration of Robert Kocharyan .Born into the Armenian diaspora in Syria, Oskanyan was educated in the Armenian schools of Aleppo...
, no progress was made at this latest meeting. Both presidents failed to reach a consensus on the issues from the earlier Rambouillet conference. He noted that the Kocharyan-Aliyev meeting was held in a normal atmosphere. "Nevertheless," he added, "the foreign ministers of the two countries are commissioned to continue talks over settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and try to find common points before the next meeting of the presidents."
The major disagreement between both sides at the Bucharest conference was the status of Karabakh. Azerbaijan's position was a promise to give Karabakh the "highest status of autonomy adopted in the world." Armenia favored a popular vote by the inhabitants of Karabakh to decide their future, a position that was also taken by the international mediators. The response to the Armenian position from Baku was that of a threat to Azerbaijan's territorial integrity.{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}} On June 27, the Armenian foreign minister said both parties agreed to allow the residents of Karabakh to vote regarding the future status of the region. The Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs officially refuted that statement. According to Azeri opposition leader
Isa GambarIsa Yunis oglu Qambar is an Azerbaijani politician and leader of Equality Party , the largest opposition block in Azerbaijan.-Biography details:...
, however, Azerbaijan did indeed agree to the referendum. Still, nothing official has confirmed this yet.
The ongoing "Prague Process" overseen by the OSCE Minsk Group was brought into sharp relief in the summer of 2006 with a series of rare public revelations seemingly designed to jump-start the stalled negotiations. After the release in June of a paper outlining its position, which had until then been carefully guarded, U.S. State Department official
Matthew BryzaMatthew J. Bryza is a United States diplomat. He became Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs in June 2005.In this capacity, he is responsible for policy oversight and management of U.S. relations with countries in the Caucasus and Southern Europe. He also leads U.S...
told Radio Free Europe that the Minsk Group favored a referendum in Karabakh that would determine its final status. The referendum, in the view of the OSCE, should take place not in Azerbaijan as a whole, but in Nagorno-Karabakh only. This was a blow to Azerbaijan, and despite talk that their government might eventually seek a more sympathetic forum for future negotiations, this has not yet happened.
On December 10, 2007 Azerbaijan's deputy foreign minister said Azerbaijan would be prepared to conduct anti-terrorist operations in Nagorno-Karabakh against alleged bases of the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK). Armenian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Vladimir Karapetian previously rejected the allegations as "fabricated" and suggested the accusations of the PKK presence were a form of provocation.
In 2008, Azerbaijani president
Ilham AliyevIlham Heydar oglu Aliyev is the current President of Azerbaijan. He also functions as the Chairman of the New Azerbaijan Party.-Biography:...
declared that “Nagorno Karabakh will never be independent; the position is backed by international mediators as well; Armenia has to accept the reality” and that “in 1918,
YerevanYerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. It is situated on the Hrazdan River, and is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
was granted to the
ArmeniansThe Armenians are a nation and ethnic group which originated in the Caucasus and the Armenian Highland. It is estimated that there are 8 million Armenians around the world. There is a large concentration of Armenians in the Caucasus, especially in Armenia, and there is a significant presence in...
. It was a great mistake. The
khanate of IravanThe Khanate of Erevan or Čoḵūr Saʿd was an administrative territory of Persia. Its covered an area of roughly 7,500 square miles and corresponded to most of present-day central Armenia, most of the Iğdır Province of present-day Turkey, and the Sharur and Sadarak rayons of Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan...
was the Azeri territory, the Armenians were guests here”.
International status
The sovereign status of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is not recognized by any state, including Armenia. Three
United Nations Security CouncilThe United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
Resolutions (853, 874, and
884United Nations Security Council Resolution 884 was adopted at the 3313th meeting of the Security Council on 12 November 1993. In this resolution, the UNSC expressed its serious concern that a continuation of the conflict in and around the Nagorny Karabakh region of the Azerbaijani...
) and
United Nations General Assembly resolutionA United Nations General Assembly Resolution is voted on by all member states of the United Nations in the General Assembly.General Assembly resolutions usually require a simple majority to pass...
s 49/13 and 57/298 refer to Nagorno-Karabakh as a region of Azerbaijan. None of these resolutions were passed under Chapter VII (Action with Respect to Threats to the Peace, Breaches of the Peace, and Acts of Aggression) of the Charter. Certain politicians and legal scholars have expressed the view that resolutions are only legally binding if they are made under Chapter VII of the Charter. According to a report prepared by British parliamentarian and rapporteur
David AtkinsonDavid Anthony Atkinson was Conservative British Member of Parliament for Bournemouth East from a 1977 by-election until he stepped down at the 2005 general election.-Early life:...
, presented to Political Affairs Committee of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of EuropeThe Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe , which held its first session in Strasbourg on 10 August 1949, can be considered the oldest international parliamentary assembly with a pluralistic composition of democratically elected members of parliament established on the basis of an...
(PACE), "the borders of Azerbaijan were internationally recognised at the time of the country being recognised as independent state in 1991," and "the territory of Azerbaijan included the Nagorno-Karabakh region."
The latest resolution, #1416, adopted by PACE, stated that "Considerable parts of the territory of Azerbaijan are still occupied by Armenian forces, and separatist forces are still in control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region." The resolution further stated: "The Assembly reiterates that the occupation of foreign territory by a member state constitutes a grave violation of that state’s obligations as a member of the Council of Europe and reaffirms the right of displaced persons from the area of conflict to return to their homes safely and with dignity." Recalling the Resolutions 822, 853, 874, and 884 (all 1993) of the UN Security Council, PACE urged "the parties concerned to comply with them, in particular by refraining from any armed hostilities and by withdrawing military forces from any occupied territories." The resolution also called on "the Government of Azerbaijan to establish contact, without preconditions, with the political representatives of both communities from the Nagorno-Karabakh region regarding the future status of the region."
The
Council of EuropeThe Council of Europe is the oldest international organisation working towards European integration, having been founded in 1949. It has a particular emphasis on legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
called on the Nagorno-Karabakh de facto authorities to refrain from staging one-sided "local self-government elections" in Nagorno-Karabakh. "These so-called 'elections' cannot be legitimate," stressed Council of Europe Committee of Ministers' Chairman and
LiechtensteinThe Principality of Liechtenstein is a doubly landlocked alpine microstate in Western Europe, bordered by Switzerland to the west and south and by Austria to the east. Its area is just over 160 km² and it has an estimated population of 35,000...
Foreign Minister
Ernst WalchDr. Ernst Joseph Walch has been a member of the Principality of Liechtenstein's government as Minister of Foreign Affairs since April 2001. He studied law in Innsbruck, where he earned his doctorate in 1980, and at the New York University School of Law, Graduate Division, Institute of Comparative...
, Parliamentary Assembly President Lord Russell-Johnston and Secretary General
Walter SchwimmerWalter Schwimmer is a former politician and diplomat from Austria.After being a member of the Austrian Parliament for 28 years, serving as chairperson of several committees and deputy leader of his political group , he was elected Secretary General of the Council of...
. They recalled that following the 1991–1994 armed conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, a substantial part of the region's population was forced to flee their homes and are still living as
displaced personA displaced person is a person who has been forced to leave his or her native place, a phenomenon known as forced migration.- Origin of term :...
s in those countries or as refugees abroad. This position was reiterated by Walter Schwimmer, Secretary General of the Council of Europe on 4 August 2004 with regard to the next elections, staged in the province, and by the Chair of the
Council of EuropeThe Council of Europe is the oldest international organisation working towards European integration, having been founded in 1949. It has a particular emphasis on legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
’s
Committee of MinistersThe Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe or commonly the Committee of Ministers is the Council of Europe's decision-making body. It comprises the Foreign Affairs Ministers of all the member states, or their permanent diplomatic representatives in Strasbourg...
on 12 July 2007 with regard to the presidential elections organised in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The
European UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 Member States, located primarily in Europe. Committed to regional integration, the EU was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing European Economic Community...
declared that "The European Union confirms its support for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, and recalls that it does not recognise the independence of Nagorno Karabakh. The European Union cannot consider legitimate the 'presidential elections' that were scheduled to take place on 11 August 2002 in Nagorno Karabakh". The European Union reiterated this position with regard to the presidential elections, held in the region in 2007.
The US Department of State's annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2006, released on March 6, 2007 stated that "Armenia continues to occupy the Azerbaijani territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding Azerbaijani territories. During the year incidents along the militarized line of contact separating the sides again resulted in numerous casualties on both sides".
According to an analysis by
New England School of LawNew England School of Law is a private law school in Boston, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1908 as a law school for women.-History:...
's Center for International Law & Policy, "Nagorno Karabagh has a right of self-determination, including the attendant right to independence, according to the criteria recognized under international law." As the analysis elaborates, "the principle of self-determination is included in Articles 1, 55, and 73 of the United Nations Charter," and it has been "codified in the
International Covenant on Civil and Political RightsThe International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights is a multilateral treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 16, 1966, and in force from March 23, 1976...
, and the
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural RightsThe International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights is a multilateral treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 16, 1966, and in force from January 3, 1976...
--which are considered to constitute the international 'Bill of Rights.'" Furthermore, "the right to self-determination has also been repeatedly recognized in a series of resolutions adopted by the U.N. General Assembly, the most important of which is Resolution 2625(XXV) of 1970." As the analysis continues, "the Azerbaijanis argue that political independence for Nagorno Karabagh violates the right of Azerbaijan to territorial integrity. But the claim to territorial integrity can be negated where a state does not conduct itself 'in compliance with the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples' and does not allow a subject people 'to pursue their economic, social and cultural development' as required by United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2625(XXV). Moreover, it should be noted that when Azerbaijan declared independence from the Soviet Union, it claimed to be the successor state to the Azerbaijani Republic of 1918-1920.
The League of Nations, however, did not recognize Azerbaijan's inclusion of Nagorno Karabagh within Azerbaijan's claimed territory." The analysis further states that Nagorno Karabakh's secession was in compliance with the existing Soviet law. Following Soviet Azerbaijan's declaration of independence on August 30, 1991, "Nagorno Karabagh initiated the same process through the joint adoption of the 'Declaration of the Republic of Nagorno Karabagh' by the local legislative councils of Nagorno Karabagh and the bordering Armenian-populated
ShahumianThe Shahumian Region is a disputed region, formerly a district of Azerbaijan SSR outside of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast. Before the Nagorno-Karabakh War of the 1990s, the region had a substantial Armenian population...
district. The only difference was that, for Karabagh, independence was declared not from the Soviet Union but from Azerbaijan.
This act fully complied with existing law. Indeed, the 1990 Soviet law titled 'Law of the USSR Concerning the Procedure of Secession of a Soviet Republic from the USSR,' provides that the secession of a Soviet republic from the body of the USSR allows an autonomous region and compactly settled minority regions in the same republic's territory also to trigger its own process of independence." This act, as the analysis continues, was not annulled by the "USSR Constitutional Oversight Committee," as the "declaration was deemed in compliance with the then existing law." Furthermore, "on December 10, 1991, the Nagorno Karabagh Republic held its own referendum on independence in the presence of international observers. The vote overwhelmingly approved Karabagh's sovereignty. This action of Nagorno Karabagh, which at that time was part of a still existent and internationally recognized Soviet Union, corresponded fully with the relevant Soviet law pertaining to leaving the USSR." Finally, on January 6, 1992, the "parliament of Karabagh adopted its Declaration of Independence on the basis of the referendum results."
A background paper prepared by the Directorate General of Political Affairs of the Council of Europe for the seminar "Youth and Conflict Resolution" (Strasbourg, 31 March - 2 April 2003), on the other hand, states, "The Armenian side maintains that the N-K independence referendum was conducted in accordance with the USSR law on the 'Procedure for Solving Issues of Secession of a Soviet Republic from the USSR' of 3 April 1990. Article 3 of this law provided autonomous regions within the Soviet republics with the right to determine independently, by referendum, whether they wished to remain within the USSR or join the republic seceding from the USSR. It would however seem that according to this law N-K would have the choice of two options – to remain within the USSR or to join independent Azerbaijan; N-K independence does not seem possible".
According to the article in "The Journal of Conflict Resolution", the Armenian side "justified its claim by Article 70 of the Soviet Constitution, which affirms the right to self-determination of the peoples of the USSR. In fact, this recognition of the principle of self-determination is only part of a general declaratory statement about the nature of the Soviet federation: “The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is an integral, federal, multi-national state formed on the principle of socialist federalism as a result of the free self-determination of nations and the voluntary association of equal Soviet Socialist Republics. The USSR embodies the state unity of the Soviet people and draws all its nations and nationalities together for the purpose of jointly building communism.” There is no mechanism, other than the right of the union republics to secede (Article 72 of the constitution), through which to express the right of self-determination".
The actual declaration of establishment of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, issued on September 2, 1991, states that the republic is proclaimed pursuant to the USSR law of secession, and that it "enjoys the authorities given to Republics by the USSR Constitution and legislation and reserves the right to decide independently the issue of its state-legal status based on political consultations and negotiations with the leadership of Union and Republics." The Declaration further states that "the USSR Constitution and legislation, as well as other laws currently in force, which do not contradict the goals and principles of this Declaration and peculiarities of the Republic apply on the territory of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, until the NKR Constitution and laws are adopted."
However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan states that "according to this Law, in a Union republic containing autonomous republics, autonomous provinces and autonomous regions, the referendum had to be held separately in each autonomous unit, the people of which retained the right to decide independently the question of staying in the USSR or in the seceding Union republic, as well as to raise the question of their own state-legal status. It is important to emphasize that the secession of a Union republic from the USSR could be regarded valid only after the fulfillment of complicated and multi-staged procedure and, finally, the adoption of the relevant decision by the Congress of the USSR People's Deputies. However, until the Soviet Union ceased to exist as international person the mentioned Law was without legal effect, since no Union republic, including Azerbaijan and Armenia, had used the procedure for secession stipulated in it".
The
OSCE Minsk GroupThe OSCE Minsk Group was created in 1992 by the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe to encourage a peaceful, negotiated resolution to the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh.The Helsinki Additional Meeting of the CSCE Council on 24 March 1992, requested the...
has allowed the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (referring to it as the "leadership of Nagorny Karabakh"), as well as Armenia and Azerbaijan, to participate in the peace process as "parties to the conflict," and the Azerbaijani community of the region—as an "interested party". The Chairman of the CSCE Minsk Conference mentioned that "the terms 'party to the conflict' and 'leadership of Nagorny Karabakh' do not imply recognition of any diplomatic or political status under domestic or international law". The Azerbaijani community is led by Bayram Safarov, the head of the executive power of Shusha region.
At a recent press conference in
YerevanYerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. It is situated on the Hrazdan River, and is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
,
Yuri MerzlyakovYuri Nikolayevich Merzlyakov is a Russian diplomat, one of the current 3 co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group.Yuri Merzlyakov graduated from MGIMO in 1971 and Diplomatic Academy of the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1979, and worked at various positions in the central offices of the Soviet and...
, the OSCE Minsk Group Russian Co-Chair stated, "At the press conference in Baku I underlined that Nagorno Karabakh was a part of Azerbaijani SSR and not of Azerbaijan. I perfectly know that till 1917 Nagorno Karabakh was a part of the Russian Empire. The history is necessary in order to settle conflicts, but it is necessary to proceed from international law". Meanwhile, on June 10 2007 after US-Azerbaijani security consultations in Washington D.C. with Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov, Deputy Assistant Secretary of US Department of State, US Co-Chairman of OSCE Minsk group
Matthew BryzaMatthew J. Bryza is a United States diplomat. He became Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs in June 2005.In this capacity, he is responsible for policy oversight and management of U.S. relations with countries in the Caucasus and Southern Europe. He also leads U.S...
in a joint press conference announced: "In the circles of international law there is no universal formula for the supremacy of territorial integrity over the right of self-determination of people.".
Also in 2006,
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
published its 63-volume
Great EncyclopediaThe Great Russian Encyclopedia is a new universal Russian encyclopedia in 30 volumes, published since 2004 by Bolshaya Rossiyskaya Enciklopediya publisher. It is released under the auspices of the Russian Academy of Sciences after 2002 Vladimir Putin's presidential decree № 1156.The chief editor...
which described Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent entity that belonged to Armenians historically, in its introduction to the region. Azerbaijan has protested this passage in the Russian encyclopedia. It handed a protest letter to the Russian ambassador to Azerbaijan demanding that the encyclopedia be confiscated and amended.
On 14 March 2008, the United Nations General Assembly passed a
non-binding resolutionA non-binding resolution is a written motion adopted by a deliberative body that cannot progress into a law. The substance of the resolution can be anything that can normally be proposed as a motion....
by a vote of 39 to 7, with 100 abstentions, reaffirming Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, expressing support for that country's internationally recognized borders and demanding the immediate withdrawal of all Armenian forces from all occupied territories there. The resolution was supported mainly by members of the OIC and
GUAMGuam is an island in the western Pacific Ocean and is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. The island's capital is Hagåtña...
, both of which Azerbaijan is a member, as well as other nations facing breakaway regions. The resolution was opposed by all three members of the OSCE Minsk Group.
Human rights
The Nagorno Karabakh conflict has resulted in the displacement of 528,000 (this figure does not include new born children of these IDPs) Azerbaijanis from Armenian territories including Nagorno Karabakh, and 220,000 Azeris, 18,000 Kurds and 3,500 Russians fled from Armenia to Azerbaijan from 1988 to 1989. The Azerbaijani government has estimated that 63 percent of
internally displaced personInternally displaced persons are people forced to flee their homes but who, unlike refugees, remain within their country's borders. At the end of 2006 estimates of t4.5 million in some 52 countries. The region with the largest IDP population is Africa with some 11.8 million in 21...
s (IDPs) lived below the poverty line as compared to 49% of the total population. About 154,000 lived in the capital, Baku. According to the International Organization for Migration, 40,000 IDPs lived in camps, 60,000 in underground dugout shelters, and 20,000 in railway cars. Forty-thousand IDPs lived in EU-funded settlements and UNHCR provided housing for another 40,000. Another 5,000 IDPs lived in abandoned or rapidly deteriorating schools. Others lived in trains, on roadsides in half-constructed buildings, or in public buildings such as tourist and health facilities. Tens of thousands lived in seven tent camps where poor water supply and sanitation caused gastro-intestinal infections, tuberculosis, and malaria.
The Azerbaijani government has been unwilling to integrate the IDP's into the rest of the population as this could be interpreted as acceptance of the permanent loss of Nagorno-Karabakh.{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}} The government required IDPs to register their place of residence in an attempt to better target the limited and largely inadequate national and international assistance due to the Armenian advocated and US imposed restrictions on humanitarian aid to Azerbaijan. Many IDPs were from rural areas and found it difficult to integrate into the urban labor market. Many international humanitarian agencies reduced or ceased assistance for IDPs citing increasing oil revenues of the country. The infant mortality among displaced Azerbaijani children is 3-4 times higher than in the rest of the population. The rate of
stillbirthA stillbirth occurs when a fetus which has died, in the uterus or during labor or delivery, exits a woman's body. The term is often used in distinction to live birth or miscarriage. Most stillbirths occur in full term pregnancies....
was 88.2 per 1,000 births among the internally displaced people. The majority of the displaced have lived in difficult conditions for more than 13 years.
280,000 persons—virtually all ethnic Armenians who fled Azerbaijan during the 1988–1993 war over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh—were living in refugee-like circumstances in Armenia.{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}} Some left the country, principally to Russia. Their children born in Armenia acquire citizenship automatically. Their numbers are thus subject to constant decline due to departure, and de-registration required for naturalization. Of these, about 250,000 fled Azerbaijan-proper (areas outside Nagorno-Karabakh); approximately 30,000 came from Nagorno-Karabakh. All were registered with the government as refugees at year’s end.
Administrative divisions
{{Main|Administrative divisions of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic}}
The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic has eight administrative divisions. Their territories include the five districts of the former
Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous OblastThe Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast was an autonomous oblast of the Soviet Union created in the Azerbaijan SSR in 1923. After the beginning of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in 1987 between the Armenian and Azerbaijan SSRs, it grew into a full-scale war by the end of 1991...
(NKAO), the
ShahumianThe Shahumian Region is a disputed region, formerly a district of Azerbaijan SSR outside of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast. Before the Nagorno-Karabakh War of the 1990s, the region had a substantial Armenian population...
district in the Azerbaijan SSR which is currently under Azerbaijani control, and the seven rayons around the former NKAO that are under the control of the NKR forces.
Following the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic's declaration of independence, the Azerbaijani government abolished the NKAO and created Azerbaijani rayons in its place. As a result, some of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic's divisions correspond with the
Azerbaijani rayons||-|Azerbaijan is divided into:*59 districts ,*11 cities* ,*1 autonomous republic , which itself contains:**7 districts**1 city...
, while others have different borders. A comparative table of the current divisions of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and the corresponding rayons of Azerbaijan follows:
| # |
Division |
Rayon(s) |
Sahar (city) |
Former NKAO The Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast was an autonomous oblast of the Soviet Union created in the Azerbaijan SSR in 1923. After the beginning of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in 1987 between the Armenian and Azerbaijan SSRs, it grew into a full-scale war by the end of 1991...
|
| 3 |
AskeranAskeran is one of the eight provinces of the unrecognised Nagorno-Karabakh Republic , coterminous with the Azerbaijani rayon of Khojali. It is in the center of the NKR, surrounding its capital city of Stepanakert.- Geography :...
|
Khojali, portion of Agdam |
Askeran Askeran is a town in the Nagorno-Karabakh. The authorities of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic have established a province Askeran, named after this place, which is coextensive with Khojali Rayon.- References :...
|
Yes |
| 5 |
HadrutHadrut is a province of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. It forms the southern border of Nagorno-Karabakh, and one of the most mountainous parts. Villages are primarily found along two river valleys and scattered in lower elevations on the very southern fringe...
|
Southern Khojavend, Jabrayil, portion of Fizuli Fizuli is a rayon of Azerbaijan, partially under Armenian control since the end of Nagorno-Karabakh War.The town of Fizuli was founded in 1827 as a Russian settlement under the name Karyagino . In 1959, the town and the associated rayon were renamed Fizuli after the medieval poet Muhammad Fuzûlî....
|
Hadrut Hadrut is a town in the Khojavend Rayon of Azerbaijan. It is the capital of Hadrut Province, Nagorno Karabakh.- References :* – World-Gazetteer.com*...
|
Partially |
| 2 |
MartakertMartakert is a province of the de facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. Its territory is a de jure part of Azerbaijan, divided between the Tartar and Kelbajar rayons after Azerbaijan's abolition of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast in 1991...
|
Eastern Kalbajar, Western Tartar Tartar is a rayon of Azerbaijan. The rayon includes the former Martakert district, most of which is controlled by Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh....
, portion of Agdam |
Martakert |
Partially |
| 4 |
Martuni Martuni is a province of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. It consists of the branch of Nagorno-Karabakh which juts out of farthest to the east, almost reaches Stepanakert on the west, and goes a little past Karmir Shuka on the south...
|
Northern Khojavend, portion of Agdam |
Martuni Khojavend is a city in and the capital of the Khojavend Rayon of Azerbaijan.- References :* – World-Gazetteer.com...
|
Partially |
| 7 |
QashataghQashatagh Province is one of the eight provinces of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and the largest by area . Its population in 2005 was 9,800. Its capital is Berdzor City.- Geography :...
|
LachinLachin is a rayon of Azerbaijan. The capital lies at Lachin city. However, since 1992 the region has been under the control of the unrecognized de-facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and Armenia and has been renamed Qashatagh , the district's name during the late-medieval period....
, Qubadli, Zangilan |
Berdzor |
No |
| 1 |
ShahumianThe Shahumian Region is a disputed region, formerly a district of Azerbaijan SSR outside of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast. Before the Nagorno-Karabakh War of the 1990s, the region had a substantial Armenian population...
|
Southern GoranboyGoranboy is a rayon of Azerbaijan. During the Soviet era the region was best known for the oil-cure sanatorium resort of Naftalan, though administratively Naftalan technically counts as an independent city. Naftalan is now starting to operate again following several years of virtual inaction when...
, Western Kalbajar |
Shahumian |
No |
| 6 |
ShushiShushi is an administrative region of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh.- Sites of interest :* Shushi, its largest town.* "The rock" of Shushi, below which is the village of Karin Tak...
|
Shusha Shusha is a rayon of Azerbaijan. It surrounds the city of Shusha, in Nagorno-Karabakh, and is completely under control of the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh Republic....
|
Shushi |
Yes |
| 8 |
StepanakertStepanakert is the largest city and capital of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic , a de facto independent republic which is recognized as a part of Azerbaijan. The city comprises about 50,000 Armenians...
(capital) |
Khojali |
StepanakertStepanakert is the largest city and capital of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic , a de facto independent republic which is recognized as a part of Azerbaijan. The city comprises about 50,000 Armenians...
|
Yes |
| Nagorno-Karabakh |
Azerbaijan |
The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic claims Shahumian, which was not part of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast. Representatives from Shahumian declared independence along with Nagorno-Karabakh, and the proclamation of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic includes the Shahumian region within its borders. Unlike the rest of Nagorno-Karabakh, Shahumian remains under Azerbaijani control.
Additional rayons of Azerbaijan are under Karabakh military control and are now part of the NKR:
LachinLachin is a town in Azerbaijan and the regional center of the Lachin Rayon. Since 1992 the area has been under the control of the de facto independent unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, which has renamed the town Berdzor...
,
QubadliQubadli is a rayon of Azerbaijan. This region is now completely under the control of the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, who call it Kashunik, after capturing it during the Nagorno-Karabakh War....
,
ZangilanZangilan is a rayon of Azerbaijan. This region is now completely under the control of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, who have renamed it Kovsakan, after capturing it during the Nagorno-Karabakh War.-Under Armenian Control:...
,
JabrayilJabrayil is a rayon of Azerbaijan. This region is now completely under the control of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh, who have named it Jrakn, after capturing it during the Nagorno-Karabakh War...
,
Kalbajar]Kalbajar is a rayon of Azerbaijan. Before the outbreak of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh in 1992, it was a predominantly Kurdish inhabited area. Kalbajar is a Kurdish name meaning Stone City. The entire region is now under the control of Armenian forces who call the western half Karvajar...
as well as parts of Agdam and
FizuliFizuli is a rayon of Azerbaijan, partially under Armenian control since the end of Nagorno-Karabakh War.The town of Fizuli was founded in 1827 as a Russian settlement under the name Karyagino . In 1959, the town and the associated rayon were renamed Fizuli after the medieval poet Muhammad Fuzûlî....
. On the other hand, the eastern ends of Martakert and Martuni are under Azerbaijani control, as is the whole of Shahumian.
| Former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast The Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast was an autonomous oblast of the Soviet Union created in the Azerbaijan SSR in 1923. After the beginning of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in 1987 between the Armenian and Azerbaijan SSRs, it grew into a full-scale war by the end of 1991...
|
| District (Rayon) |
Area (sq. km) |
Under Armenian control (sq. km)/% |
| Askeran |
928 |
928 |
| Hadrut |
679 |
679 |
| Martakert |
1,705 |
1,305/76.5 |
| Martuni |
792 |
632/79.8 |
| Shushi |
280 |
280 |
| NKAO The Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast was an autonomous oblast of the Soviet Union created in the Azerbaijan SSR in 1923. After the beginning of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in 1987 between the Armenian and Azerbaijan SSRs, it grew into a full-scale war by the end of 1991...
|
4,384 |
3,824/87.2 |
AzerbaijanAzerbaijan , formally the Republic of Azerbaijan , is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to the south...
|
| Shahumyan |
558 |
0/0 |
| Kelbajar |
1,936 |
1,936 |
| Lachin |
1,835 |
1,835 |
| Kubatli |
802 |
802 |
| Jebrayil |
1,050 |
1,050 |
| Zangelan |
707 |
707 |
| Aghdam |
1,150 |
842/73.2 |
| Fizuli |
1,390 |
462/33.2 |
AzerbaijanAzerbaijan , formally the Republic of Azerbaijan , is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to the south...
|
8,870 |
7,634/86.1 |
{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}}
Demographics
{{Main|Demographics of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic}}
In 2001, the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic's reported population was 95% Armenian, with the remaining total including Assyrians, Greeks, and Kurds. In March 2007, the local government announced that its population had grown to 138,000. The annual birth rate was recorded at 2,200-2,300 per year, an increase from nearly 1,500 in 1999.
Until 2000, the country's net migration was at a negative. For the first half of 2007, 1,010 births and 659 deaths were reported, with a net emigration of 27.
According to age group: 15,700 (0-6), 25,200 (7-17) 75,800 (18-59) and 21,000 (60+)
Population by province (2006):
- Stepanakert
Stepanakert is the largest city and capital of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic , a de facto independent republic which is recognized as a part of Azerbaijan. The city comprises about 50,000 Armenians...
53,000 (2007)
- Askeran
Askeran is one of the eight provinces of the unrecognised Nagorno-Karabakh Republic , coterminous with the Azerbaijani rayon of Khojali. It is in the center of the NKR, surrounding its capital city of Stepanakert.- Geography :...
17,400 (2007)
- Hadrut
Hadrut is a province of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. It forms the southern border of Nagorno-Karabakh, and one of the most mountainous parts. Villages are primarily found along two river valleys and scattered in lower elevations on the very southern fringe...
12,300 (2009)
- Martakert
Martakert is a province of the de facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. Its territory is a de jure part of Azerbaijan, divided between the Tartar and Kelbajar rayons after Azerbaijan's abolition of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast in 1991...
19,000
- Martouni 23,200
- Shahumyan 2,800
- Shushi 5,000 (2009)
- Qashatagh
Qashatagh Province is one of the eight provinces of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and the largest by area . Its population in 2005 was 9,800. Its capital is Berdzor City.- Geography :...
9,800
The Population of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic:
| Year |
Population (000s) |
Urban |
Rural |
Birth Rate |
Death Rate |
NGR |
Net Immigration |
| 2000 |
134.4 |
68.4 |
66.0 |
16.6 |
8.8 |
7.7 |
16.1 |
| 2001 |
135.7 |
68.7 |
67.0 |
17.0 |
7.9 |
9.1 |
11.5 |
| 2002 |
136.6 |
69.3 |
67.3 |
16.0 |
9.1 |
6.9 |
4.9 |
| 2003 |
137.0 |
69.1 |
67.9 |
15.0 |
9.0 |
6.0 |
1.3 |
| 2004 |
137.2 |
69.8 |
67.4 |
15.3 |
9.5 |
5.8 |
-2.6 |
| 2005 |
137.7 |
70.5 |
67.2 |
14.6 |
9.2 |
5.4 |
1.7 |
| 2006 |
137.7 |
70.8 |
66.9 |
15.3 |
9.0 |
6.3 |
-3.2 |
Economy
{{Main|Economy of Nagorno-Karabakh}}
The socio-economic situation of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic was greatly effected by the conflict. Yet, foreign investments are beginning to come. The origin of most venture capital comes from Armenians in Armenia, Russia, United States, France, Australia, Iran, and the Middle East.
Notably the telecommunications sector was developed with Karabakh Telecom investing millions of dollars in mobile telephony, spearheaded by a Lebanese company.
Another is the factory Gorna Abakatinieni Combinat (metals and gold), located in the region of
MartakertMartakert is a province of the de facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. Its territory is a de jure part of Azerbaijan, divided between the Tartar and Kelbajar rayons after Azerbaijan's abolition of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast in 1991...
and led by Artur Makartumian. It employs more than 400 local workers.
The banking system is also flourishing with
ArtsakhbankArtsakhbank CJSC was established on 12 February, 1996 according to the resolution of the Bank’s Shareholders General Meeting. On 6 November, 1996 “Artsakhbank” CJSC was transformed into “Artsakhbank” OJSC according to the resolution of the Bank’s Shareholders General Meeting...
(the state bank). The republic presently uses the
Armenian dramThe dram is the monetary unit of Armenia. It is subdivided into 100 luma . The word "dram" translates into English as "money", and is cognate with the Greek drachma...
.
Tourism
The Republic is also keen on developing a tourist industry geared to Armenia and the
Armenian diasporaThe Armenian diaspora has created the communities of Armenians living outside of Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh and Javakhk. The total Armenian population living worldwide is estimated to be 11,000,000, but only about 3,150,000 live in Armenia, about 140,000 in Nagorno-Karabakh and approximately 120,000...
. Hotel Nairi is an example of this strategy. There are 8 hotels in Stepanakert. The Artsakh development agency says 4,000 tourists visited Artsakh in 2005. The figures rose to 4500 in 2006. The agency cooperates with the Armenia Tourism Development Agency (ATDA) as Armenia is the only way tourists (mainly Armenians) can access Karabakh.
The "Tourism Development Agency of Nagorno-Karabakh" was established in Yerevan as a Non-Governmental Organization in Republic of Armenia to promote tourism further in Nagorno-Karabakh. It makes preparations for tour operators, travel agencies and journalists covering the region, and arranges for hotel services, shopping, catering, recreation centers.
Tourist attractions include:
- Gandzasar monastery
Gandzasar monastery is a 13th century Armenian monastery situated in the Mardakert region of Nagorno-Karabakh, near the village of Vank. "Gandzasar" means treasure mountain or hilltop treasure in Armenian. The monastery holds relics believed to belong to St Zechariah, father of John the Baptist...
, a main tourist attraction
- Ghazanchetsots Cathedral
Ghazanchetsots Cathedral , also known as the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and the Shushi Cathedral, is an Armenian church located in Shushi, Nagorno-Karabakh. It was built between 1868 and 1887 and has a facade of white limestone. Its architect, Simon Ter-Hakobyan, intended the church to...
of the Holy Savior
- Church of the Holy Mother of God “Kanach Zham
Kanach Zham is an Armenian Apostolic Church located in Shushi, Nagorno-Karabakh; it is just uphill from the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral. Kanach Zham means "Green Church" in Armenian, this is because at one time the church's domes were painted green...
”
- Amaras Monastery
Amaras Monastery is one of the oldest Christian sites in Nagorno-Karabakh, and is an Armenian Apostolic monastery located near the village of Sos in the Martuni county of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.- History :...
- Tzitzernavank Monastery
Tzitzernavank is a fifth-sixth century Armenian church and former monastery in the Qashatagh Province of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic...
- St. Yeghish Arakyal Monastery
Yeghishe Arakyal Monastery is an Armenian Apostolic monastery that is located on the bank of the Yeghsharakel River in the Mardakert region of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. Because of the close proximity to the militarized border, no visitors are allowed to travel to the monastery. Yeghishe...
- Dadivank Monastery
Dadivank Monastery also Khutavank is an Armenian Monastery in the Shahumian Region of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. It was built between the 9
th and 13
th century....
- Gtichavank monastery
Gtichavank Monastery is a 13th-century Armenian Apostolic Church monastery located in the district of Hadrut of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, part of the historical Armenian province of Artsakh.- External links :*...
- Bri Yeghtsi monastery
- Yerits Mankants -- amongst others.
Other tourist attractions include:
- Ancient City of Tigranakert (1st century BC) that was one of four cities that were founded in the first century BC in opposite corners of Armenia and named after King Tigran II the Great—ruler of the short-lived Armenian Empire. Tigranakert is located in the Mardakert District.
- Handaberd Fortress (10th-14th centuries), an impregnable fortress that was the traditional stronghold of the Vahtangian-Dopian princes of Artsakh’s once-dominant Kingdom of Upper Khachen. The castle is located in the Shahumian District.
- Gyulistan Castle (15th-18th centuries), the hereditary stronghold of the Melik-Beglarians, rulers of Artsakh’s Melikdom of Gyulistan. The castle is located in the Shahumian District.
- Fort Mayraberd (10th-18th centuries) that served as the primary bulwark against Turko-nomadic incursions from the eastern steppe. The fort is found to the east of the region’s capital city of Stepanakert.
- Gevgharaga Mosque (19th century), a Persian-built mosque is located in the city of Shushi.
is the wandering marked trail through mountains, valleys and villages of
Nagorno-KarabakhNagorno-Karabakh is a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, lying between Lower Karabakh and Zangezur and covering the southeastern range of the Lesser Caucasus mountains...
, with monasteries and fortresses along the way. The trail is broken into day hikes, which will bring you to a different village each night. The paths have existed for centuries, but now are marked specifically for hikers. The Himnakan Janapar (backbone trail), marked in 2007, leads from the northwest region of
ShahumianThe Shahumian Region is a disputed region, formerly a district of Azerbaijan SSR outside of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast. Before the Nagorno-Karabakh War of the 1990s, the region had a substantial Armenian population...
to the southern town of
HadrutHadrut is a province of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. It forms the southern border of Nagorno-Karabakh, and one of the most mountainous parts. Villages are primarily found along two river valleys and scattered in lower elevations on the very southern fringe...
. Side trails and mini trails take you to additional parts of Karabakh. The important site passed along this hike include
Dadivank MonasteryDadivank Monastery also Khutavank is an Armenian Monastery in the Shahumian Region of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. It was built between the 9
th and 13
th century....
,
Gandzasar monasteryGandzasar monastery is a 13th century Armenian monastery situated in the Mardakert region of Nagorno-Karabakh, near the village of Vank. "Gandzasar" means treasure mountain or hilltop treasure in Armenian. The monastery holds relics believed to belong to St Zechariah, father of John the Baptist...
, Shushi, the Karkar Canyon with its high cliffs, Zontik Waterfall and ruins of Hunot and Gtichavank monastery.
Transportation
The transportation system damaged by the conflict has been noticeably improved during the last several years: the North-South Karabakh motorway alone has largely facilitated in the development of the transportation system.
The 169-kilometer Hadrut-Stepanakert-Askeran-Martakert motorway, the locals say is the lifeline of Karabakh. $25 million donated during the Hayastan All-Armenian Foundation telethons have been allotted for the construction of the road.
The route from the Armenian capital
YerevanYerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. It is situated on the Hrazdan River, and is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
to the Nagorno-Karabakh capital
StepanakertStepanakert is the largest city and capital of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic , a de facto independent republic which is recognized as a part of Azerbaijan. The city comprises about 50,000 Armenians...
now takes around 4 hours instead of the former 8–9 hours.
Education
Nagorno-Karabakh's school system was severely damaged because of the conflict. But the government of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic with considerable aid from the Republic of
ArmeniaArmenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
and donations from the
Armenian diasporaThe Armenian diaspora has created the communities of Armenians living outside of Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh and Javakhk. The total Armenian population living worldwide is estimated to be 11,000,000, but only about 3,150,000 live in Armenia, about 140,000 in Nagorno-Karabakh and approximately 120,000...
has rebuilt many of the schools. The republic has around 250 schools of various sizes, with more than 200 lying in the regions. The student population estimated at more than 20,000 study, with almost half in the capital city of Stepanakert.
Artsakh State University was founded by Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenian governments’ joint efforts, with main campus in
StepanakertStepanakert is the largest city and capital of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic , a de facto independent republic which is recognized as a part of Azerbaijan. The city comprises about 50,000 Armenians...
. The university opening ceremony took place on May 10, 1992.
Yerevan University of Management also opened a branch in
StepanakertStepanakert is the largest city and capital of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic , a de facto independent republic which is recognized as a part of Azerbaijan. The city comprises about 50,000 Armenians...
.
Culture
{{Main|Culture of Nagorno-Karabakh}}
"
We Are Our Mountains"We Are Our Mountains" is a large Armenian monument located in Stepanakert, the capital city of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.The sculpture, completed in 1967 by Sargis Baghdasaryan, is widely regarded as a symbol of Nagorno-Karabakh...
" ({{lang-hy|Մենք ենք մեր սարերը}}) by
Sargis BaghdasaryanSarghis Baghdasaryan, also transliterated Baghdasarian , was an Armenian sculptor; under the Soviet regime, he was the national sculptor of the Armenian SSR....
is a monument located in
StepanakertStepanakert is the largest city and capital of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic , a de facto independent republic which is recognized as a part of Azerbaijan. The city comprises about 50,000 Armenians...
. The sculpture is widely regarded as a symbol of the de facto independent Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh. It is a large monument from
tuffTuff is a type of rock consisting of consolidated volcanic ash ejected from vents during a volcanic eruption. Tuff is sometimes called tufa, particularly when used as construction material, although tufa also refers to a quite different rock. - Volcanic ash :The products of a volcanic eruption are...
of an old Armenian man and woman hewn from rock, representing the mountain people of Karabagh. It is also known as "
Tatik yev Papik" (Տատիկ և Պապիկ) in Eastern Armenian. The sculpture is featured prominently on
Nagorno-Karabakh's coat of armsThe coat of arms of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic consists of an eagle wearing an ornamented crown. On the chest of the eagle is a shield with a panorama of a mountain range under a vertically set flag of Nagorno-Karabakh...
.
Artsakh State MuseumStepanakert State Museum, is the historical museum of the de facto Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. Located at 4 Sasunstsi David Street, in Stepanakert, the museum offers an assortment of ancient artifacts and Christian manuscripts. There's also more modern items, from the 19th century to World War II...
is the historical museum of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. Located at 4 Sasunstsi David Street, in
StepanakertStepanakert is the largest city and capital of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic , a de facto independent republic which is recognized as a part of Azerbaijan. The city comprises about 50,000 Armenians...
, the museum offers an assortment of ancient artifacts and
ChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who Christians believe was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, and the Son of God.The term "Christian" is also used adjectivally to...
manuscripts. There's also more modern items, from the 19th century to
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and from events of the Karabakh Independence War.
Karabakh has its own brand of popular music. As Karabakh question became a pan-Armenian question, Karabakh music was further promoted worldwide.
Also as a result of the Karabakh conflict, there has also been a series of nationalistic songs done by Karabakh artists as well as artists from Republic of
ArmeniaArmenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
and the
Armenian diasporaThe Armenian diaspora has created the communities of Armenians living outside of Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh and Javakhk. The total Armenian population living worldwide is estimated to be 11,000,000, but only about 3,150,000 live in Armenia, about 140,000 in Nagorno-Karabakh and approximately 120,000...
to rally support for Karabakh independence movement accompanied by footage of Karabakh military campaigns. These can be found abundantly in popular online sites such as
YouTubeYouTube is a video sharing website on which users can upload and share videos. Three former PayPal employees created YouTube in February 2005. In November 2006, YouTube, LLC was bought by Google Inc. for $1.65 billion, and is now operated as a subsidiary of Google...
etc, with some lively pro and anti-Karabakh discussions that these videos almost always generate.
Religion
Most of the Armenian population in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is
ChristianChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented by the revelations in the New Testament....
and belongs to the
Armenian Apostolic ChurchThe Armenian Apostolic Church is the world's oldest National Church and is one of the most ancient Christian communities. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion in 301 AD, in establishing this church...
.
Certain
Orthodox ChristianThe term Orthodox Christianity may refer to:* Correct theology or belief, such as the ancient, majority, or Trinitarian theologies of Christianity...
and Evangelical Christian denominations also exist; other religions include
JudaismJudaism is a set of beliefs and practices originating in the Hebrew Bible , as later further explored and explained in the Talmud and other texts...
.
The
Gandzasar monasteryGandzasar monastery is a 13th century Armenian monastery situated in the Mardakert region of Nagorno-Karabakh, near the village of Vank. "Gandzasar" means treasure mountain or hilltop treasure in Armenian. The monastery holds relics believed to belong to St Zechariah, father of John the Baptist...
("Գանձասար" in Armenian) is a historical monastery in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic). Another is
Dadivank MonasteryDadivank Monastery also Khutavank is an Armenian Monastery in the Shahumian Region of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. It was built between the 9
th and 13
th century....
({{lang-hy|Դադիվանք}}) also Khutavank ({{lang-hy|Խութավանք}} - Monastery on the Hill) that was built between the 9
th and 13
th century. The Nagorno Karabakh government’s aim is to include the Gandzasar Monastery into the directory of the UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites.
Ghazanchetsots CathedralGhazanchetsots Cathedral , also known as the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and the Shushi Cathedral, is an Armenian church located in Shushi, Nagorno-Karabakh. It was built between 1868 and 1887 and has a facade of white limestone. Its architect, Simon Ter-Hakobyan, intended the church to...
(built 1868-1888) (Սուրբ Ամենափրկիչ Ղազանչեցոց Եկեղեցի in
ArmenianThe Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...
), also known as the
Cathedral of Christ the Savior and the
Shushi Cathedral, is an
Armenian churchThe Armenian Apostolic Church is the world's oldest National Church and is one of the most ancient Christian communities. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion in 301 AD, in establishing this church...
located in Shushi,
Nagorno-KarabakhNagorno-Karabakh is a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, lying between Lower Karabakh and Zangezur and covering the southeastern range of the Lesser Caucasus mountains...
. It is the main cathedral and headquarters of the
Armenian Apostolic ChurchThe Armenian Apostolic Church is the world's oldest National Church and is one of the most ancient Christian communities. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion in 301 AD, in establishing this church...
's "Diocese of Artsakh".
Just uphill from the cathedral in Shushi is the
Kanach ZhamKanach Zham is an Armenian Apostolic Church located in Shushi, Nagorno-Karabakh; it is just uphill from the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral. Kanach Zham means "Green Church" in Armenian, this is because at one time the church's domes were painted green...
(Green Church in Armenian) built in 1847.
Amaras MonasteryAmaras Monastery is one of the oldest Christian sites in Nagorno-Karabakh, and is an Armenian Apostolic monastery located near the village of Sos in the Martuni county of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.- History :...
(4th century AD) was a monastery was established by the foremost Armenian saint, St. Gregory the Enlightener, who baptized Armenia into the world’s first Christian state in 301 AD. Amaras also hosted the first school where
St. Mesrop MashtotsSaint Mesrop Mashtots was an Armenian monk, theologian and linguist. He is best known for having invented the Armenian alphabet, which was a fundamental step in strengthening the Armenian Church, the government of the Armenian Kingdom, and ultimately the bond between the Armenian Kingdom and...
, the inventor of the Armenian alphabet, taught the new script to pupils, in the fifth century. The Amaras Monastery’s location is in the
MartuniMartuni is a province of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. It consists of the branch of Nagorno-Karabakh which juts out of farthest to the east, almost reaches Stepanakert on the west, and goes a little past Karmir Shuka on the south...
District.
Tzitzernavank MonasteryTzitzernavank is a fifth-sixth century Armenian church and former monastery in the Qashatagh Province of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic...
(4th century AD) is the best preserved example of an Armenian basilica with three naves. The monastery is in the Qashatagh District.
Saint Yeghishe Arakyal Monastery (5th-13th centuries) commemorating St. Yeghishe, the famous evangelizer of Armenia’s eastern lands. The church serves as a burial ground for the fifth century’s King Vachagan II the Pious, the most well-known representative of the Arranshahik line of east Armenian monarchs. The monastery is located in the
MartakertMartakert is a province of the de facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. Its territory is a de jure part of Azerbaijan, divided between the Tartar and Kelbajar rayons after Azerbaijan's abolition of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast in 1991...
District.
Dadivank MonasteryDadivank Monastery also Khutavank is an Armenian Monastery in the Shahumian Region of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. It was built between the 9
th and 13
th century....
(13th century) is reportedly the largest Armenian monastery in the Caucasus. The western facade of Dadivank’s Memorial Cathedral bears one of the most extensive Armenian lapidary (inscribed-in-stone) texts. Dadivank is named after St. Dadi, a disciple of Apostle Thaddeus who preached Holy Gospel in Artsakh in the first century. St. Dadi’s tomb was discovered by archeologists in 2007. The monastery is in the
ShahumianThe Shahumian Region is a disputed region, formerly a district of Azerbaijan SSR outside of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast. Before the Nagorno-Karabakh War of the 1990s, the region had a substantial Armenian population...
District.
G'Tichavank Monastery (13th century) has design features shared with the architectural style of medieval Armenia’s capital city of Ani. The monastery is located in the
HadrutHadrut is a province of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. It forms the southern border of Nagorno-Karabakh, and one of the most mountainous parts. Villages are primarily found along two river valleys and scattered in lower elevations on the very southern fringe...
District.
Bri Yeghtze Monastery (13th century) that centers on embedded khachkars, unique-to-Armenia stone memorials with engraved crosses. The monastery is located in the
MartuniMartuni is a province of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. It consists of the branch of Nagorno-Karabakh which juts out of farthest to the east, almost reaches Stepanakert on the west, and goes a little past Karmir Shuka on the south...
District.
Yerits Mankants MonasteryYerits Mankants Monastery is a 17th century Armenian monastery in the Martakert Province of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. It is the most notable example of monasteries built during the late middle ages in Artsakh, after an interruption in church building from the 14th to 16th centuries. Yerits...
(17th century) (meaning “three infants” in Armenian) is known for hosting the seat of Artsakh’s rival clergy to that of the Holy See of Gandzasar. The monastery is located in the
MartakertMartakert is a province of the de facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. Its territory is a de jure part of Azerbaijan, divided between the Tartar and Kelbajar rayons after Azerbaijan's abolition of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast in 1991...
District.
Church of St. Nerses the GreatChurch of St. Nerses the Great, is located in the town of Martuni in Nagorno-Karabakh. It is dedicated to the famous Armenian Catholicos, St. Nerses the Great....
, is located in the city of
MartuniMartuni is a province of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. It consists of the branch of Nagorno-Karabakh which juts out of farthest to the east, almost reaches Stepanakert on the west, and goes a little past Karmir Shuka on the south...
,
KarabakhThe Karabakh horse , also known as Karabakh, is a mountain-steppe racing and riding horse. It is named after the geographic region where the horse was originally developed, Karabakh in the Southern Caucasus, an area that is de jure part of Azerbaijan but the highland part of which is currently...
. It is dedicated to the famous
Armenian CatholicosThe Catholicos of All Armenians is the Chief bishop of Armenia's national church, the Armenian Apostolic Church. It is one of the Oriental Orthodox churches that do not accept the decisions of the Council of Chalcedon. The first Catholicos of All Armenians was Saint Gregory the Illuminator...
,
St. Nerses the GreatSaint Nerses I the Great was an Armenian Catholicos who lived in the fourth century. He was the father of another catholicos, Saint Sahak I. His father was At'anagenes and his mother was Bambish, the sister of King Tiran....
.
Sports
Sports in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is organized by the Artsakh Ministry of Culture and Youth.
Football (soccer) remains very popular in Nagorno-Karabakh.
StepanakertStepanakert is the largest city and capital of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic , a de facto independent republic which is recognized as a part of Azerbaijan. The city comprises about 50,000 Armenians...
has its well-built football stadium. Starting in the 1990s, Karabakh teams started taking part in some Armenian leagues in the Republic of Armenia. There is also interest in other sports, including basketball and volleyball. Sailing is practiced in
MartakertMartakert is a province of the de facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. Its territory is a de jure part of Azerbaijan, divided between the Tartar and Kelbajar rayons after Azerbaijan's abolition of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast in 1991...
.
Karabakh sportsmen also take part with representative teams and athletes in the
Pan-Armenian GamesThe Pan-Armenian Games are a multi-sport event, held between ethnic Armenian competitors from the Armenian diaspora and Armenia. They consist of various competitions in individual and team sports among the Armenian athletes...
organized in the Armenian capital
YerevanYerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. It is situated on the Hrazdan River, and is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
.
See also
- Artsakh
Artsakh was the tenth province of the Kingdom of Armenia from 189 BC until 387 AD and afterwards a region of Caucasian Albania...
- Azat Artsakh
Azat Artsakh is the official newspaper of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic published in Armenian. It was established on June 16, 1923....
- Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army
The Nagorno-Karabakh Defence Army was officially established on May 9, 1992 as the formal defence force of the de-facto Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, uniting previously disorganized self-defence units which were formed in the early 1990s in order to protect the ethnic Armenian population of...
- Foreign relations of Nagorno-Karabakh
- Commonwealth of Unrecognized States
- Yeghishe Ishkhanian
Yeghishe Ishkhanian was a prominent Armenian politician and statesman, who held high offices in the Nagorno-Karabakh in the beginning of the 20th century. From July 27, 1918 to February 20, 1919, Ishkhanian headed the People's Government of Karabakh...
- first prime-minister of Nagorno-Karabakh in 1918
- Janapar
Janapar is the wandering marked trail through mountains, valleys and villages of Nagorno-Karabakh, with monasteries and fortresses along the way. The trail is broken into day hikes, which will bring you to a different village each night, where you can either stay with a village family or set up...
- the hiking trail across Karabakh
- Land mine situation in Nagorno Karabakh
External links
Official websites:
Media:
Other
{{Non-sovereign territories of Europe}}
{{Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict}}