Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
Encyclopedia
The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) ( Lernayin Gharabaghi Hanrapetut’yun), or Artsakh Republic ( Arts'akhi Hanrapetut’yun) is a de facto independent
republic located in the South Caucasus
region of Eurasia
. It controls most of the territory of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast
and several Azerbaijani districts
adjacent to the borders of Azerbaijan with Armenia
to the west and Iran
to the south.
The predominantly Armenian-populated region of Nagorno-Karabakh
became disputed between Armenia
and Azerbaijan
when both countries gained independence from the Russian Empire
in 1918. After the Soviet Union
established control over the area, in 1923 it formed the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast
(NKAO) within the Azerbaijan SSR
. In the final years of the Soviet Union
, the region re-emerged as a source of dispute between Armenia
and Azerbaijan
, culminating in a large ethnic conflict and, eventually, in the Nagorno-Karabakh War
that was fought from 1991 to 1994.
On 10 December 1991, as the Soviet Union was dissolving
, a referendum held in the NKAO and the neighboring Shahumian
region resulted in a declaration of independence
from Azerbaijan as the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. The country remains unrecognised by any UN-member state, including Armenia. Only Transnistria
, South Ossetia
, and Abkhazia
, all UN non-members, recognise the state.
Since the ceasefire in 1994, most of Nagorno-Karabakh and several regions of Azerbaijan
around it remain under joint Armenian and Nagorno-Karabakh military
control. Representatives of the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan have since been holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group
.
. The executive power
rests mainly with the president. The president appoints and dismisses the prime minister. The National Assembly of Nagorno-Karabakh is the parliament, forming a unicameral legislature. It has 33 members who are elected for 5 year terms. The current President is Bako Sahakian.
The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic has a multi-party system; as of 2009, American organization Freedom House
ranks Nagorno-Karabakh Republic above the republics of Armenia
and Azerbaijan
in terms of political and civil rights
. Three organisations currently have members in the parliament, Artsakh Democratic Party has 18 members, Free Motherland
has 8 members, and the Movement 88
alliance has 3 members. 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.
However, poll was condemned by the international community at large for being illegitimate. The European Union, OSCE and GUAM
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 the words of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe
Terry Davis the poll "will not be recognised … and is therefore of no consequence”.
In a statement, the OSCE chairman in office Karel De Gucht
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, and has historic tensions with Armenia.
. The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic operates five permanent Missions and one Bureau of Social-Politic Information in France. The NKR Permanent Missions exist in Armenia
, Australia
, France
, Germany
, Russia
, the United States
, and one for Middle East countries based in Beirut
. The goals of the offices are to present the Republic's positions on various issues, provide information and to facilitate the peace process.
The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is a member of the Community for Democracy and Rights of Nations
, commonly known as the "Commonwealth of Unrecognized States".
was officially established on 9 May 1992 as a defense against Azerbaijan. It succeeded in fighting the Azerbaijani army to a ceasefire on 12 May 1994. Currently the Nagorno-Karabakh Defence Army consists of around 18,000–20,000 well-trained and equipped officers and soldiers. There are also 177–316 tank
s, 256–324 additional fighting vehicles, and 291–322 guns and mortar
s.
The Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army fought the Battle of Shusha
in 1992, involving the opening of the Lachin corridor
between The Republic of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh (1992), and the defense of the Martakert
front from 1992–1994.
is considered to be one of the most heavily mined regions of the former Soviet Union
. Mines were laid from 1991 to 1994 by both conflicting parties in the Nagorno-Karabakh War
. The United Nations and the U.S. has 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) claims that 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 Trust
– UK based demining NGO, is the only other organisation conducting demining
in Nagorno Karabakh.
, "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 Group
. 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 Rambouillet
, 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. 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. 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.
Representatives of Armenia, Azerbaijan, France, Russia and the United States met in Paris and in Key West
, Florida, in the Spring of 2001. Despite rumours that the parties were close to a solution, the Azerbaijani authorities — both during Heydar Aliyev
's period of office, and after the accession of his son Ilham Aliyev
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, Kazakhstan
, on the sidelines of the 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 referendum
s (plebiscites) in Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan proper regarding the future status of the region. On 10 and 11 February 2006, Kocharyan and Aliyev met in Rambouillet
, France, to discuss the fundamental principles of a settlement to the conflict. 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
still being contentious.
Talks were held at the Polish embassy in Bucharest
in June 2006. 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 Oskanyan
, 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. On 27 June, 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 Gambar
, 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 Bryza
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 10 December 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 Aliyev
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, Yerevan
was granted to the Armenians
. It was a great mistake. The khanate of Iravan
was the Azeri territory, the Armenians were guests here”. On the other hand, in 2009 president of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakyan
declared that "Artsakh will never be a part of Azerbaijan. NKR security should never be an article of commerce either. As to other issues, we are ready to discuss them with Azerbaijan.". In 2010 president of Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan in his speech in the Chatham House of the British Royal Institute of International Affairs declared that "Karabakh was never a part of independent Azerbaijan: it was annexed to Azerbaijan by a decision of the Soviet Union party body. The people of Karabakh never put up with this decision, and upon the first opportunity, seceded from the Soviet Union fully in line with the laws of the Soviet Union and the applicable international law".
, which is itself a largely unrecognized state. Three United Nations Security Council
Resolutions (853
, 874
, and 884
) and United Nations General Assembly resolution
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 Atkinson, presented to Political Affairs Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
(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 Europe
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 Liechtenstein
Foreign Minister Ernst Walch
, Parliamentary Assembly President Lord Russell-Johnston and Secretary General Walter Schwimmer
. 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 person
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 Europe
’s Committee of Ministers
on 12 July 2007 with regard to the presidential elections organised in Nagorno-Karabakh. On 21 May 2010 Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, stated: "I would like to recall that the European Union does not recognise the constitutional and legal framework within which the "parliamentary elections" in Nagorno Karabakh will be held this Sunday. This event should not prejudice the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict". OSCE Minsk Group
Co-Chairs stated that "Although the Co-Chairs understand the need for the de facto authorities in NK to try to organize democratically the public life of their population with such a procedure, they underscore again that Nagorno-Karabakh is not recognized as an independent and sovereign state by any of their three countries, nor by any other country, including Armenia. The Co-Chairs consider that this procedure should not preempt the determination of the final legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh in the broader framework of the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict".
The European Union
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 6 March 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 Law
'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 Rights
, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
--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 30 August 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 Shahumian
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 10 December 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 6 January 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 2 September 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 Group
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 Yerevan
, Yuri Merzlyakov
, 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 10 June 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 Bryza
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, Russia
published its 63-volume Great Encyclopedia
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 resolution
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 GUAM
, 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.
On 20 May 2010 the European Parliament
adopted a resolution "on the need for an EU strategy for the South Caucasus", which states that EU must pursue a strategy to promote stability, prosperity and conflict resolution in the South Caucasus. The resolution "calls on the parties to intensify their peace talk efforts for the purpose of a settlement in the coming months, to show a more constructive attitude and to abandon preferences to perpetuate the status quo created by force and with no international legitimacy, creating in this way instability and prolonging the suffering of the war-affected populations; condemns the idea of a military solution and the heavy consequences of military force already used, and calls on both parties to avoid any further breaches of the 1994 ceasefire". The resolution also calls for withdrawal of Armenian forces from all occupied territories of Azerbaijan, accompanied by deployment of international forces to be organised with respect of the UN Charter in order to provide the necessary security guarantees in a period of transition, which will ensure the security of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh and allow the displaced persons to return to their homes and further conflicts caused by homelessness to be prevented; and states that the EU believes that the position according to which Nagorno-Karabakh includes all occupied Azerbaijani lands surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh should rapidly be abandoned. It also notes "that an interim status for Nagorno-Karabakh could offer a solution until the final status is determined and that it could create a transitional framework for peaceful coexistence and cooperation of Armenian and Azerbaijani populations in the region."
On 26 June 2010 the presidents of the OSCE Minsk Group's Co-Chair countries, France, the Russian Federation, and the United States of America made a joint statement, reaffirming their "commitment to support the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan as they finalize the Basic Principles for the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict".
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 person
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 IDPs into the rest of the population as this could be interpreted as acceptance of the permanent loss of Nagorno-Karabakh. 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 stillbirth
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. 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.
, Azerbaijan, and Iran
. The highest peaks in the country are Mount Mrav
, 3340 metres (10,958 ft), and Mount Kirs 2725 metres (8,940 ft). The largest water body is the Sarsang reservoir
, and the major rivers are the Terter and Khachen rivers. The country is on a plateau which slopes downwards towards the east and southeast, with the average altitude being 3600 ft (1,097 m) above sea level.Most rivers in the country flowing towards the Artsakh valley.
The climate is mild and subtopical. The average temperature is 11 °C (52 °F), which fluctuates annually between 22 °C (72 °F) in July and -1 C in January. The average precipitation can reach 71 cm (28 in) in some regions, and it is foggy for over 100 days a year.
Over 2000 kinds of plants exist in Nagorno-Karabakh, and more than 36% of the country is forested. The plant life on the steppes is mostly semi-desert vegetation, and alpine
and tundra
environments can be found above the forest in the highlands and mountains.
The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic has eight administrative divisions. Their territories include the five districts of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast
(NKAO), the Shahumian
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
, while others have different borders. A comparative table of the current divisions of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and the corresponding rayons of Azerbaijan follows:
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: Lachin
, Qubadli
, Zangilan
, Jabrayil
, Kalbajar
as well as parts of Agdam and Fizuli
. On the other hand, the eastern ends of Martakert and Martuni are under Azerbaijani control, as is the whole of Shahumian.
In 2002 the country's population was 145,000, made up of 95% Armenians and 5% others. 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.
OSCE report, released in March 2011, estimates the population of the "seven occupied territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh" to be 14,000, and states "there has been no significant growth in the population since 2005."
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):
The Population of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic:
Most of the Armenian population in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is Christian and belongs to the Armenian Apostolic Church
which is an Oriental Orthodox Church.
Certain Eastern Orthodox
and Evangelical denominations also exist; other religions include Judaism.
The Gandzasar monastery
("Գանձասար" in Armenian) is a historical monastery in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic). Another is Dadivank Monastery
also Khutavank ( – Monastery on the Hill) that was built between the 9th and 13th century. The Nagorno Karabakh government’s aim is to include the Gandzasar Monastery into the directory of the UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites.
Ghazanchetsots Cathedral
(built 1868–1888) (Սուրբ Ամենափրկիչ Ղազանչեցոց Եկեղեցի in Armenian
), also known as the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and the Shushi Cathedral, is an Armenian church
located in Shushi, Nagorno-Karabakh. It is the main cathedral and headquarters of the Armenian Apostolic Church
's "Diocese of Artsakh".
Just uphill from the cathedral in Shushi is the Kanach Zham
(Green Church in Armenian) built in 1847.
Amaras Monastery
(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 Mashtots
, the inventor of the Armenian alphabet, taught the new script to pupils, in the fifth century. The Amaras Monastery’s location is in the Martuni
District.
Tzitzernavank Monastery
(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 Martakert
District.
Dadivank Monastery
(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 Shahumian
District.
Gtichavank 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 Hadrut
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 Martuni
District.
Yerits Mankants Monastery
(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 Martakert
District.
Church of St. Nerses the Great
, is located in the city of Martuni
, Karabakh
. It is dedicated to the famous Armenian Catholicos
, St. Nerses the Great
.
The socio-economic situation of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic was greatly affected 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.
Copper and gold mining has been advancing since 2002 with development and launch of operations at Drmbon
deposit. Approximately 27–28 thousand tons (wet weight) of concentrates are produced with average copper content of 19–21% and gold content of 32–34 g/t.
The banking system is also flourishing with Artsakhbank
(the state bank) and a number of Armenian banks. The republic presently uses the Armenian dram
.
Wine growing and processing of agricultural products, particularly wine (i.e. storage of wine, wine stuff, cognac alcohol) is one of the prioritized directions of the economic development.
. The Republic has been showing a major increase in tourists over the last several years, which keeps growing because of Karabakh's many cultural sights. There are 8 hotels in Stepanakert. The Artsakh development agency says 4,000 tourists visited Nagorno-Karabakh Republic in 2005. The figures rose to 8,000 in 2010 (excluding visitors from Armenia
). The agency cooperates with the Armenia Tourism Development Agency (ATDA) as Armenia is the only way tourists (mainly Armenians) can access Karabakh. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Karabakh informs of continuous expansion NKR visitors' geography.
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:
Other tourist attractions include:
Janapar
is a 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 tourists 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 Shahumian
to the southern town of Hadrut
. Side trails and mini trails take one to additional parts of Karabakh. The important sites passed along this hike include Dadivank Monastery
, Gandzasar monastery
, Shushi, the Karkar Canyon with its high cliffs, Zontik Waterfall and the ruins of Hunot and Gtichavank monastery.
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 Yerevan
to the Nagorno-Karabakh capital Stepanakert
now takes around 4 hours instead of the former 8–9 hours.
The sole civilian airport of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, located about 8 km east of the capital, has been closed since the onset of the war more than 20 years ago. However, the government is pressing ahead with plans to reopen the airport by early 2011, and raised about 1 billion drams ($2.8 million) for its reconstruction from unspecified “charitable sources.” It began building a new airport terminal and repairing the runway in late 2009. It is expected that Karabakh will have a regular flight service only with Armenia, at least in the near future. Its unresolved status makes direct air communication with other countries all but impossible.
The Stepanakert-Yerevan flights will be carried out from the newly renovated Stepanakert Airport by a state-run airline, Artsakh Air
, beginning in Summer 2011. Artsakh Air's fleet of aircraft will consist of three Canadian-made CRJ200 passenger jets.
of the Soviet Union
.
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 Armenia
and donations from the Armenian diaspora
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 Stepanakert
. The university opening ceremony took place on 10 May 1992.
Yerevan University of Management also opened a branch in Stepanakert
.
"We Are Our Mountains
" by Sargis Baghdasaryan
is a monument located in Stepanakert
. The sculpture is widely regarded as a symbol of the de facto independent Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh. It is a large monument from tuff
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 arms
.
Artsakh State Museum
is the historical museum of the 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 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 Armenia
and the Armenian diaspora
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 YouTube etc., with some lively pro and anti-Karabakh discussions that these videos almost always generate.
Football (soccer) remains very popular in Nagorno-Karabakh. Stepanakert
has a 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 Martakert
.
Karabakh sportsmen also take part with representative teams and athletes in the Pan-Armenian Games
organized in the Armenian capital Yerevan
.
Media:
Other
Independence
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory....
republic located in the South Caucasus
South Caucasus
The South Caucasus is a geopolitical region located on the border of Eastern Europe and Southwest Asia also referred to as Transcaucasia, or The Trans-Caucasus...
region of Eurasia
Eurasia
Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
. It controls most of the territory of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast
Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast
The Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast was an autonomous oblast within the borders of the Azerbaijan SSR, mostly inhabited by ethnic Armenians and created on July 7, 1923. According to Karl R. DeRouen it was created as an enclave so that a narrow strip of land would separate it from Armenia proper....
and several Azerbaijani districts
Armenian-controlled territories surrounding Nagorno Karabakh
The Armenian-controlled territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh are areas formally part of Azerbaijan and situated outside the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, which are since the end of the Karabakh War controlled by the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.-Nomenclature:These areas have also been...
adjacent to the borders of Azerbaijan with Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
to the west and Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
to the south.
The predominantly Armenian-populated region of Nagorno-Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh
Nagorno-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 Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
and Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest 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...
when both countries gained independence from the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The 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 Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
established control over the area, in 1923 it formed the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast
Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast
The Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast was an autonomous oblast within the borders of the Azerbaijan SSR, mostly inhabited by ethnic Armenians and created on July 7, 1923. According to Karl R. DeRouen it was created as an enclave so that a narrow strip of land would separate it from Armenia proper....
(NKAO) within the Azerbaijan SSR
Azerbaijan SSR
The 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 Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, the region re-emerged as a source of dispute between Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
and Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest 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...
, culminating in a large ethnic conflict and, eventually, in the Nagorno-Karabakh War
Nagorno-Karabakh War
The 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 10 December 1991, as the Soviet Union was dissolving
Dissolution of the Soviet Union
The dissolution of the Soviet Union was the disintegration of the federal political structures and central government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , resulting in the independence of all fifteen republics of the Soviet Union between March 11, 1990 and December 25, 1991...
, a referendum held in the NKAO and the neighboring Shahumian
Shahumian
The 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 independence
Declaration of independence
A 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 unrecognised by any UN-member state, including Armenia. Only Transnistria
Transnistria
Transnistria is a breakaway territory located mostly on a strip of land between the Dniester River and the eastern Moldovan border to Ukraine...
, South Ossetia
South Ossetia
South Ossetia or Tskhinvali Region is a disputed region and partly recognized state in the South Caucasus, located in the territory of the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast within the former Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic....
, and Abkhazia
Abkhazia
Abkhazia is a disputed political entity on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and the south-western flank of the Caucasus.Abkhazia considers itself an independent state, called the Republic of Abkhazia or Apsny...
, all UN non-members, recognise the state.
Since the ceasefire in 1994, most of Nagorno-Karabakh and several regions of Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest 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...
around it remain under joint Armenian and Nagorno-Karabakh military
Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army
The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Defense Army is the formal defense force of the unrecognized but de-facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic...
control. Representatives of the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan have since been holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group
OSCE Minsk Group
The 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.-Founding and members:The Helsinki Additional Meeting of the CSCE Council on 24 March...
.
Government and politics
Nagorno-Karabakh is a presidential democracyPresidential system
A presidential system is a system of government where an executive branch exists and presides separately from the legislature, to which it is not responsible and which cannot, in normal circumstances, dismiss it....
. The executive power
Executive (government)
Executive branch of Government is the part of government that 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 idea of the separation of powers.In many countries, the term...
rests mainly with the president. The president appoints and dismisses the prime minister. The National Assembly of Nagorno-Karabakh is the parliament, forming a unicameral legislature. It has 33 members who are elected for 5 year terms. The current President is Bako Sahakian.
The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic has a multi-party system; as of 2009, American organization Freedom House
Freedom House
Freedom House is an international non-governmental organization based in Washington, D.C. that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom and human rights...
ranks Nagorno-Karabakh Republic above the republics of Armenia
Politics of Armenia
Politics of Armenia takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President is the head of government, and of a platform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government...
and Azerbaijan
Politics of Azerbaijan
The Politics of Azerbaijan take place in a framework of a presidential republic, with the President of Azerbaijan as the head of state, and the Prime Minister of Azerbaijan as head of government. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and...
in terms of political and civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
. Three organisations currently have members in the parliament, Artsakh Democratic Party has 18 members, Free Motherland
Free Motherland
The Free Motherland is a political party in Nagorno-Karabakh .Free Motherland received 10 out of 33 seats in the 19 June 2005 elections....
has 8 members, and the Movement 88
Movement 88
The 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 June 2005 elections 3 out of 33 seats....
alliance has 3 members. 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
On 3 November 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 constitution. According to official preliminary results, with a turnout of 87.2%, 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". More than 100 non-governmental international observers and journalists monitored the poll and gave it a positive verdict, saying it was held to a high international standard.However, poll was condemned by the international community at large for being illegitimate. The European Union, OSCE and GUAM
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
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 the words of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe
Secretary General of the Council of Europe
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe is appointed by the Parliamentary Assembly on the recommendation of the Committee of Ministers for a period of five years...
Terry Davis the poll "will not be recognised … and is therefore of no consequence”.
In a statement, the OSCE chairman in office Karel De Gucht
Karel De Gucht
Karel Lodewijk Georgette Emmerence De Gucht is a Belgian politician who has been the European Commissioner for Trade since 2010...
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, and has historic tensions with Armenia.
Foreign relations
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is based in StepanakertStepanakert
Stepanakert is the largest city and capital of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, a de facto independent republic, though is internationally recognized as a part of Azerbaijan...
. The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic operates five permanent Missions and one Bureau of Social-Politic Information in France. The NKR Permanent Missions exist in Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and one for Middle East countries based in Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
. The goals of the offices are to present the Republic's positions on various issues, provide information and to facilitate the peace process.
The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is a member of the Community for Democracy and Rights of Nations
Community for Democracy and Rights of Nations
The Community for Democracy and Rights of Nations , also commonly known as Commonwealth of Unrecognized States, or rarely as CIS-2 is an international organisation uniting several states in the former Soviet Union, all of whom have limited recognition from the international community.-History:The...
, commonly known as the "Commonwealth of Unrecognized States".
Military
The Nagorno-Karabakh Defense ArmyNagorno-Karabakh Defense Army
The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Defense Army is the formal defense force of the unrecognized but de-facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic...
was officially established on 9 May 1992 as a defense against Azerbaijan. It succeeded in fighting the Azerbaijani army to a ceasefire on 12 May 1994. Currently the Nagorno-Karabakh Defence Army consists of around 18,000–20,000 well-trained and equipped officers and soldiers. There are also 177–316 tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
s, 256–324 additional fighting vehicles, and 291–322 guns and mortar
Mortar
Mortar has several meanings:* Mortar , material used in masonry to fill the gaps between blocks and bind them together.* Mortar fires shells at a much lower velocity and higher ballistic arc than other ordnance....
s.
The Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army fought the Battle of Shusha
Battle of Shusha
The Capture of Shusha , the Liberation of Shushi; Azeri: Şuşanın işğalı, the Occupation of Shusha) was the first significant military victory by Armenian forces in the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave during the Nagorno-Karabakh War...
in 1992, involving the opening of the Lachin corridor
Lachin corridor
The 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), and the defense of the Martakert
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...
front from 1992–1994.
Land mines
The region of Nagorno-KarabakhNagorno-Karabakh
Nagorno-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 Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. Mines were laid from 1991 to 1994 by both conflicting parties in the Nagorno-Karabakh War
Nagorno-Karabakh War
The 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 Nations and the U.S. has 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) claims that 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 Trust
HALO Trust
The HALO Trust is a non-political, non-religious 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. Founded in 1988 it was the first...
– UK based demining NGO, is the only other organisation conducting demining
Demining
Demining or mine clearance is the process of removing either land mines, or naval mines, from an area, while minesweeping describes the act of detecting of mines. There are two distinct types of mine detection and removal: military and humanitarian.Minesweepers use many tools in order to accomplish...
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
Human 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, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
, "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 Group
OSCE Minsk Group
The 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.-Founding and members:The Helsinki Additional Meeting of the CSCE Council on 24 March...
. 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 Rambouillet
Rambouillet
Rambouillet 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. 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. 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.
Representatives of Armenia, Azerbaijan, France, Russia and the United States met in Paris and in Key West
Key West
Key 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 home to the southernmost point in the Continental United States; the island is about from Cuba....
, Florida, in the Spring of 2001. Despite rumours that the parties were close to a solution, the Azerbaijani authorities — both during Heydar Aliyev
Heydar Aliyev
Heydar Alirza oglu Aliyev , also spelled as Heidar Aliev, Geidar Aliev, Haydar Aliyev, Geydar Aliyev was the third 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 Aliyev
Ilham Aliyev
Ilham Heydar oglu Aliyev is the President of Azerbaijan since 2003. He also functions as the Chairman of the New Azerbaijan Party and the head of the National Olympic Committee...
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, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
, on the sidelines of the Commonwealth of Independent States
Commonwealth of Independent States
The Commonwealth of Independent States is a regional organization whose participating countries are former Soviet Republics, formed during the breakup of the Soviet Union....
(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 referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
s (plebiscites) in Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan proper regarding the future status of the region. On 10 and 11 February 2006, Kocharyan and Aliyev met in Rambouillet
Rambouillet
Rambouillet 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, to discuss the fundamental principles of a settlement to the conflict. 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
]Kalbajar is a rayon of Azerbaijan. 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. The eastern half is part of Nagorno-Karabakh, making up part of the province of Martakert...
still being contentious.
Talks were held at the Polish embassy in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, 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 Dâmbovița River....
in June 2006. 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 Oskanyan
Vardan Oskanyan
Vartan Oskanian is former Foreign Minister of Armenia and founder of the Civilitas Foundation.-Early life and career:Born into the Armenian diaspora in Syria, Oskanian was educated in the Armenian schools of Aleppo. After graduating from high school in 1973 he left for Armenia, where he attended...
, 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. On 27 June, 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 Gambar
Isa Gambar
Isa Yunis oglu Qambar , also known as Isa Gambar or Isa 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 Bryza
Matthew Bryza
Matthew James Bryza is a United States diplomat. Currently serves as the United States Ambassador to Azerbaijan.-Education:...
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 10 December 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 Aliyev
Ilham Aliyev
Ilham Heydar oglu Aliyev is the President of Azerbaijan since 2003. He also functions as the Chairman of the New Azerbaijan Party and the head of the National Olympic Committee...
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, Yerevan
Yerevan
Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
was granted to the Armenians
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
. It was a great mistake. The khanate of Iravan
Erivan Khanate
The Khanate of Erivan , was an administrative territory that was established Safavid Persia in the early 17th century. It 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...
was the Azeri territory, the Armenians were guests here”. On the other hand, in 2009 president of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakyan
Bako Sahakyan
Bako Sahakyan was the former security chief of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and currently the fourth president of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic...
declared that "Artsakh will never be a part of Azerbaijan. NKR security should never be an article of commerce either. As to other issues, we are ready to discuss them with Azerbaijan.". In 2010 president of Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan in his speech in the Chatham House of the British Royal Institute of International Affairs declared that "Karabakh was never a part of independent Azerbaijan: it was annexed to Azerbaijan by a decision of the Soviet Union party body. The people of Karabakh never put up with this decision, and upon the first opportunity, seceded from the Soviet Union fully in line with the laws of the Soviet Union and the applicable international law".
International status
The sovereign status of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is not recognized by any state, including Armenia, besides TransnistriaTransnistria
Transnistria is a breakaway territory located mostly on a strip of land between the Dniester River and the eastern Moldovan border to Ukraine...
, which is itself a largely unrecognized state. Three United Nations Security Council
United Nations Security Council
The 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
United Nations Security Council Resolution 853
United Nations Security Council Resolution 853, adopted unanimously on July 29, 1993, after reaffirming Resolution 822 , the Council expressed its concern at the deteriorating relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan and condemned the seizure of the district of Agdam and other areas of Azerbaijan,...
, 874
United Nations Security Council Resolution 874
United Nations Security Council Resolution 874, adopted unanimously on October 14, 1993, after reaffirming resolutions 822 and 853 , the Council expressed its concern at the continuing conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh, in addition to the inviolability of international...
, and 884
United Nations Security Council Resolution 884
United Nations Security Council Resolution 884, adopted unanimously on November 12, 1993, after reaffirming resolutions 822 , 853 and 874 , the Council expressed its concern at the continuing conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh and condemned violations of the ceasefire...
) and United Nations General Assembly resolution
United Nations General Assembly Resolution
A 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 Atkinson, presented to Political Affairs Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
The 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
United Nations Security Council Resolution 822
United Nations Security Council Resolution 822, adopted unanimously on April 30, 1993, after expressing concern at the deterioration of relations between the Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the subsequent escalation of armed hostilities and humanitarian situation in the region, the Council demanded the...
, 853
United Nations Security Council Resolution 853
United Nations Security Council Resolution 853, adopted unanimously on July 29, 1993, after reaffirming Resolution 822 , the Council expressed its concern at the deteriorating relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan and condemned the seizure of the district of Agdam and other areas of Azerbaijan,...
, 874
United Nations Security Council Resolution 874
United Nations Security Council Resolution 874, adopted unanimously on October 14, 1993, after reaffirming resolutions 822 and 853 , the Council expressed its concern at the continuing conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh, in addition to the inviolability of international...
, and 884
United Nations Security Council Resolution 884
United Nations Security Council Resolution 884, adopted unanimously on November 12, 1993, after reaffirming resolutions 822 , 853 and 874 , the Council expressed its concern at the continuing conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh and condemned violations of the ceasefire...
(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 Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of 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 Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein
The Principality of Liechtenstein is a doubly landlocked alpine country in Central Europe, bordered by Switzerland to the west and south and by Austria to the east. Its area is just over , and it has an estimated population of 35,000. Its capital is Vaduz. The biggest town is Schaan...
Foreign Minister Ernst Walch
Ernst Walch
Dr. 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 Schwimmer
Walter Schwimmer
Walter 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 person
Displaced person
A 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 Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
’s Committee of Ministers
Committee of Ministers
The 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. On 21 May 2010 Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, stated: "I would like to recall that the European Union does not recognise the constitutional and legal framework within which the "parliamentary elections" in Nagorno Karabakh will be held this Sunday. This event should not prejudice the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict". OSCE Minsk Group
OSCE Minsk Group
The 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.-Founding and members:The Helsinki Additional Meeting of the CSCE Council on 24 March...
Co-Chairs stated that "Although the Co-Chairs understand the need for the de facto authorities in NK to try to organize democratically the public life of their population with such a procedure, they underscore again that Nagorno-Karabakh is not recognized as an independent and sovereign state by any of their three countries, nor by any other country, including Armenia. The Co-Chairs consider that this procedure should not preempt the determination of the final legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh in the broader framework of the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict".
The European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
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 6 March 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 Law
New England School of Law
New 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 Rights
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
The 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 Rights
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
The 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 30 August 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 Shahumian
Shahumian
The 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 10 December 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 6 January 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 2 September 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 Group
OSCE Minsk Group
The 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.-Founding and members:The Helsinki Additional Meeting of the CSCE Council on 24 March...
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
Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh
The Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh , also known as the Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh Social Union, Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh in exile is a social union representing the Azerbaijani community of Nagorno Karabakh, in exile since May 1994.-History:The...
– 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
Bayram Safarov
Bayram Safarov is an Azerbaijani politician who is serving as the Head of the Executive Power of Shusha and the Chairman of the Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh in Exile.-Early life:...
, the head of the executive power of Shusha region.
At a recent press conference in Yerevan
Yerevan
Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
, Yuri Merzlyakov
Yuri Merzlyakov
Yuri Nikolayevich Merzlyakov is a Russian diplomat, who was one of the 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 10 June 2007 after US-Azerbaijani security consultations in Washington D.C. with Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov
Araz Azimov
Araz Azimov Boyukagha oglu , is the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs at the Government of Azerbaijan since 1994.-Early life:Azimov was born in Baku, Azerbaijan on June 13, 1962. In between 1978-1984, he studied at the Oriental Studies faculty of, with the former name, Azerbaijan State...
, Deputy Assistant Secretary of US Department of State, US Co-Chairman of OSCE Minsk group Matthew Bryza
Matthew Bryza
Matthew James Bryza is a United States diplomat. Currently serves as the United States Ambassador to Azerbaijan.-Education:...
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, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
published its 63-volume Great Encyclopedia
Great Russian Encyclopedia
The Great Russian Encyclopedia is a new universal Russian encyclopedia in 30 volumes, published since 2004 by Bolšaja Rossijskaja Enciklopedija 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 resolution
Non-binding resolution
A 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 GUAM
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, 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.
On 20 May 2010 the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
adopted a resolution "on the need for an EU strategy for the South Caucasus", which states that EU must pursue a strategy to promote stability, prosperity and conflict resolution in the South Caucasus. The resolution "calls on the parties to intensify their peace talk efforts for the purpose of a settlement in the coming months, to show a more constructive attitude and to abandon preferences to perpetuate the status quo created by force and with no international legitimacy, creating in this way instability and prolonging the suffering of the war-affected populations; condemns the idea of a military solution and the heavy consequences of military force already used, and calls on both parties to avoid any further breaches of the 1994 ceasefire". The resolution also calls for withdrawal of Armenian forces from all occupied territories of Azerbaijan, accompanied by deployment of international forces to be organised with respect of the UN Charter in order to provide the necessary security guarantees in a period of transition, which will ensure the security of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh and allow the displaced persons to return to their homes and further conflicts caused by homelessness to be prevented; and states that the EU believes that the position according to which Nagorno-Karabakh includes all occupied Azerbaijani lands surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh should rapidly be abandoned. It also notes "that an interim status for Nagorno-Karabakh could offer a solution until the final status is determined and that it could create a transitional framework for peaceful coexistence and cooperation of Armenian and Azerbaijani populations in the region."
On 26 June 2010 the presidents of the OSCE Minsk Group's Co-Chair countries, France, the Russian Federation, and the United States of America made a joint statement, reaffirming their "commitment to support the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan as they finalize the Basic Principles for the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict".
Human rights
Internally displaced person
An internally displaced person is someone who is forced to flee his or her home but who remains within his or her country's borders. They are often referred to as refugees, although they do not fall within the current legal definition of a refugee. At the end of 2006 it was estimated there were...
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 IDPs into the rest of the population as this could be interpreted as acceptance of the permanent loss of Nagorno-Karabakh. 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 stillbirth
Stillbirth
A stillbirth occurs when a fetus has died in the uterus. The Australian definition specifies that fetal death is termed a stillbirth after 20 weeks gestation or the fetus weighs more than . Once the fetus has died the mother still has contractions and remains undelivered. The term is often used in...
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. 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.
Geography
The Nagorno-Karabakh republic is very mountainous, a feature which has given it the nickname "Mountain Karabakh". It is 11500 km² (4,440 sq mi) in area, bordering ArmeniaArmenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, Azerbaijan, and Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. The highest peaks in the country are Mount Mrav
Mount Mrav
Mount Mrav is the largest mountain range in Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. The highest peaks are Gomshasar and Mrav , which are situated in the northwest of Martakert region....
, 3340 metres (10,958 ft), and Mount Kirs 2725 metres (8,940 ft). The largest water body is the Sarsang reservoir
Sarsang reservoir
The Sarsang reservoir is a large lake located de-jure in Tartar Rayon of Azerbaijan and de-facto in Martakert Province of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, formed by a hydroelectric dam. It is one of Azerbaijan's 61 water reservoirs, however Azerbaijan does not control the territory it is located...
, and the major rivers are the Terter and Khachen rivers. The country is on a plateau which slopes downwards towards the east and southeast, with the average altitude being 3600 ft (1,097 m) above sea level.Most rivers in the country flowing towards the Artsakh valley.
The climate is mild and subtopical. The average temperature is 11 °C (52 °F), which fluctuates annually between 22 °C (72 °F) in July and -1 C in January. The average precipitation can reach 71 cm (28 in) in some regions, and it is foggy for over 100 days a year.
Over 2000 kinds of plants exist in Nagorno-Karabakh, and more than 36% of the country is forested. The plant life on the steppes is mostly semi-desert vegetation, and alpine
Alpine
The term alpine refers to the Alps, a European mountain range.Alpine may also refer to:- Geography and geology :* Alpine tundra, the biological community that occurs above the tree line at high altitude...
and tundra
Tundra
In physical geography, tundra is a biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. The term tundra comes through Russian тундра from the Kildin Sami word tūndâr "uplands," "treeless mountain tract." There are three types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine...
environments can be found above the forest in the highlands and mountains.
Administrative divisions
Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast
The Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast was an autonomous oblast within the borders of the Azerbaijan SSR, mostly inhabited by ethnic Armenians and created on July 7, 1923. According to Karl R. DeRouen it was created as an enclave so that a narrow strip of land would separate it from Armenia proper....
(NKAO), the Shahumian
Shahumian
The 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
Administrative divisions of Azerbaijan
Politically, 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 Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast The Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast was an autonomous oblast within the borders of the Azerbaijan SSR, mostly inhabited by ethnic Armenians and created on July 7, 1923. According to Karl R. DeRouen it was created as an enclave so that a narrow strip of land would separate it from Armenia proper.... |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Askeran 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 :... |
Khojali, portion of Agdam | Askeran Askeran (town) Askeran is a town in the Nagorno-Karabakh. It is the administrative center of the province Askeran, named after this place, which is coextensive with Khojali Rayon of Azerbaijan.- History :... |
Yes |
| 5 | Hadrut 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... |
Southern Khojavend, Jabrayil, portion of Fizuli Fizuli Fizuli is a rayon of Azerbaijan. It was named after the Turkic poet Fuzûlî. Its capital is the town of Fizuli. The western half, including capital Fizuli, has been controlled by the breakway Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, as part of its Hadrut Province, since the Nagorno-Karabakh War... |
Hadrut Hadrut (town) Hadrut is a town in the Khojavend Rayon of Azerbaijan. It is also the capital of Hadrut Province of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.- References :* – World-Gazetteer.com*... |
Partially |
| 2 | Martakert 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... |
Eastern Kalbajar, Western Tartar Tartar (rayon) Tartar is a rayon of Azerbaijan. Most of it has been under the control of the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh Republic since the Nagorno-Karabakh War, as part of Martakert Province.... , portion of Agdam |
Martakert | Partially |
| 4 | Martuni Martuni Martuni is a province of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. It consists of the branch of Nagorno-Karabakh which juts out 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 Martuni (town) Khojavend is a town and the provincial capital of the Martuni province of the de facto independent but unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. It is located approximately 41 kilometers east of the republic's capital of Stepanakert... |
Partially |
| 7 | Qashatagh Qashatagh Province 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 :... |
Lachin Lachin Rayon Lachin is a rayon of Azerbaijan. The capital is the city of Lachin. The region has been controlled by the breakway Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, as part of its Qashatagh Province, since the Nagorno-Karabakh War.... , Qubadli, Zangilan |
Berdzor | No |
| 1 | Shahumian Shahumian The 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 Goranboy Goranboy Goranboy 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 | Shushi Shushi (province) Shushi 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 (rayon) Shusha is a rayon of Azerbaijan. It surrounds the city of Shusha, in Nagorno-Karabakh, and is completely under control of unrecognised Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.... |
Shushi | Yes |
| 8 | Stepanakert Stepanakert Stepanakert is the largest city and capital of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, a de facto independent republic, though is internationally recognized as a part of Azerbaijan... (capital) |
Khojali | Stepanakert Stepanakert Stepanakert is the largest city and capital of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, a de facto independent republic, though is internationally recognized as a part of Azerbaijan... |
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: Lachin
Lachin
Lachin 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 . The town and its surrounding region serve as the strategic Lachin...
, Qubadli
Qubadli
Qubadli is a rayon of Azerbaijan. The region has been under the control of the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, as part of its Qashatagh Province, since the Nagorno-Karabakh War. According to the last Soviet census of 1989, population was 28,110. According to undated Azerbaijani data, the...
, Zangilan
Zangilan
Zangilan is a rayon of Azerbaijan. It has been under the control of the breakway Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, as part of its Qashatagh Province, since the Nagorno-Karabakh War....
, Jabrayil
Jabrayil
Jabrayil is a rayon of Azerbaijan. The region was occupied in 1993 and has been controlled by the breakway Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, as part of its Hadrut Province, since the Nagorno-Karabakh War. According to the last 1989 Soviet census, there were 49,156 people in the rayon. According to...
, Kalbajar
Kalbajar
]Kalbajar is a rayon of Azerbaijan. 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. The eastern half is part of Nagorno-Karabakh, making up part of the province of Martakert...
as well as parts of Agdam and Fizuli
Fizuli
Fizuli is a rayon of Azerbaijan. It was named after the Turkic poet Fuzûlî. Its capital is the town of Fizuli. The western half, including capital Fizuli, has been controlled by the breakway Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, as part of its Hadrut Province, since the Nagorno-Karabakh War...
. 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 Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast The Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast was an autonomous oblast within the borders of the Azerbaijan SSR, mostly inhabited by ethnic Armenians and created on July 7, 1923. According to Karl R. DeRouen it was created as an enclave so that a narrow strip of land would separate it from Armenia proper.... |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| District (Rayon) | Area (km2) | Under NKR control (km2) | % |
| Askeran Askeran Rayon (NKAO) Askeran Rayon was one of the five rayons of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic . Its capital was Askeran... |
928 | 928 | 100 |
| Hadrut Hadrut Rayon (NKAO) Hadrut Rayon was one of the five rayons of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic .Until September 1935 it was called Dizag Rayon... |
679 | 679 | 100 |
| Mardakert Mardakert Rayon (NKAO) Mardakert Rayon was one of the five rayons of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic .Until September 1935 it was called Jraberd Rayon... |
1,705 | 1,305 | 76.5 |
| Martuni Martuni Rayon (NKAO) Martuni Rayon was one of the five rayons of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic .... |
792 | 632 | 79.8 |
| Shusha Shusha Rayon (NKAO) Shusha Rayon was one of the five rayons of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic .... |
280 | 280 | 100 |
| NKAO Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast The Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast was an autonomous oblast within the borders of the Azerbaijan SSR, mostly inhabited by ethnic Armenians and created on July 7, 1923. According to Karl R. DeRouen it was created as an enclave so that a narrow strip of land would separate it from Armenia proper.... |
4,384 | 3,824 | 87.2 |
| Rayons of Azerbaijan SSR other than in NKAO | |||
| Shahumyan Shahumian The 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... |
558 | 0 | 0 |
| Kelbajar | 1,936 | 1,936 | 100 |
| Lachin Lachin Rayon Lachin is a rayon of Azerbaijan. The capital is the city of Lachin. The region has been controlled by the breakway Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, as part of its Qashatagh Province, since the Nagorno-Karabakh War.... |
1,835 | 1,835 | 100 |
| Kubatli | 802 | 802 | 100 |
| Jebrayil | 1,050 | 1,050 | 100 |
| Zangelan | 707 | 707 | 100 |
| Aghdam | 1,150 | 842 | 73.2 |
| Fizuli | 1,390 | 462 | 33.2 |
| Azerbaijan Azerbaijan Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest 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... |
8,870 | 7,634 | 86.1 |
Demographics
OSCE report, released in March 2011, estimates the population of the "seven occupied territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh" to be 14,000, and states "there has been no significant growth in the population since 2005."
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):
- StepanakertStepanakertStepanakert is the largest city and capital of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, a de facto independent republic, though is internationally recognized as a part of Azerbaijan...
53,000 (2007) - AskeranAskeranAskeran 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) - HadrutHadrutHadrut 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) - MartakertMartakertMartakert 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 - MartuniMartuniMartuni is a province of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. It consists of the branch of Nagorno-Karabakh which juts out farthest to the east, almost reaches Stepanakert on the west, and goes a little past Karmir Shuka on the south...
23,200 - Shahumyan 2,800
- Shushi 5,000 (2009)
- QashataghQashatagh ProvinceQashatagh 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 |
| 2007 | 138.8 | 71.6 | 67.2 | 15.4 | 8.8 | 6.6 | −1.4 |
| 2008 | 139.9 | 72.7 | 67.2 | 17.3 | 9.4 | 7.9 | 2.6 |
Religion
Armenian Apostolic Church
The Armenian Apostolic Church is the world's oldest National Church, is part of Oriental Orthodoxy, 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...
which is an Oriental Orthodox Church.
Certain Eastern Orthodox
Orthodox Christianity
The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to:* the Eastern Orthodox Church and its various geographical subdivisions...
and Evangelical denominations also exist; other religions include Judaism.
The Gandzasar monastery
Gandzasar monastery
Gandzasar monastery is a 10-13th 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. John the Baptist and St Zechariah,...
("Գանձասար" in Armenian) is a historical monastery in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic). Another is Dadivank Monastery
Dadivank Monastery
Dadivank Monastery also Khutavank is an Armenian Monastery in the Shahumian Region of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. It was built between the 9th and 13th century.-History and architecture:...
also Khutavank ( – Monastery on the Hill) that was built between the 9th and 13th century. The Nagorno Karabakh government’s aim is to include the Gandzasar Monastery into the directory of the UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites.
Ghazanchetsots Cathedral
Ghazanchetsots Cathedral
Ghazanchetsots Cathedral , also known as the Cathedral of Christ the Holy Savior and the Shushi Cathedral , is an Armenian church located in Shusha, Nagorno-Karabakh.-History:...
(built 1868–1888) (Սուրբ Ամենափրկիչ Ղազանչեցոց Եկեղեցի in Armenian
Armenian language
The 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 church
Armenian Apostolic Church
The Armenian Apostolic Church is the world's oldest National Church, is part of Oriental Orthodoxy, 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-Karabakh. It is the main cathedral and headquarters of the Armenian Apostolic Church
Armenian Apostolic Church
The Armenian Apostolic Church is the world's oldest National Church, is part of Oriental Orthodoxy, 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 Zham
Kanach Zham
Kanach Zham is an Armenian Apostolic Church located in Shusha, 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 Monastery
Amaras Monastery
Amaras Monastery is one of the oldest Christian sites in the world and 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 Mashtots
Saint Mesrob
Saint 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 Martuni
Martuni
Martuni is a province of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. It consists of the branch of Nagorno-Karabakh which juts out farthest to the east, almost reaches Stepanakert on the west, and goes a little past Karmir Shuka on the south...
District.
Tzitzernavank Monastery
Tzitzernavank Monastery
Tzitzernavank is a 5th-6th 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 Martakert
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...
District.
Dadivank Monastery
Dadivank Monastery
Dadivank Monastery also Khutavank is an Armenian Monastery in the Shahumian Region of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. It was built between the 9th and 13th century.-History and architecture:...
(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 Shahumian
Shahumian
The 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.
Gtichavank 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 Hadrut
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...
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 Martuni
Martuni
Martuni is a province of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. It consists of the branch of Nagorno-Karabakh which juts out farthest to the east, almost reaches Stepanakert on the west, and goes a little past Karmir Shuka on the south...
District.
Yerits Mankants Monastery
Yerits Mankants Monastery
Yerits 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 Martakert
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...
District.
Church of St. Nerses the Great
Church of St. Nerses the Great
Church 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 Martuni
Martuni
Martuni is a province of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. It consists of the branch of Nagorno-Karabakh which juts out farthest to the east, almost reaches Stepanakert on the west, and goes a little past Karmir Shuka on the south...
, Karabakh
Karabakh
The 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 Catholicos
Catholicos of Armenia
The 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 Great
Saint Narses
Saint 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....
.
Economy
Notably the telecommunications sector was developed with Karabakh Telecom investing millions of dollars in mobile telephony, spearheaded by a Lebanese company.
Copper and gold mining has been advancing since 2002 with development and launch of operations at Drmbon
Drmbon
Heyvali is a village de jure in the Kalbajar Rayon of Azerbaijan, de facto in the Martakert Province of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.- References :*...
deposit. Approximately 27–28 thousand tons (wet weight) of concentrates are produced with average copper content of 19–21% and gold content of 32–34 g/t.
The banking system is also flourishing with Artsakhbank
Artsakhbank
Artsakhbank, CJSC, was established on February 12, 1996 according to the resolution of the Bank’s Shareholders General Meeting. On November 6, 1996 Artsakhbank, CJSC, was transformed into Artsakhbank, OJSC, according to the resolution of the Bank’s Shareholders General Meeting...
(the state bank) and a number of Armenian banks. The republic presently uses the Armenian dram
Armenian dram
The dram is the monetary unit of Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. It is subdivided into 100 luma . The word "dram" translates into English as "money" and is cognate with the Greek drachma...
.
Wine growing and processing of agricultural products, particularly wine (i.e. storage of wine, wine stuff, cognac alcohol) is one of the prioritized directions of the economic development.
Tourism
The Republic is developing tourist industry geared to Armenia and the Armenian diasporaArmenian diaspora
The Armenian diaspora refers to the Armenian communities outside the Republic of Armenia and self proclaimed de facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic...
. The Republic has been showing a major increase in tourists over the last several years, which keeps growing because of Karabakh's many cultural sights. There are 8 hotels in Stepanakert. The Artsakh development agency says 4,000 tourists visited Nagorno-Karabakh Republic in 2005. The figures rose to 8,000 in 2010 (excluding visitors from Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
). The agency cooperates with the Armenia Tourism Development Agency (ATDA) as Armenia is the only way tourists (mainly Armenians) can access Karabakh. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Karabakh informs of continuous expansion NKR visitors' geography.
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.
- Gandzasar monasteryGandzasar monasteryGandzasar monastery is a 10-13th 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. John the Baptist and St Zechariah,...
, main tourist attraction - Ghazanchetsots CathedralGhazanchetsots CathedralGhazanchetsots Cathedral , also known as the Cathedral of Christ the Holy Savior and the Shushi Cathedral , is an Armenian church located in Shusha, Nagorno-Karabakh.-History:...
of the Holy Savior - Church of the Holy Mother of God “Kanach ZhamKanach ZhamKanach Zham is an Armenian Apostolic Church located in Shusha, 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 MonasteryAmaras MonasteryAmaras Monastery is one of the oldest Christian sites in the world and 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 MonasteryTzitzernavank MonasteryTzitzernavank is a 5th-6th century Armenian church and former monastery in the Qashatagh Province of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic...
- St. Yeghish Arakyal MonasteryYeghish Arakyal MonasteryYeghishe Arakyal Monastery is an Armenian Apostolic monastery 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 Arakyal...
- Dadivank MonasteryDadivank MonasteryDadivank Monastery also Khutavank is an Armenian Monastery in the Shahumian Region of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. It was built between the 9th and 13th century.-History and architecture:...
- Gtichavank monasteryGtichavank MonasteryGtichavank 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:
- The ancient city of TigranakertTigranakert (Artsakh)Tigranakert is a former Armenian city dating back to the Hellenistic period. It is one of several former cities in the Armenian plateau with the same name, named in honor of the Armenian king Tigranes the Great Tigranakert is a former Armenian city dating back to the Hellenistic period. It is one...
, 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, which has been undegoing archaeological excavations since 2005, is located in Mardakert District. - Fort Mayraberd (10th–18th centuries) 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.
- Govharagha Mosque (18th century), a mosque located in the city of Shusha.
Janapar
Janapar is a marked trail through mountains, valleys and villages of Nagorno-Karabakh. The trail passes by monasteries and fortresses along its route. The trail is broken into day hikes, taking hikers to a different village each night. Hikers can either stay with a village family or set up camp...
is a 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 tourists 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 Shahumian
Shahumian
The 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 Hadrut
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...
. Side trails and mini trails take one to additional parts of Karabakh. The important sites passed along this hike include Dadivank Monastery
Dadivank Monastery
Dadivank Monastery also Khutavank is an Armenian Monastery in the Shahumian Region of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. It was built between the 9th and 13th century.-History and architecture:...
, Gandzasar monastery
Gandzasar monastery
Gandzasar monastery is a 10-13th 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. John the Baptist and St Zechariah,...
, Shushi, the Karkar Canyon with its high cliffs, Zontik Waterfall and the 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 Yerevan
Yerevan
Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
to the Nagorno-Karabakh capital Stepanakert
Stepanakert
Stepanakert is the largest city and capital of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, a de facto independent republic, though is internationally recognized as a part of Azerbaijan...
now takes around 4 hours instead of the former 8–9 hours.
The sole civilian airport of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, located about 8 km east of the capital, has been closed since the onset of the war more than 20 years ago. However, the government is pressing ahead with plans to reopen the airport by early 2011, and raised about 1 billion drams ($2.8 million) for its reconstruction from unspecified “charitable sources.” It began building a new airport terminal and repairing the runway in late 2009. It is expected that Karabakh will have a regular flight service only with Armenia, at least in the near future. Its unresolved status makes direct air communication with other countries all but impossible.
The Stepanakert-Yerevan flights will be carried out from the newly renovated Stepanakert Airport by a state-run airline, Artsakh Air
Artsakh Air
Artsakh Air, also referred to as Artsakhavia, is a new airline scheduled to operate from the newly rebuilt airport in Stepanakert in the fall of 2011. It has a head office on the grounds of Stepanakert Airport...
, beginning in Summer 2011. Artsakh Air's fleet of aircraft will consist of three Canadian-made CRJ200 passenger jets.
Education
Education in Nagorno-Karabakh is compulsory, and is free up to the age of 18. The education system is inherited from the old systemEducation in the Soviet Union
Education in the Soviet Union was organized in a highly centralized government-run system. Its advantages were total access for all citizens and post-education employment...
of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
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 Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
and donations from the Armenian diaspora
Armenian diaspora
The Armenian diaspora refers to the Armenian communities outside the Republic of Armenia and self proclaimed de facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic...
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 Stepanakert
Stepanakert
Stepanakert is the largest city and capital of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, a de facto independent republic, though is internationally recognized as a part of Azerbaijan...
. The university opening ceremony took place on 10 May 1992.
Yerevan University of Management also opened a branch in Stepanakert
Stepanakert
Stepanakert is the largest city and capital of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, a de facto independent republic, though is internationally recognized as a part of Azerbaijan...
.
Culture
We Are Our Mountains
"We Are Our Mountains" is a large Armenian monument north of 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...
" by Sargis Baghdasaryan
Sargis Baghdasaryan
Sarghis 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 Stepanakert
Stepanakert
Stepanakert is the largest city and capital of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, a de facto independent republic, though is internationally recognized as a part of Azerbaijan...
. The sculpture is widely regarded as a symbol of the de facto independent Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh. It is a large monument from tuff
Tuff
Tuff 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. Rock that contains greater than 50% tuff is considered...
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 arms
Coat of arms of Nagorno-Karabakh
The emblem 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 Museum
Artsakh State Museum
Stepanakert 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 Stepanakert
Stepanakert
Stepanakert is the largest city and capital of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, a de facto independent republic, though is internationally recognized as a part of Azerbaijan...
, 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 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 Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
and the Armenian diaspora
Armenian diaspora
The Armenian diaspora refers to the Armenian communities outside the Republic of Armenia and self proclaimed de facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic...
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 YouTube etc., with some lively pro and anti-Karabakh discussions that these videos almost always generate.
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. Stepanakert
Stepanakert
Stepanakert is the largest city and capital of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, a de facto independent republic, though is internationally recognized as a part of Azerbaijan...
has a 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 Martakert
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...
.
Karabakh sportsmen also take part with representative teams and athletes in the Pan-Armenian Games
Pan-Armenian Games
The Pan-Armenian Games are a multi-sport event, held between 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 Yerevan
Yerevan
Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
.
Holidays
| Date | English name | Local name | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Dec – 1 Jan | New Years Day | ||
| 6 Jan | Christmas | ||
| 20 Feb | Artsakh Revival Day | ||
| 8 March | Women's Day Women's Day Women's Day may refer to:* International Women's Day on March 8* Women's Day in Mozambique on April 7* Women's Day in Gabon on April 17* Women's Day in Iraq on Jumada al-Thani 20* Women's Day in Myanmar on July 3... |
||
| 7 April | Motherhood and Beauty Day Motherhood and Beauty Day Motherhood and beauty day an official holiday dedicated to women. While March 8 celebrates all women, April 7 is mother’s day. Everyone gives presents to his or her mother. Celebrating each woman as beautiful in her own way. Mothers are particularly happy to receive flowers. People note that... |
||
| 24 April | Genocide Memorial Day | ||
| 1 May | Worker's Solidarity Day | ||
| 9 May | Victory, Armed Forces & Shushi Liberation Day | ||
| 28 May | First Armenian Republic Day | ||
| 1 June | Children's Day Children's Day "Children Day", as an event, is celebrated on various days in many places around the world, in particular to honor children. Major global variants include a Universal Children's Day on November 20, by United Nations recommendation... |
||
| 29 June | Fallen Soldiers' and Missing in Action Memorial Day | ||
| 2 September | Independence Day Independence Day An Independence Day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's assumption of independent statehood, usually after ceasing to be a colony or part of another nation or state, and more rarely after the end of a military occupation... |
||
| 7 December | Armenian Earthquake Memorial Day | ||
| 10 December | Independence Referendum Day | ||
| 10 December | Constitution Day Constitution Day Constitution Day is a holiday to honor the constitution of a country. Constitution Day is often celebrated on the anniversary of the signing, promulgation or adoption of the constitution, or in some cases, to commemorate the change to constitutional monarchy:... |
External links
Official websites:- Government of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
- Office of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Washington DC
- National Statistical Service of NKR
- President of the Nagorno Karabagh Republic
Media:
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