Exploring The Unique Region Of Armenia, Azerbaijan, And Georgia

Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia are three countries in the South Caucasus region, which is a geographical area on the border of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. The region is home to the Greater and Lesser Caucasus mountain ranges, and the countries are sometimes collectively referred to as the Caucasian States. The South Caucasus is a diverse region with a rich cultural heritage, distinct identity, and a history of invasion and occupation by successive imperial powers. It is also a major junction on the historic Silk Road trading routes.

The South Caucasus is a politically tense region with a history of ethnic and civil conflicts. The countries have complex mixes of religions, with the region acting as a borderland where Islam meets Christianity. The region has been influenced by various empires, including the Achaemenid, Neo-Assyrian, Parthian, Roman, and Ottoman Empires, and was under Russian or Soviet control from the early 19th century until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia gained independence in 1991 and have since experienced varying degrees of success in their international relations. All three countries are members of the Council of Europe and the European Political Community, and participate in the EU's Eastern Partnership and Euronest Parliamentary Assembly.

The Caucasus region is divided into the North and South Caucasus

The North Caucasus, also known as Ciscaucasia, is a region in Europe governed by Russia. It constitutes the northern part of the wider Caucasus region and is bordered by the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea to the west, the Caspian Sea to the east, and the Caucasus Mountains to the south. The region includes the republics of Adygea, Karachay-Cherkessia, Kabardino-Balkaria, North Ossetia-Alania, Ingushetia, Chechnya, and Dagestan, as well as the federal districts of North Caucasian and Southern Federal Districts. The North Caucasus contains most of the Greater Caucasus mountain range and consists of Southern Russia, the northernmost parts of Georgia and Azerbaijan, and autonomous republics within Southern Russia. The region has experienced armed conflicts, including the insurgency in Dagestan and Chechnya, which is considered Europe's largest internal armed conflict.

The South Caucasus, also referred to as Transcaucasia or the Transcaucasus, is a geographical region bordering Eastern Europe and West Asia. It spans the southern portion of the Caucasus Mountains and their lowlands, extending southwards from southwestern Russia to the Turkish and Armenian borders. The South Caucasus includes the entire Lesser Caucasus mountain range and surrounding lowlands. All of present-day Armenia, the majority of Georgia and Azerbaijan, and parts of Iran and Turkey fall within this region. The South Caucasus has a total area of approximately 186,100 square kilometres (71,850 square miles).

The Caucasus region, including both the North and South Caucasus, has a rich history and has been influenced by various empires and cultures throughout the centuries. The region has been an arena for political, military, religious, and cultural rivalries, contributing to its complexity and diversity. The Caucasus is known for its linguistic, cultural, and geographical diversity, with a mix of religions and ethnic groups.

The South Caucasus is also known as Transcaucasia or the Transcaucasus

The South Caucasus, also known as Transcaucasia or the Transcaucasus, is a geographical region on the border of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It spans the southern portion of the Caucasus Mountains and their lowlands, straddling the border between the continents of Europe and Asia. The region includes the southern part of the Greater Caucasus mountain range, the entire Lesser Caucasus mountain range, the Colchis Lowlands, the Kura-Aras Lowlands, Qaradagh, the Talysh Mountains, the Lankaran Lowland, Javakheti, and the eastern portion of the Armenian Highland.

The South Caucasus roughly corresponds to modern-day Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, which are sometimes collectively referred to as the Caucasian States. Together, these three countries have an area of about 71,850 square miles (186,100 square kilometres). The region also includes parts of Iran, Turkey, and Russia. The South Caucasus and the North Caucasus comprise the larger Caucasus geographical region, which divides Eurasia.

The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have long been considered a natural barrier between Europe and Asia, bisecting the Eurasian landmass. The Greater Caucasus range in the north is mostly shared by Russia and Georgia, as well as the northernmost parts of Azerbaijan. The Lesser Caucasus range in the south is occupied by several independent states, mainly Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, but also extending to parts of northeastern Turkey and northern Iran.

The South Caucasus has a rich history, having been influenced by various empires and cultures throughout the centuries. Ancient kingdoms in the region included Colchis, Urartu, Iberia, Armenia, and Albania, among others. These kingdoms were later incorporated into various Iranian empires, including the Achaemenid, Parthian, and Sassanid Empires, during which Zoroastrianism became the dominant religion. However, with the rise of Christianity and the conversion of Caucasian kingdoms, Zoroastrianism gradually lost its prevalence.

During the Middle Ages, the region was influenced by invasions from various peoples, including the Scythians, Alani, Huns, Khazars, Arabs, Seljuq Turks, and Mongols. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the region became a focal point of rivalry between the Russian and Ottoman Empires, with Russia eventually gaining control over most of the South Caucasus. Following the collapse of the Russian Empire in 1918, the South Caucasus briefly unified as the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic and later as the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic. However, these entities dissolved, and Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia regained their independence in 1991 with the fall of the Soviet Union.

The South Caucasus remains one of the most politically tense regions in the post-Soviet area, with complex religious and ethno-linguistic dynamics. It contains two heavily disputed areas: Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The region has also been the site of recent conflicts, such as the Russo-Georgian War in 2008, contributing to its instability.

The region is defined by two mountain ranges: the Greater and Lesser Caucasus

The Caucasus region is defined by two mountain ranges: the Greater Caucasus and the Lesser Caucasus. The Caucasus Mountains are a mountain system in Eurasia, lying between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. The mountain system includes the Greater Caucasus in the north and the Lesser Caucasus in the south. The Greater Caucasus runs west-northwest to east-southeast, from the Western Caucasus on the northeastern shore of the Black Sea to close to Baku on the Caspian Sea, in Azerbaijan. The Lesser Caucasus runs parallel to the Greater Caucasus about 100 km to the south. The Greater and Lesser Caucasus ranges are connected by the Likhi Range.

The Greater Caucasus range extends for approximately 750 miles southeastward across the Caucasian isthmus from the Taman Peninsula, which separates the Black Sea from the Sea of Azov, to the Absheron Peninsula, which juts into the Caspian Sea. The northern slopes of the Greater Caucasus are not as steep as the southern. The middle of the system is comparatively narrow, but its western and eastern ends have widths of 100 miles or more. The main axis of the system contains, in addition to Mount Elbrus, Mount Dombay-Ulgen in the western sector; Mounts Shkhara, Dykhtau, and Kazbek, all over 16,000 feet, in the central sector; and Mounts Tebulosmta and Bazardyuzyu, both over 14,600 feet, in the east. Spurs occasionally reach elevations approaching 10,000 feet.

South of the Greater Caucasus, on the Black Sea coast, lies the alluvial Kolkhida Lowland, the site of ancient Colchis. To the south of the range on the Caspian side, the Shirak Steppe falls sharply into the Kura-Aras Lowland. At the centre of this depression, the Kura River receives its major right-bank tributary, the Aras River. To the northeast, the hills of southeastern Kobystan separate the Kura-Aras Lowland from the Absheron Peninsula; and to the extreme southeast, the narrow Lankaran Lowland extends between the Caspian Sea and the Talish Mountains.

West of the Kura-Aras Lowland rises the Lesser Caucasus range, which is extended southward by the Dzhavakhet Range and the Armenian Highland, the latter extending into Turkey. East of Lake Sevan in the eastern Lesser Caucasus, the highest peaks rise above 12,000 feet, while Mount Aragats, the highest peak in the range, rises to 13,418 feet. From their western sources in the Armenian Highland, the Kura and Aras rivers both flow around the Lesser Caucasus to their confluence in the east.

The South Caucasus is bordered by Russia, Turkey and Iran

The South Caucasus, also known as Transcaucasia or the Transcaucasus, is a region on the border of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is bordered by Russia, Turkey, and Iran, and includes the countries of Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, which are sometimes collectively referred to as the Caucasian States.

The South Caucasus spans the southern portion of the Caucasus Mountains and their lowlands, extending southwards from southwestern Russia to the borders of Turkey and Armenia, and from the Black Sea in the west to the Caspian Sea coast of Iran in the east. The area covers approximately 186,100 square kilometres (71,850 square miles) and includes mountain ranges such as the Greater Caucasus and the Lesser Caucasus, as well as lowlands such as the Colchis and Kura-Aras lowlands.

The region has a long history of political, military, religious, and cultural rivalries and has been influenced by various empires, including the Achaemenid, Neo-Assyrian, Parthian, Roman, and Ottoman. Located on the peripheries of Iran, Russia, and Turkey, the South Caucasus has been a theatre of cooperation and rivalry between these regional powers. The balance of power in the region is shifting, with the decline of exclusive Russian influence and the increasing role of Middle Eastern countries, particularly Turkey and Iran.

Turkey has a deep-rooted military alliance with Azerbaijan and strategic infrastructure collaborations in the rail and energy sectors. The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway and the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline are examples of Turkey's strategic presence in the region. Additionally, Turkey has been pushing for the development of east-west connectivity, challenging the traditional north-south infrastructure sponsored by Russia.

Iran, on the other hand, has historical and cultural ties with the region, particularly with Azerbaijan due to their shared Shiite faith and close cultural connections. Iran also has a history of integration with Armenians into Iranian society. Geopolitically, the South Caucasus became more important to Iran following the collapse of the Soviet Union, as it tried to exert influence over its newly sovereign neighbour, Azerbaijan. However, this dynamic has changed in recent years, with Iran's influence in the region waning compared to its long-time rival, Turkey.

The South Caucasus is a highly congested geopolitical space, with multiple powers vying for influence. The region's proximity to the Middle East and its diverse connections have contributed to its complex and dynamic nature. The changing power dynamics in the South Caucasus have significant implications for the region and the wider world, including the European Union and its energy security.

The South Caucasus has been the most unstable region in the former Soviet Union in terms of the number, intensity and length of ethnic and civil conflicts

The South Caucasus, also known as Transcaucasia or the Transcaucasus, is a region on the border of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It includes the southern portion of the Caucasus Mountains and their lowlands, extending from southwestern Russia in the north to the Turkish and Armenian borders, and from the Black Sea in the west to the Caspian Sea coast of Iran in the east. The region is comprised of modern-day Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, which are sometimes collectively referred to as the Caucasian States.

The South Caucasus has been the most unstable region in the former Soviet Union in terms of the number, intensity, and length of ethnic and civil conflicts. The dissolution of the Soviet Union, despite being mostly peaceful, was followed by significant conflicts in several newly independent states, including those in the South Caucasus. The region has been an arena for political, military, religious, and cultural rivalries and expansionism for centuries, and its intricate mix of religions (mainly Muslim and Orthodox Christian) and ethno-linguistic groups has contributed to its instability. Located on the peripheries of Iran, Russia, and Turkey, the South Caucasus has historically been contested by various empires, including the Iranian, Ottoman, and Russian.

One of the major conflicts in the region is the dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh region between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The conflict can be divided into the First Karabakh War (1992-1994) and the 2020 Artsakh War. Armenians won the first war, and a tense ceasefire ensured relative calm until 2020, when Azerbaijan, backed by Turkey, launched a new offensive and regained territory. The conflict has resulted in thousands of casualties and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people.

Another conflict in the region is between Georgia and the regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which have achieved de facto independence. Tensions between Georgia and South Ossetia date back to the late 1980s and escalated into war in 1991-1992. The conflict resulted in a significant population exchange and left around 100,000 ethnic Ossetians fleeing Georgia and settling mostly in North Ossetia. The dispute between Georgia and Abkhazia also began during the Soviet period and led to a war in 1992-1993, resulting in at least 10,000 deaths. Both conflicts have had periods of relative calm but remain unresolved, with Russia recognizing the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and providing military and economic support.

The South Caucasus has also been affected by conflicts in neighboring regions, such as the war in Chechnya in Russia and the conflict in Moldova over the region of Transnistria. Additionally, the region has seen high levels of military spending and mutual hostility between countries, contributing to its instability. The complex mix of religions, ethnicities, and languages, combined with geopolitical rivalries, has made the South Caucasus highly susceptible to ethnic and civil conflicts, making it the most unstable region in the former Soviet Union.

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