Nagorno-Karabakh

This article is about the geopolitical region. For the former state located within the region, see Republic of Artsakh.

Nagorno-Karabakh
(lit. 'Upper Karabakh')
Location and extent of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (lighter color)
Location and extent of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (lighter color)
Area
• Total
4,400 km2 (1,700 sq mi)
• Water (%)
negligible
Population
• 2013 estimate
146,573[1]
• 2010 census
141,400[2]
• Density
29/km2 (75.1/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+4

Nagorno-Karabakh (/nəˌɡɔːrnoʊ kərəˈbɑːk/ ⓘ nə-GOR-noh kər-ə-BAHK)[3] is a region in Azerbaijan, covering the southeastern stretch of the Lesser Caucasus mountain range. Part of the greater region of Karabakh, it spans the area between Lower Karabakh and Syunik. Its terrain mostly consists of mountains and forestland.

Most of Nagorno-Karabakh was governed by ethnic Armenians under the breakaway Republic of Artsakh — also known as the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) — from the end of the first Nagorno-Karabakh War between Armenia and Azerbaijan in 1994 to the announcement of the dissolution of the republic in September 2023. Representatives from the two sides held numerous inconclusive peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group regarding the region's disputed status, with its majority-Armenian population over time variously advocating either for Artsakh's independence from both states or for its integration into Armenia.[4]

The region is usually equated with the administrative borders of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, comprising 4,400 square kilometres (1,700 sq mi); however, the region's historical extent encompasses approximately 8,223 square kilometres (3,175 sq mi).[5][6]

On 27 September 2020, the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War broke out with an Azerbaijani offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding territories.[7] Azerbaijan made significant gains during the war, regaining all of the occupied territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh and capturing one-third of Nagorno-Karabakh, including Shusha and Hadrut.[8][9][10][11] The war ended on 10 November 2020 when a trilateral ceasefire agreement was signed between Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Russia, under which all the remaining occupied territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh were formally returned to Azerbaijani control. The Republic of Artsakh became an isolated rump state connected with Armenia only by a narrow Russian-controlled corridor.

On 19 September 2023, after a blockade lasting several months, Azerbaijan launched a fresh large-scale military offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh.[12][13][14][15][16] The Artsakh forces collapsed rapidly, resulting in an Azerbaijani victory, the dissolution of the Republic of Artsakh,[17] the exodus of almost the entire Armenian population from the region[18] and the entry of Azerbaijani security forces into the former Artsakh capital of Stepanakert, known as Khankendi by Azerbaijan.[19] On 1 January 2024, the Republic of Artsakh was formally dissolved.[20]

  1. ^ "Population of NKR as of 01.01.2013". NKR. 1 January 2013. Archived from the original on 23 October 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
  2. ^ "Official Statistics of the NKR. Official site of the President of the NKR". President.nkr.am. 1 January 2010. Archived from the original on 22 January 2011. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  3. ^ "Nagorno-Karabakh". Dictionary.com. Archived from the original on 2 September 2023.
  4. ^ "Tensions mount as Armenia and Azerbaijan continue fighting". Dawn.com, Associated Press. 29 September 2020. Archived from the original on 17 October 2020.
  5. ^ Robert H. Hewsen. "The Meliks of Eastern Armenia: A Preliminary Study". Revue des etudes Arméniennes. NS: IX, 1972, pp. 288.
  6. ^ Robert H. Hewsen (2001). Armenia: A Historical Atlas. The University of Chicago Press. p. 264. ISBN 978-0-226-33228-4.
  7. ^ "Fighting erupts between Armenia, Azerbaijan over disputed region". Al Jazeera. 27 September 2020. Archived from the original on 27 September 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  8. ^ "Armenia and Azerbaijan: A blockade that never ended and a peace deal hanging by a thread". Global Voices. 19 July 2023. Archived from the original on 27 July 2023. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  9. ^ "Violence and Politics in Armenia-Azerbaijan Relations". Baku Research Institute. 14 October 2022. Archived from the original on 8 June 2023. Retrieved 27 June 2023. As a result of the 2020 war, however, Azerbaijan received all territories around Soviet-era Nagorno Karabakh that were occupied by Armenian forces during the first Karabakh war, plus the two regions of Nagorno Karabakh proper: Shushi/Shusha and Hadrut.
  10. ^ Cheterian, Vicken (20 October 2022). "Technological determinism or strategic advantage? Comparing the two Karabakh Wars between Armenia and Azerbaijan". Journal of Strategic Studies. 47 (2): 214–237. doi:10.1080/01402390.2022.2127093. ISSN 0140-2390. S2CID 253061240. The Armenian side also lost territories within the former NKAO, namely the district of Hadrut and the strategic town of Shusha/Shushi, areas that were not even considered for handover to Azerbaijan during the long years of diplomatic negotiations between the two wars.
  11. ^ Lynch, Ian J. (18 November 2020). "A cold winter for peace in Nagorno-Karabakh?". Ahval. Archived from the original on 2 December 2020. Retrieved 27 June 2023. The new agreement allows Azerbaijan to keep the territory it took by force, including Shusha and Hadrut, within the historic boundaries of Nagorno-Karabakh. It also requires Armenian forces to turn over other territories they have occupied for the last 26 years, including the so-called Lachin corridor, which is Nagorno-Karabakh's primary link to Armenia proper.
  12. ^ "Azerbaijan Launches Offensive in Breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh, Children Among Casualties". Radiofreeeurope/Radioliberty. Archived from the original on 19 September 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  13. ^ "Azerbaijani forces strike Armenian-controlled Karabakh, raising risk of new Caucasus war". Reuters. 19 September 2023. Archived from the original on 19 September 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  14. ^ "Azerbaijan launches attack in Nagorno-Karabakh, announces 'evacuation' of Armenian population". 19 September 2023. Archived from the original on 19 September 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  15. ^ "Live updates | Stepanakert under fire as Azerbaijan launches assault on Nagorno-Karabakh". OC Media. 19 September 2023. Archived from the original on 19 September 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  16. ^ "Azerbaijan says it has begun 'anti-terrorist' operations in Nagorno-Karabakh". France 24. 19 September 2023. Archived from the original on 19 September 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  17. ^ "MSN". MSN.
  18. ^ "Nagorno-Karabakh talks: separatists lay down arms amid fears of refugee crisis". The Guardian. 23 September 2023. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  19. ^ "Azərbaycan polisi Xankəndidə - VİDEO". Publika.AZ (in Azerbaijani). 29 September 2023. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  20. ^ Sauer, Pjotr (28 September 2023). "Nagorno-Karabakh's breakaway government says it will dissolve itself". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 1 January 2024.