Official names | |
|---|---|
| Anthem: "Республикӕ Хуссар Ирыстоны Паддзахадон гимн" (Ossetian) (English: "National Anthem of the Republic of South Ossetia") | |
 South Ossetia in dark green, with Georgia in dark grey | |
| Status | Partially recognised state |
| Capital and largest city | Tskhinvali 42°13′30″N 43°58′12″E / 42.22500°N 43.97000°E |
| Official languages | |
| Ethnic groups (2015) | |
| Government | Unitary semi-presidential republic |
| Alan Gagloev | |
| Konstantin Dzhussoev | |
| Legislature | Parliament |
| Independence from Georgia | |
• As the South Ossetian Soviet Democratic Republic | 20 September 1990 |
• As the Republic of South Ossetia | 21 December 1991 |
| Area | |
• Total | 3,885[3] km2 (1,500 sq mi) |
• Water (%) | negligible |
| Population | |
• 2022 estimate | 56,520[4] |
• 2015 census | 53,532 (212th) |
• Density | 13.7/km2 (35.5/sq mi) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2021 estimate |
• Total | $52 million[5] |
• Per capita | $1,000 |
| Currency | Russian ruble (RUB) |
| Time zone | UTC+03:00 (MSK) |
| Drives on | right |
| Calling code | +7 929 |
South Ossetia[n 1] (/ɒˈsɛtiə/ o-SET-ee-ə, less common: /ɒˈsiːʃə/ o-SEE-shə),[6] officially the Republic of South Ossetia or the State of Alania,[7][8] is a partially recognised[9] landlocked country in the South Caucasus.[10] It has an officially stated population of just over 56,500 people (2022), who live in an area of 3,900 square kilometres (1,500 sq mi), with 33,000 living in the capital city, Tskhinvali.
As of 2024, only five members of the United Nations (UN) recognise South Ossetia as a sovereign state – Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru, and Syria.[11] The Georgian government and all other UN member states regard South Ossetia as sovereign territory of Georgia.[12]
The political status of South Ossetia is a central issue of the Georgian–Ossetian conflict and Georgia–Russia relations. The Georgian constitution designates the area as "the former autonomous district of South Ossetia", in reference to the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast disbanded in 1990.[13] The Georgian government informally refers to the area as the Tskhinvali region[n 2] and considers it a part of Georgia's Shida Kartli region. Lacking effective control over the territory, Georgia maintains an administrative body called the Provisional Administration of South Ossetia.
The South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast, established by Soviet authorities in Moscow in 1922, declared independence from the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic in September 1990. Towards the end of 1990, the situation for ethnic Georgians in the region worsened sharply. There were reports of multiple cases of lootings and beatings committed both by Georgian and Ossetian forces and paramilitaries.[14] The Georgian government responded by abolishing South Ossetia's autonomy and dispatching its troops to the region.[15] The escalating crisis led to the 1991–1992 South Ossetia War with Russian involvement on the Ossetian side.[16][17][18] After the war, the conflict remained frozen throughout 1990s and saw two major escalations in 2000s: in 2004 and in 2008.[19][20] The latter conflict led to the full-scale Russo-Georgian War of August 2008, during which Ossetian and Russian forces gained full de facto control of the territory of the former South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast. Since the 2008 war, Georgia and a significant part of the international community have regarded South Ossetia as occupied by the Russian military.
South Ossetia relies heavily on military, political, and financial aid from Russia.[21][22] Since 2008, the South Ossetian government has expressed their intention of joining the Russian Federation; if successful, this would end its proclaimed independence. The prospect of a referendum on this matter has been raised multiple times in domestic politics, but none has taken place.
- ^ "Constitution". The official website of the Government of South Ossetia. Archived from the original on 2 October 2022. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
- ^ Wojtasiewicz, Wojciech (1 December 2011). "Presidential Elections in South Ossetia – Plan B". New Eastern Europe. Translated by Bieroń, Tomasz. Archived from the original on 9 May 2013.
The first round of voting was accompanied by a referendum in which the Ossetians were to decide whether Russian should become the second official language of South Ossetia. Nearly 85 per cent of the voters supported the referendum.
- ^ "Валовой внутренний продукт". Archived from the original on 13 April 2018. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
2021popwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Moscow Says Abkhazia, S. Ossetia Shall be Less Dependent on Russia, archived from the original on 15 May 2024, retrieved 20 May 2024
- ^ "Ossetia" Archived 23 October 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Collins English Dictionary.
- ^ Fuller, Liz (9 February 2017). "South Ossetia Referendum on Name Change Steers Clear of Thornier Unification Issue". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Archived from the original on 14 September 2017. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
- ^ "Referendum to rename South Ossetia 'Alania' set for April". OC Media. 7 February 2017. Archived from the original on 24 July 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
- ^ "South Ossetia profile". BBC. 8 March 2023. Archived from the original on 29 July 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
- ^ Foltz, Richard (2022). The Ossetes: Modern-Day Scythians of the Caucasus. London: Bloomsbury. pp. 123–144. ISBN 9780755618453. Archived from the original on 18 February 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
- ^ "Syria Recognizes Abkhazia, South Ossetia". Civil Georgia. 29 May 2018. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
- ^ Robinson, Matt; Mchedlishvili, Niko (24 October 2008). "Georgia seeks to isolate Russian-backed regions". Reuters. Archived from the original on 31 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
- ^ "Occupied Territories of Georgia. Tskhinvali region". Archived from the original on 23 August 2017. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
- ^ Human Rights Watch, Bloodshed in the Caucasus: Violations of humanitarian law in the Georgian-Ossetian Conflict Archived 5 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
icg-avoidwarwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Russians Cope With Arc of Crises". The Christian Science Monitor. 22 June 1992. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
- ^ "Russian threatens Georgia". The Washington Post. 16 June 1992.
- ^ Robert H. Donaldson; Joseph L. Nogee (2005). The Foreign Policy of Russia: Changing Systems, Enduring Interests. M.E. Sharpe. p. 199. ISBN 9780765615688.
- ^ Jean-Rodrigue Paré (13 February 2009). "The Conflict Between Russia and Georgia". Parliament of Canada. Archived from the original on 2 January 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
- ^ Charles King (2008). "The Five-Day War: Managing Moscow After the Georgia Crisis" (PDF). Foreign Affairs (November/December). Georgetown University. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 September 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2010.
- ^ "South Ossetia Looking Much Like a Failed State". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 8 July 2010. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
- ^ Smolar, Piotr (8 October 2013). "Georgia wary of Russian encroachment". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 March 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
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