Republic of Artsakh

Republic of Artsakh
Արցախի Հանրապետություն
Artsakhi Hanrapetut’yun  (Armenian)
Anthem: Ազատ ու Անկախ Արցախ (Armenian)
Azat u Ankakh Artsakh   (transliteration)
Free and Independent Artsakh)
Status Disputed
Recognized by 3 non-UN member states
Capital
and largest city
Stepanakert
39°52′N 46°43′E / 39.867°N 46.717°E / 39.867; 46.717
Official languages Armeniana
Government Unitary semi-presidential republic
Bako Sahakyan
Ashot Ghulian
Arayik Harutyunyan
Legislature National Assembly
Independence from the Soviet Union
 Declaration
2 September 1991[1]
 Recognition
3 non-UN members
Area
 Total
11,458 km2 (4,424 sq mi)
Population
 2015 census
150,932[2]
GDP (PPP) 2010 estimate
 Total
$1.6 billion (n/a)
 Per capita
$2,581 (2011 est.) (n/a)
Currency

(AMD)

Time zone AMT (UTC+4)
 Summer (DST)
Not observed (UTC+4)
Drives on the right
Calling code +374 47b
Internet TLD .am, .հայ (de facto)
  1. The constitution guarantees "the free use of other languages spread among the population".
  2. +374 97 for mobile phones.

Republic of Artsakh (Armenian: Արցախի Հանրապետություն Arts'akhi Hanrapetut'yun),[3][4] or simply Artsakh, also known as Nagorno-Karabakh (/nəˌɡɔːrn kɑːrəˈbɑːk/) is an unrecognised republic in the South Caucasus. The region is considered by the UN to be part of Azerbaijan, but is under the control of ethnic Armenian separatists. Artsakh controls most of the territory of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast and some of the surrounding area, giving it a border with Armenia to the west, Iran to the south, and the uncontested territory of Azerbaijan to the north and east.[5]

The predominantly Armenian-populated region of Nagorno-Karabakh was claimed by both the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and the First Republic of Armenia when both countries became independent in 1918 after the fall of the Ottoman Empire, and a brief war over Nagorno-Karabakh broke out in 1920. The dispute was largely shelved after the Soviet Union established control over the area and created the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO) within the Azerbaijan SSR in 1923. During the fall of the Soviet Union, the region re-emerged as a source of dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In 1991, a referendum held in the NKAO and the neighbouring Shahumian region resulted in a declaration of independence. Large-scale ethnic conflict led to the 1991–1994 Nagorno-Karabakh War, which ended with a ceasefire that left the current borders.

The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is a semi-presidential democracy (in the middle of transforming into a presidential after 2017 referendum) with a unicameral legislature. Its reliance on Armenia means that in many ways it functions de facto as part of Armenia. The country is very mountainous, averaging 1,097 metres (3,599 ft) above sea level. The population is predominantly Christian, most being affiliated with the Armenian Apostolic Church. Several historical monasteries are popular with tourists, mostly from the Armenian diaspora, as most travel can take place only between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.

History

Government and politics

The National Assembly of Artsakh in Stepanakert

Artsakh is a semi-presidential democracy (in the middle of transforming into a presidential after 2017 referendum). Soon, the Prime Minister's post will be abolished and the executive power will reside the President who will be both the head of state and the head of government. The president is directly elected for a maximum of two-consecutive five-year terms.[4] The current President is Bako Sahakyan.[6] In the most recent presidential elections, held on 19 July 2012, Sahakyan was reelected to a second term.[7]

The National Assembly is a unicameral legislature. It has 33 members who are elected for 5-year terms.[8] Elections take place within a multi-party system; in 2009, the American NGO Freedom House ranked the Republic of Artsakh above the republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan with respect to civil and political rights.[9][10][11] Five parties have members in the parliament: the Free Motherland party has 15 members, ARF has 8 members, Democratic Party of Artsakh has 7 members, Movement 88 has 2 members and the National Revival party has one member. A number of non-partisan candidates have also taken part in the elections, with some success; in 2015, two of the 33 members to the National Assembly took their seats without running under the banner of any of the established political parties in the republic. Elections in Artsakh are not recognised by international bodies such as the European Union and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, as well as numerous individual countries, who called them a source of increased tensions.[12][13][14]

Artsakh is heavily dependent on Armenia, and in many ways de facto functions and is administered as part of Armenia.[15][16]

Constitution

The Presidential Palace

On 3 November 2006, the then-President of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Arkadi Ghukasyan, signed a decree to hold a referendum on a draft Nagorno-Karabakh constitution.[17] It was held on 10 December of the same year[18] and voters overwhelmingly approved the new constitution.[19] According to official preliminary results, with a turnout of 87.2%, as many as 98.6 percent of voters approved the constitution.[18] The First 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 who monitored the poll evaluated it positively, stating that it was held to a high international standard.[20]

However, the vote was criticised harshly by inter-governmental organisations such as the European Union, OSCE and GUAM, which rejected the referendum, deeming it illegitimate[20][21] The EU announced it was "aware that a 'constitutional referendum' has taken place," but emphasised its stance that only a negotiated settlement between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenians could bring a lasting solution.[22] Secretary General of the Council of Europe Terry Davis asserted that the poll "will not be recognized... and is therefore of no consequence".[20] In a statement, the OSCE chairman in office Karel De Gucht voiced his concern that the vote would prove harmful to the ongoing conflict settlement process, which, he said, had shown "visible progress" and was at a "promising juncture".[18]

The outcome was also criticised by Turkey, which traditionally supports Azerbaijan because of common ethnic Turkic roots, and has historically had severe tensions with Armenia.[23][24]

Another referendum was held on 20 February 2017, with a 87.6% vote in favour on a 76% turnout for instituting a new constitution. This constitution among other changes turned the government from a semi-presidential to a fully presidential model, and changed the official name from the "Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh" to the "Republic of Artsakh"/"Artsakh Republic".[25][26] The new name implies a claim to the areas controlled beyond the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, and the Presidential system allows for quicker decisions on security matters. The referendum is seen as a response to the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh clashes.[27]

Foreign relations

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Artsakh in Stepanakert

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is based in Stepanakert. The Republic of Artsakh operates five permanent Missions and one Bureau of Social-Politic Information in France. Artsakh's Permanent Missions exist in Armenia, Australia, France, Germany, Russia, the United States, and one for Middle East countries based in Beirut.[28] The goals of the offices are to present the Republic's positions on various issues, to provide information and to facilitate the peace process.

In his 2015 speech, the President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan stated that he considered Nagorno-Karabakh "an inseparable part of Armenia".[29]

The Republic of Artsakh is a member of the Community for Democracy and Rights of Nations, commonly known as the "Commonwealth of Unrecognized States".

Military

A T-72 tank standing as a memorial commemorating the Capture of Shusha.

According to the Constitution of Artsakh the army is under the civilian command of the government.[30] The Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army was officially established on 9 May 1992 as a defense against Azerbaijan. It fought the Azerbaijani army to a ceasefire on 12 May 1994.[31] Currently the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army consists of around 18,000–20,000 officers and soldiers. However, only 8,500 citizens from Artsakh serve in the NK army; some 10,000 come from Armenia. There are also 177–316 tanks, 256–324 additional fighting vehicles, and 291–322 guns and mortars. Armenia supplies arms and other military necessities to Artsakh. Several battalions of Armenia's army are deployed directly in the Artsakh zone on occupied Azerbaijani territory.[32]

The Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army fought in Shusha in 1992, opening the Lachin corridor between The Republic of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh (1992), and staged the defense of the Martakert front from 1992–1994.

Land mines

The region of Nagorno-Karabakh 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. have 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.[33] The HALO Trust – UK based demining NGO, is the only other organisation conducting demining in Nagorno Karabakh.[34]

Current situation

Artsakh status process

  Territory controlled by Nagorno-Karabakh.
  Claimed by Nagorno-Karabakh but controlled by Azerbaijan.

Today, Artsakh is a de facto independent state, calling itself the Republic of Artsakh. It has close relations with the Republic of Armenia and uses the same currency, the dram. According to Human Rights Watch, "from the beginning of the Karabakh conflict, Armenia provided aid, weapons, and volunteers. Armenian involvement in Artsakh escalated after a December 1993 Azerbaijani offensive. The Republic of Armenia began sending conscripts and regular Army and Interior Ministry troops to fight in Artsakh."[35] The politics of Armenia and the de facto Artsakh are so intertwined that a former president of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Robert Kocharyan, first became the prime minister (from 1994 to 1997), and then the President of Armenia (from 1998 to 2008).

However, Armenian governments have repeatedly 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."[36] Some sources consider Artsakh as functioning de facto as part of Armenia.[37][38][39][40][41]

General view of the capital Stepanakert

At present, the mediation process is at a standstill, with the most recent discussions in Rambouillet, France, yielding no agreement. Azerbaijan has officially requested Armenian troops to withdraw from all disputed 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 recognise Azerbaijani claims to Nagorno-Karabakh, and believes the territory should have self-determination.[42] Both the Armenian and Artsakhi governments note that the independence of Artsakh was declared around the time the Soviet Union dissolved and its members became independent.[43][44] The Armenian government insists that the government of Artsakh 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.[45]

Representatives of Armenia, Azerbaijan, France, Russia and the United States met in Paris and in Key West, Florida, in early 2001.[46] 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 Artsakh and then holding referendums (plebiscites) in Artsakh 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 Artsakh and whether Armenian troops would withdraw from Kalbajar still being contentious.[47]

Talks were held at the Polish embassy in Bucharest in June 2006.[48] Again, American, Russian, and French diplomats attended the talks that lasted over 40 minutes.[49] 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."[50]

The town of Shushi

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."[51]

The major disagreement between both sides at the Bucharest conference was the status of Artsakh. Azerbaijan's preferred solution would be to give Artsakh the "highest status of autonomy adopted in the world."[52] Armenia, on the other hand, endorsed a popular vote by the inhabitants of Artsakh to decide their future, a position that was also taken by the international mediators.[53] On 27 June, the Armenian foreign minister said both parties agreed to allow the residents of Artsakh to vote regarding the future status of the region.[54] The Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs officially refuted that statement.[55] According to Azeri opposition leader Isa Gambar, however, Azerbaijan did indeed agree to the referendum. Still, nothing official has confirmed this yet.[56]

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 Artsakh 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.[57]

The "We Are Our Mountains" monument is widely seen as a symbol of the self-proclaimed republic.

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 Workers' Party (PKK).[58] 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.[59]

In 2008, Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev stated 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".[60] On the other hand, in 2009 president of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakyan declared that "Artsakh will never be a part of Azerbaijan. Artsakh security should never be an article of commerce either. As to other issues, we are ready to discuss them with Azerbaijan.".[61] 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".[62]

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 recognised borders and demanding the immediate withdrawal of all Armenian forces from all occupied territories there. The resolution was supported mainly by members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and GUAM, Azerbaijan is a member in both groups, as well as other nations facing breakaway regions. The resolution was opposed by all three members of the OSCE Minsk Group.[63]

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.[64] 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 Artsakh 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 Artsakh includes all occupied Azerbaijani lands surrounding Artsakh 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."[65]

On 26 June 2010, the presidents of the OSCE Minsk Group's Co-Chair countries, France, Russia, and United States 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".[66]

After Armenia established diplomatic relations with Tuvalu in March 2012, it was speculated in the press that Armenia was attempting to persuade the small island nation to be the first state to recognise Artsakh's independence.[67] Tuvalu recognised two other disputed states in the Caucasus, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the previous year.

Recognition process

Artsakh Street in Watertown, Massachusetts

No UN member states have recognised Artsakh, although some other unrecognised states have done so. Various sub-national administrations have issued calls for recognition of Artsakh by their national governments.

Human rights

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has resulted in the displacement of 528,000 Azerbaijanis from Armenian territories (this figure does not include new born children of these IDPs) including Artsakh, 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 persons (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.[86]

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.[87] 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.[88]

280,000 persons—virtually all ethnic Armenians who fled Azerbaijan during the 1988–1993 war over the disputed region of Artsakh—were living in refugee-like circumstances in Armenia.[89] 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.[89]

Geography

Mount Mrav, the highest peak in Artsakh.

The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is mountainous, a feature which has given it its name (from the Russian for "Mountainous/Highland Karabakh"). It is 11,500 km2 (4,440 sq mi) in area, bordering Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Iran. The highest peaks in the country are Mount Mrav, 3,340 metres (10,958 ft), and Mount Kirs 2,725 metres (8,940 ft). The largest water body is the Sarsang reservoir, and the major rivers are the Terter and Khachen rivers.[90] The country is on a plateau which slopes downwards towards the east and southeast, with the average altitude being 3,600 ft (1,097 m) above sea level. Most rivers in the country flow towards the Artsakh valley.[91]

The climate is mild and temperate. The average temperature is 11 °C (52 °F), which fluctuates annually between 22 °C (72 °F) in July and −1 °C (30 °F) in January. The average precipitation can reach 71 cm (28 in) in some regions, and it is foggy for over 100 days a year.[91]

Over 2,000 kinds of plants exist in Artsakh, 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.[91]

Administrative divisions

Regions of Nagorno-Karabakh:
1: Shahumyan; 2: Mardakert; 3: Askeran; 4: Martuni; 5: Hadrut; 6: Shushi; 7: Kashatagh. (Stepanakert not shown.)
Main cities and towns in Nagorno-Karabakh

The Republic of Artsakh has eight administrative divisions. Their territories include the five districts of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO), the Shahumyan Region in the Azerbaijan SSR which is currently under Azerbaijani control, and the seven districts around the former NKAO that are under the control of the Artsakhi forces.

Following the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic's declaration of independence, the Azerbaijani government abolished the NKAO and created Azerbaijani districts in its place. As a result, some of the Republic of Artsakh's divisions correspond with the Azerbaijani districts, while others have different borders. A comparative table of the current divisions of Artsakh and the corresponding districts of Azerbaijan follows:[92]

# Division Population (2005) Rayon(s) Sahar (city) Former NKAO?
1 Shahumyan Region 2,560 Southern Goranboy, Western Kalbajar Kalbajar (formerly Shahumian) No
2 Martakert Region 18,963 Eastern Kalbajar, Western Tartar, portion of Agdam Martakert Partially
3 Askeran Region 16,979 Khojali, portion of Agdam Askeran Partially
4 Martuni Region 23,157 Northern Khojavend, portion of Agdam Martuni Partially
5 Hadrut Region 12,005 Southern Khojavend, Jabrayil, portion of Fizuli Hadrut Partially
6 Shushi Region 4,324 Shusha Shushi Yes
7 Kashatagh Region 9,763 Lachin, Qubadli, Zangilan Berdzor No
8 Stepanakert (capital) 49,986 Khojali Stepanakert Yes
Artsakh[93] Azerbaijan

The Republic of Artsakh claims Shahumian, which was not part of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast. Representatives from Shahumian declared independence along with Artsakh, and the proclamation of Artsakh includes the Shahumian region within its borders.[94] Unlike the rest of Artsakh, Shahumian remains under Azerbaijani control.

Demographics

Children at Tumo Center Artsakh branch
The Freedom Fighters' Boulevard in Stepanakert
Azokh village
Mountain view in Martakert region

In 2002, the country's population was 145,000, made up of 95% Armenians and 5% others.[90] 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."[95][96]

Until 2000, the country's net migration was at a negative.[97] For the first half of 2007, 1,010 births and 659 deaths were reported, with a net emigration of 27.[98]

According to age group: 15,700 (0–6), 25,200 (7–17) 75,800 (18–59) and 21,000 (60+)

Population by province (2006):

Population of the Republic of Artsakh (2000–2008)[99][100]

Year Population (000s) Urban (000s) Rural (000s) 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

Ethnic composition

Ethnic Groups of the Nagorno-Karabach AO (1926-1989) and the Republic of Artsakh (2015) according to census data

Ethnic

group

census 1926 census 1939 census 1959 census 1970 census 1979 census 1989 census 2005 census 2015 1
Number % Number % Number % Number % Number % Number % Number % Number %
Armenians 111,694 89.1 132,800 88.0 110,053 84.4 121,068 80.5 123,076 75.9 145,450 76.9 137,380 99.7 144,683 99.7
Azerbaijanis 12,592 10.0 14,053 9.3 17,995 13.8 27,179 18.1 37,264 23.0 40,688 21.5 6 0.0
Russians 596 0.5 3,174 2.1 1,790 1.4 1,310 0.9 1,265 0.8 1,922 1.0 171 0.1 238 0.1
Ukrainians 436 0.3 193 0.1 140 0.1 416 0.2 21 0.0 26 0.0
Yezidis 16 0.0
Assyrians 16 0.0
Georgians 15 0.0
Others 416 0.3 374 0.2 568 0.4 563 0.4 436 0.3 609 0.3 159 0.1 50 0.0
Total 125,300 150,837 130,406 150,313 162,181 189,085 137,737 145,053
The territorial borders of the Nagorno-Karabach AO and the Nagorno-Karabach Republic are different. 

Religion

Most of the Armenian population in Artsakh is Christian and belongs to the Armenian Apostolic Church which is an Oriental Orthodox Church.

Certain Eastern Orthodox and Evangelical denominations also exist.[90] However, military authorities prohibited any Christian sect activity in Artsakh, for the reason that they would preach pacifism among population.[101]

The Gandzasar monastery ("Գանձասար" in Armenian) is a historical monastery in Artsakh. Another is Dadivank Monastery (Armenian: Դադիվանք) also Khutavank (Armenian: Խութավանք – Monastery on the Hill) that was built between the 9th and 13th century. Artsakhi 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 Shusha. 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) 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 5th century. The Amaras Monastery's location is in the Martuni District.

Tzitzernavank Monastery (4th century) 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 5th 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 one of the most architecturally and culturally significant Monasteries in Artsakh. The western façade of Dadivank's Memorial Cathedral bears one of the most extensive Armenian lapidary (inscribed-in-stone) texts, and has one of the largest collection of Medieval Armenian frescoes. Dadivank is named after St. Dadi, a disciple of Apostle Thaddeus who preached the Holy Gospel in Artsakh in the 1st century. St. Dadi's tomb was later 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. It is dedicated to the famous Armenian Catholicos, St. Nerses the Great.

Post-war resettlement attempts

Following the ceasefire, the Stepanakert-based administration launched various programs aimed at bringing in permanent Armenian settlers to the depopulated lands, including into regions previously populated by Azeris, with those that bordered Armenia – Lachin and Kalbajar – being the priority.[102] Incentives in the form of free housing, access to property, social infrastructure, inexpensive or sometimes free electricity, running water, low taxes or limited tax exemptions were offered to new settlers.

Azerbaijan regards this as a violation of Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, to which Armenia became party in 1993, whereby "[t]he Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies".[103] The ruling party of Azerbaijan accuses the Armenian side of artificially changing the demographic situation and the ethnic composition of the occupied region so that it can lay future claims to them, comparing this to the 1950s campaign of resettling diaspora Armenians in previously Azeri-populated locales in Soviet Armenia where Azeris were forcibly deported from in 1948–1950.[104]

In 1979, the total Armenian population of the districts of Kalbajar, Lachin, Qubadli, Zangilan, Jabrayil, Fuzuli and Agdam was around 1,400 people.[105] An OSCE fact-finding mission established at Azerbaijan's request visited these regions in February 2005 with the intention to assess the scale of the settlement attempts. The mission's findings showed that these districts had as of 2005 an overall population of 14,000 persons, mostly living in precarious social conditions. It consisted primarily of ethnic Armenians displaced from non-conflict zones of Azerbaijan during the war. It was noted, however, that most of them had settled in the conflict zone after having lived in Armenia for several years and some held Armenian passports and even voted in Armenian elections. A smaller segment of the settlers were originally from the towns of Gyumri and Spitak in Armenia who had lived in temporary shelters following the devastating 1988 earthquake before moving to Karabakh, as well as a small number of natives of Yerevan who moved there for financial reasons.[106] A field assessment mission revisited the region in October 2010, confirming that there had not been much growth in population or change in living conditions of the settlers.[107] The Co-Chairs of the Minsk Group who visited Artsakh, Kalbajar and Lachin in 2014 reported seeing signs of improvements in infrastructure, but could not observe any indications that the size of the population had changed in recent years.[108]

By June 2015, an estimated 17,000 of Syria's once 80,000-strong Armenian population had fled the civil war and sought refuge in Armenia.[109] David Babayan, spokesperson of the Artsakhi leader Bako Sahakyan, confirmed that some of those refugees had been resettled in Artsakh.[110] The Economist put the number of the resettled families at 30 as of June 2017.[111] In December 2014, Armenian media cited local municipal authorities in stating that dozens of Syrian Armenian families had been resettled in the disputed zone, in particular in the city of Lachin and the village of Xanlıq in Qubadli.[112] Azerbaijan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmar Mammadyarov expressed his concern over Armenia's attempts to change the demographic situation in the region and informed of his intention to raise this issue with the Minsk Group.[113]

Economy

A hotel in downtown Stepanakert

The socio-economic situation of the Republic of Artsakh 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[114] 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.[115] Approximately 27–28 thousand tons (wet weight) of concentrates are produced[116] with average copper content of 19–21% and gold content of 32–34 g/t.[117]

The banking system is administered by Artsakhbank (the state bank) and a number of Armenian banks. The republic 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.[118]

Tourism

The ruins of Tigranakert.
Section of Janapar trail.

The republic is developing a tourist industry geared to Armenia and the Armenian diaspora. The republic has been showing a major increase in tourists over the last several years, which keeps growing because of Artsakh's many cultural sights. There are currently nine[119] hotels in Stepanakert. The Artsakh development agency says 4,000 tourists visited Artsakh in 2005. The figures rose to 8,000 in 2010 (excluding visitors from Armenia).[120] The agency cooperates with the Armenia Tourism Development Agency (ATDA) as Armenia is the only way tourists (mainly Armenians) can access Artsakh. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Artsakh informs of continuous expansion visitors' geography.[121]

The Tourism Development Agency of Artsakh was established in Yerevan as a non-governmental organisation in the Republic of Armenia to promote tourism further in Artsakh. 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 Artsakh, with monasteries and fortresses along the way. The trail is broken into day hikes, which will bring tourists to a different village each night.[122] 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 Artsakh. 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.

Cost of staying in Artsakh is relatively cheaper in comparison with the region itself and varies approximately between 25 - 70 USD for a single person as of May, 2017.[123] However, for those who travelled Artsakh cannot enter Azerbaijan as the country does not recognize Artsakh as a de facto state.

Transportation

The transportation system damaged by the conflict has been noticeably improved during the last several years: the North-South Artsakh motorway alone has largely facilitated in the development of the transportation system.[124]

The 169 kilometres (105 mi) Hadrut-Stepanakert-Askeran-Martakert motorway, the locals say, is the lifeline of Artsakh. $25 million donated during the Hayastan All-Armenian Foundation telethons have been allotted for the construction of the road.[124][125]

The route from the Armenian capital Yerevan to Stepanakert is estimated to be reduced from the current 8–9 hours drive once major infrastructures are realized.[126]

Stepanakert Airport, the sole civilian airport of the Republic of Artsakh, located about 8 kilometres (5 miles) east of the capital, has been closed since the onset of the war more than twenty years ago. However, the government was pressing ahead with plans to reopen the airport as of 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. In any case, its unresolved status makes direct air communication with other countries all but impossible according to IATA conventions.[127] Though originally scheduled to launch the first commercial flights on 9 May 2011, Artsakh officials postponed a new reopening date throughout the whole of 2011.[128] In May 2012, the director of the Artsakh Civil Aviation Administration, Tigran Gabrielyan, announced that the airport would begin operations in mid-2012.[129] However the airport still remains closed due to political reasons.

Education

Education in Artsakh is compulsory, and is free up to the age of 18. The education system is inherited from the old system of the Soviet Union.[130]

Artsakh's school system was severely damaged because of the conflict. But the government of the Republic of Artsakh 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 Artsakh 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.

Culture

The National Gallery of Shushi

"We Are Our Mountains" (Armenian: Մենք ենք մեր սարերը) by Sargis Baghdasaryan is a monument located in Stepanakert.[131] The sculpture is widely regarded as a symbol of the de facto independent Republic of Artsakh. It is a large monument from tuff of an old Armenian man and woman hewn from rock, representing the mountain people of Artsakh. It is also known as Tatik yev Papik(Տատիկ և Պապիկ) in Armenian. The sculpture is featured prominently on Artsakh's coat of arms.

Artsakh State Museum is the historical museum of the Republic of Artsakh. Located at 4 Sasunstsi David Street, in Stepanakert, the museum offers an assortment of ancient artifacts and Christian manuscripts. There are also more recent items, ranging in date from the 19th century to World War II and from events of the Karabakh Independence War.

Artsakh has its own brand of popular music. As Artsakh question became a pan-Armenian question, Artsakh music was further promoted worldwide.

Many nationalist songs, performed by Artsakhi artists, as well as artists from Republic of Armenia and the Armenian diaspora, show support for the Artsakh independence movement; videos for the songs incorporate footage of Artsakhi military campaigns. These videos are posted to sites such as YouTube, where they often generate conflicting nationalist Armenian and Azerbaijani comments.

Publications

Azat Artsakh is the official newspaper of the Republic of Artsakh.

Sports

Sports in the Republic of Artsakh are organised by the Artsakh Ministry of Culture and Youth. Due to the non-recognition of Artsakh, sports teams from the country cannot compete in most international tournaments.

Football is the most popular sport in Artsakh. Stepanakert has a well-built football stadium. Since the mid-1990s, football teams from Artsakh started taking part in some domestic competitions in the Republic of Armenia. The Lernayin Artsakh represents the city of Stepanakert. The Artsakh football league was launched in 2009. The Artsakh national football team was formed in 2012 and played their first competitive match against the Abkhazia national football team in Sokhumi, a match that ended with a result of 1–1 draw.[132][133] The return match between the unrecognized teams took place at the Stepanakert Stadium, on 21 October 2012, when the team from Artsakh defeated the Abkhazian team 3–0.

There is also interest in other sports, including basketball and volleyball. Sailing is practiced in the town of Martakert.

Artsakh sports teams and athletes also participate in the Pan-Armenian Games organised in the Republic of Armenia.

Holidays

Date[90] English name Local name Remarks
31 Dec – 1 Jan New Year's Day
6 Jan Christmas
20 Feb Artsakh Revival Day
8 March Women's Day
7 April Motherhood and Beauty Day
24 April Genocide Remembrance 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
29 June Fallen Soldiers and Missing in Action Memorial Day
2 September Independence Day
7 December Armenian Earthquake Memorial Day
10 December Independence Referendum Day
Constitution Day

See also

References

  1. Zürcher, Christoph (2007). The Post-Soviet Wars: Rebellion, Ethnic Conflict, and Nationhood in the Caucasus ([Online-Ausg.]. ed.). New York: New York University Press. p. 168. ISBN 9780814797099.
  2. "ԼՂՀ 2015Թ. ՄԱՐԴԱՀԱՄԱՐԻ ՆԱԽՆԱԿԱՆ ՕՊԵՐԱՏԻՎ ՑՈՒՑԱՆԻՇՆԵՐԻ ՄԱՍԻՆ". STAF NKRE. 30 March 2016. Archived from the original on 16 April 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  3. "Artsakh Votes for New Constitution, Officially Renames the Republic". Armenian Weekly. 21 February 2017.
  4. 1 2 "Constitution". Nagorno Karabakh Republic Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
  5. "Official website of the President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic. General Information about NKR". President.nkr.am. 1 January 2010. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  6. "The Office of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in USA". Nkrusa.org. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  7. "СООБЩЕНИЕ ЦЕНТРАЛЬНОЙ ИЗБИРАТЕЛЬНОЙ КОМИССИИ НАГОРНО-КАРАБАХСКОЙ РЕСПУБЛИКИ". Азат Арцах. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013.
  8. "The Parliament of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic". Nkrusa.org. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  9. freedomhouse.org: Map of Freedom in the World, Freedom House, 2009
  10. freedomhouse.org: Map of Freedom in the World, Freedom House, 2009
  11. freedomhouse.org: Map of Freedom in the World, Freedom House, 2009
  12. "EU does not recognize ‘elections’ in Nagorno Karabakh". News.Az. 1 May 2015. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  13. Mustafa Pazarlı. "US will not recognize Nagorno-Karabakh's elections". Videonews.us. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  14. Mushvig Mehdiyev. "OIC condemns "elections" in Nagorno-Karabakh as illegal". AzerNews.az. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  15. Hughes, James (2002). Ethnicity and Territory in the Former Soviet Union: Regions in Conflict. London: Cass. p. 211. ISBN 978-0-7146-8210-5. Indeed, Nagorno-Karabakh is de facto part of Armenia.
  16. Cornell, Svante (2011). Azerbaijan Since Independence. New York: M.E. Sharpe. p. 135. ISBN 978-0-7656-3004-9. Following the war, the territories that fell under Armenian control, in particular Mountainous Karabakh itself, were slowly integrated into Armenia. Officially, Karabakh and Armenia remain separate political entities, but for most practical matters the two entities are unified.
  17. "Nagorno Karabakh to hold referendum on draft constitution on December 10". REGNUM. 3 November 2006. Archived from the original on 11 December 2008. Retrieved 16 December 2008.
  18. 1 2 3 "Karabakh Approves Pro-Independence Constitution". Radio Free Europe. 11 December 2006. Retrieved 16 December 2008.
  19. Archived 17 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
  20. 1 2 3 "Karabakh Defends New Constitution". IWPR Institute for War & Peace. 11 January 2007. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
  21. "Nagorno-Karabakh gains constitution". ISN.ETHZ.ch. 13 December 2006. Retrieved 16 December 2008.
  22. "EU rejects referendum vote on draft constitution in Nagorno-Karabakh". International Herald Tribune. 11 December 2006. Archived from the original on 26 February 2008. Retrieved 16 December 2008.
  23. "Турция осудила референдум в Нагорном Карабахе". kavkaz-uzel.ru. 11 December 2006.
  24. "Deutsche welle reports on nagorno karabakh". ArmInfo. 9 January 2007. Retrieved 16 December 2008.
  25. "Azerbaijan's Breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh Holds 'Illegal' Referendum". Radio Free Europe. 21 February 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  26. "Artsakh Votes for New Constitution, Officially Renames the Republic". The Armenian Weekly. 22 February 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  27. Andrew Rettman (20 February 2017). "Referendum to create 'Republic of Artsakh' on Europe's fringe". euobserver. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  28. "Permanent Representations". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  29. Серж Саргсян: Нагорный Карабах – это Армения. Vestnik Kavkaza. 26 September 2015.
  30. "Constitution of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic". Nkrusa.org. Retrieved 2016-12-18.
  31. "Important Facts about NKR Defense Army | The Office of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in USA". Nkrusa.org. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  32. Blandy, C. W. "Azerbaijan: Is War Over Nagornyy Karabakh a Realistic Option?" Advanced Research and Assessment Group. Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, Caucasus Series 08/17, 2008, p.14.
  33. "UN: More Than 100 Killed By Mines Near Nagorno-Karabakh – Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty 2009". Rferl.org. 24 December 2005. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  34. "Human Rights Watch World Report 1995". Hrw.org. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  35. Institute for Security Studies of WEU. Dov Lynch. Managing separatist states: A Eurasian case study.
  36. Hughes, James (2002). Ethnicity and Territory in the Former Soviet Union: Regions in Conflict (1. publ. ed.). London: Cass. p. 211. ISBN 9780714682105. Indeed, Nagomo- Karabakh is de facto part of Armenia.
  37. "Armenia expects Russian support in Karabakh war". Hürriyet Daily News. 20 May 2011. Retrieved 25 June 2013. While internationally recognized as Azerbaijani territory, the enclave has declared itself an independent republic but is administered as a de facto part of Armenia.
  38. Central Asia and The Caucasus, Information and Analytical Center, 2009, Issues 55–60, Page 74, "Nagorno-Karabakh became de facto part of Armenia (its quasi-statehood can dupe no one) as a result of aggression."
  39. Deutsche Gesellschaft für auswärtige Politik, Internationale Politik, Volume 8, 2007 "...and Nagorno-Karabakh, the disputed territory that is now de facto part of Armenia..."
  40. Cornell, Svante (2011). Azerbaijan Since Independence. New York: M.E. Sharpe. p. 135. ISBN 9780765630049. Following the war, the territories that fell under Armenian control, in particular Mountainous Karabakh itself, were slowly integrated into Armenia. Officially, Karabakh and Armenia remain separate political entities, but for most practical matters the two entities are unified.
  41. "Nagorno-Karabakh". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
  42. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. "Nagorno Karabagh Republic: History and Current Reality". Retrieved 6 May 2010.
  43. "Interview of President Serzh Sargsyan to "Politique Internationale" Journal". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Armenia Official Site. 4 March 2009. Archived from the original on 29 April 2010. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
  44. "Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia on a question of "Haylur" News Program". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Armenia Official Site. 16 February 2010. Archived from the original on 11 November 2011.
  45. U.S. Department of State – Armenia and Azerbaijan: Key West Peace Talks Archived 16 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine.
  46. "Resources – Center for Security Studies | ETH Zurich". Isn.ethz.ch (in (in German)). 2016-12-12. Retrieved 2016-12-18.
  47. Condon, Christopher (6 June 2006). "'Marathon' talks on Nagorno-Karabakh". News.ft.com. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  48. "Kocharyan-Aliyev Meeting Over in Bucharest". Panarmenian.net. 5 June 2006. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  49. "Yerevan Ready to Continue Dialogue with Baku for Karabakh Settlement". Panarmenian.net. 5 June 2006. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  50. "No Progress at Kocharyan-Aliyev Meeting in Bucharest". Panarmenian.net. 6 June 2006. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  51. "Nagorno-Karabakh FM: Granting Autonomy To Nagorno-Karabakh Is Out Of Baku Competence". Regnum.ru. Archived from the original on 10 October 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  52. "U.S. Confirms Vote Option For Karabakh". Azatutyun.am (in (in Armenian)). 2006-06-23. Retrieved 2016-12-18.
  53. "Armenian, Azeri Leaders ‘Agreed To Karabakh Referendum’". Azatutyun.am (in (in Armenian)). 2006-06-27. Retrieved 2016-12-18.
  54. "Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry about latest statement of Armenia on Nagorno Karabakh". Today.az. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  55. "Isa Gambar: "Baku Gave OK On Referendum In Nagorno-Karabakh"". Today.az. 28 June 2006. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  56. "Resources – Center for Security Studies | ETH Zurich". Isn.ethz.ch (in (in German)). 2016-12-12. Retrieved 2016-12-18.
  57. "Azerbaijan Prepared to Hold Anti-Terror Operations in Nagorno-Karabakh against Placement of Kurdish Gunmen". Trend News Agency. 10 December 2007. Archived from the original on 7 January 2008. Retrieved 11 December 2007.
  58. "Vladimir Karapetyan: Allegations of PKK bases in Armenia and NK groundless provocation". Regnum. 5 December 2007. Archived from the original on 2 January 2008. Retrieved 11 December 2007.
  59. Azerbaijani president: Armenians are guests in Yerevan Archived 12 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine., REGNUM News Agency, 17 January 2008
  60. Artsakh will never be a part of Azerbaijan, Panarmenian.net, 4 February 2009
  61. Serzh Sargsyan: Karabakh was never a part of independent Azerbaijan, Panorama.am
  62. "UNO Department of Public Information. General Assembly adopts resolution reaffirming territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, demanding withdrawal of all Armenian forces". Un.org. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  63. cs – čeština (20 May 2010). "South Caucasus: EU must help stabilise the region, say MEPs". Europarl.europa.eu. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  64. cs – čeština. "Texts adopted – Thursday, 20 May 2010 – The need for an EU strategy for the South Caucasus – P7_TA-PROV(2010)0193". Europarl.europa.eu. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  65. "G8 Summit: Joint Statement On The Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict by Dmitry Medvedev, President Of The Russian Federation, Barack Obama, President Of The United States Of America, and Nicolas Sarkozy, President Of The French Republic". Whitehouse.gov. 26 June 2010. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  66. "If Tuvalu recognizes Karabakh's independence, will Turkey ask Tuvalu to return footballs?". 26 March 2012. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
  67. "Rhode Island Legislature Calls For Nagorno-Karabakh Recognition". Rferl.org. 2012-05-18. Retrieved 2016-12-18.
  68. "Massachusetts State Legislature Calls For Recognition Of Nagorno-Karabakh". Rferl.org. 2012-08-07. Retrieved 2016-12-18.
  69. "Australia’s New South Wales Recognizes Karabakh Independence". Asbarez. 25 October 2012.
  70. "JOINT RESOLUTION MEMORIALIZING THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO SUPPORT THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE NAGORNOKARABAKH REPUBLIC" (PDF). Mainelegislature.org. Retrieved 2016-12-18.
  71. 1 2 "Azerbaijan Protests California Town's Recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh". RIA Novosti. 6 December 2013. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
  72. "98th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and Independence of Nagomo Karabakh Republic" (PDF). 2.co.fresno.ca.us. Retrieved 2016-12-18.
  73. "OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA" (PDF). Senate.la.gov. Retrieved 2016-12-18.
  74. "The US City of Highland Recognizes Nagorno-Karabakh - Armenian News". Tert.am. Retrieved 2016-12-18.
  75. "Los Angeles city council recognizes the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic". ARKA News Agency. 29 January 2014. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
  76. White, Jeremy B. (8 May 2014). "Capitol Alert: California Assembly calls for Nagorno-Karabakh Republic". Fresno Bee. Archived from the original on 8 May 2014.
  77. Mason, Melanie (5 May 2014). "Calif. lawmakers to weigh in on dispute between Armenia, Azerbaijan". LA Times.
  78. ANCA LOUISIANA STATE SENATE RECOGNIZES KARABAKH INDEPENDENCE Archived 31 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine.
  79. California State Senate Recognizes Karabakh’s Independence Archived 1 September 2014 at the Wayback Machine.
  80. "Georgia House Recognizes Independence of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic". Asbarez.com. 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2016-12-18.
  81. "Hawaii Recognizes Nagorno Karabakh Republic’s Independence". Asbarez.com. 2016-03-30. Retrieved 2016-12-18.
  82. "US Embassy: US does not recognize "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic"". News.Az. 2016-03-31. Retrieved 2016-12-18.
  83. "Armenia government approves bill on recognition of Karabakh independence". News.am. Retrieved 2016-12-18.
  84. Hundreds of thousands of people displaced Archived 2 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine.. Amnesty International. 28 June 2007. Retrieved 20 January 2008.
  85. World Refugee Survey: Azerbaijan report 2005 Archived 7 January 2008 at the Wayback Machine.
  86. Global IDP Project: Proifle of Internal Displacement: Azerbaijan. May 2003 Archived 28 November 2007 at the Wayback Machine. (as a PDF file)
  87. 1 2 US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants. World Refugee Survey; Armenia Country Report. 2001. Archived 7 January 2008 at the Wayback Machine.. According to the Nagorno Karabakh Republic information, Some 350,000 Armenians were expelled from Azerbaijan and some 36,000 of them came to Nagorno Karabakh. Additionally some 71,000 Karabakh Armenians were internally displaced ("FACT SHEET: REFUGEES & INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS (IDP) IN NAGORNO KARABAKH" (PDF). The Office of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) in the USA. May 2006. Retrieved 9 May 2010.).
  88. 1 2 3 4 "Nagorno Karabakh Republic – Country Overview". Nkrusa.org. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  89. 1 2 3 "The Office of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in USA". Nkrusa.org. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  90. "Azerb.com – Regions". Travel-images.com. 24 March 2007. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  91. "2005 NKR census (Map of divisions and info on each shown" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 March 2009. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  92. Archived 3 January 2008 at the Wayback Machine.
  93. "Azerbaijani Party Appeals To OSCE About Armenian Resettlement". RFERL. 13 May 2011. Retrieved 13 May 2011.
  94. "Executive Summary of the "Report of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs' Field Assessment Mission to the Occupied Territories of Azerbaijan Surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh"". OSCE. 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
  95. Regnum News Agency. Nagorno Karabakh prime minister: We need to have at least 300,000 population Archived 5 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine.. Regnum. 9 March 2007. Retrieved 9 March 2007.
  96. "Евразийская панорама". Demoscope.ru. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  97. Archived 11 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine.
  98. "Population" (PDF). Stat-nkr.am. Retrieved 2016-12-18.
  99. "Правозащитный центр "Мемориал", Россия". Memo.ru. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  100. Заселение освобожденных территорий противоречит стратегическим интересам России. Nyut.am. 15 July 2013.
  101. GENEVA CONVENTION RELATIVE TO THE PROTECTION OF CIVILIAN PERSONS IN TIME OF WAR OF 12 AUGUST 1949. Article 49.
  102. Gafar Azimov. Правящая партия Азербайджана направила протест сопредседателям Минской группы ОБСЕ. Aze.az. 13 May 2011.
  103. "ТЕРРИТОРИИ РОССИЙСКОЙ ИМПЕРИИ, ВОШЕДШИЕ ПОЗЖЕ В СОСТАВ АЗЕРБАЙДЖАНСКОЙ ССР (1886 г.)". Ethno-kavkaz.narod.ru. Retrieved 2016-12-18.
  104. Report of the OSCE Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) to the Occupied Territories of Azerbaijan Surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh (NK). February 2005.
  105. Executive Summary of the "Report of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs' Field Assessment Mission to the Occupied Territories of Azerbaijan Surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh". October 2010.
  106. "Press Release by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group". OSCE. 2014-05-20. Retrieved 2016-12-18.
  107. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
  108. Nana Martirosyan. Давид Бабаян: Армения и Арцах приняли сирийских беженцев, исходя из гуманитарных принципов. ArmInfo. 3 June 2015.
  109. Syria’s Armenians are fleeing to their ancestral homeland. The Economist. 26 June 2017.
  110. ПОСЕЛИВШИЕСЯ В АРЦАХЕ СИРИЙСКИЕ АРМЯНЕ ГОВОРЯТ О СВОИХ ЧАЯНИЯХ. NKR News. 26 December 2014.
  111. Глава МИД Азербайджана о поэтапном урегулировании нагорно-карабахского конфликта. Trend. 15 September 2015.
  112. "Karabakh Telecom site". Karabakhtelecom.com. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  113. "Base Metals LLC – History". Bm.am. 7 October 2002. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  114. "Statistical Yearbook of NKR 2002–2008, p. 169" (PDF). Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  115. "Base Metals LLC – Product". Bm.am. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  116. "Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh: Process of State Building at the Crossroad of Centuries" (PDF). "Institute of Political Research" SNCO. 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 November 2011. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
  117. Solutions, Overall. "Search Hotels | Stepanakert". Retrieved 2017-05-05.
  118. "В мире растет интерес к Арцаху". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic. 24 January 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2011., Google Translation.
  119. "Geography of the visitors to the NKR keeps on expanding". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic. 18 December 2008. Retrieved 25 August 2010.
  120. Walk, the magazine of The Ramblers, Summer 2009, "Up the Garden Path" p 67-69. Laurence Mitchell.
  121. Solutions, Overall. "Search Hotels | Stepanakert". Retrieved 2017-05-05.
  122. 1 2 "NORTH-SOUTH HIGHWAY: THE BACKBONE OF KARABAKH". Armenia Fund USA. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  123. "Karabakh hopes for recognition – from investors". Russia Journal. 7 October 2000. Archived from the original on 13 June 2011. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  124. "It'll take 3 hours to drive from Yerevan to Stepanakert through new highway being constructed by Hayastan fund". Arka. 13 May 2013. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  125. "Nagorno-Karabakh Airport Preparing For First Flights in Decades". Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty. 27 January 2011. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  126. "Nagorno-Karabakh Flights On Hold Despite Airport Reconstruction". RFE/RL. May 16, 2011. Retrieved May 16, 2011.
  127. (in Armenian) "«Հայկական ժամանակ».Ստեփանակերտի օդանավակայանը վերջապես շահագործման կհանձնվի" (Haykakan Zhamanak: Stepanakert Airport will Finally Become Operational). Yelaket Lratvakan. May 30, 2012.
  128. "Education in the Nagorno Karabakh Republic". Nkrusa.org. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  129. Artsakh: A Photographic Journey by Hrair Khatcherian, p.49.
  130. "Աբխազիայի ու Արցախի հավաքականները բաժանվեցին խաղաղությամբ՝ 1:1". Tert.am. Retrieved 2016-12-18.
  131. "Armenia’s newly formed second national football team to face Abkhazia | NEWS.am Sport - All about sports". Sport.news.am. 2012-09-14. Retrieved 2016-12-18.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Nagorno-Karabakh.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.
Official websites
Media
Other
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.