What is karabagh?

Karabagh is a mountainous region located in the south Caucasus, bordered by Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Iran. It is also known as Nagorno-Karabakh, with Nagorno meaning "mountainous" in Russian. The region has a rich history dating back to ancient times, with various empires and kingdoms controlling the area over the centuries.

In 1923, the Soviet Union established the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast within the Azerbaijan SSR. However, tensions between the Armenian and Azerbaijani communities in the region began to escalate in the late 1980s, ultimately leading to a full-scale war between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the early 1990s.

Following a ceasefire in 1994, Nagorno-Karabakh declared independence from Azerbaijan, but its status remains disputed. The international community considers Nagorno-Karabakh to be part of Azerbaijan, but it is controlled by ethnic Armenians and operates as a de facto independent state.

The economy of Nagorno-Karabakh is primarily based on agriculture and mining. The region has significant deposits of gold, copper, and other metals. Its population is estimated to be around 150,000, with the majority being ethnic Armenians. The official languages are Armenian and Russian.