NagornoKarabakh

Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Artsakh, is a landlocked region in the South Caucasus. It lies within the internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan but has an ethnic Armenian majority. Since the early 1990s it has been governed as a de facto state under the name Republic of Artsakh, though it lacks international recognition. The population centers include the capital Stepanakert (Khankendi) and several towns and villages, with Armenian cultural and religious sites prominent.

Historically, the region was an autonomous oblast within the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. Beginning in the late 1980s, ethnic Armenian movements campaigned for unification with Armenia, leading to armed conflict between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces. A full-scale war ended with a 1994 ceasefire, leaving Armenian forces in control of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts. The early 1990s displacement created a large refugee and internally displaced population.

In 2020, fighting resumed and Azerbaijan regained control of most of the territory surrounding Karabakh, while peacekeeping forces from Russia were deployed to monitor a ceasefire and to guard the Lachin corridor linking Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia. Since then, the status of the region has remained disputed, with limited self-governance under Artsakh authorities and ongoing negotiations mediated by regional and international actors. The Lachin corridor and access to supplies have been a central humanitarian concern.

Overall, Nagorno-Karabakh remains a subject of geopolitical tension in the South Caucasus. The international community generally recognizes it as part of Azerbaijan, while de facto governance by Artsakh continues with Armenian support. Negotiations have sought a political settlement addressing self-governance, security, and the rights of residents, but a lasting resolution has not yet been achieved.