Ossetia
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9f/Ossetia01.png/220px-Ossetia01.png)
Ossetia(/ɒˈsɛtiə/o-SET-ee-ə,less common:/ɒˈsiːʃə/o-SEE-shə;Ossetian:ИрыстонorИр,romanized:IrystonorIr,pronounced[iˈrəston]) is anethnolinguisticregion located on both sides of theGreater CaucasusMountains, largely inhabited by theOssetians.TheOssetian languageis part of theEastern Iranian branchof the family ofIndo-European languages.[1]Most countries recognize the Ossetian-speaking area south of the main Caucasus ridge as lying within the borders ofGeorgia,but it has come under the control of thede factogovernment of the Russian-backedRepublic of South Ossetia – the State of Alania.[2][3][4][5]The northern portion of the region consists of theRepublic of North Ossetia-Alaniawithin theRussian Federation.
Recent history
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Caucasus-ethnic_en.svg/220px-Caucasus-ethnic_en.svg.png)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/49/Ossetian_tribes.png/220px-Ossetian_tribes.png)
- 1774 – Expansion of theRussian Empireon Ossetian territory.[8]
- 1922 – Creation of theSouth Ossetian autonomous oblast.[9]North Ossetiaremains a part ofRussian SFSR,South Ossetiaremains a part ofGeorgian SSR.
- 20 September 1990 – South Ossetia declares independence. The republic remained unrecognized, yet it detached itself from Georgiade facto.In the last years of theSoviet Union,ethnictensions between Ossetians andGeorgiansin Georgia's formerAutonomous Oblastof South Ossetia (abolished in 1990) and between Ossetians and theIngushin North Ossetia evolved into violent clashes that left several hundred dead and wounded and created a large tide of refugees on both sides.[10][11][12]
Although a Russian-mediated andOrganization for Security and Co-operation in Europe-monitoredceasefirewas implemented in South Ossetia in 1992, theGeorgian-Ossetian conflict[13]still remains unresolved even though a recent peace plan proposed by the government of Georgia promised the South Ossetians largerautonomyand pledged expanded international involvement in the political settlement of the conflict. Meanwhile, the South Ossetiansecessionistauthorities demand independence or unification with North Ossetia, which itself is located inRussia,while the international community instead recognizes it andAbkhaziaas a part of Georgia.[14]
On Sunday 12 November 2006, South Ossetians (mostly ethnicOssetians) went to the polls to vote in a referendum[15]regarding the region's independence from Georgia.[16]The result was a "yes" to independence, with a turnout above 95% from those among the territory's 70,000 people who were eligible to vote at that time.[17]There was also a vote in favor of a new term forEduard Kokoity,who was the de facto state's president at the time.
There have been proposals from South Ossetia forjoining the Russian Federationand uniting with North Ossetia.[18][19]
See also
[edit]- History of North Ossetia–Alania
- Alania
- Vladimir Gagloyev
- Jászság
- Alexander Kubalov
- Samachablo
- Circassia
- Iazyges
- Adygea
References
[edit]- ^Foltz, Richard(2022).The Ossetes: Modern-Day Scythians of the Caucasus.London: Bloomsbury. p. 1.ISBN9780755618453.
- ^Group, International Crisis (2010)."Appendix B: Map of South Ossetia".South Ossetia:Page 25–Page 25 – via JSTOR.
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has generic name (help) - ^Stepanova, Ekaterina (2008)."South Ossetia and Abkhazia: Placing the Conflict in Context".Stockholm International Peace Research Institute – via JSTOR.
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(help) - ^Manutscharjan, Aschot (2008)."Abkhazia and South Ossetia – Russia's Intervention in Georgia (August 2008)".Konrad Adenauer Stiftung – via JSTOR.
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(help) - ^Markedonov, Sergey (2015), Bebler, Anton (ed.),"The South Ossetia conflict","Frozen conflicts" in Europe(1 ed.), Verlag Barbara Budrich, pp. 111–118,ISBN978-3-8474-0133-9,JSTORj.ctvdf0bmg.11,retrieved16 March2022
- ^"Archived copy".Archived fromthe originalon 5 February 2017.Retrieved4 February2017.
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:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^http://s50.radikal.ru/i129/1003/22/2fec9d793e3d.jpgArchived8 June 2020 at theWayback Machine[bare URL image file]
- ^Sokirianskaia(PDF),HU:CEU.
- ^"South Ossetia profile".BBC News.21 April 2016.Retrieved25 September2020.
- ^Refugees, United Nations High Commissioner for."Refworld | World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - South Ossetia (unrecognized state)".Refworld.Retrieved16 March2022.
- ^Ghebali (2003),Helsinki(PDF),vol. 4,CH
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:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link).[dead link] - ^Avrasya (2005),Ehatipoglu(PDF),TR:Obiv.[dead link]
- ^Souleimanov, Emil (2013).Understanding ethnopolitical conflict: Karabakh, South Ossetia, and Abkhazia wars reconsidered.Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire.ISBN978-1-137-28023-7.OCLC855585455.
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:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^Human Rights Watch (2009).Up in flames: humanitarian law violations and civilian victims in the conflict over South Ossetia.Jane Buchanan. New York, NY: Human Rights Watch.ISBN978-1-56432-427-6.OCLC309296228.
- ^"Results Due In South Ossetian Referendum".Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.2 February 2012.Retrieved16 March2022.
- ^"Ossetia votes on independence".Al Jazeera English.12 November 2006.
- ^"South Ossetia: Russian, Georgian... independent?".OpenDemocracy.Retrieved10 August2008.
- ^Kucera, Joshu (31 March 2022)."South Ossetia says it will seek to join Russia".Eurasianet.
- ^Grobman, Ekaterina (31 March 2022)."Вопрос о присоединении Южной Осетии к России будет решаться после выборов в республике".Vedomosti(in Russian).
External links
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dd/Wikivoyage-Logo-v3-icon.svg/40px-Wikivoyage-Logo-v3-icon.svg.png)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/34px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png)
- Ossetian Dance(YouTube),Rustavi Dance Company, 2008(6 min 19 sec).
- Ossetian Dance(YouTube),2008(6 min 50 sec).
- Ossetian Folk Dance(YouTube),2007(3 min).
- Osetiya[Ossetia] (in Russian), SKFO Russia, archived fromthe originalon 9 July 2011,retrieved17 January2011.Ossetian Republic News Portal.