Bizarre Borders - Armenia and Azerbaijan

Samanyu Ram

April 21, 2023

Armenia and Azerbaijan are two tiny former Soviet countries located between the Black and Caspian Seas in the Caucus region. These countries' history goes way back, even before the unification of the USSR. There has since been tension continuously building for centuries.

The main center of all tension comes from a region between the two countries known as Nagorno-Karabakh. The population had been mostly ethnic Armenian but had a prevalent Azeri (Azerbaijani) minority. During medieval times, the Armenians built loads of churches across the region. But in the 1700s, a citadel named Shusha was founded in the middle of the Nagorno-Karabakh territory by the ethnic Azeris. When the Soviets took power and control of the Caucus region, they took control of both countries. They created new borders which placed the Nagorno-Karabakh region in the arms of Azerbaijan despite the majority Armenian population. In 1988, the government of the Nagorno-Karabakh region held a referendum that asked the people if they wanted to leave Azerbaijanian rule. The majority voted yes, but the request was refused by both Azerbaijan and the Soviet Union. The refusal of the referendum lit a flame inside the Armenians and revived this once-deceased conflict. The independence of both countries from the Soviet Union developed the conflict into a full-blown war. Nonstop artillery, explosions, and tragedy ensued for the next three years. In that time, 20 thousand people lost their lives. Then, in 1994, both sides signed a cease-fire agreement, and the war was over, temporarily. Armenia took almost all of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and a little more of Azerbaijan's land in the south. However, they failed to take a secluded part of Azerbaijan in the west, named Nakchivan. This region was completely cut off by Armenia when it took control of Nagorno-Karabakh. The Azerbaijani government gave Nakchivan the status of an autonomous republic and shares a 12-mile border with Turkey. Since the area is secluded from the rest of Azerbaijan, the Azeris in the region must pass through Iran to return to their home country. Since the area was once theirs, Armenia has many ancient and historical sites in Nakchivan. But although Armenia is not actively disputing the territory, the tension lies within the land. In 2016, fighting resumed in Nagorno-Karabkh, as Azerbaijan now held the upper hand with its fiercer and more developed army. It also had the support of its close friend, Turkey. Turkey supplied the Azeris with troops, ammunition, and drones. All of these combined to push Armnia back and eventually win the dispute. Today, the region of Nagorno-Karabakh is made up and controlled by the ethnic Armenian population, but the state is encompassed by Azeri territory. Russia sent in 2000 of its own troops to keep the peace in the region, and for the time being, the dispute is settled.