Nagorno-Karabakh facts for kids
Nagorno-Karabakh (also known as Artsakh) is a mountainous area in the South Caucasus region. It is officially part of Azerbaijan. The names for this region in different local languages all mean "mountainous Karabakh" or "mountainous black garden". For example, "nagorno" is a Russian word meaning "mountainous" or "on the mountain". "Kara" is Turkish for "black", and "bakh" means "garden" in Azerbaijani.
Here are the names in local languages:
- Armenian: Լեռնային Ղարաբաղ, which is Lernayin Gharabagh
- Azerbaijani: Dağlıq Qarabağ, or Yuxarı Qarabağ (meaning "upper Karabakh" or "mountainous Karabakh")
- Russian: Нагорный Карабах, which is Nagornyj Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh is a disputed area. This means that different groups or countries claim control over it. The United Nations (UN) says that it is part of Azerbaijan. However, the area is currently governed by the Republic of Artsakh. Most countries in the world do not recognize the Republic of Artsakh as an independent country. The UN has asked for Armenian troops to leave the areas they control in the region.
Contents
A Brief History of Nagorno-Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh became a point of disagreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan in 1918. This happened when both countries became independent from Russia. The disagreement over the land was not settled before 1920. At that time, both young countries became part of the Soviet Union. They lost their independence because of the actions of Russian communists, also known as Bolsheviks.
The Push for Independence
In the late 1980s, Mikhail Gorbachev became the leader in Moscow. He started new campaigns for more openness and democratic changes. Because of these changes, Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh decided to speak up about their problems. They felt that the region was being "Azerified" against their will. Most people in Nagorno-Karabakh were Armenian. They started a movement to become independent.
The Referendum and Current Status
In November 1991, the Parliament of Azerbaijan tried to stop this independence movement. They removed the special self-governing status of the region. In response, the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh held a public vote on December 10, 1991. In this vote, most people chose to become fully independent. However, the Azeri community in Nagorno-Karabakh did not take part in this vote.
Today, Nagorno-Karabakh acts like an independent country. It calls itself the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. However, as mentioned, most countries do not recognize it as a separate nation.
Images for kids
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Early map of Karabakh
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Map of Red Kurdistan from 1930
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A map showing Nagorno-Karabakh
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Regions of Nagorno-Karabakh
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Map of Karabakh
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Location of Artsakh
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The Amaras Monastery, built in the 4th century. In the 5th century, Mesrop Mashtots, who created the Armenian alphabet, started the first school here to use his new writing system.
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The monastery at Gandzasar was finished in 1238.
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The Askeran Fortress, built in the 18th century by Panah Ali Khan.
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A palace of the former ruler (khan) of Shusha. This image is from an old postcard.
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This map shows the different ethnic groups in Nagorno-Karabakh in the late Soviet era.
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A restored Armenian T-72 tank, now a war memorial. It was damaged during an attack on Azeri positions in Askeran District.
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This map shows the final borders after the Bishkek Protocol. Armenian forces controlled almost 9% of Azerbaijan's land outside the former Nagorno-Karabakh area. Azerbaijani forces controlled Shahumian and parts of Martakert and Martuni.
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Ilham Aliyev, Dmitry Medvedev, and Serzh Sargsyan meeting in Moscow in 2008.
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The Sarsang Reservoir.
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A view of the beautiful forested mountains in Nagorno-Karabakh.
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This map shows the ethnic groups in the region in 1995, after many Armenians and Azerbaijanis had moved.
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See also
In Spanish: Alto Karabaj para niños
