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Background on North and South OssetiaA Minority Group Divided by National Boundaries
There are over half a million ethnic Ossetians. They speak a language from the Iranian family (like the Pashto langauge of Afghanistan). Most are Christians.
Seven hundred years ago invading Mongol hordes drove the semi-nomadic Alani people from their homes in Russia's Don River basin into the Caucasus Mountains. Today they call themselves Osettians, though there has been some revival of the use of the ethnic term "Alani" in recent years. How Big Is Ossetia?Ossetia is comprised of two separate political entities - one in Russia and the other in neighboring Georgia. The two Ossetias border each other. They have a combined population of about 780,000 residents. About 65% of the population in the two Ossetias are ethnic Ossetians, or Alanis. To give you some idea of the size of Ossetia, consider this. Within the context of Europe, South Ossetia's population of 70,000 gives it a smaller populatin than Andorra but almost twice as many people as Liechtnestein. On the other hand, a united independent Ossetia with 780,000 residents taking in both North and South Ossetia would have a smaller population than Cyprus but be almost as big as Luxembourg and Iceland combined, from a population standpoint. In land area, the two Ossetias together are just under 12,000 square kilometers. That's almost five times the land area of Luxembourg, or half size of Macedonia, or a little more than a quarter the size of Denmark. If the two Ossetias together were an independent country there would be 75 countries in the world with a smaller land area. Ossetia's EconomySouth Ossetia has been devastated by war since the early 1990's. Its citizens practice subsistence agriculture and depend on the goodwill of their relatives in neighboring North Ossetia for much in life. Their biggest asset is control of the Roki Tunnel that makes transportation between Russia and Georgia possible. In contrast, the economy of North Ossetia is robust. Agriculture plays a role, with grain production and cotton being important. But North Ossetia is more industrialized and the production of metals and electronics figures prominently in the economy. A History of the OssetiasThe Ossetian kingdom of Alania was formed in the region north of the Caucasus in the 7th Century and prospered there until the Mongol invasion of 1238 AD. In its early history the kingdom served as an important buffer between the Byzantine Empire and expanding Arab influence in the region. The kingdom was an important stop on the Silk Road. The Alani were Christianized in the 10th Century. About 60% of Ossetians are Orthodox Christians today, with the other 40% being Sunni Muslims. Alania and Georgia were allies during the medieval period. During that time tribal groups from the Steppes of modern Russia began moving southward into the region. The Russians conquered North Ossetia in 1767 and annexed South Ossetia in 1801. The South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast was created by the Soviets in 1922. The North Ossetian Autonomous Oblast was formed in 1924. In 1936 North Ossetia was expanded into the North Ossetian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. Modern Politics of OssetiaWith the deterioration of Soviet rule, Georgia abolished South Ossetia as a political unit in 1990. About 70,000 Ossetian refugees fled to North Ossetia. South Ossetia declared its independence. A war in 1991-92 resulted in a stalemate and left Georgia without control of the region. A peace accord was signed in 1996. New tensions in 2004 led to more fighting. Russian troops were involved briefly at that time. Skirmishes in 2008 eventually led to a broader conflict and a Russian invasion of Georgia.
The copyright of the article Background on North and South Ossetia in European Affairs is owned by Greg Cruey. Permission to republish Background on North and South Ossetia in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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