The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is a long-standing, complex dispute that recently regained global attention when the Azerbaijan government launched a military operation in the contested region. This operation, which resulted in casualties, added a new chapter to the decades-long discord between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Nagorno-Karabakh, or Artsakh as it is referred to by Armenians, is a predominantly mountainous region geographically nestled between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, known as the Caucasus region. While the international community recognizes this territory as belonging to Azerbaijan, its inhabitants are mainly ethnic Armenians with their own government. However, neither the Armenian government nor any other nation has formally recognized this self-governed regime.
The origins of the contention trace back to the late 1980s in the face of the collapsing Soviet Union, when Nagorno-Karabakh declared its independence from Azerbaijan. This action sparked the first war between Armenia and Azerbaijan over this territory, leading to a ceasefire in 1994 that left Nagorno-Karabakh and some of its adjacent areas under Armenian control. The ceasefire has since experienced many violations, with several failed attempts to reach a peaceful resolution.
In 2020, the Second Karabakh War broke out, resulting in a significant victory for Azerbaijan, who regained control over seven districts around Nagorno-Karabakh and a third of the region itself. This conflict concluded with a Russia-mediated peace deal that included a provision for almost 2,000 Russian peacekeepers in the area.
Understanding Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan is an Asian country surrounded by Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Iran, and bordered to the east by the Caspian Sea. The nation’s landscape is dominated by the Caucasus Mountains in the north and west. Baku, its capital city, is rich in oil and natural gas resources.
One of Azerbaijan’s remarkable geographical wonders is Yanar Dag, a site with a natural eternal fire that has been burning for over 65 years due to natural gases seeping from the earth. This interesting feature gives Azerbaijan its nickname – ‘The Land of Fire.’
Spotlight on Armenia
Armenia, meanwhile, is a landlocked country located in the Caucasus region. Turkey borders it to the west, Georgia to the north, and Azerbaijan to the east. Yerevan, the capital, lies within its mountainous landscape, with Mount Ararat known as its highest peak.
Clarifying Misconceptions: Previous Year Question on UPSC Civil Services Examination
In the previous year question of the UPSC Civil Services examination, there were misconceptions relating to regions often mentioned in the news:
1. North Kivu and Ituri are associated with the Republic of Congo, not with the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan – hence pair one is incorrectly matched.
2. Contrary to pair two of the question, Nagorno-Karabakh isn’t related to the insurgency in Mozambique but is a region of southwestern Azerbaijan.
3. The areas of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia associate with the dispute between Ukraine and Russia rather than Israel and Lebanon – making pair three another incorrect match.
All three pairs provided in the question were incorrectly matched, revealing a significant misunderstanding around these international conflict hotspots.
