Nagorno-Karabakh

Nagorno-Karabakh (also Nagorny-Karabakh), administrative division surrounded on every side by Azerbaijan. It is located about 270 km (about 170 mi) west of the Azerbaijani capital of Baku and extends from north-west to south-east about 4,400 sq km (about 1,700 sq mi) in the south-eastern part of the Lesser Caucasus mountains. Foothills slope down to plains in the east. The highest peak, Mount Gyamysh, rises to 3,724 m (12,218 ft). Rivers such as the Khachinchay are used for irrigation and hydroelectric power.

The climate varies depending on location and elevation. In the mountainous regions of the west and south-west winter average temperatures range from -10º to -6º C (14º to 21º F); on the plains and at lower elevations average temperatures range from -2º to 3º C (28º to 37º F). Average summer temperatures range from 10º to 15º C (50º to 59º F) in the mountains, and 20º to 25º C (68º to 77º F) at lower elevations. Yearly precipitation is 400 to 600 mm (16 to 24 in) on the plains and 800 mm (32 in) or more in the mountains, falling mostly in the summer months. The generally dry climate supports semi-desert shrubs and grasses on the plains, and semi-arid bushes and steppe vegetation in the lower elevations. In the higher mountains, broad-leaved forests give way to sub-alpine and alpine meadows. About one-third of the territory is covered by forests and shrubs.

The capital of the enclave is Stepanakert, which the Azeris renamed Xankändi in 1991. The principal economic activities in Nagorno-Karabakh are agriculture, food processing, and light industry. The plains are used largely for livestock raising, and grain, cotton, and tobacco farming. Sheep are raised for meat and wool in high mountain areas. Other agricultural activity includes the cultivation of grapes for wine and silkworms for textiles. Industry is located mainly in the foothills and lower mountain regions. Two national highways cross Nagorno-Karabakh; but in most of the region, which is deeply dissected by stream canyons, overland transport is extremely difficult.

Azerbaijan, including Nagorno-Karabakh, became part of the Russian Empire in the 1800s. Nagorno-Karabakh was settled by Armenian refugees during the early 1900s, and ethnic Armenians make up about three-quarters of the population today, the rest being mostly Azeris. Under the authority of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), it became an autonomous province within the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, which entirely surrounded it. In 1988 ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh sought the region's transfer to Armenia, but Soviet and Azerbaijani authorities refused. In 1991, when Armenia and Azerbaijan became independent countries following the break-up of the USSR, the two countries fought for control of Nagorno-Karabakh. By 1993 Armenia had occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and the strip of land that separated it from Armenia. Subsequently, ethnic Armenians, supported by forces from Armenia, seized control of the region and much of south-western Azerbaijan, where Armenians still retained control. A truce in 1994 left the region under the control of separatist ethnic Armenians. After seven years of an uneasy ceasefire and stalling negotiations, new peace initiatives, brokered by France and Turkey, were formulated in early 2001. Nonetheless, neither Azerbaijan nor the United Nations (UN) recognize the region's separation from Azerbaijan.