South Ossetia

South Ossetia^{[n 1]} (/ɒˈsɛtiə/ (listen) o-SET-ee-ə, less common: /ɒˈsiːʃə/ (listen) o-SEE-shə),^[4] officially the Republic of South Ossetia – the State of Alania,^[5][6] is a partially recognised landlocked state in the South Caucasus.^[7] It has an officially stated population of just over 56,500 people (2022), who live in an area of 3,900 square kilometres (1,500 sq mi), on the south side of the Greater Caucasus mountain range, with 33,000 living in the capital city, Tskhinvali. Only Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru, and Syria recognise South Ossetia as a sovereign state.^[8] Although Georgia does not control South Ossetia, the Georgian government and the United Nations consider the territory part of Georgia.

Georgia does not recognise the existence of South Ossetia as a political entity, and the territory comprising South Ossetia does not correspond to any Georgian administrative area (although Georgian authorities have set up the Provisional Administration of South Ossetia as a transitional measure leading to the settlement of South Ossetia's status), with most of the territory forming part of the Shida Kartli region. The Georgian constitution designates the area as "the former autonomous district of South Ossetia", in reference to the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast disbanded in 1990.^[9] When neutral language is deemed necessary, both Georgia and international organisations often refer to the area informally as the Tskhinvali region.^{[n 2]}

The South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast, established by Soviet authorities in 1922, declared independence from the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991. The Georgian government responded by abolishing South Ossetia's autonomy and trying to re-establish its control over the region by force.^[10] The escalating crisis led to the 1991–1992 South Ossetia War.^[11] Georgians have fought against those controlling South Ossetia on two other occasions: in 2004 and in 2008.^[12] The latter conflict led to the Russo-Georgian War of August 2008, during which Ossetian and Russian forces gained full de facto control of the territory of the former South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast. Since the 2008 war, Georgia and a significant part of the international community have regarded South Ossetia as occupied by the Russian military.

South Ossetia relies heavily on military, political, and financial aid from Russia.^[13][14] Since 2008, the South Ossetian government has expressed their intention of joining the Russian Federation; if successful, this would end its proclaimed independence. The prospect of a referendum on this matter has been raised multiple times in domestic politics, but none have taken place.

The Ossetians are believed to originate from the Alans, a nomadic Iranian tribe.^[15] In the 8th century a consolidated Alan kingdom, referred to in sources of the period as Alania, emerged in the northern Caucasus Mountains. Around 1239–1277 Alania fell to the Mongol and later to the Timur's armies, who massacred much of the Alanian population. The survivors among the Alans retreated into the mountains of the central Caucasus and gradually started migration to the south, across the Caucasus Mountains into the Kingdom of Georgia.^[16][18].

In the 17th century, by pressure of Kabardian princes, Ossetians started a second wave of migration from the North Caucasus to the Kingdom of Kartli.^[19] Ossetian peasants, who were migrating to the mountainous areas of the South Caucasus, often settled in the lands of Georgian feudal lords.^[20] The Georgian King of the Kingdom of Kartli permitted Ossetians to immigrate.^[21] According to Russian ambassador to Georgia Mikhail Tatishchev, at the beginning of the 17th century there was already a small group of Ossetians living near the headwaters of the Greater Liakhvi River.^[21][22] In the 1770s there were more Ossetians living in Kartli than ever before.