In which part of the Transcaucasian region is Azerbaijan located. The peculiarity of the EGP of Transcaucasia
This region includes three countries, former republics of the Soviet Union. On the one hand, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan are quite different from each other. On the other hand, they are close not only geographically. they are combined into one region also a common history recent centuries and many acute problems that have common roots. The key country in this part of Asia is Georgia.
Georgia
General information. The official name is the Republic of Georgia. The capital is Tbilisi (1200000 people). The area is more than 69 thousand km 2 (118th place in the world). Population - 5 million people (106th place). The state language is Georgian. Monetary unit - l ari.
Geographical position. The country is located in the central and western parts of Transcaucasia. The western part of Georgia has a wide outlet to the Black Sea. It directly borders four countries. In the north and northeast it is Russia, in the east and southeast - Azerbaijan, in the south - Armenia and Turkey. Contemporary geographical position Georgia is not very favorable. It is surrounded by crisis countries and their individual territories, where the war continues almost continuously. Particularly extreme is the border of Georgia with the North Caucasus of the Russian Federation.
History of origin and development. BC, the states of Colchis and Iberia arose on the territory of modern Georgia. In the 1st century BC e. they became dependent on the Roman Empire, and in the IV century. n. e. converted to Christianity. In the 5th century Iberia (Kartli) was annexed to Persia. From the 8th century turned into an independent state, which reached its peak in the 20th century. during the reign of Queen Tamara. Later it broke up into Kartli, Kakheti and Imereti. In the 19th century it was annexed to Russia. The growth of the national liberation struggle led to the revival of an independent state in 1917. However, in 1921. Georgia was occupied by Russian Soviet troops. 31922 r. Entered the USSR as part of the Transcaucasian Federation (together with Azerbaijan and Armenia). In 1936 it became a union republic. After the declaration of independence in 1991, acute internal conflicts constantly continue in the state due to attempts to separate autonomies (Abkhazia, Adzharia, South Ossetia), which escalated into a civil war with Russian intervention. The conservation of conflicts took place, they passed into the chronic stage. Georgia is constantly trying to get out of Russia's tutelage and join the EU and NATO.
State structure and form of government. Georgia is a unitary state and a presidential republic. The president is the head of state and head of the executive branch. The government is headed by the prime minister. The highest legislative body is the parliament. It is unicameral and consists of 235 deputies elected for a term of 4 years. Administratively-territorially Georgia is divided into 10 districts, 2 autonomous republics and 1 autonomous region.
Natural conditions and resources. The relief of Georgia is very diverse. Mountains and plateaus predominate. The most high point country, Mount Shkhara (5,068 m) is located in northern Georgia in the mountains of the Greater Caucasus. In the south, a volcanic highland rises to a height of over 1,000 meters above sea level. In the east of the country, mountain systems are no higher than 2 thousand meters. The western part is occupied by the flat Colchis lowland.
Most of Georgia lies in the subtropical climate zone. In the west, near the Black Sea coast, there are humid subtropics. In winter, the temperature of the coldest month (January) is up to + 6 ° C. The amount of precipitation is up to 2000 mm per year. Further to the east, the continentality of the climate increases. The rainfall is getting smaller. Winter is cold and summer is warmer.
Dense river network and full-flowing rivers where there is a lot of precipitation, that is, in the west. The largest rivers Rioni and Kura belong to the basins of different seas. There are frequent floods on the rivers of Western Georgia. There are few lakes in the country.
The soil cover of Georgia is very variegated. In the west, red and yellow soils dominate. In the east - chestnut, brown and black soils. Brown forest soils have formed under the mountain forests. Subtropical podzolic and swampy soils are common in the Colchis Lowland.
Peculiar and rich flora. There are endemic and relic species, such as cherry laurel, boxwood, persimmon, etc. Significant forest cover of the territory reaches 35%. There are valuable species of trees - beech, oak, hornbeam, spruce, pine, etc. Roe deer, red deer, lynx, and brown bear are found in the forests. In the mountains of the Caucasus, chamois, bezokar and goats, tours are still found.
The main minerals are manganese ore and coal. There are significant deposits of copper and polymetallic ores. Rich reserves of valuable building materials, in particular tufa and marble. There are numerous sources of thermal waters. The rivers have significant reserves of hydropower resources.
The largest natural wealth of Georgia of world importance is recreational resources. Among them, unique mineral healing waters stand out.
population. The population density in Georgia is 72 people per 1 km 2. Natural conditions determine the uneven distribution of population, settlements are rare in mountainous areas. Almost 90% of the population lives at altitudes not exceeding 1000 m. They occupy only 46% of the country's territory. The urban population prevails - 59%. In addition to the capital, the largest cities include Kutaisi (240 thousand people), Rustavi (156 thousand people). The country is experiencing a slight increase in population - 2.8% o. In addition to Georgians (72% of the population), Armenians (8%) and Russians (6%) live. Orthodox believers prevail (66%). Muslim Georgians (11%) live in Adzharia.
Economy. Georgia is an industrial-agrarian state with a specific combination of economic sectors that has developed historically. First of all, this is the extraction of manganese ore, the food industry, subtropical agriculture and the recreational complex.
The industry is represented by the energy industry based on the extraction of coal in Tkibuli and Tkvarcheli, the production of electricity at thermal and hydroelectric power plants. The largest among the last Inguri hydroelectric power station.
Ferrous metallurgy is represented by the Rustavi Metallurgical Combine and a ferroalloy plant in Zestaponi. They work on local manganese and imported iron ores. There are enterprises for the extraction and enrichment of copper and polymetallic ores. A powerful chemical plant, which produces nitrogen fertilizers, synthetic resins, fibers, caprolactam. There are several enterprises in the woodworking, furniture and pulp and paper industries.
There are six large light industry factories in the country. They produce silk, cotton fabrics, knitwear, carpets and shoes.
The most part of the Georgian economy is a branched agro-industrial complex. Here they grow tea, citrus wheat, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, grapes, tobacco; cattle (1 million heads) and sheep are bred. Process industries Food Industry are represented by enterprises of the tea, wine-making and fruit-and-vegetable canning industries. Famous Georgian wines, which have no analogues in the world, are produced in Kakheti and Imereti, cognac and champagne - in Tbilisi. Throughout the territory there are numerous factories that produce canned fruits and vegetables. Other branches of the food industry include bottling of mineral waters, production of tung oil, tobacco and butter and cheese industries.
The transport network of Georgia is represented by railways (about 1500 km) and roads (11 thousand km). There are significant seaports of Poti, Batumi, Sukhumi and the Baku-Supsa oil pipeline.
Culture and social development. In the country, 99% of the population is literate. There are 19 higher education institutions in Georgia educational institutions. There are 32 theaters and 10 museums. The Gelati Monastery belongs to the world-class historical and cultural heritage. Totally listed by UNESCO - C objects. The average life expectancy is 76 years, for men - 69 years. The largest newspaper is "Sakartvelos republic".
July 22, 1992 established diplomatic relations between Ukraine and the Republic of Georgia through the exchange of notes. An embassy and a trade and economic representation of the Republic of Georgia operate in Kyiv.
Questions and tasks
1. Justify why Georgia is given a key place among the countries of the Caucasus.
2. Why is the population of Georgia so unevenly distributed?
3. What are the resources of economic development in Georgia?
The models of the countries of the region, despite their geographical proximity and common historical past, currently have more differences than coincidences, mainly due to the difference in strategic interests, which leads to political and ethnic conflicts and the politicization of foreign economic relations. Countries turned out to be even more distant from each other economically than in Soviet time.
Civilizational differences also have an impact on economic models. economic asia cooperation
The presence in each of the countries of large enclave ethno-confessional groups has become recent decades one of the main factors of military-political conflicts in the region, up to the formation of new independent states, a high burden on the budget of military spending (the main suppliers of weapons for Georgia and Azerbaijan are NATO member countries, for Armenia, Abkhazia, North Ossetia - Russia), growth migratory flows from the region.
The high degree of integration of the Transcaucasian economies into Soviet period into a single all-union economy, the prevailing importance of ties with Russia and the all-Soviet market exacerbated their crisis after the collapse of the USSR. The sectoral structure of the economy that took shape during the Soviet period, a relatively high level of training work force and the developed service sector had a favorable impact on the formation of new market models of economic development. The countries of Transcaucasia managed to overcome the decline associated with the collapse of the USSR, and in the past decade, until the onset of the global economic crisis, their economic growth rates were very high - more than 10% in Georgia and Armenia, more than 25% - in Azerbaijan.
Common to the models of all countries in the region is the preservation of state monopolism and monopoly of private companies in the economy, which arose as a result of the primary redistribution of state property, and as a result, the insufficient development of the small and medium-sized business sector. However, in general, the influence of political authoritarianism on the nature of the countries' economic models is less pronounced than in Central Asia. It is more clearly manifested in the Azerbaijani model, which retains a significant state participation in the economy, in the formation of the economic models of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the models of Georgia and Armenia are more liberal. The presence of large oil and gas resources in Azerbaijan hinders the processes of privatization here, but at the same time accelerates the attraction of foreign capital. Therefore, in Azerbaijan, compared with other Caucasian countries, the reforms were carried out in stages, largely using the participation of foreign capital (especially Turkish), covering primarily light industry and trade. According to the index of economic freedom calculated in 2013, Georgia ranked 21st, Armenia - 38th, and Azerbaijan - 88th out of 177 countries.
The presence of natural resources has a significant impact on the sectoral structure of the models. In fact, all oil and gas reserves are concentrated in Azerbaijan, thanks to which Azerbaijan has become the most dynamic developing country in the region and the most attractive object of foreign investment. Growth of world prices for energy resources provided Azerbaijan with GDP growth since 2000. to 2011 12 times, to its share in 2011. accounted for more than 72% of the region's GDP with a population share of 53%. Azerbaijan ranks first in terms of per capita GNI (about 9 thousand dollars), in Armenia this figure is 6400 dollars, in Georgia - 5310 dollars.
Due to the oil and gas industry in Azerbaijan, the share of industry has risen to 67%, although the share of manufacturing industries does not exceed 6%. In Armenia and Georgia, the share of manufacturing in GDP is twice as high. The growth of oil and gas production in Azerbaijan has sharply reduced the share of agriculture (from 17% in 2000 to 6% in 2011), but in Armenia it remains high - 21%, and its decline in Georgia (from 22% to 9%) is largely explained by the growth of services for the transportation of Azerbaijani energy resources to Turkey and further to Europe.
The traditions of individual farming that were preserved in the region, despite its formal conduct in Soviet times within the framework of collective farms, ensured the rapid implementation of work on the creation of farm-type farms. Most rapidly this process took place in Armenia, slower - in Azerbaijan and Georgia, where significant place the agricultural structure was occupied by vineyards, tea plantations, which were in the hands of large state farms and collective farms.
A rather significant place in the economies of the Transcaucasian countries is occupied by the shadow business, although its share is rapidly declining. The level of illegal trade between the countries of the region and in international relations. Forms of Islamic business began to take hold in Azerbaijan, especially in the banking sector, and charitable foundations appeared in the form of waqfs, created on the basis of donations from members of the Muslim community.
Corruption continues to be a feature of the region's economic models. Corruption Perceptions Index 2012 Azerbaijan took 139th place, Armenia - 105th place, and Georgia - 51st place (there was a radical decrease in the level of corruption, mainly due to the law enforcement sphere).
The economic models of all countries in the region, including Abkhazia and South Ossetia, are largely oriented towards the use of foreign investment. If until the mid-2000s. the main inflow of foreign direct investment accounted for Azerbaijan (more than 70%), then already in 2010. in the total amount of FDI accumulated in the region in the amount of $27 billion, Azerbaijan accounted for 41%, while Georgia took the second place - 40%. The positions of foreign capital are strongest in industries oriented towards exports. For all countries of the region, except for Azerbaijan, which has a positive balance of foreign trade due to the export of energy resources, the problem of external debt is acute. In 2010 in Armenia it amounted to 65% of GDP, in Georgia - more than 80%.
Transcaucasia adjoins the southern border of the European part of Russia, where three states are located: Azerbaijan. They are located in the southern part of the Caucasian isthmus. In the south, this region borders on, in the north - on Russia. The Black Seas washing Transcaucasia and the railways laid along their shores play a major role in the relations of these states with others and the world.
The region is located in the subtropical. The natural conditions of the Transcaucasian states are very diverse. Here, on an area of 179.6 thousand km2, there are mountains covered with centuries-old snow and ice and deep hot valleys, dry semi-deserts scorched by the sun and wet lands, dressed in luxurious subtropical. About 60% of the surface of Transcaucasia is located above 600 m above sea level and is occupied by the slopes and spurs of the Greater Caucasus, the uplands and ridges of the Lesser Caucasus. Western Transcaucasia is an amphitheater open to and under the influence of westerly winds. On the Lankaran lowland - humid subtropics, precipitation is 1200 mm.
The dissected mountain relief creates difficulties in the cultivation of arable land, the construction of industrial facilities, the construction and operation of communication lines. It is necessary to take into account the high level of this area, 6-8 points. Climatic conditions and contrasts pose a problem for the economy: in the west - drainage, and in the east - irrigation. Humid subtropical forests grow in Western Transcaucasia, where they occupy 55% of the area and in the southeast of Eastern Transcaucasia. Forests perform important functions: wind-protective, anti-erosion, water-regulating, and balneological. Oak, hornbeam, beech, pine, spruce, boxwood, yew, cinchona, camphor, laurel, rhododendron, and other species grow in the forests. The territory of Transcaucasia is also rich in mineral springs, its waters have high healing properties, on the basis of which large clinics are organized.
Transcaucasia has large reserves of water resources. Rivers: Kura, Alazan, Hrazdan, Arak, Rioni; lakes: Ritsa, Sevan, Sarysu and others; glaciers of the Caucasus The groundwater. They are sources of electricity, irrigation of fields, water supply to industry, medical institutions, and the population.
The predominant type of soils in the mountains of the Greater Caucasus are brown mountain forest soils, mountain-meadow soils at an altitude of 1700 m - chernozems, and on the plains - alluvial, in some places yellow-earth and red-earth, on the Colchis lowland - meadow-bog (900 thousand ha), brown, brown - chestnut, brown.
Transcaucasia is one of the famous resort areas. But the management of the economy of countries is complicated by military interethnic conflicts.
General information. If Russia is separated from Central Asia by the "Kazakh cordon", then it is naked in front of the Transcaucasus, leaving it with one of its most vulnerable parts - the North Caucasus. Transcaucasia, which links the Black Sea with the Caspian, Russia with the Middle East and has energy resources (Azerbaijan), has not accidentally become an object of heightened interest of world powers. The special proximity of Azerbaijan to the key country for the West - Turkey (which is a member of NATO), the possible importance of Azerbaijan for influencing Iran also increase the importance of this region.
Located at the junction of Western Asia and Eastern Europe - Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan - have exclusively ancient roots. Thus, the Armenian and Georgian alphabets appeared much earlier (by as much as 1000 years) than the Cyrillic alphabet, on which the Russian alphabet is based; and Christianity spread long (600 years) before its adoption in Russia. Not only Armenians and Georgians, but also Azerbaijanis had their own statehood even before new era(V III- 1st century BC e. in Transcaucasia, the Armenian, Iberian and Albanian states are formed). The annexation of Transcaucasia to Russia took place at the end XVIII- early XIX c., and mainly voluntarily(contrary to the semi-literate statements of some high-ranking officials in the Georgian leadership after the collapse of the USSR).
The region is located almost entirely south of 43°N. sh. Mountain relief affects all elements of local nature: climate, river regime, soil and vegetation cover. Mountains define altitudinal zoning landscapes. The relatively low transverse Likhi Range serves as an important climatic division between the humid air masses of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea (Georgia) and the dry continental masses of the interior of Eurasia in the east (Azerbaijan). This has a marked effect on the specialization of agriculture.
Among the main minerals are oil and gas of the Apsheron Peninsula and the Caspian Sea, copper, molybdenum
And polymetallic ores of the Lesser Caucasus (Armenia), manganese (Georgia), etc. Medicinal mineral waters are widespread: Borjomi, Tskhaltubo (Georgia), Arzni, Jermuk (Armenia), Istisu (Azerbaijan). The Azerbaijani oil, which has been known since ancient times, is of primary importance. In the second half of the XIX century. Baku oil production acquired an industrial character, and at the beginning of the 20th century. the region became the largest oil producer in the world (over 11 million tons - more than half of world production). Foreign capital (English, Swedish, French, German) was widely attracted. A stream of kerosene and fuel oil began to flow from Baku along the Caspian Sea and further along the Volga to the interior regions of Russia, and the export of petroleum products through the port of Batumi began. Today, the center of production is increasingly shifting to the Caspian shelf, new projects are being created for transporting oil and gas to the West.
During the years of Soviet power, the republics of Transcaucasia carried out industrialization, achieving real success in building national economies. Their economic "face" today is largely determined by the production of oil and oil products (Azerbaijan), non-ferrous metals (Armenia and Azerbaijan), manganese (Georgia), subtropical agricultural products - lemons, tangerines, oranges, tea, tung oil, bay leaves (Georgia, Azerbaijan), cotton (Azerbaijan), etc.
The disintegration of the USSR destroyed the former economic integrity of the region. The six-year war between Armenia and Azerbaijan (1988-1993) over Nagorno-Karabakh did not go unnoticed, violating relations between neighboring countries. It claimed thousands of lives, tens of thousands of people were injured and more than 1 million people left their homes, becoming refugees. The economies of both countries were paralyzed. Georgia, in its turn, faced serious ethno-political problems in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Meanwhile, the economic interests of the countries of Transcaucasia are united, the republics geopolitically gravitate towards each other, the social strata need peace in order to get out of the contradictions that arose after the collapse of the USSR.
One of the most sensitive issues for new Russia is the excessive political and economic revitalization of US activities in the Caucasus and the Caspian Sea region, supported by a military presence in Georgia, which was considered a traditional Russian area of interest.
Trying to somehow disguise its own expansion in the Caucasus and reduce financial costs, the US is actively using the North Atlantic Alliance. Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, on a par with the territory, airspace and coastal waters of Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Hungary, the waters of the Mediterranean, Black and Seas of Azov official
but are included in the zone of responsibility of the regional command of the joint armed forces of NATO "South". In 2005, an agreement was signed at the Brussels headquarters of the alliance on the transit of NATO troops across the border of Georgia, which, in essence, legalized the American presence in that country.
In the “geopolitical headquarters” of the West, a project has long been developed to withdraw the states of Transcaucasia and Central Asia from the influence of Russia by creating an extensive network of roads and railways, oil and gas pipelines and an air corridor to bypass it (the so-called silk, more precisely pseudo-silk road of the 21st century).
Georgia. Georgians (self-name - cartvels) how the nation was formed from Kartlians, Kakhetians, Khevsurs, Gurians, Mingrelians, Lazs, Svans and other ethnic groups. However, the Georgian nation is not a monolithic entity, and the facts confirming this thesis are not particularly needed. In addition to Kartli, there are three more related languages in the country - Mingrelian, Svan and Laz. On the one hand, all three subethnoi recognize themselves as Georgians, but on the other hand, their remaining ethnic specificity, largely due to the "vicissitudes" of historical fate (for example, the Mingrelians lived under the rule of Byzantium and Turkey, and the Kartlians - Persia), serves as a breeding ground for the local separatism, which is not easy for eastern Georgians to cope with. And if after 1921 the Laz practically ended up in Turkey, and the Svans - no more than 40 thousand, then almost every fifth Georgian considers himself a Mingrelian. Zugdidi is considered the traditional capital of the Mingrelian eristaviate (principality), and without the involvement of the Mingrelians in the political mechanism of governing the country, it is hardly possible to achieve stability in the country.
Through the entire history of Orthodox Georgia (Adjarians, Lazs profess Islam), two tasks run like a red thread: to unite the lands and principalities (Kartli, Kakheti, Imereti, Tvaladi, Tusheti, etc.) and to repel the expansion of Islamic Turkey and Iran. Asked at the turn of the XVI-XIX centuries. under the wing of the Russian "eagle", she successfully solved both of these eternal tasks, but at the turn of the XX-XXI centuries. they reappeared. Just like four hundred and two hundred years ago, Georgia proved unable to be both integral and independent at the same time. As a loyal member of the world community, Russia (by helping South Ossetia to pay pensions to the elderly and salaries to state employees, and the residents of Abkhazia to receive Russian citizenship and freely cross the Russian border) could not officially recognize Georgia's sovereignty throughout the territory. But she could not refrain from participating in the fate of peoples who do not want to abruptly end relations with her.
People in Russia are accustomed to seeing in Georgia a fertile Black Sea country from all points of view, generously gifted by nature. Otcha-
Stee, this is true. Humid subtropics off the coast of the Black Sea (the Lankaran region in Azerbaijan is noticeably inferior to them in terms of land area suitable for cultivating subtropical crops and agro-natural potential); fertile plains with a climate favorable for agriculture in the central and eastern parts of Georgia; rich pastures in subalpine and alpine meadows Caucasus mountains; rivers rich in manganese and water resources (Rioni, Ingu-ri, Kura, Kodori, Bzyb, etc.); hundreds of healing springs - all this creates good prerequisites for the socio-economic development of sovereign Georgia. Indeed, within the framework of the USSR, Georgia was one of the most developed republics, having a relatively balanced economic complex (including Rustavi's ferrous metallurgy and certain branches of engineering). Agriculture was based on three branches: subtropical farming, horticulture and viticulture, and transhumance. Cultivation of perennial subtropical crops (tea, citrus fruits - oranges, tangerines, grapefruits, lemons, essential oil plants, noble laurel, persimmon, etc.) and winemaking brought Georgia a good reputation in the former USSR.
However, a significant part of Georgia is wedged into the depths of the Caucasian Isthmus (the middle reaches of the Kura, the valley of its tributary Alazani in Kakheti, the spurs of the Greater Caucasus in the north of the country and the Lesser Caucasus in the south, etc.), and there is no longer a climatic "paradise" and fertile soils . But the main thing is that the country is experiencing a clear shortage of hydrocarbon raw materials, especially oil and gas. From the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and from Mesopotamia, the country of Meskhs (i.e. Georgia) is seen as the extreme northern periphery with a rather harsh climate and stony soils, which is partially confirmed by the obvious uncompetitiveness of Georgian wines, lemons, tea on the world market (not to mention electric locomotives, ferroalloys of Zestaponi, trucks of Kutaisi, etc.). As the prices for raw materials and energy imported from Russia soar, the cost of Georgian products becomes “unbearable” even for undemanding buyers from underdeveloped countries.
Taking into account the historical past of this country, two possible scenarios for the future development of sovereign Georgia in accordance with its geopolitical position are most often discussed in the specialized literature. In accordance with the first of them, it breaks with the "empire of the North" (ie our country) and builds its future, relying on the United States and Western allies. In this case, the country of Sakartvelo will never be able to become Puerto Rico, but will return to the orbit of the Iranian-Turkish rivalry to its usual place on the northern border of the Front East, being forced
become a "foreign" part of the Muslim world. In the second case, Georgia returns to the geopolitical "bosom" of Russia, but, of course, taking into account its geopolitical and geo-economic interests.
What kind of orientation will bring prosperity and territorial integrity to the country and inner world- the Georgian people themselves will decide. Strengthening integration with Georgia, support for its state sovereignty (taking into account such an incredibly complex factor as Abkhazian and South Ossetian separatism) is able to have a beneficial effect on the supply of oil and gas raw materials to Georgia, and to Russia - products of subtropical agriculture, as well as on the sharing Georgian ports for transit, a joint strategy for the development of the resort industry, etc. Georgia occupies an exceptionally favorable geopolitical and geostrategic position in the Black Sea, and in this regard, it can be assumed with a high degree of probability that the relationship between the two countries will largely be determined by the "evolution" of the Abkhazian issue.
Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The internal political and administrative division of Soviet Georgia showed features of a federal type and included the Adjarian (Batumi), Abkhazian (Sukhumi) and South Ossetian (Tskhinvali) autonomies. After the collapse of the USSR, Georgia inherited, of course, those regions that had previously been repeatedly excluded from it: Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Akhalkalaki and Akhaltsikhe.
The essence of the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict rests on the unresolved issue of the status of Abkhazia, which in the former socialist Georgia was a "law-abiding" autonomy. Opposing the movement for the process of sovereignization of Abkhazia on August 13-14, 1992, the Georgian National Guard tried to solve the "Abkhaz problem" by force, provoking a bloody inter-ethnic war. The war was lost by the Georgians, and r. Enguri became a "delimitation zone" for the opposing sides. The consequences of the bloody "inter-ethnic showdown" - 100 thousand injured people on both sides, the mass resettlement of the Georgian population from Abkhazia, a radical change in the ethnic situation in the former Georgian autonomy, mutual hostility and wounded pride of the proud highlanders.
Sukhumi proceeds from the fact that Abkhazia is neither de jure nor de facto connected with Georgia, and at the negotiating table they do not agree to accept any wording that would put Abkhazia in the position of a part of Georgia, even if with a special status. Tbilisi does not want to accept any formulations that would not fix the territorial integrity of Georgia. The Constitution of the new Abkhazia says that the republic is an independent
My state, subject international law. In Tbilisi, this Constitution is considered illegal, citing the fact that about 500 thousand people previously lived in Abkhazia, most of whom today are refugees who did not take part in the adoption of the Basic Law.
In April 1994, the warring parties signed a statement on measures for the political settlement of the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict, as well as an agreement to send to the conflict zone (in the Gaelsky region of Abkhazia and the Zugdidi region of Georgia) a peacekeeping detachment of the CIS forces, consisting mainly of Russian military personnel (Russian troops were also deployed in the Adjara and South Ossetian autonomies). His presence was dictated by a number of circumstances - the mutual economic interests of Russia and Georgia, Russia's desire to secure its borders, to resist "foreign" influence in the Caucasus and Transcaucasia, to protect the population (which, however, practically does not feel the infringement of human rights here).
From the positions of political geography, geopolitics and geo-economics, Russia is vitally interested in a stable, but closely consolidated with the Russian Federation, Abkhazia.
According to the most common point of view, the Ossetians are the descendants of the Scythian, Sarmatian and especially Alanian tribes. The self-name of the Ossetians "Iron" exactly coincides with the self-name of the Sarmatians, who lived in the steppes- North Caucasus another 2 thousand years ago. The reason for the geographical isolation of the two components of the Ossetian ethnos is widely known. Driven by the desire to remain independent from the Golden Horde, the Ossetian Alans were forced to go high into the mountain gorges. Some of them overcame the Main Caucasian Range settled on its southern slopes. After the annexation of the territory of present-day North Ossetia to Russia (the last quarter XVIII c.) many Ossetians descended from the mountains and again settled on the plain, next to the Cossack villages that had already formed here. It was relatively easy for the Orthodox highlanders to find a common language with the Cossacks.
Russia's desire to participate in deciding the fate of the South Ossetians is quite justified. We are talking about the border zone of the national security of the country, inhabited by representatives of the “spun off” Russian ethnic group, who mostly have Russian passports, receive Russian pensions and benefits and are completely dependent on Russia. Various forms of Russian property (including land), business structures, etc. have spread here.
Armenia. Armenians (self-name - hay) - the most ancient people with rich cultural traditions and dramatic fate. The ethnic homeland of the Armenians is the Armenian Highlands (from
Noah Big Ararat!). Many years of bloody wars with the Seljuk Turks, Tatar-Mongols, Ottoman Turks, Persians led to the extermination of many Armenians and their "dispersion" around the world (this circumstance makes them "related" to the Jews). Having lost their statehood in the Middle Ages, the Armenians fell under the rule of Iran, and then Turkey. Since several million Armenians in the XX century. continued to live in Turkey on their historical lands, they experienced strong pressure from local units (about 1.5 million Armenians became victims of the genocide). Armenians are Christians (it is believed that they were the first people who adopted Christianity as the state religion in 301).
Unlike Georgia and Azerbaijan, Armenia does not have access to the sea, which (given its deteriorating relations with Azerbaijan and traditionally “cool” relations with Turkey) makes its foreign economic relations extremely difficult. 90% of its surface lies at an altitude of over 1,000 m, and consequently, its arable land (with the exception of the Ararat Valley) is located much higher than in the countries mentioned. Complete absence mineral fuel stimulated at one time the construction of a cascade of hydroelectric power stations (6 stations) on the river. Hrazdan, flowing from Lake Sevan. The economic "face" of modern Armenia is determined by non-ferrous metallurgy (mainly copper), the chemical industry (synthetic rubber, plastics, tires, etc.), and certain branches of engineering. Alpine agriculture in arid climate is impossible without irrigation. Vegetables, cotton, sugar beets, tobacco, peaches, apricots, plums, and grapes are grown on irrigated lands. Juicy summer pastures of high mountain plateaus make it possible to breed cattle, sheep, goats. Like Georgia, the Achilles' heel of the national economy is energy poverty.
Azerbaijan. Azerbaijanis - ancient people Turkic ethnolinguistic group, which has a complex ethnogenesis and rich spiritual culture. Being the largest ethnic group in Transcaucasia, it is among the disunited: most of the Azerbaijanis live abroad, mainly in neighboring Iran (South Azerbaijan). By religion, Azerbaijanis are Muslims (with one part of them professing Sunnism, the other - Shiism). cultural traditions Azerbaijanis largely date back to XII century, the era of the outstanding philosopher and poet Nizami Ganjavi.
In Azerbaijan, unlike Georgia and Armenia, there is a large area of arable land (Kura-Araks lowland, Kirovabad-Kazakh plain, etc.), but the country lies in a dry subtropical climate and, with the exception of the Lenkoran lowland, agriculture without irrigation is impossible. The main income from agriculture comes from cotton. Cultivated tea, citrus
vye, tung, tobacco, grapes, subtropical fruits (figs, pomegranate, quince, persimmon, pistachio, almonds), stone fruits (peaches, apricots).
Since the main natural resources Azerbaijan - oil and gas, then they determine the industrial specialization of the republic. In one way or another, ferrous metallurgy, mechanical engineering and the chemical industry are also connected with them (production of pipes, drilling equipment, rubber, plastics, tires in Baku, Sumgayit and other centers). Influx at the beginning of the 20th century. large Russian and Western capitals contributed to the transformation of Baku into an international city, where the integration of Eastern and Western cultures took place. The paradox was that in some respects Baku was no less a European city than Christian Tbilisi and Yerevan.
After the collapse of the USSR, many experts began to express an opinion about the possible “drift” of Azerbaijan towards Iran, taking into account the confessional and ethno-linguistic (I mean Iranian Azerbaijan) proximity of the two countries. However, the geopolitical and geo-economic interests of these states still do not coincide much.
Nagorno-Karabakh: "frozen" conflict. A cursory glance at the political and administrative map of Azerbaijan is enough to realize the main geopolitical essence of the Karabakh problem. Within the boundaries of Karabakh, during the Soviet era, the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region (NKAO) was formed as part of Azerbaijan, with 87% of its population being Armenians. One of the first ethnic conflicts in the USSR (1988) led to the official abolition of this autonomy. At the same time, the leadership of Nagorno-Karabakh, closely coordinating its policy with Yerevan, on September 2, 1991, proclaimed the territory an independent republic within the boundaries of the former NKAR and the Shahumyan region.
Flashed at the turn of 1991 - 1992. a full-scale war between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Karabakh turned out to be quite bloody. During the armed conflict, the Armenian-Karabakh formations managed to gain an advantage and not only captured almost the entire territory of the NKAR, but also occupied part of the adjacent Azerbaijani lands with the aim of turning them into a "security zone".
In addition, the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict gave rise to a serious problem of refugees and "resettlement", which directly affected the interests of the Russian Federation, as part of the refugees poured into Russian territory. After the collapse of the USSR, Russia's status as an international mediator in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict turned out to be very unclear, which in different time encouraged all participants in the conflict (Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Na-
mountainous Karabakh) to blame Russia either for interfering in internal affairs or for their military defeats. Nevertheless, with the mediation of the Russian Federation, Kyrgyzstan and the UN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, on May 5, 1994, in Bishkek, representatives of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh signed a protocol (and not a peace treaty) on a ceasefire. Unfortunately, he played the role of only a temporary respite in the fierce information and sabotage struggle of the opposing sides.
The positions of Azerbaijan and Armenia regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict are well known. Official Baku proceeds from the fact that Armenia committed an act of aggression against its neighbor and tried to annex foreign lands with all the ensuing consequences. In this regard, Azerbaijan insists, first of all, on the return of seized lands outside the NKAO under international guarantees, as well as on solving the problem of refugees, and then the problem of the jurisdiction of Nagorno-Karabakh. Official Yerevan brings to the fore the problem of the security of the Armenian population of Karabakh, at the same time supporting its right to self-determination.
Control questions and tasks
1. How different natural resource potential countries of the Caucasus? 2. Recall from history the circumstances of the annexation of Transcaucasia to the Russian Empire. What is the “absurdity” of accusing the Georgian authorities (2006) of “annexing” this state by our country? 3. Name the main branches of economic specialization of the Transcaucasian countries. 4. What is the state of the Abkhazian, South Ossetian and Karabakh "geopolitical knots" for the current year? 5. What specifically testifies in favor of the close integration of the peoples and states of Transcaucasia?
Tsakhurs, Russians, and representatives of other nationalities.
The process of formation of the indigenous peoples of Transcaucasia began in the 3rd - 1st millennium BC. In ancient times, the states of Urartu, Colchis, Iberia, Diaochia, Midia, Atropatena and others were formed on the territory of Transcaucasia. Ani Armenian kingdom, in the XI-XII centuries. - The Georgian kingdom and the state of the Shirvanshahs in Azerbaijan - in the XIV-XV centuries. An ethnographic group of Georgians has developed on this territory, which consists of several local groups - Kartvelians, Mingrelians, Svans, which make up the Kartvelian group. The Kartwell ethnic group includes Kakhetians, Kartlins, Meskhs, Ja-Vakhs, Imeretins, Lechkhums, Rachins, Adjarians, and Gurians. They have differences in language, in culture, which is determined by the diversity of natural conditions, the specifics of historical development. The current one includes Abkhazia, Adzharia, where Abkhazians and Adjarians live. The bulk of Georgians profess Orthodoxy, 50% of Abkhazians, Meskhs and Javakhs - Islam.
In the II and I millennium BC. on the territory of the Armenian Highlands, an intensive process of ethnic consolidation and merging of tribes (Hurrits, Armens, Urartians, Luwians) took place, an Armenian-speaking ethnic community was formed, and the state of Urartu was formed on the basis of this union. After the invasion in the VI century. BC. Cimmerians, Scythians, the state of Urartu ceased to exist, and the Armenian kingdom arose on this territory. Armenia was known to many peoples of ancient civilization. She was depicted on a Babylonian map (5th century BC). From the 1st century AD the territory became the object of a fierce struggle between Rome and Parthia. These new historical conditions created the ground for the spread of Christianity in Armenia. In 301 it was officially adopted as the state religion. From the 7th century by the 19th century Armenia constantly fought for its independence with Byzantium, with the Seljuk Turks, with the Tatar-Mongols, with,. It was an extremely difficult period for Armenian people, at this time the largest extermination of Armenians took place. And only after the Russian-Persian war, in 1828, Armenia was freed from the Persians and joined Russia, but Western Armenia remained under the rule of Muslim Turkey.
