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Both Armenia and Azerbaijan make historical claims about Nagorno-Karabakh.
The conflict dates back a long time and the entire area ended under Russian rule in the early 1800s. The violent clashes turned into a full-scale war after Armenia and Azerbaijan declared independent states in 1991 in connection with the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Nagorno-Karabakh declared its independence the same year, but it has not been recognized by the outside world, not even by Armenia. Actually, the area functions as an independent state under the protection of Armenia.
Up to 30,000 people, mostly Azeris, died during the Nagorno-Karabakh war, which lasted until 1994.
It was with the help of Russia that a ceasefire was concluded in 1994. Since then, peace talks have been held, but no peace agreement has been signed, the conflict has not been resolved, and fighting has continued to break out.
The area formally belongs to Azerbaijan, but the majority of the 150,000 inhabitants are Armenians.
Source: Landguiden / Foreign Policy Institute
