www.republicofsouthossetia.org

South Ossetia, also known as Tskhinvali Region, is a former territory of the USSR and the Republic of Georgia. Currently a disputed geographic area, South Ossetia is not recognized as an independent state by the Republic of Georgia, and is only partially recognized as a state within the South Caucasus. However, its people remain firmly rooted in their shared history, heritage and customs.

First settled in the Middle Ages, South Ossetia’s original settlers were of a Sarmatian tribe Read the rest of this entry »

South Ossetia, a country in the Caucasus whose claim for independence has caused conflict in the recent past, has three main religions. South Ossetians are primarily Orthodox Christians, though there are sizable portions of the population who practice Islam or who practice Ossetian traditional religions. Christianity was introduced to what is now South Ossetia in the beginning of the 10th century, while Islam was introduced in the 17th century. Due to the influence of their Read the rest of this entry »

Planning a vacation to South Ossetia? It’s a region most people don’t know anything about but it’s a great place to take in the sun and relax for a weekend. The culture here can’t be beat and for passport stamp collectors you can bet you’ll be the only one!
Get Online: Before you plan your trip get online with your t1internet.net connection and check out local festivals and see what time of year other travelers recommend you head out.
Talk to a Travel Agent: A travel agent may be your best bet at getting the inside track and score a great deal, too! Talk to someone in your area with a specialty in exotic locations and see what they can do – many agents offer a more ‘full’ service than others.
Talk to the Chamber of Commerce: There are tons of cities that love travelers to call – many will refer them to the visitor’s center where you can get great deals and preferred vendors. You can usually assume if the local government points you the way of a business the business is on the up and up!

South Ossetia declared it’s independence from Georgia and pronounced that it was a fully autonomous state in 1990. Up until 2008, when an armed conflict re-sparked tensions in the area, South Ossetia was sprinkled with small cities and villages, alternately occupied by both Georgian inhabitants and South Ossetians. Although South Ossetia declared it’s independence in 1991, it was not fully realized or recognized until 2008 when the armed conflict arose and settled the matter.

Some of the major cities in South Ossetia include Kvaisi, Mleta, and Kurta. The Roki Tunnel serves as a separating boundary of the two countries of South Ossetia and North Ossetia. A railroad runs to the major city of Tskhinvali. The city of Akhal-Gori is another major city in the state that has apartment buildings, a downtown area, it even has tourist attractions such as the Palace of Prince Eristov which sits in the center of Akhal-Gori in stately dignity. Somewhere on that large landscape of Akhal-Gori sits two huge stone statues of Lenin and Stalin although they have been decapitated. Java is another city in South Ossetia. Tskhinvali is the country’s capital. The area is longer embattled, however travel there is still not advised for foreigners.

Throughout the course of human history international borders have been realigned by war, strife, and political jostling. This often results in the separation of similar ethnic groups, tribes, and families. There have also been times however when ethnic groups are incapable of living together and redraw national borders because of strife between the sides. This is the case regarding the nations of Georgia and South Ossetia.

Both Georgia and South Ossetia joined with Russia in 1801 and the two were members of the Soviet Union after the Russian Revolution. While the Ossetians were given an autonomous region within Georgian territory, they fell under the rule of the Georgian and Soviet governments.

The two sides have fought three battles against each other since 1918, all with the goal of South Ossetia becoming independent from Georgia. A series of rebellions took place between 1918 and 1920 during which Georgian forces were sent in to crush the Ossetian rebellion. Tensions between the two sides again boiled over in 1989, leading to nearly 20 years of tense relations between the two ethnic groups.

The heart of the conflict has been the desire of the Ossetians to gain the status of a fully autonomous republic. The most recent conflict between South Ossetia and Georgia, in 2008, led to South Ossetia gaining de-facto autonomous status. Ossetian separatists and Russian forces held off Georgia’s use of force in South Ossetia, allowing the Ossetians to declare themselves a separate nation. Since that conflict Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Nauru and Tuvalu have politically recognized South Ossetia as separate while Georgia does not.

South Ossetia, formerly part of the country of Georgia, has not been a nation for long. Although it has been a nation since 1990 in its own eyes, the country it used to be part of still considers it part of Georgia’s territory. While the modern history of the new nation is interesting, it does not answer the question of what the country’s official language is. Visitors to the area need to know this information to communicate effectively. If they do not speak one of the official languages, they may find it difficult to communicate in any case.

The area has three official languages Georgian, Russian and Ossetian. Russian remains from the days when the country was a territory of the USSR. Although it was part of the USSR, it was partially autonomous. Ossetian was taught in the schools of the country.

People who want to do business in the nation need to know the nation’s administrative languages. The administrative languages remain Russian and Georgian. Ossetian has not yet been used by the government, although it likely to take a larger rule in the province in the newly independent state in the near future. Official documents will not use the local language.

South Ossetia declared its independence from the Russian territory of Georgia in 1990. Georgia has tried to reclaim the territory several times since then, but it has little success. Few countries officially recognize the nation’s sovereignty. Russia, Nicaragua, and Venezuela are currently the only exceptions to this. The European Union did not come to a referendum and many other countries consider the political situation in the region too unstable.

The Republic of South Osettia is lead by a prime minister and a parliament that is elected by the people. Georgia, however, considers the country part of its territory. It views the territory the nation know claims as under Russian occupation. Georgia recently tried to reclaim the area in 2008, but it was repelled by forces from Russia and the Ossetian separatists.

Edward Kokoity currently heads the Republic of South Ossetia. The northern part of the country announced plans to be reabsorbed into Russia. Kokoity announced that he has no plans of giving up the country’s independence. He has said the fight for independence cost too many lives to be given up so easily. For now, the country maintains its independence, although Georgia refuses to recognize the existence of an independent country.

One of the first lessons any child learns during their early years in school is geography and civics. At first students are taught the geography of the country they live in, but eventually they are introduced to the world as a whole through textbooks and globes. The location and number of countries in planet Earth has changed numerous times during the course of human history through politics and war. One of the newest nations on planet Earth is South Ossetia.

South Ossetia you say? Don’t be surprised if most people react to the name of this nation with confusion. Most people are likely unaware it even exists, much less where it exists. So the question is where is South Ossetia in the world?

The nation of South Ossetia was first carved out of the map in 1991. South Ossetia is located almost entirely within the independent nation of Georgia. The nation of Georgia is located along the Black Sea in the former Soviet Union. Georgia’s borders come in contact with the Black Sea in the west, Turkey and Armenia in the south, Azerbaijan in the south and east, and Russia to the north.

South Ossetia carved out its borders as a separatist nation from Georgia. The nation is located within the north-central region of Georgia and shares three of its four borders with Georgia as a result. South Ossetia’s northern border is shared with Russia, its biggest ally.

South Ossetia is separated from North Ossetia, a territory that is still part of Russia, by the Caucasus to the north. The Mtkvari River to the south largely serves as the border between South Ossetia and Georgia, though it does not strictly follow the path of the river. South Ossetia lies along the southern edge of the Caucasus, resulting in a nation that is very rugged and mountainous. Most of the land in South Ossetia is located at least 3,281 ft. above sea level with its highest point at Mount Khalatsa reaching 12,920 ft. above sea level.