War in the Caucasus
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, territories of its former empire that were immediately declared independent sovereign nations as well as those whose status is yet to be determined have fallen prey to foreign and internal interests seeking to separate them from Russia. One such major area is the Caucasus land bridge sandwiched between the Black and Caspian Seas that since antiquity has been the interface between Europe and Asia. Some of the predominantly Turkic peoples have formed separatist parties seeking independence from Russia. International oil and gas interests want access and rights to exploit the mineral wealth and strategic position of the Caucasus. Indeed, the very geographic location of the Caucasus makes it a vital trans-Eurasian energy-transit route, delivering energy to the West.
The Caucasus itself is laterally divided into the South Caucasus (Transcaucasia), which includes the sovereign states of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, and the North Caucasus (Ciscaucasia) under Russian control that comprises the autonomous republics of Chechnya, Ingushetia, Dagestan, North Ossetia, and other small entities. Armenia and Georgia are ancient Christian states with equally venerable Caucasian Jewish communities coexisting over the centuries amidst a sea of Muslims. Conflicts have already erupted in Chechnya, Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, South Ossetia, and Ingushetia, and a major war has just been concluded between Russia and Georgia. Read more