The Conflict

Nagorno-Karabakh, which is primarily Armenian, was a province of Azerbaijan for much of the time it was part of the USSR. Nagorno-Karabakh is fighting for its independence from Azerbaijan, with support from Armenia.

Ethnic

• The people of Nagorno-Karabakh are primarily Armenian and Christian; the people of Azerbaijan are primarily Azeri and Muslim.

Political

• Armenians and Armenians in the United States support Nagorno-Karabakh.
• Turkey and Iran periodically aid Azerbaijan.

Economic

• Oil has been discovered in Azerbaijan, so many countries have an interest in settling the war.

Between 1988 and 1994 an undeclared war raged in the small, mountainous territory of Nagorno-Karabakh (pronounced Na-Gore-No Car-a-Bach, and often referred to as Karabakh). Nagorno-Karabakh is a seventeen hundred squaremile enclave that lies within the borders of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan and Armenia each claim Nagorno-Karabakh as a significant part of their respective histories. In...