South Ossetia

Rare card · No. 19862

South Ossetia, formally the Republic of South Ossetia—the State of Alania since 2017, and originally the Republic of South Ossetia, is a partially recognised state in the South Caucasus. It has an officially stated population of just over 56,500 people (2022), who live in an area of 3,900 square kilometres (1,500 sq mi), with 33,000 living in the capital city, Tskhinvali. It de facto borders only Russia and Georgia. As of 2026, four members of the United Nations (UN) recognise South Ossetia as a sovereign state – Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Syria. The Georgian government and all other UN member states regard South Ossetia as sovereign territory of Georgia. Georgia and the European Court of Human Rights have ruled the region to be under the Russian occupation because of Russia's military, political and economic presence in South Ossetia. The political status of South Ossetia is a central issue of the Georgian–Ossetian conflict and Georgia–Russia relations. The Georgian government informally...

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