The Caucasus Nations Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan

Background Land between the Black and Caspian Seas. Land dominated by the Caucasus Mountains. Home to many ethnic groups. Under the influence of U.S.S.R. for much of the 19 th century.

Georgia The eastern shore of the Black Sea. Subtropical climate; warm winters; heavy rainfall. Grapes, citrus, tobacco, tea, silk. Known for fine wine. Tourism is big part of economy. Eastern Georgia is more Continental with colder climate and more grain production. 1990’s oil pipeline has boosted economy.

Ethnic Differences 70% of population are ethnic Georgians. The remaining is broken into Armenians, Azeris, Russians, Abkhars, and Ossentians. Abkhars and Ossentians have pressed for autonomy in recent years.

Armenia Landlocked. Size of Maryland. Rocky terrain. Rug making is traditional craft. Most are Eastern Orthodox Christian. Mount Ararat; Where Noah’s Ark is believed to have settled.

Conflicts Armenians were victims of genocide by the Turks during World War I. Most recent conflicts have been with neighboring Azerbaijan (Mostly Islamic nation). Nationalism and cultural differences fuel the conflict. Wars between two countries over land since their independence from USSR has caused hundreds of thousands of citizens from both nations to migrate.

Azerbaijan Western shore of Caspian Sea. Rich in petroleum deposits. More than half pop. lives in rural areas. Herding in mountains and farming river valleys. More than 90% of pop. are native Azeris.

Economic problems Economy worn by conflict with Armenia. Recovering with petroleum exports. Foreign investors interested in Caspian reserves, but hesitate because of frequent earthquakes. Russia has tried to dominate oil transportation through area.