Ossetia

Ossetia (/ɒˈsɛtiə/ ⓘ o-SET-ee-ə, less common: /ɒˈsiːʃə/ ⓘ o-SEE-shə; Ossetian: Ирыстон or Ир, romanized: Iryston or Ir, pronounced [iˈrəston]) is an ethnolinguistic region located on both sides of the Greater Caucasus Mountains, largely inhabited by the Ossetians.

[2][3][4][5] The northern portion of the region consists of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania within the Russian Federation.

Although a Russian-mediated and Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe-monitored ceasefire was implemented in South Ossetia in 1992, the Georgian-Ossetian conflict[13] still remains unresolved even though a recent peace plan proposed by the government of Georgia promised the South Ossetians larger autonomy and pledged expanded international involvement in the political settlement of the conflict.

Meanwhile, the South Ossetian secessionist authorities demand independence or unification with North Ossetia, which itself is located in Russia, while the international community instead recognizes it and Abkhazia as a part of Georgia.

[17] There was also a vote in favor of a new term for Eduard Kokoity, who was the de facto state's president at the time.