Azerbaijan, located in the Transcaucasian region of Western Asia, has a complex geographical location, bordering Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Iran and Turkey, with a total area of about 86,600 square kilometers. The territory of this country is divided into two parts, of which the native area is located on the coast of the Caspian Sea, and the other enclave is called Nakhichevan.
Nakhichevan is an autonomous republic of Azerbaijan, located between Armenia, Iran and Turkey, with no land connection to Azerbaijan itself. Nakhichevan has the longest border with Armenia at 246 km, Iran at 204 km, and Turkey on only about 11 km.
Armenia is a special country in Western Asia, and unlike most of the countries in Western Asia, it is a Christian country. Nakhichevan has deep ties to Armenia historically. According to the Bible, Nakhichevan is considered the first city built after the Great Flood. In the Book of Genesis, Mount Aare is considered to be the final docking place of Noah's ark after the Great Flood. In the minds of Armenians, Mount Aır is regarded as a sacred mountain, while Nakhichevan is an ancient city with a long history, where the Armenian script was born.
In the 3rd century AD, Persia destroyed Armenia and took the Nakhichevan region to itself. Subsequently, the Arab Empire rose and Nakhichevan became part of its territory. In the following centuries, the Nakhchivan region was ruled by several great empires, including the Seljuk Empire, the Ilkhanate, and the Ottoman Empire. By the 16th century, Persia once again controlled the region, and the demographics changed dramatically.
In the process, the proportion of Armenians in Nakhichevan gradually declined, to only about 17% of the total population in the 19th century. At the end of the 19th century, Russia began to expand into Transcaucasia, forcing Persia to cede territories including Nakhichevan to Russia through the Russo-Polish War.
However, in 1917, with the fall of Tsarist Russia, fierce conflict broke out between Armenians and Azerbaijanis, with both sides claiming that Nakhichevan belonged to him. However, the two sides were evenly matched, and neither could completely control the entire Nakhichevan region. It was not until June 1918 that the Ottoman Empire, taking advantage of the chaos in Nakhichevan, sent troops to destroy 45 Armenian villages and massacred large numbers of Armenians. After that, Azerbaijan established the Republic of Arras in Nakhichevan, but this was not recognized by Armenia.
During Zhang's reign, in July 1920, the 11th Soviet Front occupied the Nakhichevan region. At that time, due to the brutal massacres of the Ottoman Empire, the proportion of Armenians in the Nakhichevan region dropped sharply again. Russia believes that this region should belong to Azerbaijan, which has the majority of the population. With the advent of the Soviet period, Nakhichevan was officially annexed to Azerbaijan, a decision that had a series of far-reaching consequences.
Under Soviet rule, the Armenians of Nakhichevan gradually flowed into the Armenian mainland, and by 1926 the proportion of Armenians in Nakhichevan had fallen to 15%, and by 1979 it was almost less than 1.4%, corresponding to the increase in the proportion of Azerbaijanis from 85% to 98%. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, despite the vagaries of the situation, Nakhichevan maintained ties with Azerbaijan and became an enclave in Azerbaijani territory.
Although historically belonging to Armenia, Nakhichevan has long been embedded in the territory of Azerbaijan and is part of the country. The diverse culture and historical sites of this area are still preserved and are a place to watch. However, Nakhichevan's complex history also reflects the complex realities of international relations