Armenia–Azerbaijan border
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The Armenia–Azerbaijan border ( hy, Հայաստան–Ադրբեջան սահման, translit=Hayastan–Adrbejan sahman, az, Azərbaycan–Ermənistan sərhədi) is the international border between
Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...
and
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
. Estimates of the border's length vary from to . European routes E002 and E117 cross the border. The ''de jure'' border follows that of the former
Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic,; russian: Армянская Советская Социалистическая Республика, translit=Armyanskaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika) also commonly referred to as Soviet A ...
and the
Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic Azerbaijan ( az, Азәрбајҹан, Azərbaycan, italics=no), officially the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic (Azerbaijan SSR; az, Азәрбајҹан Совет Сосиалист Республикасы, Azərbaycan Sovet Sosialist R ...
and consists of two main segments – that between Armenia and Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan
exclave An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...
in the west, and the longer section between Armenia and 'mainland' Azerbaijan to the east. Additionally, there are a number of
enclaves An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...
on either side of the boundary, however these no longer exist except in a ''de jure'' sense.


Geography


Western (Nakhchivan) section

The border starts in the north at the tripoint with
Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
on the Aras river, and proceeds overland in a south-easterly direction along various mountain ridges, such as the
Zangezur Mountains The Zangezur Mountains ( hy, Զանգեզուրի լեռներ or Սյունյաց լեռներ, az, Zəngəzur dağları) are a mountain range that defines the border between Armenia's southern provinces of Syunik, Vayots Dzor, and Azerbaijan ...
, down to the western tripoint with
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
on the Aras. Additionally, the Azerbaijani enclave of Karki/Tigranashen lies just north of the border, however since May 1992, following the
First Nagorno-Karabakh War The First Nagorno-Karabakh War, referred to in Armenia as the Artsakh Liberation War ( hy, Արցախյան ազատամարտ, Artsakhyan azatamart) was an ethnic and territorial conflict that took place from February 1988 to May 1994, in th ...
, Karki has been controlled by
Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...
, which administers the territory as part of its Ararat Province.


Eastern section

The border starts in the north at the tripoint with Georgia and proceeds overland in a broadly south-easterly direction, zigzagging next to and around the Voskepar river, crossing through part of the Joghaz Water Reservoir at the mouth of the Voskepar, and touching the western tip of the Abbasbayli Water Reservoir. It then forms a broad concave arc along the Khndzorut Range and down to the Miapor Range. It then runs parallel with the eastern shore of Lake Sevan along the Sevan Range, runs south along the Eastern Sevan Range, and then west along the Vardenis Range before turning sharply east, thus creating an Azeri protrusion encompassing Böyük Alagöl lake. It then proceeds southwards, crossing the Aylakh-Lich Lake and Sev Lich State Sanctuary, terminating at the Iranian border on the Aras river. The entire border lies mainly in mountainous terrain, with elevations averaging between and . Additionally, in the northern stretch of the boundary area there are four enclaves – one Armenian (
Artsvashen Artsvashen ( hy, Արծվաշեն, ; az, Başkənd, lit=Main Village) is a ''de jure'' Armenian village in the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia. It is a 40 square kilometres exclave of Armenia, and it is surrounded by the territory of Azerbaijan, ...
/Başkənd) and three Azerbaijani ( Sofulu,
Yukhari Askipara Yukhari Askipara ( az, Yuxarı Əskipara, lit=Upper Askipara; hy, Վերին Ոսկեպար, lit=Upper Voskepar, translit=Verin Voskepar) is a destroyed Azerbaijani village in an exclave of the Qazakh District of Azerbaijan, currently under contr ...
/Verin Voskepar and
Barxudarlı Barkhudarly (; hy, Բարխուդարլու, translit=Barkhudarlu) is an abandoned Azerbaijani village in the Qazakh District of Azerbaijan, under the ''de facto'' control of Armenia. Along with the similarly abandoned village of Sofulu, Barxuda ...
); since the war all four enclaves are now controlled by their 'host' nation and have for all practices purposes ceased to exist, though they are often depicted on official Armenian and Azerbaijani government maps.


History

During the 19th century the Caucasus region was contested between the declining
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
,
Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
and
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
. Over the span of the 1800s, Russia had pushed south at the expense of the Persian and Ottoman Empires. By the Russo-Persian War (1804–1813) and the subsequent Treaty of Gulistan, Russia acquired the bulk of what is now Azerbaijan and part of what is now Armenian's Syunik Province (historically known as Zangezur). Following the Russo-Persian War (1826–1828) and the Treaty of Turkmenchay Persia was forced to cede Nakhchivan and the rest of what is now Armenia. In 1867 Russia organised its Armenian and Azerbaijani territories into the governorates of
Erivan Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and in ...
,
Tiflis Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Kura River with a population of approximately 1.5 million pe ...
,
Baku Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world a ...
and
Elisabethpol Ganja (; az, Gəncə ) is Azerbaijan's third largest city, with a population of around 335,600.Azərbaycan Respublikası. — 2. Azərbaycan Respublikasının iqtisadi və inzibati rayonları. — 2.4. Azərbaycan Respublikasının iqtisadi və ...
. Relations between Armenians and Azerbaijanis in the governorates were often tense, for example in 1905–07 there was an outbreak of ethnic violence which resulted in thousands of deaths. Following the
Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire which began during the First World War. This period saw Russia abolish its monarchy and ad ...
in 1917 the peoples of the southern Caucasus had declared the
Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic The Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic (TDFR; (), (). 22 April – 28 May 1918) was a short-lived state in the Caucasus that included most of the territory of the present-day Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, as well as pa ...
(TDFR) in 1918 and started
peace talks A peace process is the set of sociopolitical negotiations, agreements and actions that aim to solve a specific armed conflict. Definitions Prior to an armed conflict occurring, peace processes can include the prevention of an intra-state or in ...
with the Ottomans. (Armenian Perspective) (Turkish Perspective) Internal disagreements led to Georgia leaving the federation in May 1918, followed shortly thereafter by
Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...
and
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
. With the Ottomans having
invaded An invasion is a military offensive in which large numbers of combatants of one geopolitical entity aggressively enter territory owned by another such entity, generally with the objective of either: conquering; liberating or re-establishing con ...
the Caucasus and quickly gained ground, the three new republics were compelled to sign the
Treaty of Batum The Treaty of Batum was signed in Batum on 4 June 1918, between the Ottoman Empire and the three Transcaucasian states: the First Republic of Armenia, the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and the Democratic Republic of Georgia. It was the first ...
on 4 June 1918, by which they recognised the pre-1878 Ottoman-Russia border, thereby ceding most of Nakhchivan and a considerable part of western Armenia to the Ottomans. Armenia in particular was reeling from the aftermath of the Ottoman-led
Armenian genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was ...
, which had resulted in vast numbers of refugees fleeing eastern Turkey. The borders between the three new republics were all disputed. War broke out between Armenia and Azerbaijan over disputed territories along the frontier, lasting from 1918 to 1920, focussing on the disputed areas of Nakhchivan (under the control of the short-lived '
Republic of Aras The Republic of Aras ( az, Araz Respublikası; also known as the Republic of Araks or the Araxi Republic) was a short-lived and unrecognized state in the South Caucasus, roughly corresponding with the territory that is now the Nakhchivan Autonomous ...
'), Zangezur and Nagorno-Karabakh.Dr. Andrew Andersen, Ph.D
Atlas of Conflicts: Armenia: Nation Building and Territorial Disputes: 1918-1920
In April 1920 Russia's
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...
invaded Azerbaijan and
Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...
, ending the independence of both, followed in February–March 1921 by Georgia. Fighting continued however in Zangezur, where Armenian forces declared a
Republic of Mountainous Armenia The Republic of Mountainous Armenia ( hy, Լեռնահայաստանի Հանրապետութիւն ''Leřnahayastani Hanrapetutyun''), also known as simply Mountainous Armenia ( ''Leřnahayastan''), was an anti-Bolshevik Armenian state roughly ...
and continued to fight against the Bolsheviks until their defeat in July 1921. The Soviet
Kavbiuro Kavbiuro was an organisation set up by the Bolsheviks in April 1920 to supervise the subordination of Caucasia to the Russian Communist Party (Bolshevik). Kavbiuro was set up on 8 April 1920 under the leadership of the Georgian Grigory Ordzhoniki ...
was tasked with drawing borders between the three former republics in the Caucasus. Armenian control of Zangezur was confirmed in late 1920. In March 1921 Nakhchivan, despite having earlier being promised to Armenia, was allotted to Azerbaijan, partly at the insistence of the new Republic of Turkey via the Treaty of Moscow.Ian Bremmer and Ray Taras. ''New States, New Politics: Building Post-Soviet Nations'', p. 444. Tim Potier. ''Conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia: A Legal Appraisal'', p. 4. On 3 June 1921 the Kavbiuro decided that Nagorno-Karabakh would be included within Armenia, however disputes between the Armenian and Azerbaijani delegates over the issues continued. On 4 July a final Kavbiuro meeting took place to settle the issue, which confirmed the earlier decision to include Nagorno-Karabakh within Armenia. However the next day this decision was reversed and it was granted to Azerbaijan on the proviso that it was granted autonomous oblast status. The precise reasons for the sudden volte-face remain unclear: some scholars think that
Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secreta ...
influenced the decision, whereas others (such as Arsène Saparov) point to the fact that the final meeting coincided with Soviet victory in Zangezur and the defeat of the Republic of Mountainous Armenia, after which the Azerbaijanis were able to press their claims more forcefully and the Soviets had little incentive to appease the Armenian side. In 1922 all three states were incorporated into the
Transcaucasian SFSR , conventional_long_name = Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic , common_name = Transcaucasian SFSR , p1 = Armenian Soviet Socialist RepublicArmenian SSR , flag_p1 = Flag of SSRA ...
within the
USSR The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
, before being separated in 1936. From 1923 to 1929 the strip of land in Azerbaijan between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia was designated as the
Kurdistansky Uyezd Kurdistan uezd,, ku, Кӧрдӧйәзд, Kurduyezd also known colloquially as Red Kurdistan,, ku, Кӧрдьстана Сор, Kurdistana Sor was a Soviet administrative unit that existed for six years from 1923 to 1929 and included the distr ...
, known colloquially as Red Kurdistan, later renamed the Kurdistan okrug, and then dissolved in 1930. The Azerbaijani officials were deeply reluctant to grant Nagorno-Karabakh autonomous status, and thereafter dragged their feet. They proposed instead to create a larger Karabakh oblast encompassing both lowland and highland areas, which would thereby dilute the Armenian majority in the highland areas. The Armenians raised the slow progress with Soviet authorities, who in turn pressured the Azerbaijanis to press on with the creation of the autonomous oblast. On 7 July 1923 they duly announced that a Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO) was to be formed. An initial border was decided upon in July 1923, with amendments made later in the same month so as to include Shusha and the Khonashen ( Martuni) and Skobolevskoe lowland regions within the NKAO. The issue dragged on into the following year, with a final announcement of the NKAO's borders not being published until 26 November 1924. The boundary thus announced was not a formal, demarcated line as such, but rather a list of the 201 villages which were to be included within the NKAO. The border was then changed again in 1925 so as to include more villages in the NKAO. The boundary that thus emerged used at times geographic and pre-existing administrative lines, but was predominantly based on ethnographic factors. Over the following decades Armenia pressed for the inclusion of NKAO within the Armenian SSR, notably in the post-
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
period when the USSR was pushing its
territorial claims A land claim is defined as "the pursuit of recognized territorial ownership by a group or individual". The phrase is usually only used with respect to disputed or unresolved land claims. Some types of land claims include aboriginal land claims, A ...
against Turkey (later dropped) and again in 1960 following the transfer of
Crimea Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a pop ...
from Russia to
Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
. In 1965 large protests took place in Yerevan calling for greater recognition of the Armenian genocide, with many also calling for the transfer of NKAO to Armenia. Allegations of discrimination against Armenians in the NKAO by Azerbaijan's government continued, with many claiming that Azerbaijanis were being encouraged to move so as to alter the demographic balance in their favour. Mikhail Gorbechev’s announcement of ''
glasnost ''Glasnost'' (; russian: link=no, гласность, ) has several general and specific meanings – a policy of maximum openness in the activities of state institutions and freedom of information, the inadmissibility of hushing up problems, ...
'' and ''
perestroika ''Perestroika'' (; russian: links=no, перестройка, p=pʲɪrʲɪˈstrojkə, a=ru-perestroika.ogg) was a political movement for reform within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) during the late 1980s widely associated wit ...
'' in 1987 allowed these frustrations to be publicly vented, and Armenians began openly pressing for the transfer of NKAO to Armenia. Protests escalated throughout 1988 with increasingly violence, culminating in the Sumgait pogrom in which 32 Armenians were killed. The violence caught Moscow unawares – they introduced direct rule in January 1989, and sent in troops to Azerbaijan in 1990 following further violence. The boundary became an international frontier in 1991 following the
dissolution of the Soviet Union The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...
and the declaration of independence by Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh in 1991. Azerbaijan abolished the NKAO, sparking a full-scale war with Armenia. The war ended in a ceasefire in 1994. This left Armenia in control of the vast majority of Nagorno-Karabakh, organised as the
Republic of Artsakh Artsakh, officially the Republic of Artsakh () or the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (),, is a list of states with limited recognition, breakaway state in the South Caucasus whose territory is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan ...
, and much of Azerbaijan proper, including the strategically vital Lachin Corridor. Since then the conflict has remained frozen, creating the modern de facto border between the two countries which follows the de jure Soviet-era border only in its northern half. Since the ceasefire relations between the two countries remain extremely tense and there have been numerous flare-ups of fighting along the border, notably in
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and
2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
. While the border has not been formally demarcated, both sides agree it should be based on Soviet maps.


Pre-2020 ''de facto'' borders

As noted, the ''de jure'' border follows that of the former
Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic,; russian: Армянская Советская Социалистическая Республика, translit=Armyanskaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika) also commonly referred to as Soviet A ...
and the
Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic Azerbaijan ( az, Азәрбајҹан, Azərbaycan, italics=no), officially the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic (Azerbaijan SSR; az, Азәрбајҹан Совет Сосиалист Республикасы, Azərbaycan Sovet Sosialist R ...
and consists of two main segments – that between Armenia and Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan
exclave An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...
in the west, and the longer section between Armenia and 'mainland' Azerbaijan to the east. As also noted, there are a number of
enclaves An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...
on either side of the boundary, however these no longer exist except in ''de jure'' sense. For nearly 30 years until the conclusion of the 2020 Karabakh war the ''de facto'' situation was more complex – the western Nakhchivan segment of the boundary was not disputed (minus the Karki/Tigranashen enclave). However the eastern segment was. From the
conflict Conflict may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Conflict'' (1921 film), an American silent film directed by Stuart Paton * ''Conflict'' (1936 film), an American boxing film starring John Wayne * ''Conflict'' (1937 film) ...
over Nagorno-Karabakh in the 1990s until late 2020, the ''de jure'' eastern border held only in the north, with the southern section of the border being formed by a '
Line of Contact The Line of Contact marked the farthest advance of American, British, French, and Soviet armies into German controlled territory at the end of World War II in Europe. In general a "line of contact" refers to the demarcation between two or m ...
' that ran deep into Azerbaijani territory, encompassing not only most of Nagorno-Karabakh but large parts of Azerbaijan proper; Armenia organised this territory into the self-declared
Republic of Artsakh Artsakh, officially the Republic of Artsakh () or the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (),, is a list of states with limited recognition, breakaway state in the South Caucasus whose territory is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan ...
, with the border between Armenia and Artsakh running along the ''de jure'' Armenia–Azerbaijan border. In late 2020 Azerbaijan took back the occupied territory and parts of Nagorno-Karabakh, with Russian forces stationed in the Lachin corridor connecting Karabakh to Armenia proper. Until mid 2020, the ''de facto'' border followed the ''de jure'' border southwards from the Georgian tripoint down to Mount
Hinaldag Hinaldagh ( az, Hinaldağ) is a mountain in the Dashkasan District of Azerbaijan. It's located in the western part of the Tanriyokhush, the source section of the Levchay, Shamkir and Ganja rivers. It used to be the ''de facto'' 'Line of Contact' ...
. From there the '
Line of Contact The Line of Contact marked the farthest advance of American, British, French, and Soviet armies into German controlled territory at the end of World War II in Europe. In general a "line of contact" refers to the demarcation between two or m ...
' then formed the Armenia–Azerbaijan border for all practical purposes; it proceeded eastwards along the Murovdag mountains, turning south-eastwards near the village of Talish, and continued down to the Iranian border on the Aras river. The area west of this line was organised into the
Republic of Artsakh Artsakh, officially the Republic of Artsakh () or the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (),, is a list of states with limited recognition, breakaway state in the South Caucasus whose territory is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan ...
, a self-declared state recognised only by a handful of other non-sovereign entities, functioning effectively as a semi-autonomous part of Armenia. The southern half of the ''de jure'' Armenia–Azerbaijan border was during the period retained as the Armenia-Artsakh border. Artsakh encompassed most of the territory of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast within Azerbaijan (except for some small areas on its northern and eastern edges), as well as large parts of adjacent Azerbaijani territory.


Border crossings

The border is closed and the area heavily militarised. Since the conclusion of the
2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War was an armed conflict in 2020 that took place in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenian-occupied territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh, the surrounding territories. It was a major escalation of ...
, there is no longer any border between Armenia and Artsakh. However, a landbridge between the two is provided by Azerbaijan under the terms of the 2020 armistice agreement. This is provided via a 5 km wide piece of territory called the Lachin corridor which is under the control of a Russian peacekeeping mission. The main highway between northern and southern Armenia runs along the border, even crossing it in multiple locations. During the Soviet period and following the
first Nagorno-Karabakh War The First Nagorno-Karabakh War, referred to in Armenia as the Artsakh Liberation War ( hy, Արցախյան ազատամարտ, Artsakhyan azatamart) was an ethnic and territorial conflict that took place from February 1988 to May 1994, in th ...
, the highway was not affected by this. However, following the
2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War was an armed conflict in 2020 that took place in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenian-occupied territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh, the surrounding territories. It was a major escalation of ...
, Azerbaijan regained control of some sectors of the road. While the road has for the most part been left open for Armenian traffic, Azerbaijan closed its sections of the road for 48 hours in August 2021. Russian peacekeepers are stationed along the border in these areas. Armenia is constructing a new road further into its territory.


Settlements near the border


Western (Nakhchivan) section


Armenia

*
Yeraskh Yeraskh ( hy, Երասխ, formerly, Arazdayan) is a village in the Ararat Province of Armenia. Yeraskh is the closest Armenian village to the closed border with Azerbaijan. The settlement is adjacent to Heydarabad, Azerbaijan across the border ...
* Paruyr Sevak *
Yelpin Yelpin (; hy, Ելփին) is a village in the Areni Municipality of the Vayots Dzor Province in southwestern Armenia, located on the Armenia–Azerbaijan border. History Yelpin community was established in 1828, after the Russo-Persian War ( ...
* Chiva * Rind * Areni *
Amaghu Amaghu ( hy, Ամաղու) is an abandoned village in the Areni Municipality of the Vayots Dzor Province of Armenia. History The village was populated by Azerbaijanis. In March-April 1989, ethnic clashes and incidents became frequent because of ...
* Khachik * Khndzorut *
Nor Aznaberd Nor Aznaberd ( hy, Նոր Ազնաբերդ) is a village in the Vayk Municipality of the Vayots Dzor Province of Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of W ...
*
Bardzruni Bardzruni ( hy, Բարձրունի) is a village in the Vayk Municipality of the Vayots Dzor Province of Armenia. The village is located close to the Armenia–Azerbaijan border The Armenia–Azerbaijan border ( hy, Հայաստան–Ադր ...
*
Kapuyt Kapuyt ( hy, Կապույտ) is a village in the Vayk Municipality of the Vayots Dzor Province of Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The ...
* Shaghat * Karchevan


Azerbaijan

* Heydarabad * Sədərək * Şahbulaq * Havuş * Aşağı Buzqov * Gərməçataq *
Şada Şada (also, Sada, Shada, Shadakend, and Shady) is a village and the least populous municipality in the Shahbuz District of Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes o ...
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Kükü Kükü (also, Kuku, Kyuki and Kyukyu) is a village and municipality in the Shahbuz District of Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan. It is located 20 km in the north from the district center, on the bank of the Kukuchay River, on the south-west of the slop ...
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Biçənək Biçənək, anglicized as Bichanak and Bichenek, is a village and municipality in the Shahbuz District of Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan. It is located in the near of the Yevlakh-Lachin-Nakhchivan highway, 24 km in the north-east from the district c ...
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Kilit Kilit is an extinct Iranian dialect of Azerbaijan that is closely related to Talysh. It is probably a dialect of Iranian Tati, otherwise found only in Iran, specifically a subdialect of Harzandi. It was spoken in the villages around Kilit, loc ...


Eastern section


Armenia

* Berdavan *
Dovegh Dovegh ( hy, Դովեղ), previously also known as Dvegh, is a village in the Tavush Province of Armenia. Notable people * Tatul Hakobyan __NOTOC__ Tatul Ashiki Hakobyan ( hy, Թաթուլ Աշիկի Հակոբյան; born December 29, 1969) ...
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Barekamavan Barekamavan ( hy, Բարեկամավան) is a village in the Noyemberyan Municipality of the Tavush Province of Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of ...
* Koti *
Voskevan Voskevan ( hy, Ոսկեվան) is a village in the Tavush Province of Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of wor ...
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Voskepar Voskepar ( hy, Ոսկեպար) is a village in the Tavush Province of Armenia, located close to the Armenia–Azerbaijan border. Etymology Voskepar derives its name from the Voskepar mountain range; from Armenian Ոսկե (''voske'', gold), an ...
* Berkaber *
Vazashen Vazashen ( hy, Վազաշեն) is a village in the Tavush Province of Armenia. Toponymy The village was previously known as Lala Gegh ( hy, Լալա գեղ), then Lali Gyugh ( hy, Լալի գյուղ). The name of Vazashen was chosen to reflect ...
* Kayan *
Paravakar Paravakar ( hy, Պառավաքար) is a village in the Berd Municipality of the Tavush Province of Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia ...
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Nerkin Karmiraghbyur Nerkin Karmiraghbyur ( hy, Ներքին Կարմիրաղբյուր) is a village in the Berd Municipality of the Tavush Province of Armenia. Notable people *Arsen Galstyan Arsen Zhorayevich Galstyan ( hy, Արսեն Գալստյան, russian: ...
* Aygepar * Movses * Chinari * Aygedzor * Ttujur * Chambarak * Vahan *
Khoznavar Khoznavar ( hy, Խոզնավար) is a village in the Tegh Municipality of the Syunik Province in Armenia. Demographics Population The Statistical Committee of Armenia The Statistical Committee of Armenia (Armenian: Հայաստանի վի ...
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Vaghatur Vaghatur ( hy, Վաղատուր) is a village in the Tegh Municipality of the Syunik Province in Armenia. Toponymy The village was previously known as ''Bayandur'', a tribal name which originates from Bayandur tribe of Oghuz Turks. Demographi ...
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Khnatsakh Khnatsakh ( hy, Խնածախ) is a village in the Tegh Municipality of the Syunik Province in Armenia. Khnatsakh is known for being one of the ancient residences of the Kashatagh meliks and contains the partially ruined palace of Melik Hakhnazar I ...
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Aravus Aravus ( hy, Արավուս) is a village in the Tegh Municipality of the Syunik Province in Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UN ...
* Tegh *
Kornidzor Kornidzor ( hy, Կոռնիձոր) is a village in the Tegh Municipality of the Syunik Province in Armenia. Demographics The Statistical Committee of Armenia The Statistical Committee of Armenia (Armenian: Հայաստանի վիճակագրա ...
* Vorotan *
Shurnukh Shurnukh ( hy, Շուռնուխ) is a village in the Goris Municipality of the Syunik Province in Armenia. The village is located on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. Following the end of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war and the withdrawal of Armenian ...
* Vanand (Ghurdghulagh) *
Davit Bek Davit Bek or David Beg (; died 1728) was an Armenian military commander and the leader of an Armenian rebellion against invading Ottoman forces and implanted Safavid Muslim tribes in the mountainous region of Zangezur (today the Armenian provin ...
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Kaghnut Kaghnut ( hy, Կաղնուտ) is a village in the Kapan Municipality of the Syunik Province in Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The ...
* Ujanis *
Khdrants Khdrants ( hy, Խդրանց) is a village in the Kapan Municipality of the Syunik Province in Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The U ...
* Eghvard * Agarak * Syunik * Sznak *
Kapan Kapan ( hy, Կապան) is a town in southeast Armenia, serving as the administrative center of the urban community of Kapan as well as the provincial capital of Syunik Province. It is located in the valley of the Voghji River and is on the nort ...
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Gomaran Gomaran ( hy, Գոմարան) is a village in the Kapan Municipality of the Syunik Province in Armenia. Demographics The Statistical Committee of Armenia The Statistical Committee of Armenia (Armenian: Հայաստանի վիճակագրակ ...
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Geghanush Geghanush ( hy, Գեղանուշ) is a village in the Kapan Municipality of the Syunik Province in Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The ...
* Chakaten *
Shikahogh Shikahogh ( hy, Շիկահող) is a village in the Kapan Municipality of the Syunik Province in Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The ...
* Srashen * Nerqin Hand


Azerbaijan

* Kəmərli * Fərəhli *
Quşçu Ayrım Quşçu Ayrım () is a village in the Qazakh District of Azerbaijan. The name signifies the presence of Ayrums Ayrums ( az, Ayrımlar, in Persian language, Persian often as ''Âyromlū'') are a Turkic peoples, Turkic tribe, considered to be a s ...
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Bağanis Ayrum Bağanis Ayrum () is a ghost village in the Qazakh District of Azerbaijan. The village has been controlled by Armenia since the First Nagorno-Karabakh War. History On 22 March 1990, Azerbaijani farmers shot at passing trucks and cars with Armen ...
* Məzəm * Qızılhacılı * Cəfərli *
Bala Cəfərli Bala Cəfərli is a village in the Qazakh Rayon of Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the ...
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Yaradullu Yaradullu is a village in the Agstafa Rayon of Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the bo ...
* Mülkülü * Köhnəqışlaq *
Koxanəbi Koxanəbi (also, Koxa Nəbi and Këkhanabi) is a village and municipality in the Tovuz Rayon of Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic ...
* Ağbulaq * Sonalar * Motudərə * Zamanlı * Fərzalı * Göyəlli * Hüsülü * Malıbəy * Malxələf * Eyvazlı * Qazançı * Rəzdərə


See also

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2021 Armenia–Azerbaijan border crisis 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...
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Nagorno-Karabakh line of contact The Line of Contact ( hy, շփման գիծ, ''shp’man gits'', az, təmas xətti) was the line of military control which separated Armenian forces (the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army and the Armenian Armed Forces) and the Azerbaijan Armed Fo ...
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Armenia–Azerbaijan relations There are no diplomatic relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, largely due to the ongoing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The two neighboring states had formal governmental relations between 1918 and 1921, during their brief independence from the col ...
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List of border conflicts The following is a list of border conflicts between two or more countries. The list includes only those fought because of border disputes. See list of territorial disputes for those that do not involve fighting. 19th century 20th century b ...


References


Works cited

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Armenia-Azerbaijan border Borders of Armenia Borders of Azerbaijan Internal borders of the Soviet Union International borders
Border Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders c ...
1991 establishments in Armenia 1991 establishments in Azerbaijan