Republic of South Ossetia

Республикæ Хуссар Ирыстон სამხრეთი ოსეთი Republic of South Ossetia
Breakaway state of ‌Georgia


Anthem National Anthem of South Ossetia


Capital	Tskhinvali

Government	Republic
President
- From 2001	Eduard Kokoity
Prime Minister
- From 2009	Vadim Brovtsev

History
- November 28, 1991	Declared
- August 26, 2008	Recognized by Russia

Area	3,900 km²

Population
- 2007	72,000
Density	18.4/km²

Currency	Russian ruble

South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast
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The Republic of South Ossetia is a Georgian breakaway state in the Caucasus, with limited international recognition. In the north it borders to the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, a federal subject of the Russian Federation.

Background

Progress on market reforms and democratization has been made in the years since independence, but this progress has been complicated by Russian assistance and support to the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. After a series of Russian and separatist provocations in summer 2008, Georgian military action in South Ossetia in early August led to a Russian military response that not only occupied the breakaway areas, but large portions of Georgia proper as well. Russian troops pulled back from most occupied Georgian territory, but in late August 2008 Russia unilaterally recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. This action was strongly condemned by most of the world's nations and international organizations.^[1]