Home Arrow FAQs Arrow Why does Azerbaijan have pockets of land within Armenia and vice versa?

Why does Azerbaijan have pockets of land within Armenia and vice versa?

What are enclaves and exclaves?

Before diving into the history, it helps to define the terms:

  • Exclave: A territory belonging to one country but separated from it by another country.
  • Enclave: A territory entirely surrounded by another country.

In the context of the South Caucasus:

  • Azerbaijan historically had several exclaves inside Armenia.
  • Armenia had at least one exclave inside Azerbaijan.

Today, many of these territories are either depopulated or controlled by the opposing state due to decades of conflict.

How Soviet-era borders created these pockets of land

These exclaves exist primarily due to decisions made during the Soviet period. As the USSR was established, the South Caucasus republics of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia were reorganized and their internal boundaries were defined by the Soviet government. Three key factors shaped these borders:

a. Mixed ethnic settlements

The region was a patchwork of mixed Armenian and Azerbaijani communities. There were areas of Armenia that surrounded some of the Azerbaijan villages and the other way round. In many cases, existing settlement patterns were preserved, although population movements and relocations did occur at different periods.

b. Political and strategic decisions

At the dawn of the 1920s, the aim of Moscow was to balance and avoid the increase of nationalism. Consequently, some boundaries were drawn to balance competing interests rather than to create coherent territorial divisions. These decisions were driven more by political considerations than by administrative practicality.

c. Lack of concern for future international borders

These internal borders were not supposed to become national borders someday by leaders in the Soviet. Because everything existed within a single state—the USSR—these exclaves were not seen as a major issue at the time.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, these internal boundaries were at once turned into international boundaries, and caused both diplomatic and military difficulties.

Examples of Azerbaijani and Armenian exclaves

Several disputed pockets of land exist between Armenia and Azerbaijan, each shaped by Soviet-era borders, mixed populations, and decades of conflict.

Azerbaijani exclaves historically inside Armenia

Some of the most well-known include:

  • Yukhari Askipara
  • Barxudarlı
  • Sofulu
  • Artsvashen (also known as Bashkend) – an Armenian exclave historically surrounded by Azerbaijani territory and currently under Azerbaijani control.

These areas were populated mainly by ethnic Azerbaijanis before the conflicts of the 1990s.

Armenian exclave inside Azerbaijan

  • Artsvashen (also called Bashkend) was an Armenian exclave surrounded by Azerbaijani territory but is now controlled by Azerbaijan.

Impact of the Armenia–Azerbaijan conflict

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and subsequent wars significantly changed on-the-ground control. As tensions rose:

  • Many exclaves were evacuated
  • Military forces surrounded and took control of isolated pockets
  • Residents were displaced
  • Some borders became militarized

Today, most historical enclaves are no longer accessible and are controlled by whichever side gained military advantage during earlier conflicts.

Why these enclaves still matter today

Although most of them are uninhabited today, these exclaves still hold political and strategic importance.

  • Legal status: Under international legal principles, former Soviet administrative borders are generally used as a reference, although final delimitation and demarcation require bilateral agreements.
  • Border negotiations: Armenia and Azerbaijan still have negotiations concerning delimitation and demarcation.
  • Further peace plans: Exclave decisions might constitute long-term settlement.
  • Security issues: These pockets are controlled to influence the positioning and access roads in the military.

Conclusion

Azerbaijan and Armenia have small territories within the international borders of each other due to the historical administrative borders of the Soviet state, ethnic mix and political decisions taken by the early 20th century. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, these internal administrative borders became the basis for international boundaries, leading to prolonged disputes and conflict.

Not all these enclaves are still inhabited, still they are the consideration that remains relevant to the debate on the stability in the area, the relations of the borders and the ongoing peace in the South Caucasus.

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