Region of SW USSR, in the Caucasus, on the
border of the republic of Georgia. It is
inhabited by the Ossets, who speak the
Iranian language Ossetic, and who were
conquered by the Russians in 1802. Some live
in the North Ossetian autonomous republic of
the SW USSR; area 8,000 sq km/3,088 sq mi;
population (1985) 613,000; capital
Ordzhonikidze. The rest live in the South
Ossetian autonomous region of the Georgian
republic, population (1984) 98,000; capital
Tshkinvali. The region has been the scene of
Osset-Georgian inter-ethnic conflict from
1989. The Ossets have demanded that South
Ossetia be upgraded to an autonomous republic
as a preliminary to reunification with North
Ossetia.