Some key dates in South Ossetia’s history:
18th/19th Centuries – Russian empire expands southwards into the Caucasus.
1920s – Ossetians ally with the Bolshevik forces that occupy Georgia. The USSR divides the area into two administrative regions.
1980s/90s – With nationalist leader Zviad Gamsakhurdia in Georgia, there is growing separatist sentiment in South Ossetia.
1990-92 – After several outbreaks of violence, South Ossetia declares aim of separating from Georgia and proclaims independence in 1992. Sporadic violence involving Georgian irregular forces and Ossetian fighters continues until agreement on the deployment of Georgian, Ossetian and Russian peacekeepers is reached.
2008 – Tensions between Georgia and Russia escalate into a full-blown war after Georgia tries to retake South Ossetia. Russian forces push Georgian troops out of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. After five days of fighting the two sides sign a French-brokered peace agreement. Russia recognises both South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states – very few other countries do.
2009 – Russia bolsters its position in South Ossetia by signing a five-year agreement to take formal control of its frontiers with Georgia proper, as well as those of Abkhazia.
2015 – Russia signs an “alliance and integration agreement” with South Ossetia abolishing border checkpoints. Tbilisi views this as a step towards Russian annexation of the region. Russian forces push the border fence 1.5km further into Georgia proper – a short distance from Georgia’s main west-east highway.
2017 – Region votes to rename itself the State of Alania. Alania was originally a medieval kingdom in the central North Caucasus, but there is a dispute in the region over who are the historic heirs of this kingdom.
2022 – Newly-elected President Alan Gagloev suspends a planned referendum on joining Russia.