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| Province: | Stepanakert (City) | ||
| Area: | |||
| Altitude: | 813 meter (2670 feet) | ||
| Population: | ~40,000 | ||
| Population density: | |||
| Latitude: | 39° 48' 55N | ||
| Longitude: | 46° 45' 7E | ||
| Mayor: | Eduard Aghabekian | ||
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Stepanakert (Armenian: Ստեփանակերտ; officially known as Xankəndi in Azerbaijan, transliterated asKhankendi) is the capital city of the self-declared Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, with a population of about 40,000 people. Control of the area has been the subject of dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia, including war, ever since the dissolution of the Soviet Union. As of 2006, Stepanakert, like the rest of Nagorno-Karabakh, remains under Armenian military control, and much of the former local Azeri population has been displaced eastwards.
History
The settlement was first mentioned in medieval Armenian sources as Vararakn (meaning “rapid creek,” in Armenian). This toponym survived throughout history as one of Stepanakert’s suburbs called Vyrrakna . The modern city was founded in 1917 after the October revolution in place of a village that was called called Khankendi (Khan's village) in Azerbaijan. In 1923 it was renamed to Stepanakert, to honor Stepan Shahumyan, an Armenian communist leader from Baku. After Azerbaijan declared its independence from the Soviet Union, it was renamed by the Azerbaijani government back to Khankendi as part of a campaign against Communism and of Azerification of what had been the autononomous oblast of Nagorno-Karabakh with a majority Armenian population. Fighting broke out over control of Nagorno-Karabakh which resulted in Armenian control of the region and a connecting corridor to Armenia to the west. There has been an unofficial but observed cease-fire in place since 1994.
Economy
Prior to the war, Stepanakert's economy revolved mostly around food processing, silk weaving, and winemaking. After the war, the city's economy was greatly damaged, but in recent years, largely due to the investments of the Armenian Diaspora, economic activity has picked up in Stepanakert.
Buildings and structures
Religious
There is not a traditional church in Stepanakert as of (2006) although most of the population of the city are Christians. The believers attend the church that is in the building of the House of Culture. There is one ancient church in the city that was build in the 18th century, but it is not operating. On September 15, 2006 the foundation stones of St. Jacob Church in Stepanakert were laid. Armenian benefactor Vache Yepremian from Los Angeles is sponsoring the construction of the church. Its construction will probably last for 2-3 years.
Sister cities
Montebello, California, USA (2005)
External links
- Nagorno-Karabakh Nagorno-Karabakh's website
- Karabakh’s Election Conundrum November 2005 article about elections for seats in the Milli Mejlis (Azerbaijani parliament) for Azeri refugees
- Stepanakert Armeniapedia atricle
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