Kalbajar


Kalbajar is a raion in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. It was captured by Armenian forces during the Battle of Kalbajar, near the end of the Nagorno-Karabakh War. It has since been slowly partly repopulated by Armenians from the eastern Shahumyan and Gyulistan area which fled during the Nagorno Karabakh war, and is the capital of the Republic of Artsakh's Shahumyan Region, which has different altered borders from the Soviet region of the same name.

Nagorno-Karabakh War

Armenian and Karabakh forces invaded and occupied Kalbajar during the Nagorno-Karabakh War, due to its strategic location between the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast and Armenia. Human Rights Watch findings concluded that during the Kalbajar offensive both sides violated rules of wars, including indiscriminate fire, and the taking of hostages. The capture was condemned by the UN Security Council.

Lakes, rivers, mountains and zones

There are 13 lakes in local plains and mountains.
Karvajar's longest river is the Tartar. Its tributaries are the Tutkhun, Lev, Zaylik, Alolar, Garaarkhaj rivers.
There are also 20 well-known water springs.
70-80 per cent of the district is made up of mountains and each of them has a name. Since motor traffic in mountains is limited, local people have divided the district in different zones:

Twin towns – sister cities

From 2014 Karvachar is twinned with