Chechnya destinations and unrecognized countries travel? If the open-mindedness of Erbil surprised you, especially after strolling down the streets of Ankawa, only to see liquor shops, churches and quite some expats everywhere, be prepared when you get to Sulaymaniyah, because this is the most westernized city in Iraqi Kurdistan and, of course, in Iraq. Despite being a predominantly Sunni Muslim city, you won’t see many women wearing hijab but, what surprised me the most is that in all the bars I went into, I always saw mixed groups of both local women and men, something rarely seen in the Middle East. By the way, you will see that everybody pronounces and writes the city name in a different way: Sulaymaniyah, Slemani, Suli, As Sulaymaniyah, Sulemani, etc. Don’t ask me why.

Artsakh, or Nagorno-Karabakh, is located in the southeast of the Armenian Highlands. Myriad sources confirm that it has been a part of historical Armenia since antiquity. In the medieval period, however, it fell under foreign rule: first to Persia and then to nomadic Turkic tribes that began invading its borders in the 18th century, starting centuries-long wars against local Armenian noble families. 1988 was a turning point in the history of Karabakh. The people of Artsakh raised their voices using their constitutional rights, seeking to secede from Azerbaijan according to Soviet laws on self-determination. However, every effort to discuss the dispute in a civilized fashion was followed by an escalation of violence. By 1994, the self-defense forces of Artsakh had driven out all Azeri military and civilian presence, establishing de facto rule over Artsakh including territories liberated in 1993-94. Read extra info at Somaliland Tours.

For a territory the size of Rhode Island, Abkhazia boasts an extraordinarily diverse climate. In the north, the glaciated peaks of the Caucasus loom large on the horizon with some surpassing 13,000 feet. Along the coast, there are subtropical citrus groves, dewy meadows, and lush forests. Abkhazia also happens to be a speleologist paradise with some of the world’s most remarkable caves; it’s believed that Krubera, in Gagra, is earth’s deepest. The more accessible New Athos cave—located downhill from the breathtaking seaside monastery bearing the same name—is embedded so far into a mountainside that you need to take an underground tramway to access it. As you walk through the dim-lit caverns, mournful Abkhaz music echoes over the speakers.

In the past, their claims for independence were based primarily on the right to national self-determination, historical continuity and claim for a remedial right to secession, based on alleged human-rights violations. Since 2005, official representatives of several unrecognized countries have repeatedly emphasised the importance of democracy promotion in their political entities. A possible explanation of this phenomenon is in the belief that those states which have demonstrated their economic viability and promote the organization of a democratic state, should have their sovereignty recognized. This being because of the understanding that legitimacy is gained through democracy. Find extra info at https://www.politicalholidays.com/.