Throughout the history of the Caucasus, its two main regions, namely the Northern Caucasus and the Southern Caucasus, have developed differently. The distinction between these two parts of the region depends on the particularities of the historical events and processes, geographical characteristics, economic potential, and other factors. In particular, the issues that demonstrate the differences between the North and South of the Caucasus might be illustrated through historical and economic lenses.
From a historical perspective, the North of the Caucasus has been characterized by its dependence on the influence of other states. According to Coene (2009), these territories were included in the empires at different stages of their existence. Currently, most of the states in the Northern Caucasus belong to the Russian Federation. As for the Southern Caucasus, it has been less dependent on other empires, with kingdoms evolving and developing on these territories independently, starting from the early ages (Coene, 2009). The difference at present is in the independence of these territories from the Russian Federation after the disruption of the Soviet Union. Thus, the historically imposed difference between the South and North Caucasus is that the former includes independent states, and the majority of the territories of the latter currently belong to Russia.
Another factor that predetermines differences between the two parts of the region is the economy. There are significant distinctions between the economy of the North and the economy of the West, which depends on the availability of natural resources. Indeed, according to Coene (2009), due to the quality of soil on the territories of the North Caucasus, “all of them have a developed agricultural sector” (p.190). The development of agriculture has been a pivotal economic element of this region since the Soviet Union. On the contrary, the South Caucasus is more economically reliant on energy transportation and natural resources, such as oil. In particular, “Azerbaijan turned its attention on the extraction of oil and gas,” which has become a dominant sphere for economic development for the country and the region in general (Coene, 2009, p. 189). Thus, the main difference economically is in the direction of development, which is characterized by agriculture for the North Caucasus and oil and gas for the South Caucasus. Overall, the North and South of the Caucasus differ in terms of historically conditioned dependence on empires and economically induced use of either agriculture or natural resources.
Reference
Coene, F. (2009). The Caucasus: An introduction. Routledge.