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An unrecognized state in the Caucasus. Its capital is Tskhinvali. It effectively gained independence from Georgia following the 2008 Russo-Georgian War, but only a handful of countries recognize its independence, and above all, Georgia opposes it. The only entities that officially recognize South Ossetia are three non-UN member states—Western Sahara, Abkhazia, and Transnistria—and five UN member states: Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Nauru, and Syria. Tuvalu once recognized South Ossetia but later rescinded it. The official domestic and international name at the time of independence was the 'Republic of South Ossetia,' but a discourse on renaming the state began around 2015 under the president's leadership. Subsequently, through a referendum on April 6, 2017, the official name was changed to the 'Republic of South Ossetia–the State of Alania.' This was inspired by the name of North Ossetia, a Russian federal subject where fellow Ossetians live, and Alania, a state that existed in Ossetian history. The official name of the Russian autonomous republic of North Ossetia is also the 'Republic of North Ossetia–Alania.' The land area is approximately 3,900 km², about half the size of North Chungcheong Province, and as of 2015, the population is around 50,000—only 1/14th the size of North Ossetia's 700,000. While it is a microstate, the presence of Russian troops provides a degree of security against Georgia, which opposes its independence. It is named South Ossetia because North Ossetia belongs to Russia. In the Ossetian language, South Ossetia is 'Khussar Iryston' and North Ossetia is 'Sagat Iryston.' During the Stalin era, the North and South used different scripts despite being the same ethnic group: the North used Cyrillic while the South used the Georgian script, until they were unified under Cyrillic in 1954. It is a presidential republic with a five-year term (renewable once). There is a Prime Minister, and the Parliament consists of 34 seats, with 17 seats each for local constituencies and proportional representation. As of the June 2019 general election, the current ruling party, Nykhas, holds 4 seats, making it the third-largest party in parliament after United Ossetia (14 seats) and the People's Party (5 seats). Politically, the ruling Nykhas party is based on Ossetian nationalism and emphasizes relations with Russia and the autonomous republic of North Ossetia, while also showing interest in establishing equal relations with Georgia. In contrast, the opposition United Ossetia party is strongly pro-Russian and ultimately seeks integration with Russia. While both are generally pro-Russian for security reasons, Nykhas wants ties with Russia to facilitate the unification of North and South Ossetia, whereas United Ossetia is pro-Russian in a way that prioritizes relations with the Russian central government. In fact, many South Ossetians desire a unified, independent Ossetian state, but for practical reasons, a significant number also want the unification of South and North Ossetia within Russia. Nominally, peaceful transfers of power occur, but with a population of only 50,000, influential families effectively control the politics and economy, resulting in a stagnant political environment. The population declined due to ethnic conflict immediately after the collapse of the Soviet Union. According to 2022 statistics, the population of South Ossetia is 56,520, about half of the 98,527 at the time of the Soviet collapse. More than half of them reside in the capital, Tskhinvali. As of 2015, the ethnic composition was 89.9% Ossetian, 7.4% Georgian, and 1.1% Russian; it is presumed that most Georgians, who made up 29% of the population in 1989, fled due to the 2008 war. Relations with Georgia are poor due to ethnic conflict, the declaration of independence, and Russian intervention, which led to its secession. Due to several conflicts, particularly the South Ossetia War in August 2008, they do not view each other favorably, and Georgia naturally does not recognize it as a country. It maintains good relations with Abkhazia, another unrecognized state located in Georgia. The South Ossetian military has a total strength of 2,500, and even including reserves, it is a small force of 16,000. Considering the size of the country, a reserve of 16,000 seems burdensome. Compared to Saint Kitts and Nevis, which has a similar population but only 70 military personnel, it is clearly over-armed. Economically, it is an underdeveloped nation. The GDP per capita in 2002 was $250, and the 2017 estimate was $2,000. Since it has no power plants of its own, electricity is drawn from Russia. There are oil fields, but development has been sluggish.