The Republic of Ossetia, colloquially known as Ossetia, is a republic of the Soviet Union located within the Caucasus. The republic was established in the early 1990s, becoming one of the newest republics following the end of communist rule. Prior to which the republic was divided into two autonomous areas, with Russia controlling the north and Georgia controlling the south. With Georgia gaining independence in the early 1990s, the autonomous regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia expressed their desires to remain part of the Soviet Union. These tensions culminated into fighting between Georgia and the Soviet Union, ending with the annexation of these regions in 1992. Within a year following South Ossetia's admission, neighboring North Ossetia unanimously voted for unification, establishing