Unrecognised states

Republic of Artsakh (previously known as Nagorno-Karabakh) is a republic recognised by few, and definitely not by Azerbaijan. It lies within Azerbaijan, but is disputed between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Mostly populated by ethnic Armenians, it was however established as part of Azerbaijan during Soviet Times. When the USSR dissolved, the conflict reemerged with fierce fighting going on in 1991-1994 which left Artsakh wartorn. Today, it is possible to visit Republic of Artsakh - but only from Armenia. You will be denied entry to Azerbaijan if they find any proof (souvenirs, photos, visa) that you have been to Artsakh.

Our guide to Artsakh.

Disclaimer: We are not political here on Globe Spots, we are just presenting things from a traveller's point of view.

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is the official name of the occupied Northern Cyprus. It's only recognized by Turkey and the autonomous republic of Nakhchivan in Azerbaijan. The island was divided in 1974 when the Turkish army intervened a coup d'etat led by a Greek-Cypriot to protect the Turkish-Cypriot minority. Since then the country has been divided into two separate parts. In 2003 the borders opened so it was possible for locals and visitors to cross between North and South (with passport or national ID) - and this is still the situation today. They use the Turkish Lira in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, while the Republic of Cyrpus (Southern Cyprus) is a member of the EU and use the Euro.

Abkhazia is a non-recognized breakaway state which declared independence from Georgia in 1993 after 13 month of war. They have their own language, flag and government, but have strong ties to Russia and use Russian ruble. You can enter from both the Georgian (apply for visa online) and the Russian side, though you can't continue into Georgia if entering from Russia (and therefor need a Russian double entries visa). The number of sights in Abkhazia are very limited to a beautiful countryside, a mountain lake, a cave, a church and a monastery, but the hordes of Russian tourists adore the Black Sea coast the most. However, if you are into abandoned buildings and general neglected urban scenery, Abkhazia will fascinate you.

Our guide to Abkhazia.

Trans-what? Yes, Transdniestr is a self-proclaimed republic located mostly between Dniester River and the eastern Moldovan border to Ukraine. The breakaway territory declared independence from Moldova in 1990 and sports its own president, border control, police, and even money. Even with these impressive efforts, nobody recognises Transdniestr as an independent state, besides a few similar breakaway states like the ex-soviet territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Nevertheless, it has recently become possible, and rather easy, to visit this wanna-be-state. Crossing into Transdniestr from Moldova feels like travelling back in time and makes Moldova look like a futuristic utopia. The journey requires border crossings (your passport is not stamped, sorry), change of money, and the skill of reading Russian since this is the official language of Trandsniestr. Dobro pozhalovat!