オセチア

Also known as Ir, Iryston, Iriston

thumb|right|Map showing North Ossetia–Alania|North and [[South Ossetia]] Ossetia ( , ; Iron Ossetian: Ирыстон, , ; Digor Ossetian: Иристон, ; or Ир Ir) is an ethnolinguistic region on both sides of the Greater Caucasus Mountains, largely inhabited by the Ossetians. The Ossetian language is part of the Eastern Iranian branch of the family of Indo-European languages. Most countries recognize the Ossetian-speaking area south of the main Caucasus ridge as lying within the borders of Georgia, but it has come under the control of the de facto government of the Russian-backed State of Alania. The nor