Abstract
<jats:p>At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, certain ethno-demographic changes were observed in the Kars region, the provinces of Alexandrapol and Akhalkalaki, which was primarily due to the demographic and socio-economic policy pursued by the tsarist government, aiming to strengthen the southern borders of the empire by populating it with loyal nationalities. This article aims to examine the ethnodemographic processes of the bordering Armenian provinces of Alexandrapol and Akhal-Kale and the Kars region. Within the framework of the study, we have set ourselves the task of presenting the changes in the national and religious composition of the population, their motivations and consequences, and clarifying the nature of ethnic groups, sex-age composition, natural reproduction, urbanization and migration processes. The research makes it possible to assess the relationship between ethnodemographic processes and economic development. We have attached importance to the presentation of the borders and division of administrative-territorial units. The study of the presented administrative-territorial units, ethnodemographic processes in 1886–1916 is relevant both for the study of the history of the region and for the analysis of the evolution of modern ethnic processes. The novelty of the study lies in the interdisciplinary approach that combines demography, history, ethnography, and population geography. It provides an opportunity to understand the impact of ethnodemographic processes on the change in the ethnic map.</jats:p>