Ossetia, aw SEE shuh, is a region in the Caucasus Mountains that is divided politically but united by its people and history. North Ossetia, sometimes called North Ossetia-Alania, lies in Russia on the north side of the Caucasus Mountains. South Ossetia lies in Georgia on the south side of the mountains. North Ossetia is industrialized, but South Ossetia is largely rural and agricultural.