Russia - The Republic of Karbardino-Balkaria

Overview:
Geographical Features:The Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria is situated in the north of the Big Caucasus, on the Cabardinskaya plain. Length of the territory from north to south is 100 km, from west to east - 175 km. Cabardino-Balkaria borders on the Republic of Georgia in the south, on Stavropolsky region in the north, on Carachaevo-Cherkessia in the west, on the Republic of Northern Osetia in the east.
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The relief is mountainous. The highest mountain of the Caucasus is Elbrus (5,642 metres). Main rivers are the Terek, the Malka, the Baksan. Forests cover 180 thousand hectares. Minerals: ore, gold, mineral waters.

Population:790 000 inhabitants in 2000

Economy:Kabardino-Balkaria is industrial and agricultural republic. Mining, food industries and tourism play main roles in economy. There are 3 economic districts:

Stepnoy - the district with highly intensive agriculture and stock-breeding and developed industry. Almost all vine-growing of the republic is concentrated here. Sheep-farming and breeding animals for furs are developed. Industry: machine-building, food, industry of building materials.

Foothills - district with multi-branch industry and intensive agricultural production. Industry: machine-building, metal-working, chemical, light, food. In agriculture corn, sunflower, gardening prevail, poultry-farming and meat and milk stock-breeding are developed.

Mountainous - district with developed mining , power engineering, metallurgical and forest industry. Agriculture is specialized on stock-breeding. It is one of the centres of tourism, mountaineering, mountain-skiing.

The Republic exports nonferrous metals, cables, pumps, agricultural production. Coal, oil-products, ferrous and nonferrous metals, instruments, cars, consumer goods are imported to the Republic.

Administrative division:Area of the territory is 12.5 thousand sq. km. Population is 785.8 thousand people. Density of population is 62.9 persons per sq. km.

The Republic is divided into 8 districts, 3 towns of republican submission, 4 towns of district submission, 9 town settlements, 94 villages.

The capital of the Republic is town of Nalchik. It was founded in 1817. Distance to Moscow is 1873 km.

The biggest towns are Nalchik (231.8 thousand people), Prokhladny (59.7 thousand people).

Brief History:

Territory of Kabarda and Balkaria was the place of collision of Russian, Crimea and Turkish interests.
In 1557 Kabarda became the part of Russia, the union was fixed by marriage of the tzar Ivan the Terrible and Kabarda`s princess Maria Temrukovna.
By 1827 Balkaria had been jointed to Russia.
After the Revolution of 1917 Kabarda and Balkaria became administrative okrugs of Gorsky autonomous Socialist Republic.
In 1922 Kabardino-Balkarskaya autonomous region was established.
Balkarsky people was subjected to repression by Stalin: in 1944 they were forced to deportation to the Middle Asia and Kazakhstan.
In 1991 it was declared the Republic.