Girish Mahajan (Editor)

Kabardino Balkaria

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Country
  
Russia

Economic region
  
North Caucasus

Capital
  
Nalchik

Area
  
12,500 km²

Federal district
  
North Caucasian

Established
  
January 5, 1936

Area rank
  
78th

Team
  
PFC Spartak Nalchik

Kabardino-Balkaria russiatrekorgimagesphotokabardinobalkariareg

University
  
Kabardino-Balkarian State University Medical Faculty

Points of interest
  
Mount Elbrus, Prielbrusye National Park, Chegem waterfalls, Polyana Azau, Dolina Narzanov

Destinations
  
Prielbrusye National Park, Nalchik, Terskol, Prokhladny - Kabardino‑Balkar republic, Chegem

The Kabardino-Balkar Republic (Russian: Кабарди́но-Балка́рская Респу́блика, Kabardino-Balkarskaya Respublika; Kabardian: Къэбэрдей-Балъкъэр Республикэ, Qăbărdei-Baĺqăr Respublică; Karachay-Balkar: Къабарты-Малкъар Республика, Qabartı-Malqar Respublika), or Kabardino-Balkaria (Russian: Кабарди́но-Балка́рия, Kabardino-Balkariya), is a federal subject of Russia (a Republic) located in the North Caucasus. As of the 2010 Census, its population was 859,939 on 12,500 square km. Its capital is Nalchik.

Contents

Map of Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia

Geography

The republic is situated in the North Caucasus mountains, with plains in the northern part.

  • Area: 12,500 square kilometers (4,800 sq mi)
  • Borders:
  • internal: Stavropol Krai (N/NE), Republic of North Ossetia–Alania (E/SE/S), Karachay–Cherkess Republic (W/NW)
  • international: Georgia (S/SW)
  • Highest point: Mount Elbrus (5,642 m)
  • Maximum N->S distance: 167 kilometers (104 mi)
  • Maximum E->W distance: 123 kilometers (76 mi)

    • Kabardino-Balkaria is traversed by the northeasterly line of equal latitude and longitude.

    Rivers

    Major rivers include:

  • Terek River (623 km)
  • Malka River (216 km)
  • Baksan River (173 km)
  • Urukh River (104 km)
  • Chegem River (102 km)
  • Cherek River (76 km)
  • Argudan River
  • Kurkuzhin River
  • Lesken River

    • Lakes

    There are about 100 lakes in the republic, none of which are large. Just over half (55) are located between the Baksan and Malka Rivers, the largest each of an area of no more than 0.01 square kilometers (0.0039 sq mi). Some of the lakes are:

  • Tserikkel Lake (area 26,000 m²; depth 368 m)
  • Lower Goluboye Lake
  • Kel-Ketchen Lake (depth 177 m)
  • Upper Tserikkel Lake (depth 18 m)
  • Sekretnoye Lake
  • Tambukan Lake (area 1.77 km²; depth 1.5 to 2 m), partially within Stavropol Krai.

    • Mountains

  • Mount Elbrus (5,642 m), a volcanic mountain and the highest peak in Europe, Russia, and the Caucasus

    • Other major mountains include:

  • Mount Dykhtau (5,402 m)
  • Mount Koshtantau (5,151 m)
  • Mount Shkhara (5,068 m)
  • Pushkin Peak (5,033 m)
  • Mount Mizhergi (5,025 m)

    • Natural resources

    Kabardino-Balkaria's natural resources include molybdenum, tungsten, and coal.

    Climate

    The republic has a continental type climate.

  • Average January temperature: −12 °C (10 °F) (mountains) to −4 °C (25 °F) (plains)
  • Average July temperature: +4 °C (39 °F) (mountains) to +23 °C (73 °F) (plains)
  • Average annual precipitation: 500–2,000 mm.

    • Population

    Population: 859,939 (2010 Census); 901,494 (2002 Census); 759,586 (1989 Census).

    Vital statistics

    Source: Russian Federal State Statistics Service

    Note: TFR 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 source.

    Ethnic groups

    Kabardino-Balkaria includes two major ethnic communities, the Kabardins (Circassians), who speak a North-West Caucasian language, and the Balkars who speak a Turkic language. According to the 2010 Census, Kabardins make up 57.2% of the republic's population, followed by Russians (22.5%) and Balkars (12.7%). Other groups include Ossetians (1.1%), Turks (1.6%), Ukrainians (0.6%), Armenians (0.6%), Koreans (0.5%), Chechens (0.2%), and a host of smaller groups, each accounting for less than 0.5% of the total population.

    Religion

    According to a 2012 official survey 60% of the population of Kabardino-Balkaria adheres to Islam, 15.6% to the Russian Orthodox Church, 3% to Adyghe (Kabardian) folk religion and other indigenous faiths, 5% are unaffiliated generic Christians. In addition, 12% of the population declares to be "spiritual but not religious", 5.4% is Atheist or follows other religions.

    Politics

    The head of government in Kabardino-Balkaria is the Head. The current Head is Yuri Kokov

    The legislative body of the Republic is the Parliament comprising 72 deputies elected for a five-year term.

    References

    Kabardino-Balkaria Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


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