Southern and North Caucasian federal districts. Capital of the Caucasus: republics, cities, cultures

Geographical and civilizational conditions of the North Caucasus

The North Caucasus region is located in the south Russian Federation and its natural geographical boundaries are:

• in the north: Kumo-Manych depression
• in the east: the Caspian Sea
• in the west: Azov and Black seas
• in the south: the Greater Caucasus Range separating the North Caucasus from Transcaucasia

In terms of landscape, scientists divide the North Caucasus into two zones:

1. the steppe part, Ciscaucasia, and the steppes are both hilly and flat, in the east they turn into semi-deserts
2. Caucasian ridge and foothills

On the territory of the region will be allocated two lowlands: in the west - the Kuban-Azov lowland, in the east - the Tersko-Kuma lowland. The main rivers are the Kuban in the west and the Terek, which forms its own basins.

The North Caucasus region has resource characteristics: in the steppe part, the main wealth is chernozem with a thickness of more than 1.5 meters. Even at the beginning of the development of the Caucasus by Russian settlers, the average grain yield was CAM-5, CAM-6. Natural steppe spaces created favorable conditions not only for agriculture, but also for cattle breeding. Access to the three seas stimulated exchange and trade. A fairly wide range of minerals is hidden in the Caucasus Mountains. Deposits of iron, zinc, lead, polymetals.

On the flat part of the North Caucasus (Adygea, Chechnya, Nagai steppe) in the 19th century, oil fields. In the middle of the 20th century, gas reserves were discovered on the Stavropol Upland. Compared to European Russia climate more than soft with short snowy winters and hot summers.

At the moment, the entire North Caucasus is represented 8 entities Russian Federation: Krasnodar Territory, Stavropol Territory, Karachay-Cherkess Republic, Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, Republic of Ingushetia, Chechen Republic, Republic of Dagestan. Dagestan, because of its ethnic diversity, received the name “Country of Mountains” or “Country of Languages” in ancient times.

Stages of the study of the history of the region

Due to the proximity to the seas, natural resources, mild climate, the North Caucasus has long attracted the attention of neighbors and conquerors. Already in the 6th century BC. in the west of the Caucasus began to form, and therefore the region repeatedly began to appear in the news of various ancient Greek authors (Herodotus, Plutarch, Strabo). It is very characteristic that the ancient Greeks not only reflected the contacts of the Greek colonists with the natives, but also recorded the appearance and activity in the Caucasus of large tribal communities that left their mark on world history (Cimmerians, Scythians, Sarmatians).

By the 1st century BC. in the region, the influence of another powerful ancient civilization is revealed -. The Romans not only subjugate the Greek colonies of the Caucasus, the Caucasus becomes the arena of struggle between Rome and Parthian state (Iran).

Evidence of the Caucasus and its peoples is found in such authors as Seneca (younger), Pompey, Tacitus, Ammian Marcelli. After new state formations are formed in the Transcaucasus, the North Caucasus becomes an object of interest from the outside. , Georgian and Armenian authors (Ananiy Shirokatsi, Movses Khorenatsi).

The Byzantines were also heirs of the ancient civilization, with the aim of spreading political influence and Christianity, also appeared in the North Caucasian lands. Evidence of nature, various tribes of the Caucasus and their customs are found in famous Byzantine writers - Strokopius of Caesarea, Constantine Porphyrogenitus.

A certain mark in the study of the Caucasus was left Italians, representatives of the most ancient trading city-state. In the 13th-15th centuries, Genoese fortresses and trading posts existed in the Sea of ​​Azov and on the Black Sea coast, and their inhabitants were in contact with the local population. Famous Italian authors (Plano Carpini, Rubruk, George Interiano) have various descriptions of the nature and tribes of the Caucasus.

By the 16th century, the North Caucasus became the object of increased military, political and religious expansion from outside and its vassal Crimean Khanate . The Turks are actively trying to subjugate the local rulers, to impose their citizenship on them. Naturally, this is reflected in the Turkish chronicles. Various characteristics of the North Caucasus are found in the famous traveler of the 16th century, Evliya Chelebi.

The most developed culturally already in the 1st century BC. becomes Dagestan. Therefore, this part of the Caucasus appears in the reports of Iranian, Albanian, Azerbaijani and authors.

Domestic Caucasian Studies

The North Caucasus falls into the field of view of Russian authors as early as the 10th century, in connection with the organization that existed for almost 2 centuries. In the Russian chronicles of the 10th-12th centuries there are references to Tmutarakan, its princes, trade, wars, treaties concluded with the tribes of Kosogs and Yases (Alans).

Scattered episodic information about the North Caucasus is found in the papers of the embassy order of the 16-17th centuries. It was during this period that some Caucasian tribes sought the patronage of Moscow, the arrival of various delegations to Ivan the Terrible, and she herself Moscow Rus tried to gain a foothold in the lower reaches of the Terek.

Systematic and more scientific study of the region was started in the 18th century. Academicians of the St. Petersburg Imperial Academy of Sciences P.S. Pallas, I.A. Guldenstedt, P.G. Butkov, I.F. Blaramberg. With the beginning of the accession of the North Caucasus to Russia, the number of authors writing about the North Caucasus is multiplying, in the person of Russian officers F.F. Tornau, V.A. Potto, N.F. Dubrovin, R.A. Fadeev. Academician A.P. Berger "Caspian Territory", 1857, "Chechnya and Chechens", 1859.

Representatives mountain nobility North Caucasus of the 18th century also became, and the most talented of them created a number of works in Russian dedicated to the peoples of the North Caucasus (Shora Nogmov “Tradition Circassian people”, “Initial rules of Kabardian grammar”, Umalat Laudaev “Chechen tribe”).

In the second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries All Caucasian peoples had their own educators. In Ossetia - K. Khetagurov (Ossetian), Sultan Kazy-Girey (nogai). The Russian pre-revolutionary academic school had a number of authors of Caucasian studies: E.N. Kusheva, L.I. Lavrov, A.V. Fadeev, V.P. Nevskaya, V.N. Ratunyak and others. During the years of Soviet power own cadres of the mountain intelligentsia were published, researchers of the North Caucasus came out of its midst: V.G. Gadzhiev, R.M. Magomedov, M.M. Bliev, V.V. Degoev.

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• Burial mounds - grave mounds made of earth or stone; in Maykop they date back to the 3rd millennium BC. e.
• Dolmen (from the Breton tol - "table" and men - "stone") - a funerary structure of the III-II millennium BC. e. (stone box with a flat lid-slab).
• Balneology (from Latin balneum - "bath", "bathing * and Greek. "logos" - "word, teaching") is a section of balneology that studies mineral waters and their therapeutic use.
• A sanctuary is a place where religious rites are performed and where, according to the beliefs of believers, a deity resides.
• Modern Ingush profess Islam, but even in the 20s. 20th century mass sacrifices were made in Ingushetia.
• Tsekaloi. Chechnya. Ш The name Ichkeria comes from the Kumyk words "ichk" - "internal" and "er" - "place". Previously, the mountainous regions of Chechnya were called so.
• Chechens and Ingush make up a group of Vainakh peoples.
• Shamil (1799-1871) - leader of the liberation struggle of the Caucasian highlanders against the Russian colonizers and local feudal lords. Under Shamil, part of the Tats (the indigenous people of Southern Dagestan) was converted to Islam, but most of them remained committed to Judaism.
• Basilica (literally translated from Greek. "royal house") - a rectangular building, divided inside by rows of columns; one of the types of Christian church.

The ancient Greek geographer Strabo spoke in his writings about the Scythians - the tribes that lived in the Northern Black Sea region. This is one of the many peoples associated with the North Caucasus. Stormy historical events forced people to move from the plains into the depths of the mountainous country, whether they were the indigenous inhabitants of the region or people from other places. As a result, a unique mosaic of nationalities and dialects has developed here.

The hospitality of the hosts is sometimes combined with customs and customs that are incomprehensible to a European, and adherence to traditions is combined with the desire to keep up with the times.

Agriculture, industrial production, mining and servicing vacationers are the main areas of activity for the population of the North Caucasus. It is difficult to find a person in our country who has never rested in the Caucasus. The metals mined there are used in the production of many objects around us - this is a tungsten filament in an electric light bulb, and stainless steel utensils, and galvanized iron roofs, and much more. Jewelry and hard alloys, woolen clothes and carpets made by the inhabitants of the North Caucasus can be found in all corners of Russia and beyond.

The population of the North Caucasus is more than 16 million people, or 11.3% of the population of the whole of Russia, while the area of ​​the region is less than 1% of the country's territory. According to demographers, this is the only region of Russia today where the population is increasing. There are about a hundred nationalities and nationalities in Russia, and more than half of them are in the densely populated North Caucasus! Residents of one valley, and sometimes even one aul (mountain village) often do not understand the language of neighbors from nearby villages.

Some Caucasian peoples number only a few hundred people, some - hundreds of thousands.

The borders of the North Caucasian region were formed at the end of the 19th century, when the region was also called the Ciscaucasian belt. Now seven national republics are located on this territory: Adygea, Karachay-Cherkessia, Kabardino-Balkaria, North Ossetia-Alania, Ingushetia, the Chechen Republic, Dagestan.

ADYGEA

The Adygei Autonomous Region (area - 7.6 thousand km 2) was formed in 1922 and was part of the Krasnodar Territory. Since 1992, Adygea has become an independent subject of the Russian Federation. More than 450 thousand people live in the republic. Approximately half of the territory of Adygea falls on the plain, and half - on the mountains in the basins of the Belaya and Fars rivers.

The climate of the plain is mild and, in combination with black soil, makes it possible to obtain rich harvests of many agricultural crops - from wheat and rice to sugar beets and grapes. Mountains reaching 2 thousand meters are covered with forests. At an altitude of up to 1.2 thousand m, broad-leaved trees predominate - beech, oak, hornbeam; above - Nordmann fir; then comes the undergrowth of birch, mountain ash and maple. Closer to the top, subalpine and alpine meadows spread. The fauna of the mountain forests is very rich: bison, roe deer, chamois, mountain goats, wild boars, wolves, lynxes, bears, many birds live in them.

The Caucasus State Reserve is located in the highland regions of the republic. Once this was the place royal hunting, which is reminiscent of many names: Panter-ny and Solontsovy ridges, the Prince's Bridge tract, Zubrovaya Polyana, the Kholodnaya, Sad, Turovaya rivers. In the reserve, you can find fir trees that are over 500 years old. In height, they reach 60 m with a trunk thickness of two or three girths. The combination of snow-white peaks, blue sky and huge green trees creates that unique landscape that attracts tourists here.

In the early 60s. 20th century an attempt was made to build a highway Stavropol - Sochi through the central city of Adygea - Maikop. On this wide paved road, there are still signs with the inscriptions: "To Sochi ... km." But in Sochi, you can’t drive along the highway: it reaches almost to the border of the reserve and suddenly ends. Common sense prevailed in time: a unique piece of territory was protected from a powerful flow of cars.

In addition to the beauties of nature, tourists are attracted to Adygea by ancient historical monuments- dolmens and burial mounds. An obelisk was erected in memory of the excavations of mounds in Maykop. Many works of art found by archaeologists are exhibited in the Hermitage.

Adyghes are one of the peoples united by a common name - Ady-gi. They also include Circassians and Kabardians. The ancestors of modern Adyghes at different times were called Meots, Sinds, Kerkets. Over a long history, they mixed with the Sarmatians and Scythians, were under the rule of Byzantium, the Golden Horde, Crimean Tatars and others. In the XVIII century. the Turks spread Islam in the North Caucasus, which is now practiced by the majority of believing Adyghes.

Adygea has a diverse ethnic composition, but the majority are Russians (67%) and Adyghes (22%). Influence on the Circassians of the Russian and in general European culture great: almost everyone knows Russian. At the same time, the Circassians preserved the language of their ancestors, religion, the nature of relations within the family and community, national crafts, including jewelry. They observe the rites associated with birth, death, coming of age, marriage; revere monuments of nature and history, whether it be ancient dolmens or Christian churches and chapels. The settlements of the Adyghes, both in the mountains and on the plains - immersed in gardens, picturesque and neat - are usually large in size. The inhabitants of Adygea are not only excellent farmers and shepherds, but also instructors in tourism and mountaineering, scientists, engineers.

KARACHAYEV-CHERKESIAN

Karachay-Cherkessia received the status of a republic within Russia in 1991. In terms of area, it is almost twice as large as Adygea (14.1 thousand km 2), but in terms of population it is inferior to it (434 thousand people). Mostly Russians (42.4%), Karachays (31.2%) and Circassians (9.7%) live here. The Karachays settled in the highlands, where they have long been engaged in cattle breeding. This people speaks the Karachai language, which is related to the languages ​​of the Turkic group. Some researchers consider the Karachays to be the descendants of the Polovtsy, who once roamed the southern steppes and mixed with the indigenous Caucasian population. Modern Karachays prefer to live in the mountains, and high-mountain meadows serve as pastures. Circassians are mainly engaged in agriculture and settle in the valleys.

The bowels of the republic are rich in minerals. The Urup deposit of copper pyrite has long been known. Since pre-revolutionary times, lead-zinc ore has been mined in the upper reaches of the Kuban at the Elbrus mine. But the mining industry is not the basis of the economy for Karacha-evo-Cherkessia.

The multinational composition of the population is manifested in the diversified development of the economy of the republic. If the Circassians are skilled gardeners and farmers, then the Karachais are famous as excellent livestock breeders. The Karachay breed of sheep with a wonderful black fleece is well known. The Karachay breed of horses is valued far beyond the Caucasus. Kefir, ayran - a drink made from sour milk, cheese and other dairy products are of high quality. Wherever there are tourists, there is a trade in handmade woolen products.

Although the area of ​​arable land in the republic is small, they grow a lot of potatoes, sugar beets and corn. In the north of Karacha-evo-Cherkessia, in Erken-Shakhar, in the 60s. 20th century The largest sugar factory in Russia was built. The economy of the republic is focused on agriculture: its main sectors include animal husbandry and agriculture, production and repair of agricultural machinery, equipment for food storage. This direction of the economy is very favorable for the development of tourism and resort services.

Mountain lakes and waterfalls of Karachay-Cherkessia are accessible to an ordinary pedestrian, glaciers and the most difficult routes are designed for climbers. There are many sources of mineral water on the territory of the republic. The mild, healing climate of mountain resorts also attracts. Teberda, located at an altitude of 1.3 thousand meters, is not much inferior to Kislovodsk, famous for its springs and air. In the upper reaches of the Teberda River, in a mountain basin, lies the world-famous Dombay glade - a favorite place for climbers, tourists and skiers. From here, even inexperienced tourists easily climb to the Alibek glacier, follow the route to the Klukhor pass (2782 m) and to the blue Klukhor lake - small but deep, with floating ice floes in the hottest time of summer. At the pass during the Great Patriotic War there were stubborn battles with the German troops.

KABARDINO-BALKARIA

north slope Greater Caucasus and part of the foothill plain is occupied by Kabardino-Balkaria. In terms of area (12.5 thousand km 2), it is slightly inferior to its western neighbor - Karachay-Cherkessia, and in terms of population it is almost twice as large (790 thousand people). Approximately half of the inhabitants are Kabardians, about a third are Russians, and a tenth are Balkars. Kabardians belong to the group of Circassians. In certain periods of history, they were very numerous and influential and even subjugated other peoples of the Caucasus. The Balkars are a Turkic-speaking people related to the Karachays; earlier they were called mountain Tatars. Relations between Kabardians and Bal-Kars with Russia have deep historical roots. In 1561, Ivan the Terrible married the daughter of the Kabardian prince Temryuk Aidarovich, who counted on Moscow's support in defense against the Crimea and Turkey. Then, during the period of weakening of Russia, Kabarda fell under the rule of Turkey. In the 19th century Kabardians and Balkars resisted the Russian Empire, but the bloodshed soon ended, replaced by an alliance. The religious beliefs of the Kabardians have also changed many times over the centuries. From ancient beliefs, the population first switched to Christianity under the influence of Byzantium and Georgia, but starting from the 15th century. Islam spread here. Part of the Kabardians (Mozdok) later converted to Orthodoxy again.

It is in Kabardino-Balkaria that the Greater Caucasus reaches its maximum height and is called here the Central. In the Main and Side Ranges, the peaks rise to more than 5,000 m; many glaciers, including more than 12 km long. All major valleys are paved with motor roads, which sometimes go straight to the glaciers. However, none of them rises to the Main Range, all the passes through which are very difficult to access. To the north of the Glavny are the Rocky Range (3646 m - Mount Karakaya), the Pasture Range and the Black Mountains, beyond which the Kabardian Plain begins with heights of about 150 m.

In the upper reaches of the Baksan River, from the Azau glade at an altitude of 2.8 thousand meters on a cable car (funicular) you can climb (up to a height of 3.5 thousand meters) to the slopes of the Elbrus volcanic cone, from where a magnificent panorama opens - peaks covered with snow and glaciers, green valleys. From here, climbing to the top of the highest mountain in Russia (5642 m) begins.

The bowels of Kabardino-Balkaria contain a variety of minerals. They have long been mined by local residents, using for the manufacture of household products, jewelry and weapons. Modern industry is also based on underground riches. The most famous is the Tyrnyauz deposit of wolf-ram-molybdenum ores; significant reserves of lead-zinc, lead-antimony ores, iron. Coal is being mined. Mineral springs, which are numerous in the republic, also serve various economic purposes, and hot mineral waters are used to heat greenhouses.

Forests occupy more than 15% of the republic's area, mainly in mountainous areas. The foothill plain within Kabardino-Balkaria is almost completely plowed up. An irrigation (irrigation) system has been created here for centuries.

There are many interesting objects in the republic, and tourists willingly visit it all year round. In the mountains, the ruins of ancient villages have been preserved, climbing steep slopes in cascades. Defensive towers rise above them. One of the deepest lakes in Russia, the Blue Lake (Tserikel), is located in Kabardino-Balkaria. Its depth is 268 m, and this is with small dimensions (width is about 200 m).

The Narzanov Valley is the traditional name for a section of the Khasaut River valley, where there are more than 20 large and many small springs on one kilometer of the way. On the Small Larkhan River you can admire a 20-meter waterfall. The resort conditions of the Narzanov Valley are not inferior to the famous Kislovodsk. This mineral water is probably the most popular in the European part of Russia.

NORTH OSSETIA ALANIA

The Republic of North Ossetia-Alania covers an area of ​​8 thousand km2. Its population is about 650 thousand people, of which 53% are Ossetians, 30% are Russians. In terms of population density (more than 80 people per 1 km 2) and the degree of urbanization (70% live in cities), North Ossetia ranks first in the North Caucasus.

Ossetians - ancient people. Among their ancestors there are indigenous Caucasians and representatives of Iranian-speaking tribes - Scythians and Sarmatians (Alans). Once the Ossetians occupied vast areas in the region. Tatar invasion of the 13th century. pushed them deep into the mountains beyond the Main Range, to the southern slope of the Greater Caucasus. Most Ossetians profess Orthodoxy, which they adopted back in the 6th-7th centuries. under the influence of Byzantium and Georgia. There are also Muslims among the population; penetration of Islam in the XVII-XVIII centuries. contributed Kabardians. In 1774, Ossetia became part of Russia, after which its inhabitants began to move to the foothill plain.

The North Ossetian Autonomous Region was formed as part of the RSFSR in 1924; since 1936 it has become an autonomous republic.

North Ossetia is located on the Ossetian Plain and occupies part of the northern slope of the Greater Caucasus. On the mountainous territory of the republic there are the Lateral and Main ridges, and in the north there is a low (926 m) Sunzhensky ridge. The highest mountain - Kazbek (on the border with Georgia) - reaches a height of 5033 m. Other peaks are also high, from the slopes of which many glaciers descend, including the longest in the North Caucasus - Karaugom: its length reaches 14 km.

The climate of the Ossetian Plain is favorable for growing corn, wheat, sunflower; Sugar beet also grows here, but it needs additional watering. The average monthly temperature in January is -4°C, and in July +20-22°C; precipitation per year falls 500-800 mm. As you go up into the mountains, it becomes cooler and the humidity increases. Mountain slopes up to a height of 2 thousand meters are covered with forests, which occupy a quarter of the republic's area. Bear, lynx, marten, fox can be found in these thickets. Above the forests is a belt of tall-grass subalpine meadows. At an altitude of more than 4 thousand meters, the temperature does not rise above zero all year round. In winter, snow with a layer of 50-75 cm covers all mountain slopes, except for rocky cliffs.

North Ossetia is the only republic in the North Caucasus through which highways pass in Transcaucasia. One of them - the Military Ossetian - rises along the Ardon River valley to the Mamison Pass (2819 m), the other - the Georgian Military - passes through the Cross Pass (2379 m).

North Ossetia is famous for its fertile arable land, lush gardens, high mountain pastures, virgin forests, mineral waters, and minerals. Already at the beginning of the XX century. several dozen deposits of copper, silver-zinc and iron ores were known. The land of North Ossetia is also rich in manganese, molybdenum, arsenic, sulfur pyrite, jet (a valuable black ornamental stone used for jewelry). In the vicinity of Vladikavkaz, interlayers of sand impregnated with oil were found.

In the largest Sadonsky silver-lead-zinc deposit, located 60 km west of Vladikavkaz, ore has been mined since ancient times. In the 19th century the military department of Russia attracted the Ural peasants for its development. In 1896, the deposit was bought by the Belgians, who organized the Alagir joint-stock company, which equipped the mines, built an enrichment factory next to them, a small hydroelectric power station on the Sadon River, and an ore-smelting plant in Vladikavkaz. Before the First World War, thousands of tons of zinc and lead, hundreds of kilograms of silver were smelted here every year.

In the modern economy of North Ossetia, non-ferrous metallurgy is the leading industry. The richest deposits (Sadonskoye, Fiagdonskoye, Zgidskoye, etc.) supply ore to enrichment plants located nearby. Concentrates are processed in Vladikavkaz.

In agriculture, grain production and horticulture are developed, small areas are occupied by vineyards. About half of the farmland is set aside for sowing corn, a traditional crop in Ossetia. The republic has a large number of cattle and developed pig breeding.

The industry and agriculture of North Ossetia are so developed that tourism is less important here than in other republics of the North Caucasus. Tourists visit the Tsey glacier, not far from which is the ancient Ossetian sanctuary Rekom.

Near the village of Darvas, several dozen burial grounds (family crypts) with burials of the 14th-19th centuries, known under the common name "City of the Dead", have been preserved. In the mountainous regions of Ossetia, there are ancient houses and tower-fortresses - witnesses of ancient customs and events.

INGUSHETIA

In 1924, the Ingush Autonomous Region was formed. In 1934, it merged with the Chechen Autonomous Region into the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Region, which in 1936 was transformed into the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic within the RSFSR. In 1992, after the separation of Chechnya, the Ingush Republic was proclaimed as part of the Russian Federation. This is the smallest Russian republic in terms of area (19.3 thousand km 2) and population (about 300 thousand people). Its people are one of the most ancient in the North Caucasus.

Ingushetia is located east of Ossetia and occupies mainly the basin of the Assa River, a tributary of the Terek. Natural conditions in the republic are the same as in Ossetia. To the east of Vladikavkaz, the dry heat of the deserts is already slightly felt. The forests here slightly change their shade (hornbeam and oak predominate in the foothills and hollows) and retreat a little into the mountains.

The capital of Ingushetia - Nazran, with a population of 23 thousand people (1994), became a city in 1967. It is located on the railway line Rostov-on-Don - Baku. There are few industrial enterprises in Nazran: a power tool factory, a knitwear factory, and a flour mill.

The sight of Ingushetia is its old architectural ensembles. First of all, these are the ruins of villages with battle towers of the 14th-18th centuries. from gray raw stone. Some of them can be approached from the side of the Georgian Military Highway. On the southern slope of the Rocky Ridge, above the buildings destroyed from time to time, slender silhouettes of the surviving towers of five or six floors, with narrow loopholes, rise. Each tower gradually narrows and ends with a pyramid-shaped stone roof. At the level of the second floor there is a door from which a ladder was once lowered. Near the village of Khairakh in the valley of the Assa River, the temple of Tkhiba Yerdy of the 11th-13th centuries has been preserved. - evidence of the spread of Christian teaching among the Ingush.

CHECHEN REPUBLIC

IN last years The Chechen Republic became known all over the world. The fighting on its territory, including in the capital - Grozny, the bombing of this largest and richest city in the North Caucasus and its significant destruction, the death of thousands of people, refugees, hostages, abductions of residents - all these phenomena, wild even for the Middle Ages, attracted everyone's attention (see article "The War in Chechnya" in the volume "History of Russia", part three, "Encyclopedia for Children").

The Chechen Autonomous Region was formed in 1922 and then merged with the Ingush Autonomous Region to form the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1991, Chechen leaders announced the creation of a sovereign and independent Chechen Republic - Ichkeria, separated from Ingushetia and Russia in general.

Nevertheless, according to the Constitution in force in Russia, Chechnya is a subject of the Russian Federation. By agreement of the parties, the final decision on the status of the republic was postponed until early XXI V.

In terms of population and area, the Chechen Republic is approximately 2.5-3 times smaller than Dagestan located to the east and much larger than Ingushetia. The total number of Chechens within Russia is almost 900 thousand people (according to 1989 data); Of these, approximately 400,000 live in Chechnya itself.

Chechens and Ingush are close in language, origin, customs and way of life. Chechens quite late (although much earlier than the Ingush) converted to Islam: in the XVIII-XIX centuries. The nature of the two republics is very similar. However, only in the bowels of Chechnya there are oil reserves, which largely determined its development in the 20th century.

The Chechen Republic is located on the northern slope of the Greater Caucasus and on the adjacent Tersko-Sunzhenskaya Plain. The highest point in Chechnya is Mount Tebulosmta (4493 m). The plain is covered with fertile chernozems; the mountains are covered with forests, 80% of which are tall beeches. Minerals have been discovered in the southern part of Chechnya: near the village of Evdokimova - copper, near the village of Kei - silver-lead ores, near the village of Shatoy - sulfur. There are also antimony, gypsum and other minerals. At the beginning of the XX century. The population was mainly engaged in agriculture. Wheat, corn, and millet were sown on the plains; sheep and racehorses were bred in the mountains. Beekeeping was quite widespread. Cloth was made in the northern regions, and cloaks were made in the southern regions. Blacksmithing and jewelry were developed.

The modern economy includes traditional occupations, to which were added irrigated agriculture on the plain and a powerful industry associated with the exploration, production and processing of oil. In the landscape of Chechnya, weaves of pipes, oil rigs and tanks occupy a prominent place. The republic's oil fields are not gigantic, like those in Siberia or the Middle East, but they are convenient for development.

On the southern slope of the Sunzha Ridge, about 40 kilometers west of Grozny, there is a large resort called Sernovodsk with healing mineral springs. On the whole, in terms of the richness and diversity of natural resources, Chechnya is not much inferior to other North Caucasian republics, and in terms of oil reserves it surpasses them all.

DAGESTAN

The largest of the North Caucasian republics, both in terms of area (50.3 thousand km 2) and population (almost 2 million people) is Dagestan. In addition, it is the most energy-saturated, the driest, the warmest and the most treeless republic of the region. Dagestan also set several all-Russian records. Here, the population continues to grow most rapidly (against the background of its decrease in the whole country). More than 30 nationalities inhabiting Dagestan speak 29 languages ​​and 70 dialects; according to these indicators, the republic can even claim the world championship.

Islam penetrated Dagestan earlier than other North Caucasian republics; For this reason, the inhabitants of the republic are most committed to Islam. 57% of the population of Dagestan lives in villages; At the same time, nowhere in the North Caucasus are cities as ancient as in Dagestan: Derbent, for example, is more than 5 thousand years old - this is the oldest city in Russia. Even the nature of the republic is unique: here is the lowest mark in Russia and Europe - 26 m below sea level.

Dagestan is located at the Caspian Gates - where the path from Transcaucasia to northern plains. The peoples of the republic often suffered from the raids of the conquerors. The inhabitants took refuge in the mountains, behind narrow gorges, on impregnable plateaus. Plains from the VIII to the end of the X century. occupied the Khazar Khaganate, the Caspian Sea in those days was called the Khazar. The capital of the kaganate was then located on the site of the modern village of Tarki not far from Makhachkala.

The largest indigenous peoples of Dagestan are Avars (27%), Dargins (15%), Kumyks (13%), Lezgins (11%), Laks, as well as Tabasarans, Nogais, Tats, Aguls, Rutuls, Tsakhurs. There are very small ethnic groups. So, the village of Ginuh, with several dozen houses, has its own language, its own customs.

The variety of natural conditions and the richness of national traditions determined the features of numerous folk crafts. Almost everywhere there are masters. Goldsmiths and jewelers work in the famous village of Kubachi, ceramics are produced in Gotsatl, carpets are produced in Untsukul, etc.

Despite the mixture of peoples and languages, Dagestan has been perceived as an integral country for hundreds of years. In 1921, the Dagestan ASSR was created, and in 1991, the Republic of Dagestan was proclaimed as part of Russia.

Translated from Turkic, Dagestan means "country of mountains". However, it occupies not only the mountains of the eastern part of the North Caucasus, but also the adjacent plains of the Caspian Sea. Steppe and semi-desert lowlands extend to the north from the ridges for almost 200 km, and mountains continue to the south, also for almost 200 km. The Caspian coast is the warmest corner of the North Caucasus. The average monthly temperature in January is above zero here, as on the Black Sea coast, and in July it is even hotter - up to +24 °C. However, in these places the mountains no longer protect from the northern winds, so in winter there are severe frosts - in the north of the republic up to -40 ° C.

The mountains of Dagestan are high, with steep slopes. The height of the peak of Bazar-duzu on the border with Azerbaijan is 4466 m. The climate in the mountains is quite dry, so there are few glaciers. Vast areas are occupied by high (2.3-2.7 thousand m) plateaus, the most famous of which are Khunzakh and Gunib.

The mountains of Dagestan are cut by the deepest canyons of the rivers (Sulak, Samur) and their tributaries. The Sulak Gorge between the Gimrinsky Range and Sulak-tau was once the site of fierce battles between Shamil's rebels and the troops of the Russian Tsar (1832).

Now the highest (231 m) mud dam has been built here on other rivers of Dagestan. They not only provide the republic with electricity, but also irrigate the lands in the mountains and on the plains. Valuable fish are found in the mouths of the rivers, including sturgeon, beluga, stellate sturgeon, Caspian salmon, white salmon. Red deer, wild boar, and many birds live in the reed beds covering the coastal floodplains (shores flooded in spring).

In the forests - they occupy only 7% of the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe mountains - wolves, bears and lynxes are found. In the foothills you can see a large (25-30 cm) turtle, a snake - a huge brown viper sleeping on stones, a bright green snake. On the plains, in the steppes and semi-deserts, the animal world is different in nature: birds, various rodents, in the very north - saigas, the steppe fox - corsac.

The mountains of Dagestan are a kind of fortress that protects the population of the interior. From the side of the plains, one can penetrate here, as a rule, passing through narrow, difficult to overcome gorges. At the same time, in the mountains themselves there are many wide, convenient valleys where you can farm and build housing. The mountain slopes scorched by the sun are densely populated: tens of thousands of people live in some villages.

Mountain villages are interconnected by highways, winding serpentine. Gray cubes of houses are molded one to one and one above the other, hanging over the slopes of the mountains, like swallows' nests. There is neither a green lawn nor a tree here. In the mountains, they do not build houses on lands suitable for cultivation, saving them for arable land. To expand the fields, artificial terraces were created on steep slopes and soil was brought here. Now these plots amaze with grooming. However, with the advent of cheaper grain produced on the plains, the terraces began to be used mainly as meadows. Breeding sheep and horses is an important branch of the economy of Dagestan. In summer, animals are grazed in alpine meadows, and in winter - in the steppe, on the plain. Sheep are sometimes transported by car, reducing losses from long hauls. In the mountain valleys and foothills there are many orchards and vineyards, the fruits of which are used in large quantities for the production of canned food and wine.

The flat part of Dagestan is located on the territory of the Caspian lowland. Within the republic, it bears the names Tersko-Kumskaya (to the north of the Terek) and Tersko-Sulakskaya or Kumykskaya (to the south). Flat near the coast, the Tersko-Kuma lowland gradually rises as it moves away from the Caspian Sea, and irregularities appear on it - sand dunes and ridges fixed by vegetation. This part is called the Nogai steppe. The landscapes here are mostly steppe and semi-desert, there are solonchaks. Sparse bushes grow wormwood, saltwort, cereals and herbs. The main wealth of the Nogai steppe is pastures where fine-fleeced and coarse-wooled sheep are bred. Agriculture is subsidiary. Most of the indigenous population are Nogais, descendants of the once numerous and formidable horde that roamed the plains of the North Caucasus. This is a Turkic-speaking people with a long history. The traditional occupation of the Nogais is cattle breeding, but among them, like hundreds of years ago, today there are representatives of the most different professions. Modern Nogais lead a largely sedentary lifestyle. Their settlements are located near irrigation canals and many windmills (wind power plants) resemble Dutch villages. However, if in Holland the land is drained with the help of windmills, then in Dagestan they serve for watering gardens and orchards.

The Kumyk plain, like the Nogai steppe, was named after the people inhabiting it - the Kumyks. The land located between the foot of the mountains and the Terek is convenient for cultivation: there are many vineyards and orchards, especially near Makhachkala. Kumyk settlements usually represent a large garden in which houses turn white.

In the bowels of Dagestan, large deposits of mineral raw materials have not yet been discovered, but there are many small ones. Literally "from under Makhachkala" for two decades, starting from 1942, oil was produced. In 1972, the development of the Shamkhal-Bulak gas field began, from which gas pipelines stretched to all parts of the republic. Deposits of iron ore, gypsum, alabaster, building stone, glass sands, mineral and thermal (warm) waters provide a variety of needs for the modern economy of Dagestan.

The Caspian Sea is rich in various fish. The most valuable are sturgeons, whose caviar is worth almost its weight in gold. The beaches of Dagestan are wonderful, vast and sandy, with sloping shores. This is an ideal place for children's recreation. However, there are still no traditions of tourist services here, and resort resources have been developed very poorly.

The nature of Dagestan is not only generous, but also harsh in the manifestation of its elements. In 1970, the strongest earthquake in the North Caucasus occurred here, from which several cities and villages suffered. Large landslides and landslides descended in the mountains at that time. The storms of the Caspian Sea are also very cruel. Previously, fishermen used to say: "He who has not been to the sea has never seen grief." Since 1978, the level of the Caspian began to rise rapidly. Farmlands are flooded, homes and roads are destroyed, so it is necessary to build dams or move buildings further from the sea.

The capital of Dagestan - Makhachkala is located on the shores of the Caspian Sea, at the foot of Mount Tarkitau. It was founded as a military fortification in 1844 near the place where the camp of Peter I was in 1722. The Highlanders called the fortification Anji-Kala - the Flour Fortress. In 1857 the fortress received the status of a city and the name of Petrovsk-Port. Soon the port itself was built, and in 1896 a railway was brought to it. The city was renamed Makhachkala - in honor of the active participant in the civil war, Makhach Dakhadayev. The population of the city is 395 thousand people. A beautiful center built in the late 19th - early 20th centuries. surrounded by modern quarters and factories. In the city there are Dagestan science Center Russian Academy of Sciences, theaters and museums.

Machines, instruments, building materials are produced in Makhachkala, food industry. The city itself is a balneological and seaside climatic resort: its mineral waters, therapeutic mud, extensive sandy beaches and warm sea are widely used.

The small (44 thousand people) city of Kizlyar is located on a plain in the Terek delta. It was first mentioned in 1652. In 1735, the first Russian fortress in the Caucasus was founded in this place. In the second half of the XVIII century. Kizlyar was an administrative and shopping mall North Caucasus, not only Persian, but also Indian merchants traded in its bazaars. The city has traditionally been famous for its vineyards and winemaking. This is due to the fact that at the beginning of the XVIII century. many Armenians and Georgians moved here. Despite its small size, Kizlyar is the cultural center of Dagestan. The city has several museums and many historical monuments.

Administrative-territorial composition of the Southern Federal District: republics of Adygea, Kalmykia. Krasnodar region. Astrakhan, Volgograd, Rostov regions. The administrative center is the city of Rostov-on-Don.

Administrative-territorial structure of the North Caucasian Federal District Republics: Karachay-Cherkess, Kabardino-Balkaria, North Ossetia-Mania, Ingushetia, Dagestan, Chechen. Stavropol region.

Territory- 589.2 thousand km 2

Population— 22.9 million people

Administrative center- Pyatigorsk.

The North Caucasian Federal District (NCFD) is a new district of the Russian Federation, created on January 19, 2010 by a special Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 82 dated January 19, 2010 “On Amendments to the List of Federal Districts approved by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of May 13, 2000 No. 849, and in the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated May 12, 2008 No. 724 “Issues of the system and structure of federal executive bodies”.

In fact, the North Caucasian was separated from the Southern Federal District. The creation of the North Caucasian Federal District should contribute to accelerated development the southern territories of Russia and the solution of economic and ethno-political problems.

It should be noted that when it was formed by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 849 of May 13, 2000, the district was named North Caucasian, but already on June 21 of the same year, by Decree No. 1149, it was renamed South. The motives for the renaming were geographical reasons: the Volgograd and Astrakhan regions and Kalmykia do not belong to the North Caucasus. The Rostov region belongs conditionally.

Currently, the Southern Federal District includes the subjects of the Federation belonging to the North Caucasian economic region, as well as the territory of the Lower Volga region (Republic of Kalmykia, Astrakhan and Volgograd regions), which, but the current zoning grid, belongs to the Volga economic region.

The territory of the North Caucasus Federal District is included in the grid of economic zoning in the North Caucasus economic region.

Let us characterize the features of the location and development of the productive forces of these districts in certain territories: the North Caucasian economic region and the Lower Volga region.

Southern Federal District

Southern Federal District (center — Rostov-on-Don) occupies the south of the East European Plain, Ciscaucasia and the northern slopes of the Greater Caucasus, accounting for approximately 3.5% of the country's territory. The landscapes of the territory are diverse - semi-desert and steppe plains, mountain ranges, stormy mountain (Terek) and calm lowland (Don, Kuban) rivers, subtropical oases, snow-capped peaks of the Caucasus Mountains.

The Southern Federal District is one of the most densely populated in Russia. It concentrates 15% of the country's population. The county is one of the most multinational. More than 40 peoples live here, belonging mainly to the Slavic, Nakh-Dagestan and Turkic groups. The clash of dissimilar cultures belonging to different civilizations, the implementation of the administrative-territorial division of the republics, deportation(forced resettlement) of many North Caucasian peoples, hostilities in the region for two centuries - all this, of course, influenced the severity of interethnic conflicts in the region.

By natural features the territory of the district can be divided into four parts: flat steppe, foothill, mountain and lower Volga.

flat steppe territory extends from the Don River to the valleys of the Kuban and Terek rivers. This is the main agricultural region, the main breadbasket of Russia. There are practically no natural landscapes preserved in this territory. Everywhere there are natural and anthropogenic agricultural landscapes, in which natural vegetation has largely been replaced by crops.

The plowed land of steppe landscapes reaches 90%. Mostly cereals and industrial crops are grown here.

Due to the fact that the forest cover of agricultural land is a little more than 3% instead of 5-6% according to the accepted norms, the agrolandscapes of the steppe zone of the district have become very unstable, i.e. subject to active erosion (destruction) of soils, silting of small rivers, pollution of water bodies.

The agro-industrial complex of the Southern District occupies a leading role in the country's economy; nitrogen and phosphate fertilizers and pesticides (Nevinnomyssk, Belorechensk).

food industry also developed everywhere and specializes in the processing of various agricultural raw materials, vegetables and fruits, the production of meat, butter, flour, cereals (Krasnodar, Rostov-on-Don, Stavropol, Novocherkassk, etc.).

Shipbuilding development in the district is connected with the implementation of the program "Revival of the Russian Fleet", which provides for the construction of river-sea vessels, tankers, dry cargo ships (Astrakhan, Volgograd).

Fuel and energy complex specializes in the oil (Dagestan, Groznenskoye, Stavropol, Krasnodar deposits), gas (Kubano-Priazovskoye, Stavropol deposits, as well as deposits in the Volgograd and Astrakhan regions) and coal industry (the eastern ring of Donbass in the Rostov region) (see atlas map).

Oil refineries are located in Krasnodar, Maikop, Tuapse.

Transport engineering(Novocherkassk) specializes in the production of electric locomotives.

Despite the construction of powerful thermal power plants and the presence of hydroelectric power plants, the region is experiencing a constant shortage of electricity.

Recreational complex The North Caucasus uses the unique natural conditions and resources of the region.

On Black Sea coast famous resorts are located: Anapa, Gelendzhik, Tuapse, Sochi. The subtropical climate, abundance of sun, sea bathing, mud and hydrotherapy, vegetation brought here from all over the world attract many tourists and vacationers.

Caucasian [Mineralnye Vody] region unites the balneological resorts of Essentuki, Kislovodsk, Pyatigorsk, Zheleznovodsk and is famous for such sights as the "Castle of deceit and love", "Temple of the Air", "Blue Lakes", "Dombai", "Blue Stones", the State Museum-Reserve M. Yu. Lermontov.

Ecological problems of the lower Volga. The Volga is the longest river in Europe. Its length from the source to the Caspian Sea is 3530 km.

The modern Volga is actually a chain of huge reservoirs, passing one into another. It is regulated by cascades of eight HPPs. Only from Volgograd to the Caspian Sea, the Volga retained its natural course.

The construction of a hydroelectric power station and the creation of reservoirs made it difficult for the natural processes of self-purification of water in the river. It can detect oil products, lead salts, sulfur compounds. The way out of this situation - the limitation of industrial effluents, the installation of filters, the construction of treatment facilities - has not yet yielded the desired results. This problem is especially acute in the lower reaches of the Volga.

Ecological situation in Volga delta assessed by experts as catastrophic. In its lower reaches, harmful substances accumulate from the entire drainage basin of the river. 8-9 km 3 of untreated industrial and domestic wastewater is annually discharged into the Volga, which is almost equivalent to the volume of the Tsimlyansk reservoir.

Of all the HPPs, only Volgogradskaya and Saratovskaya have devices for passing fish. However, they are weak and require reconstruction. Cascades of hydroelectric power plants reduce the flow of water, which leads to the death of fish. In recent years, control over enterprises that discharge harmful substances into the river has become tougher. However, the content of heavy metals, oil products, pesticides, detergents in the Volga water still exceeds the maximum permissible concentration (MAC). This is especially alarming because the waters of the lower reaches of the Volga are rich in fish (sturgeon, perch, herring, smelt, carp, pike).

Caspian Sea- the largest lake in the world (368 thousand km 2). It received its modern name in honor of the ancient tribes of the Caspians (horse breeders), who lived in the 1st century BC. BC e. on its coast. The lowest level of the Caspian Sea (-29 m) was registered by scientists in 1997. Since 1998, the water level has begun to rise, at present it has reached -27 m.

Many scientists are engaged in the problem of water level fluctuations in the Caspian Sea. According to some experts, the main reason is climatic, and it is associated with a decrease in solar activity and, as a result, a decrease in water evaporation from the surface of the lake. The average salinity of the water in the lake is 11‰, i.e., each liter of water contains 11 g of salt (in the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov - 10-12 g, in the Black Sea - from 17 to 22 g).

The flora of the lake is represented by more than 700 species of algae, including green and blue-green. The wealth of the Caspian Sea is sturgeon and salmon species of fish.

To restore the stocks of especially valuable sturgeon fish in the lower reaches of the Volga, eight sturgeon hatcheries were built, where sturgeon fry are grown from eggs (Alexandrovsky, Volgogradsky, Lebyazhy).

North Caucasian economic region

Composition of the district(ten subjects of the federation) - the republics: Adygea, Karachay-Cherkess, Kabardino-Balkaria, North Ossetia - Alania, Ingushetia, Chechen, Dagestan; Krasnodar, Stavropol Territories; Rostov region.

The region stands out among others by the presence of the maximum number of republics in its composition (seven republics).

conditions for a developed economy. The main wealth area is its agro-climatic potential. Here there are optimal combinations of climatic and soil conditions for the cultivation of most cultivated plants of the temperate zone, as well as for the development of almost all branches of animal husbandry.

The region provides itself with coal at the expense of the deposits of the eastern wing of Donbass. There are reserves of good quality oil, gas, non-ferrous metal ores (lead, zinc, tungsten and molybdenum, copper, mercury). There are also significant resources of non-metallic raw materials (barite, rock salt, gypsum, marls, dolomites).

The combination of climate resources with mountainous terrain, warm sea creates conditions for the development of resorts and different types tourism.

Population. This is the only region of the country where the population tends to stabilize. In many republics of the region, a rather high natural increase has been preserved, and the territories of the Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories, the Rostov Region are the main regions for receiving migrants not only from the national republics of the region, but from the entire post-Soviet space. The average population density is relatively high - 50 people / km 2.

The ethnic composition is very diverse, for example, it is believed that more than 130 nationalities live in Dagestan. Representatives of the North Caucasian language family stand out (Adygs, Circassians, Kabardians, Ingush, Chechens, Avars, Laks, Dargins, Lezgins, etc.). Representatives of the Turkic group of the Altaic language family (Karachays, Balkars, Nogais, Kumyks) also live in the republics. Ossetians belong to the Iranian group of the Indo-European language family. Russians prevail in the region as a whole (62%), but their share in the national republics decreases from the west (Adygea - 68%) to the east (Dagestan - 9%). Among the Slavic peoples, the percentage of Ukrainians is high.

The urban population is approaching 10 million people, or more than 55% of the total (the lowest in the Russian Federation). The largest cities: Rostov-on-Don (1 million people), Krasnodar (640 thousand people). Rural settlements are numerous. The flat territories are characterized by very large villages (more than 25-30 thousand people).

The North Caucasian region as a whole is provided with labor resources.

Economy. The role of the North Caucasian region in the economic complex of the country is determined by the agro-industrial complex and the recreational complex.

Agro-industrial complex. The region occupies a leading position in the country as the largest producer of rice, sunflower, corn, grapes, tea, fruits and berries, and wool. It stands out for the production of grain crops (Krasnodar Territory provides more than 10% of Russian grain) and sugar beet (2nd place in the country), vegetables (4th place), milk (5th place), meat (4th place) . Almost all agricultural products are processed locally. In some cases, the capacity of enterprises Food Industry so large that they allow the use of not only local raw materials (for example, the sugar industry processes imported raw sugar).

Industry. IN Soviet time area was one of the largest in the country agricultural engineering(Rostov, Taganrog, Krasnodar), but the economic crisis has sharply reduced the performance of this industry. Among other areas of mechanical engineering, one should single out the production of electric locomotives (Novocherkassk), nuclear reactors (Volgodonsk), and steam boilers (Taganrog). Issued small numbers equipment for the food and chemical industries.

Now the leading position is chemistry(fertilizers - Nevinnomyssk, Belorechensk, organic chemistry - Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, Budennovsk, Volgodonsk).

The electric power industry is mainly represented by large thermal power plants. In connection with the commissioning of the Rostov NPP in 2001, the importance of nuclear power increased sharply.

Transport. The transit position of the region determines the development of almost all types of transport. The largest oil loading port in Russia, Novorossiysk, is located in the region. Automobile and railway routes pass through the region, connecting the country with the south of Ukraine, Georgia, through the ferry with Turkey.

Main problems and development prospects. An analysis of the current economic situation in Russia shows a clearly expressed trend towards a decrease in production volumes in most sectors of the economy. In the North Caucasus, this trend, common to all regions, is exacerbated by the difficult political situation and armed conflicts. The cessation of hostilities in the region, the establishment of peace and stability in the region is the main task of further economic and social development North Caucasian economic region.

The development prospects include the most effective use of favorable natural and climatic factors of the balneological resources of the region for the development of resort areas and their transformation into world-class resorts, zones of domestic and foreign tourism.

Lower Volga

This one is the northern part of the Southern Federal District, covering the territory of the Republic of Kalmykia, Astrakhan and Volgograd regions. The region has access to the Caspian Sea. The main branches of specialization are the oil and gas industry. In addition, the Volga region is the main region for catching valuable sturgeon fish, one of the most important regions for growing grain crops, sunflower, mustard, vegetables and melons, and a major supplier of wool, meat, and fish.

. Natural resource potential is varied. A significant area is occupied by the Volga valley, which passes in the south into the Caspian lowland. A special place is occupied by the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain, composed of river sediments, favorable for agriculture.

The creation of a large-scale industry in the Volga basin that pollutes its waters, the intensive development of river transport, agriculture, which uses large amounts of mineral fertilizers, a significant part of which is washed into the Volga, the construction of hydroelectric power plants has a negative impact on the river and creates an ecological disaster zone in this area. The region's water resources are significant, but unevenly distributed. In this regard, there is a shortage of water resources in inland areas, especially in Kalmykia. On the territory of the region there are oil and gas resources in the Volgograd region - Zhirnovskoye, Korobkovskoye, the largest gas condensate field is located in the Astrakhan region, on the basis of which a gas industrial complex is being formed.

In the Caspian lowland, in the lakes Baskunchak and Elton, there are resources of table salt; these lakes are also rich in bromine, iodine, and magnesium salts.

Population. The population of the Volga region is distinguished by the diversity of the national composition. A significant share in the structure of the population in the Republic of Kalmykia is occupied by Kalmyks - 45.4%. In the Astrakhan and Volgograd regions, with the predominance of the Russian population, Kazakhs, Tatars, and Ukrainians live. The population of the Volga region is characterized by its high concentration in the regional centers and the capital of the republic. The population of Volgograd exceeds one million inhabitants. The lowest population density in Kalmykia, here is the smallest share of the urban population.

Economy of the region. The region produces oil and gas. The largest is the Astrakhan gas condensate field, where natural gas is extracted and processed.

Oil refineries and petrochemical plants are located in the Volgograd and Astrakhan regions. The largest enterprise is the Volgograd Oil Refinery. Significant prospects for the development of the petrochemical industry has the Astrakhan region based on the use of hydrocarbon fractions of the Astrakhan field.

The electric power industry of the region is represented by the Volgograd hydroelectric power station and thermal power plants.

The region has a developed machine-building complex: shipbuilding centers - Astrakhan, Volgograd; agricultural engineering is represented by a large tractor plant in Volgograd; chemical and oil engineering is developed in the Astrakhan region.

Ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy is developed in Volgograd, the largest enterprises are OJSC Volzhsky Pipe Plant, an aluminum plant. The vast resources of the salt lakes have led to the development of the salt industry, which provides 25% of the country's need for food grade salt and other valuable chemical products.

The fishing industry is developed in the Lower Volga region, the main enterprise of the industry is the Kaspryba fishery concern, which includes a caviar and balyk association, a number of large fish processing plants, a marine fleet base, a fishing fleet (Kasprybholod-flot), leading expeditionary fishing in the Caspian Sea. The concern also includes a fish breeding plant for the production of sturgeon fry and a net knitting factory. In agricultural production, the branches of specialization are the cultivation of vegetable and gourd crops, sunflower; in animal husbandry - sheep breeding.

Transport and economic relations. The Volga region exports crude oil and oil products, gas, tractors, fish, grain, vegetables and gourds, etc. It imports timber, mineral fertilizers, machinery and equipment, light industry products. The Volga region has a developed transport network, which provides high-capacity cargo flows.

River, railway and pipeline transport is developed in the region.

Intra-districtdifferences. The Lower Volga region includes the Astrakhan, Volgograd regions and Kalmykia. The Lower Volga region is a sub-region of developed industry - mechanical engineering, chemical, food. At the same time, this is the most important agricultural region with a developed grain economy, beef cattle breeding and sheep breeding, as well as the production of rice, vegetables and gourds and fisheries.

The main centers of the Lower Volga region are Volgograd (engineering, chemical industry are developed), Astrakhan (shipbuilding, the fishing industry, the production of packaging, a diverse food industry), Elista (building materials industry, mechanical engineering and metalworking).

The most industrially developed region is the Volgograd region, where machine building, ferrous metallurgy, chemical and petrochemical, food and light industries have the largest share in the diversified complex.

Main problems and development prospects. The degradation of natural fodder lands, especially in Kalmykia with its transhumant pasture system, is one of the main environmental problems in the region. Environmental damage is caused by industrial emissions and transport to the water and fish resources of the region. The solution to the problem is possible on the basis of the implementation of the targeted federal program "Caspian", the main task of which is to clean up the Volga-Caspian water basin and increase the number of valuable fish species.

One of the main tasks is to equalize the levels of socio-economic development of the most backward regions of the Volga region and, first of all, Kalmykia, which has been granted a number of benefits in taxation and financing. The prospects for the development of this republic are connected with the expansion of oil and gas production, in particular, on the shelf of the Caspian Sea. The Caspian Oil Company (CPC) has been set up to engage in exploration and development of oil fields in a number of promising areas of the sea shelf.

The Central Committee of the Union of United Highlanders of the North Caucasus and Dagestan proclaimed the state Mountain Republic. By the same decision, the Central Committee of the Union of United Highlanders was transformed into the Mountain Government. In the spring of 1919, Dagestan was occupied by the troops of General Denikin, after which the Mountain government announced its dissolution and was evacuated to Tiflis.

Anthropology. Races

The North Caucasian ethnic population belongs mainly to North Caucasian race European type. The racial composition of the population of the Caucasus was determined as early as the beginning of the 20th century, for example, the following is indicated in the Brockhaus-Efron Encyclopedia:

• Indo-Iranian group

• Slavs

• Russians
• Poles
• Bulgarians.

• Iranians

• Ossetians
• Persians
• Talysh
• Kurds.

• Armenians.

• Semites

• Jews
• Assyrians and Chaldeans.

• Caucasian peoples

• Kartvelian group

• Georgians
• adjarians
• Khevsurs
• carcasses
• Imeretians
• Mingrelians
• Svaneti.

• West mountain group

• Abkhazians
• Circassians (Adygei)

• Kabardians
• abadzekhs
• bzheduhi
• shapsugs, etc.

• East Mountain group

• Chechens
• Ingush
• Lezgins

• Avars
• andeans
• Dargins
• tabasarans, etc.

• Turkic group

• Balkars
• Azerbaijanis
• Meskhetian Turks
• Trukhmen (Turkmens of the Stavropol Territory)
• carapapakhs
• Nogais
• Kumyks
• Karachays

• Mongolian peoples

• Kalmyks.

• Finno-Ugric peoples

• Estonians.

It should be noted that in antiquity, by the end of the Bronze Age and at the beginning of the early Iron Age, there was a rather significant difference in the type of population of Transcaucasia and the North Caucasus. In the most ancient burials of the Samtavr and Mingachevir burial grounds, pronounced long-headed narrow-faced Caucasoid skulls are found, most similar in type to representatives of modern long-headed variants of the Caspian type.

Historical and cultural aspect of determining the territory of the North Caucasus

It should be noted that the term North Caucasus has equally both geographical and historical-cultural-political meanings, in which the confessional composition of the population plays a significant role. The North Caucasus is the territory of Sunni Islam and Russian Orthodoxy, characterized by a large number of titular peoples in a relatively small area. Transcaucasia - the territory of Georgian Orthodoxy, the Armenian-Gregorian Church and the significant influence of Shiism, the territory of officially mono-ethnic states, an increase in the number of nationalities of the Middle East - Kurds, Aisors and others.

A rough assessment of music, clothing, weapons also gives a very clear division: the North Caucasus - traditional Caucasian musical foundations, the spread of the so-called Circassian with gazyrs, the predominance of weapons of weak curvature and open weapon handles. Transcaucasia - the influence of Iranian and Semitic musical traditions, the less regular use of clothes with gazyrs, the craving for a greater curvature of the blade and the security of the guard of the weapon, the sabers have a clear cross. Moreover, the Transcaucasian features are intensifying from West to East, taking place already in the Central Caucasian region, and reaching the greatest expression in Lezgistan, which is a fusion of the entire Caucasus, all its traditions. The gradualness of the transition is confirmed by the fact that there are no exclusively North Caucasian or Transcaucasian features, and much depends more on the characteristics of the area than on formal belonging to the North or South Caucasus, which largely coincides with political conditions than with physical geography. . (Compare: the formal assignment of all Dagestan to the North Caucasus and the equally formal assignment of all Sudan to North Africa based on the historical and cultural characteristics of the region).

Natural resources

The North Caucasus is the largest agricultural base in Russia (besides Siberia and Altai), in which agricultural land occupies more than 70% of the territory.

The region is the location of the best sea and mountain resorts in Russia, among them the resorts of the Krasnodar Territory, Caucasian Mineralnye Vody, Dolinsk, Elbrus, Dombai, and the promising Caspian coast.

The natural resources of the region are significant: there are oil and gas reserves, high hydropower and geothermal potential, reserves of industrial metal ores, uranium ores, construction raw materials, valuable wood species, water biological resources(Fish and seafood).

Transport

The coasts of the North Caucasus are of particular commercial importance for the country, important ports are located here: the largest Russian seaport Novorossiysk, the ports of Tuapse, Sochi, Krasnodar (a pier on the Kuban River), the ports of Yeysk, Makhachkala, Derbent; Pass major transportation routes continental oil and gas: CPC, the Baku-Novorossiysk oil pipeline, the Blue Stream gas pipeline, the Saratov Oil Refinery - Volgograd Oil Refinery - Novorossiysk product pipeline under construction.
Major railways and highways (the largest "Don") also lead to the port of Novorossiysk, to Anapa - M25 , from the settlement Dzhubga on Tuapse, Sochi, Adler - M27 . From Rostov, from Art. Pavlovskaya motorway goes Caucasus to Mineralnye Vody, Makhachkala, Baku.

Visa regime with Azerbaijan

According to the agreement between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Russian Federation on visa-free travel for citizens of the Russian Federation and Republic of Azerbaijan, citizens of the Russian Federation have the right to enter, leave and move around the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan without visas, if they have a foreign passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation.

Visa regime with Georgia

According to the information of the "Caucasian Knot" agency, residents of the republics of the North Caucasus - Chechnya and Adygea, welcomed the abolition of the visa regime with Georgia, as removing many problems when crossing the border with this country. At the same time, people express fears that the Russian authorities may now tighten the rules for their citizens to cross the state border.

Human rights violations

Irene Kahn, Secretary General of Amnesty International, the largest international independent human rights organization, said that in the year since the inauguration of Dmitry Medvedev, there have been practically no measures to improve the human rights situation in the Russian Federation, and in some areas the situation has even worsened. The organization emphasizes that “the situation in the North Caucasus is still characterized by instability and armed clashes. The legitimate goal of stopping violence in the region by armed groups is being pursued by methods that run counter to the provisions of international human rights law. People continue to be forcibly disappeared or kidnapped, arbitrarily detained, tortured, and even killed in detention.”

Terrorism in the North Caucasus

According to a member of the Public Chamber, the head of the working group for the development of public dialogue and civil society institutions in the Caucasus, Maxim Shevchenko, “despite the almost daily special operations to destroy militants, the social base of terror in the North Caucasus is steadily growing, and primarily because there is no any political and religious force that denies terror,” the “Caucasian Knot” reports. On September 27, 2010, Shevchenko noted: “There is a topic in Russia that no one can give a clear answer to for almost 20 years - this is the North Caucasus. In the North Caucasus, there is nothing to oppose to the ideas that the ideologists of terror offer the youth.

Ivan Sydoruk also stated that most of the weapons at the disposal of the militants in the North Caucasus come to them from military units. “We are losing information and especially ideological work, and here it is extremely important to interact with the clergy in the North Caucasus,” said the Deputy Prosecutor General. Analyzing the situation, he noted that the main factor of extremism in the district is a high degree of unemployment and unresolved socio-economic problems.

"The entire North Caucasus is in a state of latent civil war," says analyst Alexei Malashenko in the Swiss edition of Le Temps. The newspaper writes that the frequent terrorist attacks in the region jeopardize the plans for socio-economic development. "The attack on the Chechen parliament (October 19, 2010) is a rough slap in the face of President Kadyrov," the publication believes. Correspondent Alexander Biyata emphasizes: “there is a special sarcasm in the fact that the attack was carried out during a visit to Chechnya by the Minister of Internal Affairs of Russia Rashid Nurgaliyev, who came to see with his own eyes the stabilization efforts in the republic.” “The next attack, which took place in broad daylight in the very center of the city, confirms that Chechnya is no longer an island of stability - albeit a very relative one - compared to neighboring Caucasian republics, where terrorist attacks occur regularly. The presence of several thousand employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Kadyrovites is not able to put an end to the operations of certain detachments of "rebels" hiding in the forests and consisting of veterans of two Chechen wars, ”concludes the Swiss publication Le Temps.

Codes of Conduct for Youth in the North Caucasus

The proposal of the Deputy Plenipotentiary of the President of Russia in the North Caucasus Federal District Vladimir Shvetsov on the need to develop a code of conduct for young people in the regions of the North Caucasus was criticized by Chechen President Ramzan Akhmatovich Kadyrov. According to Kadyrov's press service, the leadership of the Chechen Republic "receives with great bewilderment the initiatives of individuals in positions of power, who sometimes offer not very well-thought-out options for solving national problems." In particular, the statement of the President of Chechnya said: “I consider it necessary to remind Vladimir Shvetsov that Chechens, like any nation, have their own code of conduct. It has been developed over the centuries. He is holy and indestructible. Our people have their own culture, their own traditions. They are based on respect for the elders, care for the younger ones, respect for the culture, traditions and customs of other peoples.

see also

• Caucasus Mountains, Ciscaucasia, Caucasus, Transcaucasia
• caucasophobia

Notes

1. Literally "on the other side (of the mountains)". See the explanation in the dictionary.
2. Literally - "Fatherland"
3. A small schematic map of the regions can be seen at
4. Georgia and most states of the world do not recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, considering the Russian border with these countries as part of the Russian-Georgian border.
5. TSB South part.
6. Encyclopedia Brockhaus-Efron. Art. Caucasian region
7. Starting from the 3rd to the 1st millennium BC. e. the racial type of the population is stable, approaching the Indo-Mediterranean (skeletons from mounds on the Manych River), however, brachycephalization of the population and a gradual decrease in body length are observed. The skulls of the late time, the Scythian-Sarmatian culture from the plains are more brachycranial and very narrow-faced.
8. Institute of Ethnography named after N. N. Miklukho-Maclay.

AND . The Kumo-Manych depression separates from the Caucasus. The territory of the Caucasus can be divided into several parts: Ciscaucasia, Greater Caucasus and Transcaucasia. Only Ciscaucasia and the northern part of the Greater Caucasus are located on the territory of the Russian Federation. The last two parts together are called the North Caucasus. However, for Russia, this part of the territory is the southernmost. Here, along the crest of the Main Range, the state border of the Russian Federation passes, beyond which lie and. Whole system Caucasian ridge occupies an area of ​​approximately 2600 m2, and its northern slope occupies about 1450 m2, while the southern one is only about 1150 m2.

The North Caucasian mountains are relatively young. they were created by different tectonic structures. In the southern part there are folded-block mountains and foothills of the Greater Caucasus. They were formed when deep trough zones were filled with sedimentary rocks, which were later subjected to folding. Tectonic processes here were accompanied by significant bends, extensions, ruptures and faults of earth layers. As a result, a large amount of magma poured onto the surface (this led to the formation of significant ore deposits).

The uplifts that took place here in the Neogene and Quaternary periods led to the elevation of the surface and the type of relief that exists today. The rise of the central part of the Greater Caucasus was accompanied by the lowering of the layers along the edges of the ridge being formed. Thus, the Terek-Caspian trough was formed in the east, and the Indal-Kuban trough in the west.

Often the Greater Caucasus is presented as the only ridge. In fact, this is a whole system of various ridges, which can be divided into several parts.

The Western Caucasus is located from the Black Sea coast to Mount Elbrus, then (from Elbrus to Kazbek) follows the Central Caucasus, and east of Kazbek to the Eastern Caucasus. In addition, two ridges can be distinguished in the longitudinal direction: Vodorazdelny (sometimes called the main one) and Lateral.

On the northern slope of the Caucasus, the Rocky and Pasture Ranges, as well as the Black Mountains, are distinguished. They were formed as a result of the interbedding of layers composed of sedimentary rocks of different hardness. One slope of the ridge here is gentle, and the other breaks off rather abruptly. As you move away from the axial zone, the height of the mountain ranges decreases.

The chain of the Western Caucasus begins at the Taman Peninsula. At the very beginning, it is rather not even mountains, but hills. They begin to rise towards the east. The highest parts of the North Caucasus are covered with snow caps and. The highest peaks of the Western Caucasus are the Fisht (2870 meters) and Oshten (2810 meters) mountains.

The highest part of the mountain system Greater Caucasus is the Central Caucasus. Even some passes at this point reach a height of 3 thousand meters, and the lowest of them (Cross) lies at an altitude of 2380 meters. Here are the highest peaks of the Caucasus. So, for example, the height of Mount Kazbek is 5033 meters, and the two-headed extinct volcano Elbrus is the highest peak in Russia. The relief here is strongly dissected: sharp ridges, steep slopes and rocky peaks prevail.

The eastern part of the Greater Caucasus is mainly made up of the numerous ranges of Dagestan (in translation, the name of this region means "mountainous country"). There are complex branching ridges with steep slopes and deep canyon-like valleys. However, the height of the peaks here is less than in the central part of the mountain system, but still they exceed the height of 4 thousand meters.

uplift Caucasus mountains continues in our time. Quite frequent in this region of Russia are connected with this. To the north of the Central Caucasus, where the magma rising along the cracks did not spill onto the surface, low, so-called island mountains formed. The largest of them are Beshtau (1400 meters) and Mashuk (993 meters). At their base are numerous springs of water.

The so-called Ciscaucasia is occupied by the Kuban and Tersko-Kuma lowlands. They are separated from each other by the Stavropol Upland, the height of which is 700-800 meters. The Stavropol Upland is dissected by wide and deeply incised valleys, gullies and. At the base of this area lies a young slab. Its structure is made up of Neogene formations covered with limestone deposits - loess and loess-like loams, and in the eastern part there are also marine deposits of the Quaternary period.

The climate in this area is quite favorable. Enough high mountains serve as a good barrier to cold air penetrating here. The proximity of the long cooling sea also has an effect. The Greater Caucasus is the border between the two - and. On the Russian territory, the climate is still moderate, but the above factors contribute to rather high temperatures.

Caucasus mountains

As a result, winters in Ciscaucasia are quite warm ( average temperature in January is about -5°С). This is facilitated by warm incoming from the side. On the Black Sea coast, the temperature rarely drops below zero (the average January temperature is 3°C). Temperatures are naturally lower in mountainous regions. Thus, the average temperature in the plains in summer is about 25°C, and in the upper reaches of the mountains - 0°C.

They enter this territory mainly due to those coming from the west, as a result of which their number gradually decreases towards the east. Most precipitation falls on the southwestern slopes of the Greater Caucasus. Their number on Prikubanskaya is about 7 times lower.

In the mountains of the North Caucasus, glaciation is developed, in terms of the area of ​​\u200b\u200bwhich this region ranks first among all regions of Russia. The rivers flowing here are fed by water formed during the melting of glaciers. The largest Caucasian rivers are the Kuban and Terek, as well as their numerous tributaries. Mountain rivers, as usual, are fast-flowing, and in their lower reaches there are swampy areas overgrown with reeds and reeds.

The most dangerous natural phenomena that occur in these places are landslides, rock falls and earthquakes.