North Caucasus Is one of the most favorite destinations of Russian travelers. And for good reason. Where else can you find such a combination of breathtaking landscapes, unique vegetation, ancient monuments and mineral springs. Anyone who travels to the Caucasus for the first time hopes to see a miracle. And expectations do not deceive him. And those who have already been here cannot wait for the moment when they will once again merge with the enchanting, immense beauty. Krasnodar and Stavropol region and republics of Russia: Adygea, Dagestan, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, North Ossetia, Chechnya.
Arriving in this amazing majestic highland region, you will be able to take exciting hikes and trips to magnificent protected areas: Elbrus region, Krasnaya Polyana in Sochi , Teberda, Dombay v Karachay-Cherkessia where comfortable cable cars will take you to eternal snow and glaciers. Caucasian Mineral Waters in the Stavropol Territory - the most picturesque corner North Caucasus combining unique resort cities: Mineralnye Vody, Kislovodsk, Pyatigorsk, Zheleznovodsk, Essentuki.
Gates of the Caucasus
This is what they call city of Stavropol ... The largest archaeological site of the Ciscaucasia is located nearby - Tatar settlement, miraculously preserved among the relict forest, surrounded by urban, rural and suburban buildings, fields and roads. The green pearl of the city of Stavropol is park "Central" - a natural monument protected by the state.Rostov-on-Don
This beautiful and Big city located on the steep, elevated bank of the Don. The calm surface of a large river, the low-lying meadow Zadonia with immense distances open a picturesque, memorable picture from the right mountain bank. Rostov-on-Don is an attractive tourist destination due to the contrasting architecture. The city has preserved buildings made in both Russian and Western European architectural traditions.Rostov Museum of Local Lore has a unique archaeological collection. A unique natural monument within the metropolis - Botanical Garden of Rostov University ... A Rostov Zoo is surprisingly rich animal world five continents of the planet.
Dombay. Arkhyz. Teberda.
These names of places of rest in Karachay-Cherkessia for a long time. High mountains covered with forests and emerald meadows, seething rushing rivers, fabulously beautiful alpine lakes, pearl strands of waterfalls, lush vegetation and a diverse fauna create a living museum of nature - Teberda State Natural Biosphere Reserve , one of the most visited in the system of specially protected natural areas in Russia.Here it is "Heart of the mountains" - tourist complex Dombay. Dombay is always beautiful, at any time of the year! This is the unique, most beautiful and prestigious mountain resort in Russia. From here in a straight line 65 km to the top of Elbrus and 60 km to the Black Sea coast. The southern border of Dombai is the Main Caucasian ridge. The highest point is the Dombai-Ulgen peak, 4040 meters high.
The cleanest air resort Teberda invisibly flows down from the alpine meadows through the coniferous forest and, reaching the valley, floods it with amazing freshness and healing power... The list of services provided by the Teberda Nature Reserve includes excursion services, distribution of booklets and guidebooks, equipment of rest and parking areas, clearing roads and paths from deadwood, marking routes, etc. Picturesque nature, friendly residents, an atmosphere of comfort and tranquility will give you unforgettable hours of relaxation.
Elbrus
The famous area in the vicinity of the Main Caucasian ridge. These are majestic snowy peaks, bizarre rocks that look like medieval castles, turbulent rivers, glaciers. A real Mecca for skiers. Mostly located within Kabardino-Balkaria. Mount Elbrus - the highest point of the Caucasus - 5 642 m. The Elbrus region has a very rich flora. Here grow birch, alder, beech, hornbeam, bird cherry, mountain ash, hop-hornbeam, berry yew, Raude birch, Bortkevich's snowdrop, Caucasian rhododendron. On the banks of the Baksan River, there are thickets of sea buckthorn, which are protected as a botanical monument. The Elbrus region has unusually tall, powerful and beautiful pines. Some of them can only be hugged by two adult men.North Ossetia
The nature of North Ossetia is picturesque, and its territory is rich in ancient monuments. Therefore, it is not surprising that the republic occupies one of the first places in tourism in the North Caucasus.Routes along two main roads leading to the Transcaucasia are very popular: the Ossetian Military and Georgian Military. The beginning of the construction of the Georgian Military Highway by the Russian troops was associated with the signing in 1783 of the Georgievsky treatise on the protectorate of Russia over Georgia. At the same time, a Russian fortress was founded Vladikavkaz... The road follows an ancient historical path that connected the North Caucasus and Transcaucasia through Darial gorge in North Ossetia. ... On the left slope of the Darial Gorge, high on a rock, there are the ruins of a castle, in which, according to legend, the Georgian queen Tamara lived. In different years passed here Alexander Griboyedov, Alexander Pushkin, Vladimir Mayakovsky.
Tseyskoe gorge , located in the Caucasus Mountains of North Ossetia - a land of magical beauty. Majestic snowy peaks, swift mountain rivers, foamy waterfalls, glaciers, reserved coniferous and mixed forests, alpine and subalpine meadows, clean ozonized air, magnificent landscapes - this is a dream place that you just need to visit in order to enjoy the power of beauty!
In North Ossetia, the famous Terek ... At one time A.S. Pushkin in the work "Journey to Arzrum" wrote: “The rocks on both sides are parallel walls. It's so narrow here, so narrow ... that you not only see, but seem to feel the tightness. A piece of sky like a ribbon turns blue over your head. Brooks falling from mountain height small and sprayed jets, reminded me of the abduction of Ganymede, a strange painting by Rembrandt. In addition, the gorge is illuminated completely to his taste. In other places, the Terek washes away the very bottom of the rocks, and stones are piled on the road, in the form of a dam. Not far from the post, a bridge is boldly thrown across the river. You stand on it like on a mill. The whole bridge is shaking, and the Terek is noisy like wheels driving a millstone "... Having visited North Ossetia, you will remember the feelings experienced there for a long time, and pictures of mountains of dizzying heights rising above you will emerge before your eyes.
Russian Black Sea region
The cities of Tuapse, Anapa, Gelendzhik, Novorossiysk are also interesting places for exploration and recreation due to the proximity of the Black Sea and the North Caucasian mountain range. Until recently, Anapa was known as a "children's health resort". With the development of the recreation industry, boarding houses, camp sites, sanatoriums, recreation centers began to appear, where it is possible to accommodate any categories of visitors. Resort service is developing rapidly. Anapa has built a huge water park, amusement parks, a 3-tier embankment. Those who do not want to spend whole days on the beach are invited to visit an African village, a dolphinarium, and go on a local history excursion on a comfortable bus. Fans of outdoor activities can soar in the sky on a paraglider, dive into the sea with scuba diving, go on horseback, bike or boat trips. The Black Sea will give you a lot of pleasure. Emerald green of mountain forests. Healing air filled with plant aromas.Sochi. There is no need to describe the dignity and beauty of this resort town of the North Caucasus. They are known to everyone, without exception. Suffice it to say that a person who has visited St. Petersburg and appreciated the merits of this beautiful and glorious city will give an equally high assessment to the city of Sochi. It blooms all year round. There is a lot of tropical vegetation here. Mighty eucalyptus, cypress trees. There are many types of palm trees. Sochi Dolphinarium
will leave you indelible impressions and memories of yourself.
Arboretum
- a unique collection of various types of plants. There is also cable car... The air trailer offers a gorgeous view of Sochi and the entire coast. Still, the highest point in the city is Mount Akhun. From the tower, located on it, you can observe the surroundings for hundreds of kilometers: the stretching blue sea and the coast on one side and on the other - the North Caucasian mountain range, unfolding in its majestic beauty, with whitish peaks and slopes shaded by dense greenery.
In the vicinity of Sochi there are Mount Fisht (2 867 m), Chugush (3 238 m), Pshish (3 790 m). Between the coast and the ridge is a sea of dark greenery with occasional bald patches of settlements. Such beauty and splendor takes your breath away and it seems that you have never seen anything more beautiful in your life and you will never see anything more!
Krasnaya Polyana. A popular ski resort in the city of Sochi, where the Winter Olympic Games are planned. Located in the middle course of the Mzymta River, 39 km from the Black Sea coast. The village of Krasnaya Polyana is located at an altitude of 600 meters and is surrounded by mountains with a height of 3000 meters: Achishkho, five-domed Aigba, the Main Caucasian ridge. There are various types of recreation and entertainment for your taste. You can fish for trout in the reservoir of the hospitable restaurant, which will be prepared for you right there. Refresh yourself and take the cable car up the 2-thousander, from which you can glide on your own on a paraglider with an experienced instructor.
The main purpose of the ski resort is, of course, skiing. Therefore, during the ski season from January to March, slopes of varying degrees of difficulty are at your service, which will interest both beginners and professionals. In 1898, representatives of a special State Commission visited Krasnaya Polyana. Krasnaya Polyana was unanimously recognized as a magnificent place for a mountain resort. Thus, an imperial hunting lodge was built on the southern slope of the Achishkho ridge. The surrounding area was called the "reserved hunting" of the royal family.
Adygea
Mountainous Adygea is one big natural attraction. Guam gorge- an absolutely fantastic place where the height of the rocks hanging overhead reaches 400 meters, and many-meter waterfalls fall off them, like strands of gray hair fluttering in the wind or in the form of streaming tears.Village Kamennomostsky is a kind of gateway to the mountainous Adygea. Khadzhokh gorge, a narrow and deep gorge - a miracle of nature created by river Belaya, which, having met a limestone mass on its way, laid in it an intricate half-kilometer corridor, and in some places a tunnel. Later, the "ceiling" in this tunnel partially collapsed, forming stone bridges... The river here is like an angry genie bursting out of a bottle: the stream rushes at a breakneck speed and a resounding, displeased roar.
Perhaps, it is difficult to find the same mountainous areas, combining both easy accessibility and picturesque, as the Maikop and Absheron districts in the North Caucasus. And although one area is located on the territory of Adygea, and the other - Krasnodar Territory, they form a single natural complex... Many places are easily accessible to tourists traveling by private transport - there is an extensive network of good highways. The landscapes of these places delight visitors with a magnificent symphony of snow-capped peaks, endless meadows, numerous caves and much more. Nature, which has preserved its original purity, endows the traveler with an energetic impulse and fills him with a sense of the joy of being.
Peaks from 2000 to 3255 meters stretch from south to east. Maykop district ideal place to study equestrian sports... There are many horse trails here. Mountain rivers attract fans of kayaking. In the mountains of Adygea and the Krasnodar Territory, there is the Caucasian State Natural Reserve, the natural resources of which are included in the list of the World Natural Heritage. The richness of the plant world delights and amazes. Only here you can find thick lashes of rock grapes, the fruits of which are sweet and tart like wild honey. These are great places for lovers of hunting for deer, wild boar, roe deer, hare, fox, squirrel, pheasant and other animals. On the territory of the Maykop region there is a unique mountain Khadzhokh resort.
Generally speaking, no matter where in the North Caucasus you plan to visit, do not hesitate: healing, whether physical or emotional, is inevitable! Intensive landscape therapy - this is what the North Caucasus is! People from various places in Russia and foreign countries come to the Caucasus to gain unforgettable impressions, to admire the majestic and unique beauty panoramas. Mountains, rising to the very clouds with sharp spiers and jagged ridges, somewhere covered with a dense forest, higher - edged with a white border of ice and snow, cut by foamy waterfalls, fast turbulent rivers. Who will remain indifferent to such beauty? Who can forget her?
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. Within the territory of Russian Federation only the Ciscaucasia and the northern part of the Greater Caucasus are located. The last two parts are collectively referred to as the North Caucasus. However, for Russia, this part of the territory is the southernmost. Here, along the ridge of the Main Range, the state border of the Russian Federation passes, beyond which lie and. The entire system of the Caucasus Range covers an area of approximately 2600 m2, with the northern slope occupying about 1450 m2, while the southern slope 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 the zones of deep depression were filled with sedimentary and rocks, which later underwent folding. Tectonic processes here they were accompanied by significant bends, stretches, ruptures and faults of the earth's strata. As a result, a large amount of magma was 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 rise of the surface and the type of relief that exists today. The uplift of the central part of the Greater Caucasus was accompanied by the subsidence of strata along the edges of the ridge being formed. So in the east, the Terek-Caspian trough was formed, and in the west, the Indalo-Kuban.
The Greater Caucasus is often 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, further (from Elbrus to Kazbek) follows the Central Caucasus, and to the east from Kazbek to the Eastern Caucasus. In addition, in the longitudinal direction, two ridges can be distinguished: Vodorazdelny (sometimes called the main one) and Lateral.
On the northern slope of the Caucasus, the Rocky and Pasture ridges are distinguished, as well as the Black Mountains. They were formed as a result of alternating layers composed of sedimentary rocks of different hardness. One slope of the ridge is gentle here, while the other ends abruptly. With increasing distance 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 to 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 mountains (2870 meters) and Oshten (2810 meters).
The highest part 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 (Krestovy) lies at an altitude of 2380 meters. The highest peaks of the Caucasus are also located here. 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 highly dissected: sharp ridges, steep slopes and rocky peaks prevail.
The eastern part of the Greater Caucasus is made up mainly of the numerous ridges of Dagestan (translated, the name of this region means "mountainous country"). Complex branching ridges with steep slopes and deep canyon-like valleys are located here. 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.
Raising Caucasus mountains continues in our time. Associated with this are quite frequent in this region of Russia. To the north of the Central Caucasus, where the magma rising along the cracks did not pour out to the surface, low, so-called island mountains were formed. The largest of them are Beshtau (1400 meters) and Mashuk (993 meters). At their base there are numerous water sources.
The so-called Ciscaucasia is occupied by the Prikubanskaya and Tersko-Kumskaya lowlands. They are separated from each other by the Stavropol Upland, which is 700-800 meters high. The Stavropol Upland is dissected by wide and deeply incised valleys, gullies, etc. A young slab lies at the base of this section. 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 climatic regime in this area is quite favorable. Quite high mountains serve as a good barrier for cold air entering here. The proximity of the long cooling sea also affects. 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 the Ciscaucasia are quite warm ( average temperature in January is about -5 ° C). This is facilitated by warm people coming from the outside. On the Black Sea coast, the temperature rarely drops below zero (the average January temperature is 3 ° C). Temperatures are naturally lower in mountainous areas. Thus, the average temperature on the plain in summer is about 25 ° C, and in the upper reaches of the mountains - 0 ° C.
They come to this territory mainly due to those who come from the west, as a result of which their number gradually decreases to the east. Most of the precipitation falls on the southwestern slopes of the Greater Caucasus. Their number on Prikubanskaya is about 7 times lower.
Glaciation is developed in the mountains of the North Caucasus, in terms of the area of which this region ranks first among all regions of Russia. The rivers flowing here are fed by water formed by the melting of glaciers. The largest Caucasian rivers are the Kuban and Terek, as well as their numerous tributaries. Mountain rivers, as usual, are fleeting, and in their lower reaches there are swampy areas overgrown with reeds and reeds.
The most dangerous natural phenomena occurring in these places are landslides, rock falls and earthquakes.
The Caucasus is one of the 200 ecoregions of the planet allocated by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in order to draw attention to the most unique ecosystems, develop and implement projects for their conservation (Biodiversity of the Caucasus Ecoregion, 2001). In addition, the Caucasian ecoregion is included in the list of regions that are centers of biological diversity, compiled by the international environmental organization Conservation International. This list includes regions where at least 1,500 endemic plant species are under protection, 70% of the original range of which has been destroyed. This is quite eloquent evidence in favor of the need for an immediate inventory of the Caucasus ecosystems (including aquatic ones) in order to develop plans for their conservation and sustainable use.
Mountains occupy about 65% of the area of the Caucasian ecoregion. Active mountain building and a changing climate have formed a diverse relief, on the basis of which the Caucasus is subdivided into the Ciscaucasia, the Greater Caucasus, the Transcaucasian Highlands, the Colchis Lowland, the Kura Depression and the Talysh Mountains.
The Greater Caucasus, stretching for 1,500 km from north-west to south-east, is the most important watershed and climatic barrier between Eastern Europe and Western Asia, that is, between the two continents. The Greater Caucasus consists of several parallel ridges; its highest peak, Elbrus, is located at an altitude of 5,642 m above sea level. m.
The part of the Caucasian ecoregion, located on the territory of the Russian Federation, is usually called the North Caucasus (Geographic Encyclopedic Dictionary, 1989). The landscapes of the North Caucasus are varied. Most of the flat areas are occupied by steppes, which in the eastern part of the region are replaced by semi-deserts and then deserts. Plain and mountain meadows are developed in some places. In many reservoirs of the flat part of the North Caucasus, reed bogs (floodplains) are developed. In the mountainous part of the region, all variants of the vertical dissection of the relief are presented.
The climate of the North Caucasus is temperate continental, average temperatures: -3.5 ° C in January, 21.8 ° C in July, annual precipitation is 400-800 mm. According to natural conditions, the North Caucasus is divided into several zones: acutely arid, arid, a zone of unstable moisture and a humid zone. The annual precipitation in the acutely arid zone is below 300 mm, of which 60% falls in the summer in the form of rains that quickly evaporate at high temperatures. Poor chestnut soils prevail here.
The wet zone with precipitation over 550 mm occupies the forest-steppe, forest and mountainous regions of the southern regions of the North Caucasus. Most of the flat North Caucasus lies in the steppe zone. Only in the east are they replaced by semi-deserts. The foothills of the Greater Caucasus are covered with deciduous and coniferous forests, dominated by oak, beech and hornbeam.
The North Caucasus is part of the Holarctic zoogeographic region and, according to the faunistic zoning of the Caucasus, belongs to two large zoogeographic subregions: Circumboreal and Central Asian. In the Circumboreal subregion, the North Caucasus is represented by the forest district of the European Forest Province; its fauna includes widespread forest species, which are here often at the border of their distribution or far from their main range. They often form separate subspecies. The Central Asian subregion is represented by the Caucasian Mountain Meadow District, which occupies the subalpine, alpine and subnival belts and is part of the Nagorno-Asian province.
The North Caucasus is located on the border between Europe and Asia, the mutual influence of which affected both the development of nature and the settlement of the region by humans. The development of the North Caucasus began from the Transcaucasia, about 500 thousand years ago. Archaeologists in this region have recorded several hundred sites ancient man... In particular, vivid manifestations of his economic and cultural activities were found on the territory of the Republic of Adygea.
The North Caucasus is distinguished by an extremely complex interweaving of natural and anthropogenic conditions. A significant part of its territory has undergone profound transformations. The greatest economic development and, as a result, the plain territories of the region, where the largest settlements, industrial and oil production facilities, connected by a dense network of transport routes. About 80% of the area of the flat part of the North Caucasus, once covered with feather grass steppe, is currently occupied by agricultural land. The transformation of the steppes into fields entailed the creation of a system of field-protective afforestation, and intensive agriculture (especially rice sowing) - regulation of river flow, the creation of reservoirs. With the depletion of natural fish stocks, pond fish farming began to develop.
The North Caucasian economic region is one of the largest and most densely populated regions of the Russian Federation. It covers an area of 355.1 thousand km2, which is home to over 18.4 million people. The average population density is about 64 people / km2. The population of the North Caucasus differs from other regions of the country by its multi-nationality. More than 30 ethnic groups live in Dagestan alone. The plains of the Ciscaucasia and the Lower Don are dominated by Russians and Ukrainians. The most numerous indigenous nationalities of the North Caucasus form independent republics: Adygea, Dagestan, Kabardino-Balkarian, Karachay-Cherkess, North Ossetia, Ingush and Chechen. In the North Caucasus, the urban population predominates (54%). The cities are mostly medium and small. There are 8 thousand rural settlements in the region. The villages are located in the steppe zone of the North Caucasus and are large in terms of territory and population. The mountainous regions are characterized by small and medium-sized settlements.
The North Caucasian region is distinguished by the richness and variety of raw materials and fuel and energy resources. Significant reserves natural gas... The total geological reserves of coal are about 44 billion tons. They are concentrated mainly in the Rostov region, in the eastern part of the Donbass. Anthracites predominate, occurring mainly at a depth of about 600 m. The hydroelectric resources of the North Caucasus exceed 50 billion kW / h. The water problem in certain regions of the North Caucasus is exacerbated by the pollution of rivers. The region is also rich in various mineral waters - salt-alkali, ferruginous, carbonic, nitrogen, methane.
The North Caucasus is poorly provided with forest resources (it accounts for only 0.5% of the forest territories of Russia). Their peculiarity is that 65% of forests are high-mountainous and have no operational value. In this regard, the forests of the North Caucasus should be considered primarily from the point of view of their recreational, health-improving and environmental significance.
The North Caucasus occupies an important place in the Russian economy. Its share in industry is 8%, in agriculture - 16%. The leading sectors of market specialization are gas, oil, coal, non-ferrous metallurgy, various mechanical engineering, cement and food industries.
The region occupies a significant share in Russia in the production of grain, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, vegetables, fruits, grapes and livestock products. In the structure of the sown areas of the region, the leading place belongs to cereals - they occupy 58%; 30% is occupied by fodder crops, 9% - by industrial crops and 3% - by potatoes and vegetables and melons. Caucasus is the main corn producer in the Russian Federation. Rice sowing is also a branch of specialization. Rice systems created in Krasnodar Territory, in the Rostov region and Dagestan. The largest rice producer is Kuban. The region is of great importance in the production of important industrial crops: sunflower, sugar beet, tobacco. The North Caucasus is a large region of horticulture and viticulture. About a third of all fruit and berry plantations and almost all vineyards of the Russian Federation are located here. The North Caucasus is the only region in Russia where subtropical crops are grown: tea, citrus fruits, persimmons, figs (Description of the North Caucasus Economic Region, 2006).
Animal husbandry is an important branch of agriculture in the North Caucasus. Dairy and meat animal husbandry is developed in the foothills and in the Kuban. Pig breeding is developed in the Lower Don and in the Kuban, where it is favorably combined with grain farming and beet growing. Sheep breeding is widespread mainly in the Stavropol Territory, Rostov Region and Dagestan. Fine-wool sheep breeding is of great importance here. The North Caucasus takes the leading place in Russia in wool shearing. Poultry farming is also developed in the North Caucasus. The Adler poultry farm, Labinskoe poultry AO and other enterprises are known in the country (Description of the North Caucasus Economic Region, 2006). It should be noted that over the past 20 years, the livestock population, as well as in the country as a whole, has significantly decreased.
The resort recreational complex is of national importance. The North Caucasus also has all the prerequisites for the development of tourism and mountaineering, the organization of ski resorts of international importance.
The North Caucasus is characterized by high level transport development of the territory. The main transport hubs are Rostov-on-Don, Krasnodar, Novorossiysk, Mineralnye Vody, Tuapse, Sochi (Adler), Vladikavkaz and Taganrog. The length of water transport routes is 1.5 thousand km. More than 12 large rivers flow in the region, of which the Don, Northern Donets, Western Manych, Kuban are navigable. The navigation period ranges from 230 to 245 days a year. Specific gravity paved roads in the total length of public roads is 96%. According to this indicator, the region ranks second in the Russian Federation. The most developed road network is in the Kuban region, on the Black Sea coast and in the foothills of the Caucasus. Railway transport plays the main role in interregional transport links. It accounts for up to 80% of cargo turnover. The length of the railway network is 6,300 km, more than 50% of which are electrified. However, at present, the reserves of the carrying and carrying capacity of the Center-Caucasus railway are completely exhausted, which complicates the development of inter-regional ties (North Caucasian economic region, 2006).
The North Caucasian region belongs to the regions with high labor supply. Unlike other regions of the European part of Russia, the natural population growth is high in the North Caucasus. Currently, due to the difficult financial and economic situation in the country, there is a release of labor and the transformation of the region into a surplus. In these conditions, the problem of employment is of particular relevance. At the same time, in connection with national conflicts, there is a migration outflow of refugees, especially the Russian-speaking population, to other regions of Russia (Description of the North Caucasus Economic Region, 2006).
Currently, the North Caucasus is in a difficult economic situation. According to many experts, the region is a zone of real social disaster. In conditions of poverty and misery, a significant part of the local population is forced to live by subsistence farming. Agricultural production is almost entirely fodder oriented. More than half of the public land is leased, the size of private farms sometimes reaches impressive sizes, but the sale of farm products is problematic. Public sector employment is sporadic. The economic situation is somewhat better in North Ossetia, where a complete conversion of the military-industrial complex has taken place, and in Ingushetia, where registered enterprises are 80% exempt from federal taxes (Description of the North Caucasus Economic Region, 2006).
The difficult economic and social situation creates a number of problems for the wetlands of the region. To the previously existing unfavorable factors (drainage of waterlogged lands, excessive water intake for irrigation, industrial and agricultural pollution of water bodies), new ones were added: spontaneous seizure and development of water protection zones, felling of tree plantations along the banks, pollution with household waste, mass poaching. Significant areas of irrigation systems, rice paddies and fish farms have ceased to be used. This led to a deterioration in nesting and wintering conditions for a number of species of waterfowl and waterfowl. At the same time, due to the economic downturn, the pollution of water bodies with fertilizers, pesticides and industrial effluents has decreased.
There are various interpretations of the geographical and administrative boundaries of the North Caucasus (Geographic Encyclopedic Dictionary, 1989; Gvozdetsky, 1954; Isakov, 1982; Wetlands of Russia, 2000). Proceeding from considerations of integrity and logical consistency of the inventory of wetlands of the Russian Federation, we take the zoning proposed by N. A. Gvozdetsky as a basis and subdivide the North Caucasus into the following sub-regions: 1) Western and Middle Ciscaucasia; 2) Mountainous Caucasus; 3) Tersko-Kumskaya lowland.
On the territory of the North Caucasus, there are 10 constituent entities of the Russian Federation, which differ significantly from each other in natural and economic characteristics.
The collection of information on wetlands in the North Caucasus began in the 1980s. (Skokova, Vinogradov, 1986), due to their key importance in the functioning of ecosystems in this region. Three lands of the North Caucasus region ("Veselovskoe reservoir", "Lake Manych-Gudilo" and "Kuban Delta") were declared wetlands of international importance by the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 1050 dated September 13, 1994, their descriptions were included in the first volume of the series "Wetlands of Russia" (1998). In the process of further inventory in the region, 10 sites were identified and described, included in the Perspective ("shadow") list of the Ramsar Convention. It is quite obvious that 13 sites are completely insufficient for a region with such diverse aquatic ecosystems, the spectrum of which extends from sea bays to alpine lakes and glaciers.
In the course of the work done within the framework of the preparation of this (sixth) volume of the series "Wetlands of Russia" by a team of authors, 53 wetlands that meet the criteria of the Ramsar Convention were selected and included in the inventory list. The list is quite representative, as it reflects the entire main spectrum of wetland ecosystems most important for maintaining the biodiversity of the region, and includes sea bays, lagoons, estuaries and river deltas, flooded complexes and marshes, various lowland and mountain lakes (fresh and salty) and reservoirs, as well as unique high-mountainous bogs. The total area of the allocated lands is about 11,245 km2.
In the current situation, according to the current legislation, most decisions in the field of nature management and nature protection are made at the level of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. It is the administrations (governments) of territories, regions and republics that establish the conservation status of the natural territory and water area. We hope that the descriptions given below in a number of cases can serve as a justification for giving wetlands a status that contributes to their real protection. Therefore, we considered it expedient to provide economic and geographical descriptions of eight subjects of the North Caucasus, which are of the most importance in terms of preserving valuable wetlands that meet the criteria of the Ramsar Convention.
Krasnodar Territory, Stavropol Territory, Rostov Region and the Republics: Adygea, Karachay-Cherkessia, Kabardino-Balkaria, North Ossetia (Alania), Ingushetia, Dagestan and the Chechen Republic.
Economic and geographical location
The North Caucasian region or the North Caucasus is located in the European part of Russia on the isthmus between the Black Sea-Azov and Caspian sea basins. It occupies the south of the East European Plain, the Ciscaucasia and the northern slopes of the Greater Caucasus. The border with Azerbaijan and Georgia runs almost everywhere along the Main Caucasian ridge. Area - 378 thousand km 2. EGP is beneficial. Through this region, Russia maintains ties with the states of the Transcaucasus. There is access to three seas. The natural conditions of the region are favorable for the population and the development of agriculture. The physical and geographical border between Europe and Asia runs along the Kuma-Manych depression. (Some geographers divide these parts of the world along the Main Caucasian Ridge - along the state border of the Russian Federation).
Natural conditions and resources
The natural landscapes of the North Caucasus are diverse. There are mountain ranges and steppe plains, turbulent mountain rivers and dry rivers and lakes, humid subtropics (the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus) and cold snowy peaks. Diversity natural conditions due to the geographical location and features of the relief. This, in turn, affects the resettlement of people and their economic activity... The area has fertile lands(in the plains) and natural pastures (in the foothills).
The role of the region as a recreational zone in Russia is great - there are well-known resorts on the Black Sea coast (Tuapse, Sochi) and Caucasian Mineral Waters (Kislovodsk, Essentuki, Mineralnye Vody). The Caucasus Mountains are also a tourist destination. The highest point in Russia is Mount Elbrus (5642 m).
The foothills of the Greater Caucasus are a storehouse of chemical, metallurgical, construction raw materials, energy resources (including fuel). Natural gas - in the Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories, oil - in the Chechen Republic and Adygea. Non-ferrous metal ores are in the mountainous republics (North Ossetia, Karachay-Cherkessia, Dagestan, Kabardino-Balkaria), coal is in the Rostov region (the eastern wing of Donbass is the Russian part).
Mountain rivers have great hydropower potential, and the waters of lowland rivers are used for irrigation. The main disadvantage of natural conditions is the uneven provision of water resources. The western part is better provided with moisture, especially the Black Sea coast and mountain slopes. The northeast and east of the region are waterless and dry.
Population
The population of the district is 17.2 million people. The population density is 47 people per 1 km 2 (the maximum - in North Ossetia - 79 people).
The peculiarity of the population of the North Caucasus is multinationality. Especially colorful National composition mountain population. It belongs to different linguistic families "Indo-European (Russians, Ossetians, Ukrainians), Caucasian (Adyghes, Kabardians, Circassians, Chechens, Ingush and more than 20 peoples of Dagestan). In the North Caucasian economic region, the Russian population prevails, even in the mountainous republics of the Caucasus. Russian population ranges from 9% in Dagestan to 65% in Adygea.
The population of the republics (1992) included in the North Caucasian region (in thousands of people): Adygea - 432; Dagestan - 1890; Chechen Republic and Ingushetia - 1308; Kabardino-Balkaria - 784; North Ossetia - 695; Karachay-Cherkessia - 418.
The population density is relatively high, but it is uneven within the region. Many cities and villages are located along the coastal strip. A rare population in the steppes and semi-deserts in the east of the region and in the highlands. Rural residents are slightly less than half of the district's population (53% of urban residents). In Dagestan and the Chechen Republic, the rural population predominates (about 60%).
The district has a surplus of labor resources
The ancient Greek geographer Strabo told in his writings about the Scythians - 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 interior 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 manners incomprehensible to a European, and adherence to traditions - with the desire to keep pace with the times.
Agriculture, industrial production, mining and tourist services 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 manufacture of many objects around us - this is a tungsten filament in light bulb, and stainless steel cookware, and galvanized iron roofs, and more. Jewelry and hard alloys, wool clothing and carpets made by the inhabitants of the North Caucasus can be found in all corners of Russia and abroad.
The population of the North Caucasus is more than 16 million people, or 11.3% of the population of all of Russia, while the region's area 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! Inhabitants 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. Today, there are seven national republics on this territory: Adygea, Karachay-Cherkessia, Kabardino-Balkaria, North Ossetia - Alania, Ingushetia, the Chechen Republic, Dagestan.
ADYGEYA
The Adyghe 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. About 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, allows for rich harvests of many agricultural crops - from wheat and rice to sugar beets and grapes. The mountains, reaching 2 thousand m, are covered with forests. At an altitude of up to 1.2 thousand m, broad-leaved trees predominate - beech, oak, hornbeam; above - Nordman's fir; then there is a small forest of birch, mountain ash and maple. Closer to the summit, there are subalpine and alpine meadows. The fauna of mountain forests is very rich: bison, roe deer, chamois, mountain goats, wild boars, wolves, lynxes, bears, and many birds live in them.
The Caucasian State Reserve is located in the high-mountainous regions of the republic. Once upon a time it was a place for royal hunting, as many names remind of: the Panther and Solontsovy ridges, the Knyazhesky Most tract, Zubrovaya Polyana, the Kholodnaya, Sadnaya, and Turovaya rivers. Fir trees can be found in the reserve, which are more than 500 years old. They reach a height of 60 m with a trunk thickness of two or three girths. The combination of snow-white peaks, blue skies and huge green trees creates that unique landscape that attracts tourists here.
In the early 60s. XX century an attempt was made to build the Stavropol-Sochi highway through the central city of Adygea - Maikop. On this wide asphalt road, signs with the inscriptions: "To Sochi ... km" are still adorned. But in Sochi it is impossible to drive along the highway: it reaches almost to the border of the reserve and suddenly breaks off. Common sense triumphed in time: a unique section of the territory was protected from a powerful stream of cars.
In addition to the beauties of nature, tourists to Adygea are attracted by ancient historical monuments - dolmens and burial mounds. An obelisk was erected in memory of the excavation of burial mounds in Maikop. Many works of art found by archaeologists are exhibited in the Hermitage.
Adyghe people are one of the peoples united common name- hell-gi. They also include the Circassians and Kabardians. The ancestors of modern Adyghe people in 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, the Crimean Tatars, etc. In the 18th century. the Turks spread Islam in the North Caucasus, which is now practiced by the majority of Adyghe believers.
Adygea has a motley ethnic composition, but the majority are Russians (67%) and Adyghe (22%). The influence on the Circassians of Russian and European culture in general is great: almost everyone knows Russian. At the same time, the Circassians have preserved the language of their ancestors, religion, the nature of relations within the family and community, national crafts, including jewelry. They observe ceremonies associated with birth, death, majority, wedding; revered monuments of nature and history, be it ancient dolmens or Christian churches and chapels. The settlements of the Adyghe people, both in the mountains and on the plain - drowning in gardens, picturesque and neat - are usually large in size. The inhabitants of Adygea are not only excellent farmers and shepherds, but also tourism and mountaineering instructors, scientists, engineers.
Karachay-Cherkessia
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). Mainly Russians (42.4%), Karachais (31.2%) and Circassians (9.7%) live here. The Karachais settled in the highlands, where they have been engaged in cattle breeding for a long time. This people speaks the Karachai language, akin to the languages of the Turkic group. Some researchers consider the Karachais to be the descendants of the Polovtsians who once roamed the southern steppes and mixed with the indigenous Caucasian population. Modern Karachais prefer to live in the mountains, and high-mountain meadows serve them as pastures. The Circassians are mainly engaged in agriculture and settle in the valleys.
The bowels of the republic are rich in minerals. The Urupskoe 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 versatile development of the republic's economy. If the Circassians are skilled gardeners and farmers, the Karachais are famous as excellent livestock breeders. The Karachai breed of sheep with a wonderful black fleece is well known. The Karachaev horse breed is valued far beyond the Caucasus. Kefir, ayran - a drink made from sour milk, cheese and other dairy products are of high quality. Everywhere tourists go, there is a trade in handmade woolen products.
Although the area of arable land in the republic is small, a lot of potatoes, sugar beets and corn are grown here. In the north of Karacha-evo-Cherkessia, in Erken-Shahar, in the 60s. XX century the largest sugar factory in Russia was built. The economy of the republic is focused on agriculture: its main industries include animal husbandry and farming, production and repair of agricultural machinery, equipment for storing food. This orientation of the economy is very favorable for the development of tourism and resort services.
Mountain lakes and waterfalls of Karachay-Cherkessia are accessible to ordinary pedestrians, glaciers and the most difficult routes are intended for climbers. There are many sources of mineral water on the territory of the republic. The mild, salubrious climate of mountain resorts also attracts. Teberda, located at an altitude of 1.3 thousand meters, is little inferior to Kislovodsk, famous for its springs and air. In the upper reaches of the Teberda River, in a mountain hollow, lies the world famous Dombai glade - a favorite place for climbers, tourists and skiers. From here, even not very experienced tourists easily climb to the Alibek glacier, pass along the route to the Klukhorsky pass (2782 m) and to the blue Klukhorsky lake - a small, but deep, with floating ice floes in the hottest season of summer. Stubborn battles with German troops took place on the pass during the Great Patriotic War.
KABARDINO-BALKARIA
The northern slope of the 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-in-Cherkessia, and in terms of population it is almost twice as large (790 thousand people). About half of the inhabitants are Kabardians, about a third are Russians, and one tenth are Balkars. Kabardians belong to the Adygs group. In some periods of history, they were very numerous and influential and even subjugated other peoples of the Caucasus. Balkars are a kindred Turkic-speaking people of the Karachais; earlier they were called mountain Tatars. The relations of the Kabardians and Balkars with Russia have deep historical roots. In 1561, Ivan the Terrible married the daughter of the Kabardian prince Temryuk Aidarovich, who was counting on Moscow's support in the defense against the Crimea and Turkey. Then, during the weakening of Russia, Kabarda fell under the rule of Turkey. In the XIX century. Kabardians and Balkars resisted the Russian Empire, but the bloodshed soon ended, replaced by an alliance. The religious beliefs of the Kabardians also changed several 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. here Islam spread. Some 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 Central here. In the Main and Side ridges, the peaks rise by more than 5 thousand meters; many glaciers, including more than 12 km long. All large valleys are paved with roads, which sometimes go directly to the glaciers. However, none of them climbs the Main ridge, all the passes through which are very difficult to access. To the north of the Main are the Rocky Range (3646 m - Mount Karakaya), the Pasture Range and the Black Mountains, behind 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 m, you can climb (up to an altitude of 3.5 thousand m) on a cable car (funicular) to the slopes of the Elbrus volcanic cone, from where a magnificent panorama opens - peaks covered with snow and glaciers, green valleys. From here, the ascent 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 them to make household products, jewelry and weapons. Modern industry is also based on underground wealth. The most famous is the Tyrnyauz deposit of tungsten-ram-molybdenum ores; significant reserves of lead-zinc, lead-antimony ores, iron. Coal mining is in progress. Mineral springs, of which there are many in the republic, also serve various economic purposes, and hot mineral waters are used to heat greenhouses.
Forests cover more than 15% of the republic's area, mainly in mountainous regions. 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. The ruins of ancient villages have been preserved in the mountains, cascading up the steep slopes. Defensive towers rise above them. In Kabardino-Balkaria, there is one of the deepest lakes in Russia - Blue Lake (Tserikel). Its depth is 268 m, and this is at a small size (width is about 200 m).
The Narzan 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 Maly Larkhan River, you can admire a 20-meter waterfall. The resort conditions of the Narzan 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 km 2. 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 the Iranian-speaking tribes - the Scythians and Sarmatians (Alans). Once the Ossetians occupied vast territories 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 by the 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; from 1936 it became 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 Lateral and Main ridges, and in the north there is a low (926 m) Sun-female ridge. The most high 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 the cultivation of corn, wheat, sunflower; sugar beets also grow here, but they need additional watering. The average monthly temperature in January is -4 ° С, and in July + 20-22 ° С; annual precipitation is 500-800 mm. As you climb the mountains, it becomes cooler, and the humidity increases. The slopes of the mountains up to a height of 2 thousand m 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 the highways in the Transcaucasus pass. One of them - Voenno-Ossetian - climbs the Mamison Pass (2819 m) along the valley of the Ardon River, the other - Voenno-Georgian - passes through the Cross Pass (2379 m).
North Ossetia is famous for its fertile arable land, lush gardens, alpine pastures, virgin forests, mineral waters, 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, pyrite, jet (a valuable black ornamental stone used for jewelry). In the vicinity of Vladikavkaz, sands soaked in oil were found.
In the largest Sadonskoye silver-lead-zinc deposit, located 60 km west of Vladikavkaz, ore has been mined since ancient times. In the XIX 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 joint-stock company "Alagir", which equipped the mines, built an enrichment plant 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.
Non-ferrous metallurgy is the leading industry in the modern economy of North Ossetia. The richest deposits (Sadonskoye, Fiag-donskoye, Zgidskoye, etc.) supply ore to the concentration 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 allocated for sowing corn, a traditional culture 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 of less importance here than in other republics of the North Caucasus. Tourists visit the Tsei glacier, not far from which is the ancient Ossetian sanctuary Rekom.
Several dozen burial grounds (family crypts) with burials of the XIV-XIX centuries, known under the general name "City of the Dead", have survived near the village of Darvas. In the mountainous regions of Ossetia, there are old houses and fortress towers - witnesses of ancient customs and events.
INGUSHETIA
In 1924 the Ingush Autonomous Region was formed. In 1934 she 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 within the Russian Federation. It 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. East of Vladikavkaz, the dry heat of the deserts is already slightly felt. The forests here slightly change their shade (hornbeam and oak prevail in the foothills and hollows) and retreat slightly 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 line of the Rostov-on-Don - Baku railway. There are not many industrial enterprises in Nazran: a power tool factory, a knitting factory, a flour mill.
The attraction of Ingushetia is its old architectural ensembles. First of all, these are the ruins of villages with battle towers of the XIV-XVIII centuries. from gray rough stone. Some of them can be approached from the side of the Georgian Military Highway. On the southern slope of the Rocky Range, slender silhouettes of surviving towers of five to six floors, with narrow loopholes, rise above buildings destroyed from time to time. Each tower tapers gradually and ends with a pyramid-shaped stone roof. At the level of the second floor there is a door from which a staircase was once lowered. Near the village of Khairakh, in the valley of the Assa river, the Thiba Yerdy temple of the XI-XIII centuries has been preserved. - evidence of the spread of Christian teachings among the Ingush.
CHECHEN REPUBLIC
V last years The Chechen Republic became known all over the world. The hostilities 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 wild phenomena, even for the Middle Ages, attracted everyone's attention (see (See the article "The War in Chechnya" in the "History of Russia" volume, part three, "Encyclopedias for Children").
The Chechen Autonomous Region was formed in 1922, and then merged with the Ingush Autonomous Region into the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1991, the Chechen leaders announced the creation of a sovereign and independent Chechen Republic - Ichkeria, separated from Ingushetia and from 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 the beginning of the XXI century.
In terms of population and area, the Chechen Republic is about 2.5-3 times smaller than the one located to the east of Dagestan and much larger than Ingushetia. The total number of Chechens within Russia is almost 900 thousand people (according to 1989 data); of these, about 400 thousand 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 depths of Chechnya there are oil reserves, which largely determined its development in the XX century.
The Chechen Republic is located on the northern slope of the Greater Caucasus and on the adjoining Tersko-Sunzhenskaya plain. The highest point in Chechnya is Mount Tebulosmta (4493 m). The plain is covered with fertile black soils; the mountains are covered with forests, 80% of which are tall beech trees. In the southern part of Chechnya, minerals have been discovered: near the village of Evdokimov - copper, near the village of Kei - silver-lead ores, near the village of Shatoi - 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, millet were sown on the plain, sheep and race horses were raised 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 business was well developed.
The modern economy includes traditional occupations, to which have been added irrigated agriculture in the plains and a powerful industry associated with the exploration, production and processing of oil. In the landscape of Chechnya, the interweaving of pipes, oil rigs and tanks occupy a prominent place. The republic's oil fields are not gigantic, like the Siberian or the Middle East, but they are convenient for development.
On the southern slope of the Sunzhensky ridge, 40 kilometers west of Grozny, there is a large resort of Sernovodsk with healing mineral springs. Overall wealth and diversity natural resources Chechnya is not much inferior to other North Caucasian republics, and in terms of oil reserves it surpasses all of them.
DAGESTAN
The largest of the North Caucasian republics both in area (50.3 thousand km 2) and in population (almost 2 million people) is Dagestan. In addition, it is the most energy-rich, driest, warmest and most treeless republic of the region. Dagestan has set several all-Russian records. Here the population continues to grow the fastest (against the background of its decrease in the country as a whole). 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 into Dagestan earlier than into other North Caucasian republics; Perhaps for this reason, the inhabitants of the republic are most committed to Islam. The villages are home to 57% of the population of Dagestan; At the same time, nowhere in the North Caucasus are there such ancient cities as in Dagestan: Derbent, for example, is more than 5 thousand years old - this is the most Old city in Russia. Even the nature of the republic is unique: the lowest mark in Russia and Europe is located here - 26 m below sea level.
Dagestan is located at the Caspian Gate - where the path from the Transcaucasus to the northern plains begins. 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 Kaganate, 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 Tabasaran, Nogais, Tats, Aguls, Rutuls, Tsakhurs. There are very small ethnic groups. So, the aul Ginukh in several dozen houses has its own language, its own customs.
The variety of natural conditions and the richness of national traditions have determined the characteristics of numerous folk crafts. Almost everywhere there are masters. Goldsmiths and jewelers work in the famous village of Kubachi, ceramics are produced in Gotsatla, carpets in Untsukul, etc.
Despite the mixing of peoples and languages, Dagestan has been perceived as an integral country for hundreds of years. In 1921 the Dagestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was created, and in 1991 the Republic of Dagestan was proclaimed within Russia.
Translated from the Turkic Dagestan - "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 region. To the north of the ridges, steppe and semi-desert lowlands stretch almost 200 km, and to the south, also for almost 200 km, the mountains continue. 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, therefore, there are severe frosts in winter - in the north of the republic up to -40 ° С.
The mountains of Dagestan are high, with steep slopes. The height of the Bazar-Duzu peak on the border with Azerbaijan is 4466 m. The climate in the mountains is rather 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 Khunzakhskoe and Gunibskoe.
The mountains of Dagestan are cut by the deepest canyons of rivers (Sulak, Samur) and their tributaries. The Sulak gorge between the Gimrinsky ridge 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 lands in the mountains and on the plains. Valuable fish are found in river mouths, including sturgeon, beluga, stellate sturgeon, Caspian salmon, and white fish. Red deer, wild boar, and many birds live in the reed thickets that cover the coastal marshes (the banks flooded in spring).
In the forests - they occupy only 7% of the area of the mountains - there are wolves, bears and lynxes. In the foothills you can see a large (25-30 cm) turtle, a snake - a huge brown gyurza sleeping on stones, a bright green snake. On the plains, in the steppes and semi-deserts, the fauna is different in nature: birds, various rodents, in the very north - saigas, the steppe fox - korsak.
The mountains of Dagestan are a kind of fortress that protects the population of the interior regions. From the side of the plains, you can get here, as a rule, passing through narrow, insurmountable gorges. At the same time, in the mountains themselves, there are many wide, comfortable valleys where one can engage in agriculture and build housing. The mountain slopes scorched by the sun are densely populated: tens of thousands of people live in some auls.
Mountain villages are connected by serpentine highways. The gray cubes of houses are molded one to one and one above the other, hanging over the mountain slopes like swallows' nests. There is no green lawn or trees here. In the mountains, they do not build houses on land 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 are strikingly well-groomed. However, with the advent of cheaper grain produced in the plains, the terraces were mainly used as meadows. Sheep and horse breeding 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 long-haul losses. 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 (north of the Terek) and Tersko-Sulak or Kumykskaya (to the south). Flat off the coast, the Tersko-Kumskaya lowland gradually rises with distance 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 mainly steppe and semi-desert, there are salt marshes. Sparse bushes grow wormwood, saltwort, cereals and herbs. The main wealth of the Nogai steppe is pastures where fine-wooled and coarse-wooled sheep are raised. Farming is subsidiary in nature. Most of the indigenous population is the Nogais, the descendants of the once large 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 a wide variety of professions. Modern Nogais are mostly sedentary. Their settlements are located near irrigation canals and with many wind turbines (wind turbines) resemble Dutch villages. However, if in Holland windmills are used to drain land, in Dagestan they are used for watering gardens and vegetable gardens.
The Kumyk plain, like the Nogai steppe, was named after the Kumyk people inhabiting it. The lands located between the foot of the mountains and the Terek are convenient for cultivation: there are many vineyards and orchards, especially near Makhachkala. The settlements of the Kumyks are usually a large garden in which the houses are whitewashed.
In the bowels of Dagestan, large deposits of mineral raw materials have not yet been discovered, but many small ones. Literally "from near Makhachkala" for two decades, starting from 1942, oil was extracted. In 1972, the development of the Shamkhal-Bulak gas field began, from which gas pipelines stretched to all ends of the republic. Deposits of iron ore, gypsum, alabaster, building stone, glass sands, mineral and thermal (warm) waters meet the most varied needs of the modern economy of Dagestan.
The Caspian Sea is rich in a variety of fish. The most valuable are sturgeon, whose caviar is valued almost worth its weight in gold. Dagestan's beaches are remarkable, vast and sandy, with sloping shores. This is the perfect place for a kid's holiday. However, there are still no traditions of tourist service and resort resources are very poorly developed.
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 were affected. Large avalanches and landslides came down in the mountains at this time. The storms of the Caspian Sea are also very cruel. Earlier fishermen said: "He who has not been to the sea has not seen grief." Since 1978, the level of the Caspian Sea began to rise rapidly. Farmland is flooded, dwellings 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 located in 1722. The mountaineers called the Anji-Kala fortification - Flour Fortress. In 1857 the fortress received the status of a city and the name Petrovsk-Port. Soon the port itself was built, and in 1896 it was brought railroad... The city was renamed into Makhachkala - in honor of an active participant in the civil war Makhach Dakhadayev. The population of the city is 395 thousand people. A beautiful center of the late 19th - early 20th century construction. surrounded by modern neighborhoods and factories. There are Dagestan in the city science Center Russian Academy of Sciences, theaters and museums.
Machines, devices, building materials are produced in Makhachkala, the food industry is developed. The city itself is a balneological and seaside climatic resort: its mineral waters, curative mud, vast 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 18th century. Kizlyar was the administrative and commercial center of the North Caucasus; not only Persian, but also Indian merchants traded at 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 18th century. many Armenians and Georgians moved here. In spite of small size, Kizlyar is the cultural center of Dagestan. The city has several museums and many historical monuments.