Kabardino-Balkaria

Kabardino-Balkaria (Russian: Кабарди́но-Балка́рия), officially the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic,^{[note 1][10][11][12]} is a republic of Russia located in the North Caucasus. As of the 2021 Census, its population was 904,200.^[13] Its capital is Nalchik. The area contains the highest mountain in Europe, Mount Elbrus, at 5,642 m (18,510 ft). Mount Elbrus has 22 glaciers that feed three rivers — Baksan, Malka and Kuban. The mountain is covered with snow year-round.

Kabardino-Balkarian Republic Къэбэрдей-Балъкъэр Республикэ (Kabardian) Къабарты-Малкъар Республика (Karachay-Balkar) Кабардино-Балкарская Республика (Russian)
Republic
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: State Anthem of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic [1]
Coordinates: 43°35′N 43°24′E
Country	Russia
Federal district	North Caucasian
Economic region	North Caucasus
Capital	Nalchik[2]
Government
• Type	Parliament of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic[3]
• Head[4]	Kazbek Kokov[5]
Area
• Total	12,470 km2 (4,810 sq mi)
Population  (2021 Census)
• Total	904,200 57.1% Kabardins 19.8% Russians 13.7% Balkars 3% Cherkess 6.7% other [6]
• Rank	56th
• Urban	51.9%
• Rural	48.1%
Time zone	UTC+3 (MSK[7])
ISO 3166 code	RU-KB
Vehicle registration	07
Official language(s)	Balkar[8] • Kabardian[8] • Russian[9]
Website	glava.kbr.ru

Geography

Cherek-Balkarskaya gorge

The republic is situated in the North Caucasus mountains, with plains in the northern part. The republic shares an international border with Georgia.

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

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

Rivers

Major rivers include:

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

Lakes

Map of the republic

Mount Dykh-Tau

Prielbrusye

Tyzyl Gorge

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

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

Mountains

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

Other major mountains include:

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

Natural resources

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

Climate

The republic has a continental-type climate.

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

History

Main article: History of Kabardino-Balkaria

It is known that modern-day Circassians also called Kassogs were inhabiting Kabardino Balkaria since at least the 6th century BCE, then known as Zichia.^[14] On 1 July 1994 Kabardino-Balkaria became the second republic after Tatarstan to sign a power-sharing agreement with the federal government, granting it autonomy.^[15]

Politics

The head of government in Kabardino-Balkaria is the Head. The current Head is Kazbek Kokov.^[16] The legislative body of the Republic is the Parliament comprising 72 deputies elected for a five-year term.^[3][17]

The republic adopted a new constitution in 2001 which prevents the republic from existing independently of the Russian Federation.^[18]

Administrative divisions

This section is an excerpt from Administrative divisions of Kabardino-Balkaria.[edit]

• Cities and towns under republic's jurisdiction
  • Nalchik (Нальчик) (capital)
  • Baksan (Баксан)
  • Prokhladny (Прохладный)
• Districts:
  • Baksansky (Баксанский)
  • Chegemsky (Чегемский)
    • Towns under the district's jurisdiction:
      • Chegem (Чегем)
  • Chereksky (Черекский)
  • Elbrussky (Эльбрусский)
    • Towns under the district's jurisdiction:
      • Tyrnyauz (Тырныауз)
  • Leskensky (Лескенский)
  • Maysky (Майский)
    • Towns under the district's jurisdiction:
      • Maysky (Майский)
  • Prokhladnensky (Прохладненский)
  • Tersky (Терский)
    • Towns under the district's jurisdiction:
      • Terek (Терек)
  • Urvansky (Урванский)
    • Towns under the district's jurisdiction:
      • Nartkala (Нарткала)
  • Zolsky (Зольский)

Demographics

Life expectancy at birth in Kabardino-Balkaria

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1926	230,923	—
1959	420,115	+81.9%
1970	588,203	+40.0%
1979	674,605	+14.7%
1989	759,586	+12.6%
2002	901,494	+18.7%
2010	859,939	−4.6%
2021	904,200	+5.1%
Source: Census data

Population: 904,200 (2021 Census);^[13] 859,939 (2010 Census);^[19] 901,494 (2002 Census);^[20] 759,586 (1989 Soviet census).^[21]

Life expectancy:^[22][23]

	2019	2021
Average:	76.5 years	73.8 years
Male:	72.6 years	69.9 years
Female:	79.9 years	77.3 years

Balkars in 1936

Kabardian wrestler Beslan Mudranov won Russia's first gold medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics

Vital statistics

Source:^[24][25]

	Average population (x 1000)	Live births	Deaths	Natural change	Crude birth rate (per 1000)	Crude death rate (per 1000)	Natural change (per 1000)	Fertility rates
1970	592	11,683	3,913	7,770	19.7	6.6	13.1
1975	634	12,315	4,717	7,598	19.4	7.4	12.0
1980	680	14,098	5,457	8,641	20.7	8.0	12.7
1985	725	15,941	5,854	10,087	22.0	8.1	13.9
1990	772	15,412	6,573	8,839	20.0	8.5	11.5	2.45
1991	788	14,952	6,995	7,957	19.0	8.9	10.1	2.35
1992	799	13,728	7,093	6,635	17.2	8.9	8.3	2.16
1993	807	11,781	7,864	3,917	14.6	9.7	4.9	1.86
1994	816	11,407	8,052	3,355	14.0	9.9	4.1	1.79
1995	828	10,844	8,236	2,608	13.1	9.9	3.2	1.67
1996	840	10,293	8,199	2,094	12.2	9.8	2.5	1.56
1997	853	10,016	7,985	2,031	11.7	9.4	2.4	1.47
1998	866	9,997	8,201	1,796	11.5	9.5	2.1	1.44
1999	875	9,221	8,292	929	10.5	9.5	1.1	1.30
2000	883	9,207	8,792	415	10.4	10.0	0.5	1.26
2001	891	8,892	8,778	114	10.0	9.9	0.1	1.19
2002	897	9,119	8,954	165	10.2	10.0	0.2	1.20
2003	896	9,294	9,202	92	10.4	10.3	0.1	1.20
2004	889	9,414	8,695	719	10.6	9.8	0.8	1.22
2005	882	8,991	9,034	- 43	10.2	10.2	-0.0	1.13
2006	875	9,308	8,764	544	10.6	10.0	0.6	1.16
2007	870	11,397	8,441	2,956	13.1	9.7	3.4	1.41
2008	866	12,052	8,095	3,957	13.9	9.3	4.6	1.49
2009	863	12,143	8,406	3,737	14.1	9.7	4.3	1.62
2010	860	12,576	8,080	4,496	14.6	9.4	5.2	1.66
2011	860	12,848	8,136	4,712	14.9	9.4	5.5	1.70
2012	859	13,786	7,709	6,077	16.0	9.0	7.0	1.83
2013	859	13,365	7,712	5,653	15.6	9.0	6.6	1.80
2014	860	13,397	7,571	5,826	15.6	8.8	6.8	1.83
2015	861	12,627	7,582	5,045	14.6	8.8	5.8	1.75
2016	863	12,191	7,386	4,805	14.1	8.5	5.6	1.72
2017	865	11,092	7,391	3,701	12.8	8.5	4.3	1.61
2018	865	10,881	7,044	3,837	12.5	8.1	4.4	1.61
2019	866	9,973	7,142	2,831	11.5	8.2	3.3	1.51
2020		10,604	8,624	1,980	12.2	9.9	2.3	1.64
2021		10,462	9,436	1,026	12.0	10.8	1.2	1.67
2022		10,049	8,010	2,039	11.5	9.2	2.3	1.51
2023		9,941	6,827	3,114	11.0	7.5	3.5	1.53

Note: TFR 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 source.^[26]

Ethnic groups

Kabardino-Balkaria includes two major ethnic communities, the Kabardins (Circassians), who speak a North-West Caucasian language, and the Balkars who speak a Turkic language. According to the 2021 Census,^[27] Kabardins make up 57.1% of the republic's population, followed by Russians (19.8%) and Balkars (13.7%). Other groups include Cherkess (3.0%), Turks (1.9%), Ossetians (0.8%), Romani (0.5%), and a host of smaller groups, each accounting for less than 0.5% of the total population.

Ethnic group	1926 Census1		1939 Census		1959 Census		1970 Census		1979 Census		1989 Census		2002 Census		2010 Census		2021 Census3
	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%
Kabardin	122,237	54.2%	152,237	42.4%	190,284	45.3%	264,675	45.0%	303,604	45.5%	364,494	48.2%	498,7022	55.3%	490,453	57.2%	502,615	57.1%
Balkars	33,197	14.7%	40,747	11.3%	34,088	8.1%	51,356	8.7%	59,710	9.0%	70,793	9.4%	104,951	11.6%	108,577	12.7%	120,898	13.7%
Russians	32,622	14.5%	129,067	35.9%	162,586	38.7%	218,595	37.2%	234,137	35.1%	240,750	31.9%	226,620	25.1%	193,155	22.5%	174,768	19.8%
Ossetians	3,839	1.7%	4,608	1.3%	6,442	1.5%	9,167	1.6%	9,710	1.5%	9,996	1.3%	9,845	1.1%	9,129	1.1%	6,877	0.8%
Ukrainians	24,723	11.0%	11,142	3.1%	8,400	2.0%	10,620	1.8%	12,139	1.8%	12,826	1.7%	7,592	0.8%	4,800	0.6%	1,461	0.2%
Cherkess	8,803	3.9%	21,328	5.9%	18,315	4.4%	33,790	5.7%	47,246	7.1%	614	0.1%	725	0.1%	2,475	0.3%	26,544	3.0%
Others											55,058	7.3%	53,059	5.9%	49,081	5.7%	47,748	5.7%
1 The results of the 1926 census refer to the present territory, which is a combination of the Kabardo-Balkarian AO and a part of the Terek district. The latter area was mainly inhabited by Russians and Ukrainians.[28] 2 In view of the results of the 1989 census and the 2010 census, the number of Kabardins in 2002 seems unlikely high. 3 23,289 people were registered from administrative databases, and could not declare an ethnicity. It is estimated that the proportion of ethnicities in this group is the same as that of the declared group.[29]

Religion

Religion in Kabardino-Balkaria as of 2012 (Sreda Arena Atlas)[30][31]
Islam			70.8%
Russian Orthodoxy			11.6%
Other Christians			4%
Native faiths			1.8%
Spiritual but not religious			5.6%
Atheism and irreligion			4.4%
Other and undeclared			1.8%

Mosque in Kabardino-Balkaria

Catholic church in Kabardino-Balkaria (Diocese of Saratov, Blagoveshchenka)

According to a 2012 survey which interviewed 56,900 people,^[30] 70.8% of the population of Kabardino-Balkaria adhered to Islam, 11.6% to the Russian Orthodox Church, 3.8% were non-Orthodox Christians, and 1.8% followed Adyghe (Kabardian) folk religion and other indigenous faiths. In addition, 12% of the population declared to be "spiritual but not religious" and 5.6% was atheist or followed other religions, including Jehovah's Witnesses.^[30]

See also

• Caucasian Avars
• Bulgars
• List of the Chairmen of the Parliament of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic
• Minor hydro-electric plants of Kabardino-Balkaria
• Mount Imeon

Notes

1. Russian: Кабарди́но-Балка́рская Респу́блика, romanized: Kabardino-Balkarskaya Respublika; Kabardian: Къэбэрдей-Балъкъэр Республикэ, romanized: Ķêbêrdej-Baĺķêr Respublikê; Karachay-Balkar: Къабарты-Малкъар Республика, romanized: Qabartı-Malqar Respublika

References

1. Law #13-RZ
2. Constitution of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, Article 136
3. Constitution of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, Article 91
4. Constitution of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, Article 78
5. Official website of the Head of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. Biography Archived October 28, 2014, at the Wayback Machine (in Russian)
6. "Оценка численности постоянного населения по субъектам Российской Федерации". Federal State Statistics Service. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
7. "Об исчислении времени". Официальный интернет-портал правовой информации (in Russian). Archived from the original on June 22, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
8. Constitution of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, Article 76
9. Official throughout the Russian Federation according to Article 68.1 of the Constitution of Russia.
10. "Head of Kabardino-Balkarian Republic reported to the President on the situation in Mount Elbrus region". President of Russia. September 2, 2017. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
11. "Russia's federal constituent entities". Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
12. Skutsch, Carl (November 7, 2013). Encyclopedia of the World's Minorities. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-135-19388-1.
13. Russian Federal State Statistics Service. Всероссийская перепись населения 2020 года. Том 1 [2020 All-Russian Population Census, vol. 1] (XLS) (in Russian). Federal State Statistics Service.
14. Kazhdan, A. P.; Talbot, A-M. M.; Cutler, A.; Gregory, T. E.; Ševčenko, N. P., eds. (1991). The Oxford dictionary of Byzantium. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-504652-8. OCLC 22733550.
15. Solnick, Steven (May 29, 1996). "Asymmetries in Russian Federation Bargaining" (PDF). The National Council for Soviet and East European Research: 12.
16. Путин опять увольняет губернаторов, а на их место назначает однофамильцев или бывших губернаторов. А-а-а! Как не запутаться? Вот шпаргалка. Meduza (in Russian). Retrieved September 26, 2018.
17. Constitution, Article 94.
18. Bell 2003, p. 78.
19. Russian Federal State Statistics Service (2011). Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года. Том 1 [2010 All-Russian Population Census, vol. 1]. Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года [2010 All-Russia Population Census] (in Russian). Federal State Statistics Service.
20. Federal State Statistics Service (May 21, 2004). Численность населения России, субъектов Российской Федерации в составе федеральных округов, районов, городских поселений, сельских населённых пунктов – районных центров и сельских населённых пунктов с населением 3 тысячи и более человек [Population of Russia, Its Federal Districts, Federal Subjects, Districts, Urban Localities, Rural Localities—Administrative Centers, and Rural Localities with Population of Over 3,000] (XLS). Всероссийская перепись населения 2002 года [All-Russia Population Census of 2002] (in Russian).
21. Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 г. Численность наличного населения союзных и автономных республик, автономных областей и округов, краёв, областей, районов, городских поселений и сёл-райцентров [All Union Population Census of 1989: Present Population of Union and Autonomous Republics, Autonomous Oblasts and Okrugs, Krais, Oblasts, Districts, Urban Settlements, and Villages Serving as District Administrative Centers]. Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 года [All-Union Population Census of 1989] (in Russian). Институт демографии Национального исследовательского университета: Высшая школа экономики [Institute of Demography at the National Research University: Higher School of Economics]. 1989 – via Demoscope Weekly.
22. "Демографический ежегодник России" [The Demographic Yearbook of Russia] (in Russian). Federal State Statistics Service of Russia (Rosstat). Retrieved June 28, 2022.
23. "Ожидаемая продолжительность жизни при рождении" [Life expectancy at birth]. Unified Interdepartmental Information and Statistical System of Russia (in Russian). Archived from the original on February 20, 2022. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
24. Russian Federal State Statistics Service Archived April 12, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
25. "Официальные статистические показатели" (in Russian).
26. "Каталог публикаций::Федеральная служба государственной статистики". Archived from the original on March 24, 2013.
27. "Национальный состав населения". Federal State Statistics Service. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
28. "население кабардино-балкарии".
29. "ВПН-2010". Archived from the original on December 25, 2018. Retrieved December 22, 2011.
30. "Arena: Atlas of Religions and Nationalities in Russia". Sreda, 2012.
31. 2012 Arena Atlas Religion Maps. "Ogonek", № 34 (5243), 27/08/2012. Retrieved 21/04/2017. Archived.

Sources

• Bell, Imogen (2003). The Territories of the Russian Federation 2003. Europa Publications. ISBN 1-85743-191-X.
• Совет Республики Парламента Кабардино-Балкарской Республики. Закон №13-РЗ от 4 августа 1994 г. «О государственном гимне Кабардино-Балкарской Республики», в ред. Закона №13-РЗ от 13 апреля 2015 г «О внесении изменений в статьи 2 и 4 Закона Кабардино-Балкарской Республики "О государственном гимне Кабардино-Балкарской Республики"». Вступил в силу 18 августа 1994 г. Опубликован: "Кабардино-Балкарская правда", №148, 12 августа 1994 г. (Council of the Republic of the Parliament of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. Law #13-RZ of August 4, 1994 On the State Anthem of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, as amended by the Law #13-RZ of April 13, 2015 On Amending Articles 2 and 4 of the Law of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic "On the State Anthem of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic". Effective as of August 18, 1994.).
• Парламент Кабардино-Балкарской Республики. №28-РЗ 1 сентября 1997 г. «Конституция Кабардино-Балкарской Республики», в ред. Закона №40-РЗ от 19 октября 2015 г. «О поправках к Конституции Кабардино-Балкарской Республики». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Кабардино-Балкарская правда", №177, 9 сентября 1997 г. (Parliament of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. #28-RZ September 1, 1997 Constitution of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, as amended by the Law #40-RZ of October 19, 2015 On the Amendments to the Constitution of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. Effective as of the day of the official publication.).
• Дударев, В. А.; Евсеева, Н. А. (1987). И. Каманина (ed.). СССР. Административно-территориальное деление союзных республик (in Russian). Moscow.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

External links

• (in Russian) Official website of the Head of the Republic
• Pictures of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic
• BBC News. Kabardino-Balkaria Profile