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)
Anthem: State Anthem of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic
[1]
Location of Kabardino-Balkarian Republic
Coordinates: 43°35′N 43°24′E / 43.583°N 43.400°E / 43.583; 43.400
CountryRussia
Federal districtNorth Caucasian
Economic regionNorth Caucasus
CapitalNalchik[3]
Government
 • TypeParliament of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic[4]
 • Head[6]Kazbek Kokov[5]
Area
 • Total
12,470 km2 (4,810 sq mi)
Population
 • Total
Increase 904,200
[2]
 • Rank56th
 • Urban
51.9%
 • Rural
48.1%
Time zoneUTC+3 (MSK[7])
ISO 3166 codeRU-KB
Vehicle registration07
Official language(s)Balkar[8] • Kabardian[8] • Russian[9]
Websiteglava.kbr.ru

Geography

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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.

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

Rivers

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Major rivers include:

Lakes

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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:

Mountains

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Other major mountains include:

Natural resources

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

Climate

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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

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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

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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.[4][17]

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

Administrative divisions

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Demographics

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Life expectancy at birth in Kabardino-Balkaria
Historical population
YearPop.±%
1926230,923—    
1959420,115+81.9%
1970588,203+40.0%
1979674,605+14.7%
1989759,586+12.6%
2002901,494+18.7%
2010859,939−4.6%
2021904,200+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

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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

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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

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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

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Notes

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

References

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  1. ^ Law #13-RZ
  2. ^ "Оценка численности постоянного населения по субъектам Российской Федерации". Federal State Statistics Service. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  3. ^ Constitution of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, Article 136
  4. ^ a b Constitution of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, Article 91
  5. ^ Official website of the Head of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. Biography Archived October 28, 2014, at the Wayback Machine (in Russian)
  6. ^ Constitution of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, Article 78
  7. ^ "Об исчислении времени". Официальный интернет-портал правовой информации (in Russian). Archived from the original on June 22, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  8. ^ a b 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. ^ a b 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. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 9, 2022. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  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). Archived from the original on August 3, 2022. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
  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. ^ a b c "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

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  • 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)
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