The Kabardino-Balkarian
Republic (Russian: Кабарди́но-Балка́рская Респу́блика, Kabardino-Balkarskaya
Respublika; Kabardian:
Къэбэрдей-Балъкъэр Республикэ, Ķêbêrdej-Baĺķêr Respublikê; Karachay-Balkar:
Къабарты-Малкъар Республика, Qabartı-Malqar Respublika) or Kabardino-Balkaria (Russian: Кабарди́но-Балка́рия, Kabardino-Balkariya),
is a federal subject of Russia (a republic) located in the North Caucasus. As of the 2010 Census, its
population was 859,939 on 12,500 square km. Its capital is Nalchik. The area contains the highest mountain in Europe, Mount Elbrus, at 5,642 m. Mount Elbrus has 22 glaciers
that feed three rivers — Baksan, Malka and Kuban. The mountain is covered with
snow year-round.
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. Kabardins make up the bulk of the republic's
population, followed by Russians and Balkars. Other groups include
Ossetians, Turks, Ukrainians, Armenians, Koreans, Chechens. According to a 2012 survey, 60%
of the population adheres to Islam, 15.6% to the Russian Orthodox Church,
3% to Adyghe (Kabardian) folk religion and other
indigenous faiths, and 5% are unaffiliated generic
Christians. In addition, 12% of the population declares to be
"spiritual but not religious".
The republic is situated in the North Caucasus mountains, with plains in
the northern part. The borders are : internal: Stavropol Krai (N/NE), North Ossetia–Alania
(E/SE/S), Karachay–Cherkessia (W/NW),
international: Georgia (Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo
Svaneti) (S/SW). 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). Mount Elbrus (5,642 m), a volcanic
mountain and the highest peak in Europe, Russia, and the Caucasus. Kabardino-Balkaria's natural resources include molybdenum, tungsten, and coal.
The cover posted from Nalchik on May 26, 2015
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