Kabardino-Balkaria
The Kabardino-Balkar Republic or Kabardino-Balkaria (Kabardian: Къэбэрдей-Балъкъэр Республикэ; Balkar: Къабарты-Малкъар Республика; Russian: Кабарди´но-Балка´рская Респу´блика) is a federal subject of the Russian Federation (a Republic), located in the northern Caucasus. The direct transliteration of the republic's name is Kabardino-Balkarskaya Respublika or Kabardino-Balkariya.
Кабардино-Балкарская Республика
Къэбэрдей-Балъкъэр Республикэ
Къабарты-Малкъар Республика
| align=center width=175 | |- Flag of Kabardino-Balkaria Coat of arms of Kabardino-Balkaria |- Nalchik|- Area
- total
- % water84th
- 12,500 km²
- negligible|-Population
- Total
- Density60th
- est. 901,494 (2002)
- est. 72.1/km²Political status - Federal district - Economic Region - Cadaster # - style="border-bottom: 1px #aaa solid;" |Russian, Kabardian, Balkar|- Arsen Bashirovich Kanokov|- Gennady Sergeyevich Gubin Anthem -
Geography
The republic is situated in the North Caucasus mountains, with plains in the northern part.- Area: 12,500 km².
- Borders:
- internal: Stavropol Krai (N/NE), North Ossetia-Alania (E/SE/S), Karachay-Cherkessia (W/NW)
- international: Georgia (S/SW)
- Highest point: Mount Elbrus (5,642 m).
- Maximum N->S distance: 167 km.
- Maximum E->W distance: 123 km.
- Average elevation: no data
Time zone
Kabardino-Balkaria is located in the Moscow Time Zone (MSK/MSD). UTC offset is +0300 (MSK)/+0400 (MSD).Rivers
Major rivers include:- Terek River (623 km)
- Malka River (216 km)
- Cherek River (131 km)
- Chegem River (102 km)
- Argudan River
- Baksan River
- Kurkuzhin River
- Lesken River
- Urukh River
Lakes
There are about 100 lakes in the republic, none of which are large. Most of the lakes (55) are located between the Baksan and Malka Rivers, with the largest lakes each having an area of no more than 0.01 km². Some of the lakes are:- Tserikkel Lake (with the area of 26,000 m²; 368 m deep)
- Lower Goluboye Lake
- Kel-Ketchen Lake (177 m deep)
- Upper Goluboye Lake (18 m deep)
- Sekretnoye Lake
- Tambukanskoy Lake (area:1.77 km²; 1.5-2 m deep). This lake is partially located in Stavropol Krai.
Mountains
Mount Elbrus, the highest peak of the North Caucasus and Europe, is located in the republic. Other major mountains include:- Mount Dykhtau (5,402 m)
- Mount Koshkhatau (5,151 m)
- Mount Shkhara (5,068 m)
- Pushkin Peak (5,033 m)
- Mount Mizhergi (5,025 m)
Natural Resources
Republic's natural resources include Molybdenum, Tungsten ores, Coal, among other things.Climate
The republic has a continental type climate.- Average January temperature: -4°C (plains) to -12°C (mountains).
- Average July temperature: +23°C (plains) to +4°C (mountains)
- Average annual precipitation: 500-2,000 mm.
Administrative divisions
- Main article: Administrative divisions of Kabardino-Balkaria
While Nalchik is the capital of the republic, Tyrnyauz serves as an administrative center for Balkaria.
Demographics
Kabardino-Balkaria consists of two ethnic territories, one predominantly of Kabardin (speakers of a Caucasian language) and the other predominantly Balkar (speakers of a Turkic language and Iranian languages). There is also a significant Russian population. Kabardins make approx. 43% of the population, while Balkars make 8%, and Russians - 33%.- Population: 901,494 (2002)
- Urban: 510,346 (56.6%)
- Rural: 391,148 (43.4%)
- Male: 422,720 (46.9%)
- Female: 478,774 (53.1%)
- Females per 1000 males: 1,133
- Average age: 30.9 years
- Urban: 32.4 years
- Rural: 29.0 years
- Male: 29.1 years
- Female: 32.8 years
- Number of households: 227,922 (with 891,783 people)
- Urban: 144,872 (with 504,085 people)
- Rural: 83,050 (with 387,698 people)