Dagestan

I

Introduction

Dagestan, autonomous republic, south-western Russia, located at the eastern end of the Caucasus Mountains, and bordered on the south by Georgia and Azerbaijan, on the east by the Caspian Sea, on the north and west by the Russian republics of Kalmykia and Chechnya respectively, and on the north-west by Stavropol Kray (territory). The republic has an area of 50,300 sq km (19,421 sq mi). Makhachkala is the capital.

II

Land and Resources

Topographically, Dagestan is divided into five sections: the lowlands along the Caspian Sea coast, including in the north the marshy plain of the Terek and Sulak rivers; the steppe to the north of the Terek; the high mountains of the Caucasus in the south; the mountainous plateaux of the interior; and the foothills giving way to the coastal plain. The highest peak is Mount Bazar Dyuzi (4,466 m/14,652 ft) on the border with Azerbaijan.

The climate is warm and dry overall, but varies significantly among the different regions. Average January temperatures in the lowlands range from 1.4º C (34.5º F) to -3º C (26.6º F); the mountains are colder, averaging between -5º C (23º F) and -11º C (12.2º F). In July temperatures reach 24º C (75.2º F). Annual precipitation ranges from 200 to 300 mm (8 to 12 in) in the steppe area of the north to 600 to 800 mm (24 to 31 in) in some parts of the mountains. In other parts of the mountains there is very little rainfall and consequently minimal vegetation. Snow-fed rivers—such as the Terek, the Sulak, the Samur, and the Ulluchay—flow down from the mountains to the coast. The drought-resistant vegetation in the northern steppe features wormwood. The foothills of the Caucasus are heavily forested with mixed woodlands; species include oak, hornbeam, beech, birch, and pine.

III

Population

Dagestan has a population of 2,176,500 (2002 estimate), giving an average population density of about 51 people per sq km (133 per sq mi). The capital, Makhachkala (population, 2002, 466,800), is a port on the Caspian Sea. Other important population centres are Derbent (1995, 97,318), also on the Caspian Sea; Khasavyurt (1995, 112,433) in the west, on the border between the foothills and the flood plain of the Sulak; and Buynaksk (1995, 74,378), in the foothills south-west of Makhachkala.

The republic is the home of more than 30 ethnic groups, and has a very complex ethnic and linguistic mosaic. During the Soviet period the smaller ethnic groups were merged with the larger ones until they had been consolidated into six nationalities. However, the different peoples retained their distinct identities. About 30 languages are spoken in Dagestan, but only 6 of the indigenous languages have written forms. Within those 6 languages more than 40 dialects exist. Islam is the religion of the majority, with a rich Sufi tradition in the more remote parts of the republic. Adherents of the Russian Orthodox Church constitute a small minority of Dagestan’s inhabitants.

IV

Economy

The economy of Dagestan centres on oil production, engineering, chemicals, machine-building, textile manufacturing, food processing, and the timber industry. The oil deposits are located in the narrow coastal region. Agriculture is varied and includes grain-farming, viticulture and wine-making, sheep-farming, and dairying. The area is also noted for its hand-woven rugs. Makhachkala is connected by rail to Moscow, Astrakhan, and the Azerbaijani capital, Baku. The Moscow-Baku highway also passes through Dagestan, and there are air links with major cities. Power stations on the Sulak and Samur rivers provide hydroelectric power.