Kabardino-Balkaria (Russian: Кабарди́но-Балка́рия), officially the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, is a republic of Russia located in the North Caucasus. As of the 2021 Census, its population was 904,200. 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.
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Geography
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
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. 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
The ancestors of the modern Kabardians, known as Circassians or Kassogs, have inhabited the area since at least the 6th century BCE. During this period, the region was known as Zichia, a medieval Circassian land located on the northeastern shore of the Black Sea. Historical sources first mention Zichia in the 6th century, with Byzantine historian Procopius of Caesarea recording that the people of the Zechoi had a king appointed by the Roman Emperor but had since become independent. The Notitiae Episcopatuum of the Patriarchate of Constantinople mentions an autocephalous archbishopric of Zichia from the 7th century onward, associated with Tamatarcha or the Cimmerian Bosporus.
Between 1242 and 1295, the region came under the control of the Mongols. From 1295 to around 1427, it was governed by the Georgians. In the early 15th century, the area became part of Circassia, which remained independent until the death of King Inal in 1453. Afterward, the kingdom experienced internal divisions and external pressures, leading to a gradual decline in its sovereignty.
Between 1769 and 1830, during the Russo-Circassian War, the region fell under Russian occupation. This period was marked by significant conflict and resistance from the indigenous populations. The war culminated in the annexation of Kabardino-Balkaria by Russia, leading to profound changes in the region's political and social structures.
During the Soviet era, Kabardino-Balkaria was part of the Russian SFSR, undergoing industrial growth but also facing cultural suppression. After the USSR's collapse, it became a republic within Russia and, on 1 July 1994, signed a power-sharing agreement granting it limited autonomy. This agreement allowed the republic to manage its own affairs to some extent, though it remained under the sovereignty of the Russian Federation. In 2001, Kabardino-Balkaria adopted a new constitution that reaffirmed its status within the Russian Federation, explicitly preventing the republic from existing independently.
Politics
The head of government in Kabardino-Balkaria is the Head. The current Head is Kazbek Kokov. The legislative body of the Republic is the Parliament comprising 70 deputies elected for a five-year term.
The republic adopted a new constitution in 2001 which prevents the republic from existing independently of the Russian Federation.
Demographics
Population: 904,200 (2021 census); 859,939 (2010 census); 901,494 (2002 census); 759,586 (1989 Soviet census).
Life expectancy:
Vital statistics
Source:
Note: TFR 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 source.
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, 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.
Religion
According to a 2012 survey which interviewed 56,900 people, 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, 5.6% of the population declared to be "spiritual but not religious" and 4.4% was atheist or followed other religions, including Jehovah's Witnesses.