North Ossetia-Alania
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| Republic of North Ossetia-Alania (English) Республика Северная Осетия-Алания (Russian) Республикӕ Цӕгат Ирыстон — Алани (Ossetic) |
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.svg.html) Location of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania in Russia |
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| Coat of Arms | Flag |
 Coat of arms of North Ossetia-Alania |
 Flag of North Ossetia-Alania |
| Anthem: National Anthem of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania | |
| Capital | Vladikavkaz |
| Established | July 7, 1924 |
| Political status Federal district Economic region |
Republic Southern North Caucasus |
| Code | 15 |
| Area | |
| Area - Rank within Russia |
8,000 km² 79th |
| Population (as of the 2002 Census) | |
| Population - Rank within Russia - Density - Urban - Rural |
710,275 inhabitants 68th 88.8 inhab. / km² 65.5% 34.5% |
| Official languages | Russian, Ossetic |
| Government | |
| Head | Taymuraz Mamsurov |
| Chairman of the Government | Nikolay Khlyntsov |
| Legislative body | Parliament |
| Constitution | Constitution of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania |
| Official website | |
| http://www.rso-a.ru/ | |
The Republic of North Ossetia-Alania (Russian: Респу́блика Се́верная Осе́тия–Ала́ния; Ossetic: Республикӕ Цӕгат Ирыстон — Алани) is a federal subject of Russia (a republic). The direct romanization of the Russian name of the republic is Respublika Severnaya Osetiya-Alaniya. Its name in Ossetic transliterates (in the ISO 9-system) as Respublikæ Cægat Iryston - Alani.
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[edit] Name
In the last years of the Soviet Union, as nationalist movements swept throughout the Caucasus, many intellectuals in the North Ossetian ASSR called for the revival of the name of Alania, a medieval kingdom of the Alans, ancestors of the modern-day Ossetians. The term of "Alania" quickly became popular in Ossetian daily life through the names of various enterprises, a TV channel, political and civic organizations, publishing house, soccer team, etc. In November 1994, the name of "Alania" was officially added to the republican title (Republic of North Ossetia-Alania).[1]
[edit] History
[edit] Early History
North Ossetia-Alania was first inhabited by Vainakh tribes in the Caucasus Mountains. Some Nomadic Alans settled in the region in the 7th century, forming the kingdom of Alania. It was converted to Christianity by Byzantine missionaries. Alania greatly profited from the Silk Road which passed through its territory.
After the Middle Ages, the Mongols' and Tartars' repeated invasions decimated the population, now known as the Ossetians. Islam was introduced to the region in the 17th century by Kabardians. Conflicts between the Khanate of Crimea and the Ottoman Empire eventually pushed Alania/Ossetia into an alliance with Imperial Russia in the 18th century. Soon, Russia formed a military in the captial, Vladikavkaz, becoming the first Russia-controlled area in the northern Caucasus. By 1806, Ossetia was under complete Russian control.
[edit] Russian/Soviet rule
The Russians' rule led to rapid development of industry and railways which overcame its isolation. The first books from the area came during the late 18th century, and became part of the Terskaya Region of Russia in the mid-19th century.
The Russian Revolution of 1917 resulted in North Ossetia being merged into the Soviet Mountain Republic in 1921. It then became the North Ossetian Autonomous Oblast on 7 July 1924, then merged into the North Ossetian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic on 5 December 1936. During World War II, it was subject to a number of invasions by Nazi Germany trying to seize Vladikavkaz, but they were able to repel them.
North Ossetian SSR became the first autonomous republic 20 June 1990 of the Soviet Union, being renamed to the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania in 1991.
[edit] Post Soviet rule
The Soviet Union's collapse posed particular problems for the Ossetian people, which were divided between North Ossetia, which was part of the Russian SFSR, and South Ossetia, part of the Georgian SSR. In December 1990 the Supreme Soviet of Georgia abolished the autonomous Ossetian enclave amid the rising ethnic tensions in the region, and much of the population fled across the border to North Ossetia or Georgia proper. Some 70,000 South Ossetian refugees were resettled in North Ossetia, sparking clashes with the predominantly Ingush population in the Prigorodny District. That led to Ossetian-Ingush conflict.
As well as dealing with the effects of the conflict in South Ossetia, North Ossetia has had to deal with refugees and the occasional spillover of fighting from the war in neighboring Chechnya. The bloodiest incident by far was the September 2004 Beslan hostage crisis, in which Chechen Muslim separatists of Shamil Basayev seized control of a school. In the firefight between the terrorists and Russian forces that ended the crisis, 335 civilians, the majority of them children, died.
[edit] Geography
The Republic is located in the northern Caucasus. The northern part of the republic is situated in the Stavropol Plain. 22% of the republic's territory is covered by forests.
- Area: 8,000 square kilometers (3,088.8 sq mi)
- Borders:
- internal: Kabardino-Balkar Republic (W/NW/N), Stavropol Krai (N), Chechen Republic (NE/E), Republic of Ingushetia (E/SE)
- international: Georgia (including South Ossetia) (SE/S/SW)
- Highest point: Mount Dzhimara (4,780 meters (15,682 ft))
- Maximum N->S distance: 130 kilometers (81 mi)
- Maximum E->W distance: 120 kilometers (75 mi)
[edit] Time zone
North Ossetia-Alania is located in the Moscow Time Zone (MSK/MSD). UTC offset is +0300 (MSK)/+0400 (MSD).
[edit] Rivers
All of the republic's rivers belong to the basin of the Terek River. Major rivers include:
- Terek River (~600 km)
- Urukh River (104 km)
- Ardon River (101 km)
- Kambileyevka River (99 km)
- Gizeldon River (81 km)
- Fiagdon River
- Sunzha River (278km)
[edit] Mountains
All of the mountains located on the territory of the republic are a part of the Caucasus. Mount Dzhimara is the highest point (4,780 m), with Mount Ulipata being the second highest (4,638 m).
[edit] Natural resources
Natural resources include minerals (copper, silver, zinc), timber, mineral waters, hydroelectric power, and untapped reserves of oil and gas.
[edit] Climate
Climate is moderately continental.
- Average January temperature: −5°C
- Average July temperature: +24°C
- Average annual precipitation: 400-700 mm in the plains, over 1,000 mm in the mountains.
[edit] Administrative divisions
[edit] Demographics
- Population: 710,275 (2002)
- Urban: 464,875 (65.5%)
- Rural: 245,400 (34.5%)
- Male: 336,035 (47.3%)
- Female: 374,240 (52.7%)
- Females per 1000 males: 1,114
- Average age: 33.8 years
- Urban: 34.2 years
- Rural: 32.9 years
- Male: 30.4 years
- Female: 36.9 years
- Number of households: 200,191 (with 690,806 people)
- Urban: 143,397 (with 447,884 people)
- Rural: 56,794 (with 242,922 people)
- Vital statistics (2005)
- Births: 7,894 (birth rate 11.2)
- Deaths: 8,654 (death rate 12.3)
- Ethnic groups
The Ossetian population of North Ossetia is predominantly Christian with a large Muslim minority, speaking Ossetic and Russian.
According to the 2002 Census, Ossetians make up 62.7% of the republic's population. Other groups include Russians (23.2%), Ingush (3.0%), Armenians (2.4%), Kumyks (12,659, or 1.8%), Georgians (10,803, or 1.5%), Ukrainians (0.7%), Chechens (3,383, or 0.5%), and a host of smaller groups, each accounting for less than 0.5% of the total population. 3,283 people (0.5%) did not indicate their nationalities during the Census.
| census 1926 | census 1939 | census 1959 | census 1970 | census 1979 | census 1989 | census 2002 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ossetians | 139,120 (60.3%) | 165,616 (50.3%) | 215,463 (47.8%) | 269,326 (48.7%) | 299,022 (50.5%) | 334,876 (53.0%) | 445,310 (62.7%) |
| Russians | 50,272 (21.8%) | 122,614 (37.2%) | 178,654 (39.6%) | 202,367 (36.6%) | 200,692 (33.9%) | 189,159 (29.9%) | 164,734 (23.2%) |
| Ingush | 1,540 (0.7%) | 6,106 (1.9%) | 6,071 (1.3%) | 18,387 (3.3%) | 23,663 (4.0%) | 32,783 (5.2%) | 21,442 (3.0%) |
| Armenians | 6,921 (3.0%) | 8,932 (2.7%) | 12,012 (2.7%) | 13,355 (2.4%) | 12,912 (2.2%) | 13,619 (2.2%) | 17,147 (2.4%) |
| Ukrainians | 14,282 (6.2%) | 7,063 (2.1%) | 9,362 (2.1%) | 9,250 (1.7%) | 10,574 (1.8%) | 10,088 (1.6%) | 5,198 (0.7%) |
| Others | 18,646 (8.1%) | 18,874 (5.7%) | 29,019 (6.4%) | 39,896 (7.2%) | 45,139 (7.6%) | 51,903 (8.2%) | 56,444 (7.9%) |
Vital Statistics for 2007: Source
Birth Rate: 13.45 per 1000
Death Rate: 11.25 per 1000
Net Immigration: -1.0 per 1000
NGR: +0.22% per Year
PGR: +0.12% per Year
[edit] Politics
The head of government in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania is the Head of the Republic. As of 2005, the head of the republic is Taymuraz Mamsurov. Mamsurov succeeded Alexander Dzasokhov, who voluntarily quit his post on May 31, 2005.[2]
[edit] Economy
Despite the inevitable economic burden of a sizeable refugee population, North Ossetia is the most well-to-do republic in the northern Caucasus.[citation needed] It is the most urbanized and the most industrialized, with factories producing metals (lead, zinc, tungsten, etc.), electronics, chemicals, and processed foods.
Local agriculture focuses primarily on livestock, especially sheep and goats, and the cultivation of grains, fruit, and cotton.
[edit] Transportation
There is an airport in Vladikavkaz. Overall, the transport infrastructure is well-developed, with railroads and automobile roads being the principal means of transportation. The famous Georgian Military Road connects Vladikavkaz with Transcaucasia.
[edit] Culture
There are six professional theaters in North Ossetia-Alania. Also Ossetian State Philarmonia.
[edit] Education
The most important facilities of higher education include North Caucasus State Technological University, North Ossetian State University, North Ossetian State Medical Academy, and Mountain State Agrarian University; all located in Vladikavkaz.
[edit] Religion
The predominant religion is Russian Orthodox Christianity, followed by Islam. Many of the native rituals predate both faiths. According to the Ossetian Mufti Tavkazakhov 200,000 of the Ossetians are Muslim, which if true would mean that before the Ingush-Ossetian conflict North Ossetia had a predominantly Muslim population,[3] although some estimations state no more than up to 30% of the Ossetians are Muslim.[4]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Shnirelman, Victor (2006). The Politics of a Name: Between Consolidation and Separation in the Northern Caucasus. Acta Slavica Iaponica 23, pp. 37-49.
- ^ Regional government to quit over Beslan tragedy: president from ABC
- ^ BESLAN MEMORIAL SPARKS RELIGIOUS TENSION IN NORTH OSSETIA
- ^ AUTHORITIES REFUSE TO RECOGNIZE INSURGENCY IN NORTH OSSETIA
[edit] External links
[edit] General
- (Russian) Official website of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania
- (Russian) Official website of the Parliament of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania
- (English) Russian News Agency Ria Novosty
- (Russian) Official website of Alexander Dzasokhov
- (Russian) Ossetia—History, culture, politics, news
- (Esperanto)Pictures of North Ossetia-Alania
- (English) (Ossetic) (Russian) Welcome to North Ossetia (by Toma Kulayeva)
- (English) (Ossetic) (Russian) ossetian history, culture,...
[edit] Education
- (Russian) North Ossetian State University.
- (Russian) North Ossetian State Medical Academy.
- (Russian) Higher Institute of Management.
- (English) Institute of Civilization.
[edit] Mass media
- (Russian) Electronic version of the North Ossetia (Severnaya Osetiya) republican newspaper.
- (Russian) North Ossetian information portal 15th Region (15y Region).
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