Dagestan

Dagestan, republic in southwestern Russia. Dagestan lies on the eastern end of the northern flank of the Greater Caucasus mountain range, along the western shore of the Caspian Sea. The capital is Makhachkala.

Dagestan can be divided into five physical regions. The first, occupying most of the southern half of the republic, consists of the Caucasus Mountains, there at their widest. The southern boundary of Dagestan runs along the main crest ridge, which rises to 11,968 feet (3,648 metres) in Mount Guton and 14,652 feet (4,466 metres) in Mount Bazardyuzyu (Bazardyuzi). North of the main range the Andysky-Salatau and Gimrinsky ranges enclose a huge triangle of extremely rugged mountains known as the Dagestan Interior Highland. Those mountains are cut up by the deep valleys and canyons of many rapid rivers flowing down to the Caspian Sea, notably the Sulak, the Samur, and the Kurakh. Rainfall is very scarce in the mountains, and wide areas are devoid of vegetation.

The second region, north of that forbidding complex of mountains, is the zone of foreland hills, about 12 to 25 miles (19 to 40 km) wide and rising to 2,000–3,000 feet (600–900 metres). There rainfall averages 20–30 inches (510–760 mm) annually. That allows a dense forest cover of oak, beech, hornbeam, maple, poplar, and black alder. The lower slopes in that region have good chestnut soils and even patches of black earths, with a grass steppe vegetation.

The third region, the narrow coastal plain between the mountains and the Caspian Sea, is 2–20 miles (3–32 km) wide and crossed by the rivers debouching from their gorges. The plain is covered by marine sediments, and petroleum and natural gas occur there.

The fourth area continues the coastal plain northward, at the narrower “waist” of the republic, and consists of the low swampy plain in the lower course of the Terek River and its delta. Saline swamp soils are common. Just off the Terek’s delta is the long, sandy Agrakhan Peninsula.

Finally, north of the Terek, Dagestan broadens out again to include most of the rolling sandy plain of the Nogay steppe, as far as the Kuma River, which forms the republic’s northern boundary. The climate in that area is hot and dry, with only 8–10 inches (200–250 mm) of rain a year. Vegetation is of a semidesert character and is dominated by sagebrush. As a whole, the republic’s climate is warm and dry. The average January temperature in the lowland is 25.5 °F (−3.6 °C), while the average July temperature is about 74.3 °F (23.5 °C).

Dagestan has great ethnic diversity, with about 30 ethnic groups and 81 nationalities, most of whom speak either Caucasian, Turkic, or Iranian languages. Largest among those ethnic groups are the Avar, Russian, Dargin, Kumyk, and Lezgin, who together constitute the bulk of the population. The republic’s chief cities are Makhachkala, Derbent, Kislyar, Izberbash, and Buynaksk.

Dagestan is rich in oil and natural gas. There are also deposits of coal, iron ore, and nonferrous and rare metals, but the rugged terrain has prevented full development of the republic’s mineral and hydroelectric-power resources. Industrial activity centres on the petroleum and natural-gas resources of the coastal plain near Makhachkala and Izberbash. Other industries include machine building, power engineering, the production of building materials, timber working, glassmaking, wine making, and food processing. Ironworking and rug making are traditional handicrafts. Hydroelectric power is supplied by stations on the Karakoysu River at Gergebil, on the Terek at Kargalinskaya, and on the Sulak at Chirkey, Chiryurt, and Kizilyurt.

The bulk of the population derives its living from agriculture, chiefly stock raising, since only 15 percent of the land is cultivable. Sheep, in particular, are kept in large numbers. Hillsides are often terraced, while the Terek River delta region and the coastal plain are irrigated for the cultivation of vegetables and such fruits as cherries, apricots, apples, pears, and melons. The major cereal crops are wheat, corn (maize), and rice (in the Terek delta). Fishing is also important along the Caspian Sea. Railways link Dagestan with Moscow, Baku, Astrakhan, and Gudermes. Sea routes cross the Caspian to Makhachkala, which is the chief port, and motor roads connect all railway stations of the republic.

Dagestan, which means “mountain country,” was penetrated by Russians as early as the 15th century. Following an agreement between Russia and Iran, the region was annexed by Russia in 1813; control over the area was completed in 1877. In 1921, following the Russian Civil War, it became an autonomous republic. In the post-Soviet period many factors—including long-standing tensions between the republic’s various ethnic groups, entrenched organized crime, and growing Islamic militancy that was encouraged in part by separatists from neighbouring Chechnya—contributed to a volatile atmosphere. During the late 20th and early 21st centuries, crime gangs and Islamic militants carried out violent attacks on political figures, police, Russian special forces, and, occasionally, religious leaders. Notably, in 2009 the republic’s interior minister was assassinated. In addition, bombings of railways and of a natural gas pipeline disrupted Dagestan’s infrastructure. Area 19,400 square miles (50,300 square km). Pop. (2010) 2,910,249; (2015 est.) 2,990,371.