The Republic of Karachaevo-Cherkessia

Geographical location
The republic is situated on the northern part of the Big Caucasus, to the east and north from Elbrus. Length of the territory from north to south - 140 km, from west to east - 170 km. Karachaevo-Cherkessia borders on the republic of Georgia and on the republic of Abkhazia in the south, on Stavropol region in the north, on Krasnodar region in the west, on the republic of Kabardino-Balkaria in the east.
The relief is mountainous. Main rivers are the Kuban and its tributaries. Forests occupy more than 300 thousand hectares.

Administrative division
Area of the republic is 14.1 thousand sq. km.
The republic is divided into 8 districts, 2 towns of republican submission, 2 towns of district submission, 11 town settlements, 59 villages.
Capital of the republic is the town of Cherkessk. It was founded in 1804.
Distance to Moscow is 1,674 km.
Main towns: Cherkessk, Karachaevsk.
Population of the republic - 433.7 thousand people.
Density of population - 30.8 persons per sq. km.

Economics
Karachaevo-Cherkassia is an industrial and agricultural republic. Main industries of the republican economy are chemical, oil-chemical, food and light, tourism.
On the territory of the republic there are two economic regions: Northern - region with developed chemical, metal-working and light industries, grain plant-growing and meat and milk stock-breeding; Southern - region of mining and wood-working industries, sheep-farming, apiculture and tourism. The republican economics depends on functioning of tourism, resort and sports complex.
In the republic there are 383 industrial enterprises.
Situation in agriculture is stable, but its development is restrained by shortage of ploughed fields.