Karachay-Cherkessia

Karachay-Cherkess Republic
Карачаево-Черкесская Республика
Other transcription(s)
  Karachay-BalkarКъарачай-Черкес Республика
  KabardianКъэрэшей-Шэрджэс Республикэ
  NogaiКарашай-Шеркеш Республикасы
  AbazaКъарча-Черкес Республика
Anthem: State Anthem of Karachay-Cherkessia
Karachay-Cherkess Republic
Coordinates: 43°55′N 41°47′E / 43.917°N 41.783°E / 43.917; 41.783
CountryRussia
Federal districtNorth Caucasian
Economic regionNorth Caucasus
CapitalCherkessk
Government
  BodyPeople's Assembly
  HeadRashid Temrezov
Area
  Total
14,277 km2 (5,512 sq mi)
  Rank77th
Population
  Total
469,865
  Estimate 
(2018)
466,305
  Rank74th
  Urban
41.3%
  Rural
58.7%
Time zoneUTC+3 (MSK )
ISO 3166 codeRU-KC
License plates09
OKTMO ID91000000
Official languagesRussian; Abaza, Cherkess (Kabardian), Karachay, Nogai
Websitehttp://www.kchr.ru/

Karachay-Cherkessia (Russian: Карачаево-Черкесия, romanized: Karachayevo-Cherkesiya), officially the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, is a republic of Russia located in the North Caucasus. It is administratively part of the North Caucasian Federal District. As of the 2021 census, Karachay-Cherkessia has a population of 469,865. Cherkessk is the largest city and the capital of the republic.

Karachay-Cherkessia is one of Russia's ethnic republics, primarily representing the indigenous Caucasian-Turkic Karachay people and the Cherkess or Circassian people. Karachays form the largest ethnic group at around 44% of the population, followed by ethnic Russians (27%) and Cherkess (13%). The Cherkess are mostly of the Besleney and Kabardin tribes. The republic has five official languages: Russian, Abaza, Cherkess (Kabardian), Karachay-Balkar, and Nogai.

The majority of the republic's territory is within the Caucasus Mountains, except for a small strip at the northern edge of the Don Steppe. Karachay-Cherkessia is bordered by Krasnodar Krai to the west, Stavropol Krai to the north-east, Kabardino-Balkaria to the south-east, and an international border with Georgia to the south-west. Mount Elbrus, the highest mountain in Europe, is located on the border with Kabardino-Balkaria.