Ingushetia

The Republic of Ingushetia (; Ingush: ГIалгIай Мохк) is a federal subject of Russia (a republic). The direct transliteration of the republic's Russian name is Respublika Ingushetiya. The name Ingushetia, derives from the Georgian name for the Republic, which is Ingusheti (literally meaning the land where the Ingush live).

Geography

Ingushetia is situated on the northern slopes of the Caucasus.

Area: ca. 4,000 km².
Borders:
- internal: Republic of North Ossetia-Alania (SW/W/NW/N), Chechen Republic (NE/E/SE).
- international: Georgia (S)
Highest point: Mount Stolovaya (2,993 m).
Maximum N->S distance: no data.
Maximum E->W distance: no data.
Average elevation: no data.

Time zone

Ingushetia is located in the Moscow Time Zone (MSK/MSD). UTC offset is +0300 (MSK)/+0400 (MSD).

Rivers

Major rivers include:

Mountains

A 150 km stretch of the Caucasus Mountains runs through the territory of the republic.

Natural resources

Ingushetia is rich in timber, rare metals, oil, and natural gas reserves.

Climate

Climate of Ingushetia is mostly continental.

Average January temperature: -7°C.
Average July temperature: +22°C
Average annual precipitation: 1,200 mm.

Administrative divisions

Demographics

The Ingush people are closely related to the Chechens and speak a similar language, belonging to the Vaynakh or North-central Caucasian linguistic family. At 361,057, as per the 2002 census, they make up 77% of the population, followed by the Chechens (95,403 or 20.4%), ethnic Russians (5,559 or 1.19%), Turks (903 or 0.2%) and so on. All in all, 78 distinct ethnic groups are listed for the republic.

Most of non-native nationalities represented in the Republic consist of women who became wives of ethnic Ingushs. Nowadays Ingushetia is the most "mono-ethnic" territory in Russia (99% of Chechens reside temporarily while the situation in Chechnya is unstable).

Population: 467,294 (2002)
- Urban: 198,496 (42.5%)
- Rural: 268,798 (57.5%)
- Male: 218,194 (46.7%)
- Female: 249,100 (53.3%)
Females per 1000 males: 1,142
Average age: 22.2 years
- Urban: 22.4 years
- Rural: 22.1 years
- Male: 21.4 years
- Female: 22.9 years
Number of households: 64,887 (with 463,532 people)
- Urban: 28,751 (with 197,112 people)
- Rural: 36,136 (with 266,420 people)

History

Ingushetia has been a part of Russia since 1810. From 1921 to 1924 it was part of the Soviet Mountain Republic established in the Caucasus. The Ingush Autonomous Oblast was established in 1924. From 1934 to 1992 it was joined to neighboring Chechnya in the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, except for a brief period following World War II (see below).

During World War II, Joseph Stalin accused the Ingush of collaborating with the Nazis and deported the entire population to Central Asia. Their autonomous territory was dissolved, and the Prigorodny District was transferred to adjacent North Ossetia. While the Ingush were rehabilitated in the 1950s and allowed to return to their homes, Prigorodny District remained part of North Ossetia, and the returning Ingush faced considerable animosity from the Ossetian population that has been settled there.

Tensions exploded after the disintegration of the Soviet Union; the northern Caucausus was the site of the first severe interethnic violence to plague the Russian Federation. In late October 1992, tens of thousands of Ingush were forced from their homes in Prigorodny District of North Ossetia, after the day, when uncontrolled Ingush Informal Armed Groups (IAG) from Nazran started the aggressive assault upon North Ossetian territory. This refugee problem has since been a major problem for the beleaguered government of Ingushetia, already faced with soaring unemployment (as high as 50%), a worsening ecological crisis, a high concentration of Russian troops stationed there because of the war in neighboring Chechnya, and a flood of Chechen refugees from that conflict. While some agreements have been reached with North Ossetia concerning the Ingush refugees, the issue is far from being resolved.

The capital was moved from Nazran to Magas in December of 2002.

In June 2004, some 570 militants invaded Ingushetia and attacked the city of Nazran, killing more than 90 people. Russia blamed Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev for organizing the attack.

In September 2004, 32 insurgents (as officially announced) seized the secondary school #1 in Ossetian city Beslan with more than 1,100 hostages (most of them women & children) inside. As a result 330 innocent people were killed.

Military history of Ingushetia

There is no documented aggressive war begun by Ingushetia. However, Ingush were "hired" in a number of wars. For example, when Persians attacked Georgia, King Alexander and his 100 Roman bodyguards took shelter with his wife's Ingush relatives. Half of the Ingush army was sent and defeated the Persians. During the reign of the Russian Empire, Ingush took part in Japanese and Turkish campaigns. During World War I, 500 knights from an Ingush regiment of the Wild Division boldly attacked Austria's feared Iron Division, killing three fourth of the Austrians and capturing 2,500. The Ingush regiment lost only 14 knights in the attack (term "knight" was used by Nikolai II's brother Mikhail Alexandrovich who personally commanded the Wild Division). In 1941 (World War II) when Germans attacked the USSR, the whole Russian front was retreating 40 km a day. Out of 6,500 defenders of Brest Fortress 300 troops were fresh conscripts of Ingush and Chechen origin. Defenders held the fortress for over a month against the Germans. They even managed to stage seven attacks from the Fortress. The last fallen defender of Brest Fortress was buried by Germans with gun salute . Hitler and Mussolini personally visited the ruins of the Fortress . In 1994-1996 Ingush volunteers fought alongside Chechens in the Russian-Chechen war, though the majority of Ingush remained neutral.

Politics

The head of government and the highest executive post in Ingushetia is the President.

Recent presidents :

Ruslan Aushev: November 10, 1992 (Head of the Republic until March 7, 1993)—December 28, 2001
Akhmed Malsagov (interim): December 28, 2001—May 23, 2002
Murat Zyazikov: May 23, 2002—present

Recent Chairmen of the Government:

Ruslan Tatiyev: March 1993—July 1993
Tamerlan Didigov: July 1993—March 1994
Mukharbek Didigov: March 1994—December 1996
Belan Khamchiyev: December 1996—August 1998
Magomet-Bashir Darsigov: August 1998—November 25, 1999
Akhmed Malsagov: November 25, 1999—June 15, 2002
Sultan Gireyev (acting): June 15, 2002—August 26, 2002
Viktor Aleksentsev: August 26, 2002 (acting to September 30, 2002)—June 19, 2003
Timur Mogushkov: June 19, 2003—June 30, 2005
Ibragim Malsagov: June 30, 2005—present

The parliament of the Republic is the People's Assembly comprising 34 deputees elected for a four year term. The People's Assembly is headed by the Chairman. As of 2006, the Chairman of the People's Assembly is Makhmud Sultanovich Sakalov.

The Constitution of Ingushetia was adopted on February 27, 1994.

Economy

With few resources except for mineral water, oil, natural gas, forests, metal ores, and coal, Ingushetia has been declared a free economic zone to encourage investment. The local government is considering the development of tourism, however this is problematic due to the tense political situation in the region.

Religion

Most of Ingushes are Sunni Muslims of different sufi orders.

On May 17, 2006, an Islamic militant detonated a car bomb outside of Nazran, killing Dzhabrail Kostoyev, the deputy interior minister. Two bodyguards and four bystanders were also killed in the attack.^*

Miscellaneous

Ingushetia is a member of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation.

References & External links