Karachay-Cherkessia

Karachay-Cherkess Republic
Карачаево-Черкесская Республика (Russian)
Other transcription(s)
 • Karachay-BalkarКъарачай-Черкес Республика
 • KabardianКъэрэшей-Шэрджэс Республикэ
 • NogaiКарашай-Шеркеш Республикасы
 • AbazaКъарча-Черкес Республика
Anthem: State Anthem of Karachay-Cherkessia
Interactive map of Karachay-Cherkess Republic
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
Established3 July 1991
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
 • Density32.911/km2 (85.238/sq mi)
 • Urban
41.3%
 • Rural
58.7%
Time zoneUTC+3 (MSK )
ISO 3166 codeRU-KC
License plates09
OKTMO ID91000000
Official languagesRussianAbaza, Cherkess (Kabardian), Karachay, Nogai
Websitehttp://www.kchr.ru/

Karachay-Cherkessia (Russian: Карачаево-Черкесия, romanizedKarachayevo-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.