Caucasian Mineral Waters is the Russia's largest resort region, unparalleled in richness, diversity and balneological value of mineral waters and therapeutic muds in Eurasia.
The President of the Russian Federation's Decree No. 309 of March, 27, 1992 gave Caucasian Mineral Waters the status of a "Specially Protected Ecological and Resort Region of the Russian Federation" in order to preserve the natural healing qualities and cultural identity of this world-renowned historic region. State management of the resort was assigned to the government of Caucasian Mineral Waters. The Government of the Russian Federation's Resolution No. 462 of July 7, 1992 defined the boundaries of the region, which match the borders of the mountain and sanitary control zone. The region covers an area of 5,243 square kilometres, with a population of about 1 million.
The main part of the region, comprising 3,032 square kilometres (58% of the total area) is located in the Stavropol Territory and includes such resorts as Pyatigorsk, Kislovodsk, Yessentuki, Zheleznovodsk, and such towns as Lermontov, Mineralnye Vody, Georgievsk. It also includes the Predgorny, Mineralovodsky and Georgievsky districts. The rest of the territory belongs to the Karachayevo-Circassian Republic (1,726 square kilometres, 33% of the area - the Malokarachayevsky and Prikubansky districts) and the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (485 square kilometres, 9% of the area - the Volsky district). It is also part of the zone of the unique Caucasian Mineral Waters artesian basin.
Federal and territorial authority was delegated to the Caucasian Mineral Waters administration by the Government of the Russian Federation's Resolution No. 462 of July 7, 1992. The head of the Caucasian Mineral Waters administration is appointed by the Russian President on the proposal of the Stavropol Territory administration. The Caucasian Mineral Waters administration is to control environmental management and resort and investment policy in close cooperation with various federal, territorial and municipal governmental institutions of the region.
As a result of such cooperation, total investment in the development of Caucasian Mineral Waters in the period 2000-2007 amounted to 55 billion roubles (calculated in 2007 prices), which allowed for the building, reconstruction and re-equipment of more than 1,250 objects and the solving of a number of urgent social-economic and environmental problems. It had a clear positive influence on the development of the resort and tourist complex.
Caucasian Mineral Waters resorts have well-developed infrastructure, including 131 modern well-equipped health centres capable of housing 33,800 people. In 2007 Caucasian Mineral Waters resorts hosted 672,000 tourists and patients.
Caucasian Mineral Waters is the main tourist centre in the North Caucasus. There are 27 tourist complexes, hotels, motels and camp sites in the area, which can house 3,300 people.
Each resort has its own speciality:
- in Kislovodsk, cardiac, respiratory and nervous system diseases are treated;
- in Yessentuki, gastrointestinal, liver, biliary tracts diseases and metabolism disorders are treated;
- in Pyatigorsk, locomotorium, nervous system, digestion disorders, as well as dermatological and gynaecological diseases are treated;
- in Zheleznovodsk, digestion, kidney and urinary tract, and metabolism disorders are treated.
On the territory of Caucasian Mineral Waters there are 100 mineral water wells of 13 types and 40 varieties, and the unique therapeutic muds of the lake Tambukan, which are the key points and form the basis of the resort's healing properties. The total volume of mineral waters ready to be used equals 16,400 cubic meters a day. Several types of mineral waters are used for treatment such as the world-famous Kislovodsk Narzan, carbonic and acid waters "Yessentuki 4", "Yessentuki 17", "Yessentuki 20", and "Yessentuki Tselebnaya", and Pyatigorsk hot and cold carbonic and acid waters type "Mashuk 1" and "Mashuk 19", Zheleznovodsk thermae "Slavyanovskaya", "Smirnovskaya", "Novoterskaya Tselebnaya", "Slavyanskaya", and "Beshtau", carbonic and acid hydrosulfuric waters, bitter-salty, hydrosulfuric soda (similar to "Borjomi"), siliceous, iodide-bromine, bromine and radon ones. The exploitable resource of Tambukan therapeutical muds equals 1,400,000 tonnes.
Caucasian Mineral Waters resorts have a network of balneotechnical facilities, each presenting a unique architectural work. None of the 29 pump-rooms and galleries resembles another. The Yessentuki gallery for 50,000 visitors is the biggest in Europe. The buildings of the Main Narzan baths in Kislovodsk, Ostrovskiye baths in Zheleznovodsk and Europe's largest Yessentuki therapeutic mud baths have a magnificent appearance. The radon treatment centre in Pyatigorsk remains unique. All of them perform millions of therapeutical services a year.
The region is rich in especially protected natural reserves. The 17 legendary laccolite mountains located in its central part are Beshtau, Mashuk, Byk, Verblud, Kinzhal, Razvalka and Spyashchiy Lev. The highest and probably most spectacular is Beshtau, rising 1,401 metres above sea level.
Each city offers a variety of tours throughout Caucasian Mineral Waters that include visits to the Caucasian landmarks - Teberda, Arkhyz, Dombai, Prielbrusye, where peaks with permanent snow and ice can be reached via cableways.
The climate alters within a comparatively small territory from the continental steppe to mountains and forests. The Caucasian Mineral Waters summer is usually warm, while winter is quite mild. Almost every resort town has its own climatic peculiarities, and Kislovodsk boasts the best natural recreational conditions in Russia.
The resort area has a convenient transport network. The city of Mineralnye Vody is the region's traffic gateway. The electrified railroad Moscow-Baku and the federal highway Rostov-Baku run through it. The international airport Mineralnye Vody is located near the city.
The Caucasian Mineral Waters industrial complex includes 260 enterprises of food industry, light industry, woodworking and mining, as well as more than 500 storehouse and public utilities facilities.
There are three large agricultural areas in the region.
There are more than 21 universities and colleges, as well as scientific centres, world-renowned museums and conservation areas, natural history museums, a philharmonic hall, a guest theatre, an operetta theatre and numerous natural, architectural and historic landmarks located in the region.
The Caucasian Mineral Waters region has 39 factories and workshops specialising in mineral waters bottling. Around 25-30 enterprises permanently operate in the region.
In 2007, 380.4 million litres of mineral waters were bottled, 49.3 million litres more than in 2006. 4.3 million litres of various mineral waters were exported.