The Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, a constituent entity of the Russian Federation, is part of the North Caucasus Federal Distric.
Location
The republic is located in southern Russia, on the northern slopes of the Great Caucasus Range. It borders on the Stavropol Territory in the north, the Republic of Chechnya in the north-east, the Republic of Ingushetia in the east, the Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria in the west, and Georgia in the south. Some 48% of its territory is mountainous.
The republic comprises six towns, eight rural districts, four municipal districts of Vladikavkaz, seven urban-type settlements, and 191 rural communities.
Area
8,000 square kilometers
Capital
Vladikavkaz, located 1,923 kilometres from Moscow
Main cities
Vladikavkaz, Mozdok, Beslan, Alagir, Ardon
Climate
The republic has a temperate continental climate, with an average January temperature of -1.2 C (29.84 F) and an average July temperature of +25.3 C (77.54 F).
Population
The republic's population is 707,700, with 334,100 males and 372,900 females. 65.5% of the republic's population is urban, while rural residents account for 34.5%. The economically active population is 418,700, with those employed in the economic sector reaching 272,300. The unemployment rate, calculated using ILO methods, is 10.1%, while senior citizens and minors account for 27.1% and 12.7%, respectively. The negative population growth rate is 1.3 per 1,000. The negative migration influx rate is -4.0 per 10,000.
Main natural resources
The republic's major natural resources are complex ores containing zinc, lead, copper, silver and dolomites, as well as mineral waters. There are several proven oil reserves, with preparation for exploitation of promising fields under way. The republic has every precondition for developing tourism, mountaineering and mountain skiing.
Economic development
The local gross regional product comprises the services sector at 38.7%, agriculture at 14.5%, and industry at 13.1%, while the construction and transportation sectors make up 8.5% and 5.1%, respectively. The key industries are the food industry, the non-ferrous industry and the energy sector. Together, they account for 81.2% of the republic's industrial output. The republic produces 21.6% of Russia's grape wine, 5.2% of vodka and distilled products.
Energy industry
The energy industry accounts for 9.2% of the republic's industrial output. There are five hydroelectric plants with a total capacity of 80 megawatts. Four of them belong to Severkavkazenergo, including the cascade of Terek hydroelectric plants (77.6 megawatts). The large Zaramagskaya hydroelectric plant is now under construction.
Engineering
The engineering industry accounts for 4.9% of the region's industrial output. Businesses are mostly engaged in motor-and-tractor and pneumatic equipment as well as radio electronics production, including resistor kits and electro-optical converters for night vision devices. The military-industrial complex contributes much to the republic's economic make-up, with the key plants located in Vladikavkaz. The MIC comprises 25 plants, research institutes, and design engineering bureaus specialising in electronics, radio engineering and instrument making.
Non-ferrous metallurgy
Non-ferrous metallurgy makes up 11.6% of the region's industrial output. The republic's plants turn out lead, zinc, sulfuric acid, copper (II) sulfate, tungsten carbides, as well as hard and heavy alloys. The republic's leading companies are Elektrozinc, Pobedit, OZATE and Elektrokontaktor.
Food industry
The food sector amounts to 60.4% of the republic's industrial output. The main production items are vodka, ethanol, maize starch, treacle, glucose, dextrin and corn oil.
Agriculture
Cultivated land covers a total of 385,000 hectares (48.2% of the republic's territory), with farms using 91,400 hectares, perennial plantations - 6,500 hectares, hayfields - 21,600 hectares, and pastures - 165,500 hectares. Wheat, maize, sunflower, kenaf, soya, sugar beet and ethereal oil crops are grown in the republic. Dairy and meat cattle breeding is extensively developed. Cultivated lands total 50.3% of the republic's territory, with farms using 21.6%. Grain farming (wheat, barley and maize) dominates North Ossetia's agriculture. Potatoes, vegetables, sunflower, soya and industrial crops are cultivated there. Gardening is also widespread.
Transport
Automobile transport
The republic has 2,288 kilometres of general-purpose hard-surface highways.
Railway transport
A section of the North Caucasus Railway, from the station of Elkhotovo to the stations of Ardon-Alagir, Ardon-Digora, Beslan-Vladikavkaz, and Beslan-Dolakovo, as well as the Prokhladnaya-Mozdok-Gudermes railway, go across the republic. There are 144 kilometres of general-purpose railways.
Air transport
Vladikavkaz airport.
Pipeline transport
The following trunk pipelines cross the Republic: Stavropol-Mozdok-Vladikavkaz-Tbilisi, Stavropol-Mozdok-Vladikavkaz-Yerevan, Stavropol-Mozdok-Grozny, and Stavropol-Mozdok-Beslan-Nalchik.
Foreign economic activity
The Republic of North Ossetia-Alania has close economic ties with the CIS, and other countries of the world, which comprise 13.1% and 86.9% in its foreign trade volume, respectively. The republic's main exports include metals, equipment, as well as food and agriculture products. The republic's key export partners are Switzerland, Turkey, Slovakia, Spain, France, Ireland, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine. The CIS supplies 43% of the republic's imports, with other countries accounting for the rest. The republic's imports encompass the following: metals, food products, machinery, equipment and durable goods. The republic's major import partners are Spain, France and Ireland.
Small businesses
There are some 1,500 small businesses in the republic. Their progress is mostly based on industry and agriculture, as well as building, transport, communications, trade and catering, with agriculture and the processing industry playing a special role in terms of social and economic importance. Developing and using the republic's mineral and primary resources, in particular metalworking and woodworking, mineral water production, natural stone dressing, construction materials manufacturing etc., have become an independent direction of SMBs' development.
The republic's problems and prospects
With its economic profile dominated by agriculture, the republic's prime challenges are the problems of its agro-industrial complex. These are a lack of arable land as well as the wear and tear of machinery and equipment. Conversion of defence complex plants constitutes a separate block of problems. The prospects of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania have much to do with developing a recreation complex on its territory. The republic has significant resources to develop tourism. Agriculture is another priority for the republic's economy. It has quite a potential to foster its food and processing industry, with the outlook for fishing being bright too. As to industry, the republic's priorities are the following: modernising production (namely the electronic industry), developing the local raw materials base for the light industry, and developing the republic's energy industry taking advantage of hydropower plants. Engineering enterprises could renew and diversify their product families. The region's potential is also connected with mining dolomites.
Head of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania is Taymuraz Mamsurov.
The Speaker of the republic's legislature is Larissa Khabitsova.