The Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria is located in the north of the Caucasus mountain range, within the Russian Federation. It shares borders with Georgia to the south, and with the republics of North Ossetia and Karachayevo-Cherkessia to the east and west.
The 12,500-square-kilometre republic has a population of about 800,000, mostly Muslims. The main ethnic groups are the Kabardins, who speak a Caucasian language (43 per cent), Turkic-speaking Balkars (8 per cent), and Russians (33 per cent).
Its economy relies on agricultural and industrial production, mainly ore mining, metal working and machine building. It exports nonferrous metals, cables and pumps and imports coal, oil products, ferrous metals, cars and consumer goods.
The Kabardino Autonomous Region was formed in 1921, the Balkar district was added a year later, and it gained the republic status in 1936. During the second World War, Stalin deported the Balkars to Central Asia, accusing them of collaboration with the Nazis, and their name was dropped from the republic's title until they were allowed to return in 1957.
The region became a federal republic in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
With an average monthly wage of $120, Kabardino-Balkaria is one of the poorest parts of Russia; unemployment and corruption have increased violence, kidnappings and organised crime in the past years. Jenaïe Attar