Dagestan: population, history and traditions. Territory and population of Dagestan Number of Dagestanis in the world

The Republic of Dagestan is considered the southernmost part of the Russian Federation. Its capital has been the city of Makhachkala for almost 100 years. This republic borders with Georgia, Azerbaijan, Stavropol Territory, Kalmykia and Chechnya.

Population of Dagestan

It can be assessed not only by its area, but also by the number of people living in it. The population census of Dagestan showed that in 2015, 2.99 million people lived in the republic. At the same time, the density is 59.49 residents for every km 2. It is worth noting that back in 1989, according to the census, less than 2 million people lived there, and in 1996 - 2.126 million people.

But you can estimate the true number of citizens of the republic if you know that more than 700 thousand live outside the region. The government of the constituent entity of the Russian Federation speaks about this number. Among all mountainous regions, the population density in Dagestan is one of the largest. On average, every woman has 2.13 children.

The population speaks Russian and Dagestan. But at the same time, only 14 of all the ethnic languages of the republic have a written language. The rest are oral. But only 4 language groups are the most common.

Population growth

The republic is also distinguished by its high birth rate. It ranks honorably third in this indicator in Russia. Only Ingushetia and Chechnya are ahead of it. Every year there are 19.5 newborns for every thousand inhabitants. Just 5 years ago this figure was 18.8 in the Republic of Dagestan.

The population is growing every year. The growth rate of the number of people is the highest in Russia. At the same time, only 45% of people live in cities, the rest live in rural areas. There are slightly fewer men in this subject of the Russian Federation, their share is 48.1%. If we take into account only the population of Dagestan, then this republic ranks 13th among all subjects of the Federation.

Distribution by city

The most populous is the capital of the republic - the city of Makhachkala. 583 thousand people live here directly. And if we take into account all the settlements subordinate to the capital, then there will be about 700 thousand people.

Quite a lot of people live in other cities of the Republic of Dagestan. The population of the city of Khasavyurt is almost 137 thousand, Derbent - 121 thousand, Kaspiysk - 107 thousand, Buinaksk - 63 thousand.

If you look at the districts of the republic, Khasavyurt will be the most densely populated: during the census, 149 thousand people were counted there. 102 thousand Dagestanis live in the Derbent region, 78 and 79 thousand people live in the Buinaksky region, respectively.

National composition

It is worth noting separately that the population of the Republic of Dagestan is a unique community from an ethnic point of view. More than 100 different nationalities and nationalities live on 50 thousand km 2. Do not forget that part of the territory is uninhabitable mountain ranges.

The most numerous group is the indigenous people - the Avars. According to information from 2010, their number was 850 thousand people, which at that time equaled 29.4% of all residents. The next most numerous are These are also republics, so it is important to know how many there are left. The population of Dagestan is growing, and the number of ethnic groups is correspondingly increasing. In 2010, 490 thousand Dargins lived in the republic (17% of the total), and in 2002 there were noticeably fewer of them - 425.5 thousand.

The third largest number are the Kumyks. Almost 15% of them live in Dagestan, or 432 thousand people. There are not much fewer Lezgins there, they make up 13% of the total number of residents. The number of this people in the republic is almost 388 thousand.

Also, as a result of the census, it was found that there are noticeably fewer other ethnic groups. For example, just over 5% of Laks live in Dagestan, 4% of Azerbaijanis and Tabasarans each, 3.6% of Russians, and 3.2% of Chechens.

Religious features

The population is quite diverse. But at the same time, almost 90% of the residents have the same religion. The majority in this republic professes Islam. This religion began to spread in this territory back in the 7th century. Initially it appeared in Derbent and on the flat part. Islam became the dominant religion only in the 13th-14th centuries.

Its long-term spread is explained by the internecine wars that lasted for two centuries during that period. But only after the invasion of the Mongol-Tatars and the subsequent attack by Tamerlane, Islam became the religion of all mountain inhabitants of the republic. Moreover, in Dagestan there are two directions: Sunnism and Shiism. The first of them is professed by the absolute majority - 99% of the residents of the Republic of Dagestan.

The remaining 10% of people who are not Muslims practice Christianity and Judaism. At the same time, Orthodox Christians make up 3.8% of the total population. In the mid-90s. in Dagestan there were more than 1.6 thousand mosques, 7 churches and 4 synagogues. Such a number of religious sites gives a clear idea of which religion predominates.

Historical features

The resulting ethnic diversity is a consequence of the historical development of the region. Dagestan has always been divided into established historical and geographical regions. The following regions are separately distinguished in this republic: Avaria, Akusha-Dargo, Agul, Andria, Dido, Aukh, Kaitag, Lakia, Kumykia, Salatavia, Lekia, Tabarstan and others.

The territory of modern Dagestan was inhabited a million years ago. As a result of wars at the beginning of the last millennium, these places fell under the control of the Khazars, and after that they were occupied by the Tatar-Mongols.

The second Russian-Persian War also left its mark on development. In the 16th century, the Russians founded the city of Port Petrovsk (now Makhachkala) and formally annexed the entire coast of the Caspian Sea to the territory of the Russian Empire.

By the 17th century, Dagestan became a Caucasian province. But in the middle of the century, an uprising took place in this territory, which developed into the Caucasian War. As a result, the Dagestan region was formed as part of the Empire under military-people's control.

During Soviet times, the Dagestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was created. In 1993 it became the Republic of Dagestan.

Culture and sports in the republic

Thanks to its diverse ethnic composition, the republic is unique. This leaves an imprint on the cultural development of the region. For example, there are several national theaters here, including the Darginsky and Kumyksky. The Old Town, the Citadel and a number of buildings of the city of Derbent are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. There are about 8 thousand monuments in the republic.

One of the largest book depositories in the North Caucasus, which contains more than 700 thousand documents, is located in the Republic of Dagestan.

The population is also active in sports. The region is one of the leaders in Russia in terms of sporting achievements. For 50 years now, Dagestan has been famous for its wrestlers. Moreover, 10 people from this region became Olympic champions, 41 people were awarded the title of world champion and 89 were awarded the title of European champion.

National traditions

Separately, all researchers note the unique folklore of Dagestan. The basis of the spiritual heritage of the republic is the multilingualism and multinationality of the region. Oral poetry has been developed since ancient times. It has its own mythological genre.

Fine art began to develop only in the 20th century. There were both artists and sculptors in the republic. But decorative and applied art has its roots in the Bronze Age. Nowadays in Dagestan they make jewelry that is decorated with enamel, niello, and engraving. Certain regions are known for their copper coinage, wooden products with silver incisions or bone inlays, painted ceramics, and carpets.

The Republic of Dagestan belongs to the multinational regions of the Russian Federation. More than a hundred different nationalities live in a relatively small territory, and their exact number is difficult to calculate. The Republic is called a constellation of peoples. Descriptively speaking, in Dagestan there are as many nationalities as there are stars in the sky.

Groups of nationalities in the Republic

Dagestan is the most multinational region of our country. However, it is difficult to even simply list all the peoples who live here, because there are more than a hundred of them. In Dagestan, nationalities can be broadly divided into three groups based on language: the Dagestan-Nakh branch (otherwise called Nakh-Dagestan), Turkic and Indo-European. The first belongs to the Iberian-Caucasian language family and is most clearly represented in the Republic. First of all, these are the Avars, of whom there are almost a third in Dagestan, as well as other Caucasian nationalities. The Turkic group of peoples belongs to the Altai language family; it is represented in the country by almost 19 percent of the population. The Indo-European branch includes other, non-Caucasian and non-Turkic peoples living in Dagestan. It is curious that the Republic does not have any so-called titular nationality. If you write down all the nationalities of Dagestan, the list will be more than impressive. But there are 14 indigenous peoples officially recognized in the Republic.

Dagestan-Nakh branch

The population of Dagestan is represented primarily by Nakh families. These are, first of all, Avars - the most numerous ethnic group in the Republic. There are 850 thousand people living on these lands, which is 29 percent of the population. They live in mountainous regions in the west. In some areas (for example, Shamilsky, Kazbekovsky, Tsumadinsky, Akhvakhsky) Avars are up to 100 percent. In the capital of the Republic - Makhachkala - Avars make up 21 percent.

The second largest nationality in Dagestan is the Dargins; there are 16 percent of them in the country, or 330 thousand people. They live mainly in the mountains and foothills in the center of the Republic and mainly inhabit rural areas. In the cities of Izerbash, Dargins make up more than half of the residents - 57%.

12 percent are represented by Lezgins, of whom more than 250 thousand people live in the Republic. They are mainly settled in the southern regions: Akhtynsky, Kurakhsky, Magaramkentsky, Suleiman-Stalsky, Derbensky districts.

Also, the Dagestan-Nakh branch is expressed by Laks (5 percent of the population), who live mainly in the Novolaksky district, Tabasarans (4.5 percent), Chechens (3%, mostly live in Khasavyurt, making up a third of those living in the city). Less than one percent are Aguls, Tsakhurs, and Rutuls in Dagestan.

Turkic peoples in the Republic

The nationalities living in Dagestan are significantly represented by the peoples of the Turkic language branch. Thus, there are more than 260 thousand Kumyks in the Republic, which is almost 13 percent of the population. They mainly settle in the foothills and in the Tersko-Sulak lowland. Half live in cities and the remaining 52 percent live in rural areas. 15% of the residents of the capital of the Republic are also Kumyks.

The Nogais, 16% of whom live in Dagestan, are a nationality whose roots go back to the Golden Horde. Otherwise, these peoples are called Crimean Nogai (also steppe) Tatars. There are 33 thousand Nogais living in Dagestan, mainly in the Nogai region, also in the village of Sulak.

The third of the Turkic peoples represented in the Republic of Dagestan are Azerbaijanis. There are 88 thousand of them - 4 percent of the population. The townspeople live in Derbent, Dagestan Lights.

Indo-European peoples of Dagestan

Since the Republic is part of the Russian Federation, the population is also represented by Russians. There are 150 thousand of them living in Dagestan, which is more than 7 percent of citizens. More than half of the Russian population lives in Kizlyar (54%), and the Russian diaspora is also strong in Kaspiysk and Makhachkala (18%). Terek Cossacks also belong to this group. They live in Tarumovskoye and Previously, during the Soviet Union, the Republic also had a significant Ukrainian and Belarusian population. Now the percentage is extremely low - from 300 to 1500 people.

The Indo-European branch includes the Tats, who are classified in the same group with the Jews and are united under the name Tat Jews. There are currently 18 thousand of them in Dagestan, which is 1% of those living in the Republic of Dagestan. The number of Tats continues to decline as many move to Israel.

According to the population census of the early twentieth (2010) century, about a hundred different peoples currently live in the Republic. But it is not possible to calculate their exact number. Some tribal groups in the Caucasus do not even have their own written language. This is why it is so difficult to say how many nationalities there are in Dagestan. In addition, the census is complicated by the fact that some people participating in the census call themselves representatives of non-existent nationalities: Makhachkala residents, mestizos, Russians, Afro-Russians.

At the beginning of the century, the following ethnic groups were represented in the Republic: Avars, Dargins, Lezgins, Kumyks, Russians, Laks, Tabasarans, Chechens, Nogais, Azerbaijanis, Jews, Rutulians, Aguls, Tsakhurs, Ukrainians, Tatars. These peoples account for more than 99 percent of the total population, and the remaining groups are represented by less numerous nationalities.

What is the most common nationality in Dagestan - Avars. They are a third of the population. The Avar family includes such groups as the Karatins, Andians, Tyndalians, Khvarshins, Ginukhs, Archins and many others.

The list is constantly being updated. So, for example, in 2002, according to the census, 121 nationalities were counted. Eight years later this figure was reduced to 117 national groups.

Population of the Republic

According to Rosstat data, more than three million people live in Dagestan. This is comparable to the population of cities such as Berlin, Rome, Madrid or entire countries: Armenia, Lithuania, Jamaica. In Russia, Dagestan ranks fifth in terms of the number of people.

The population of the Republic is growing steadily. The increase is up to 13 percent per year. In RD there is a relatively long life expectancy - 75 years. And every year these figures are growing.

Languages of Dagestan

The vast majority of residents of the Republic speak Russian. This is 88 percent of the population. 28% speak Avar, another 16% speak Dargin. Also, more than 10 percent of citizens of Dagestan speak Lezgin and Kumyk. Lak, Azerbaijani, Tabasaran, and Chechen are spoken by up to 5 percent of the country’s population. Other languages are represented in a minority. These are Rutul, Agul, Nogai, English, Tsez, Tsakhur, German, Bezhta, Andin and many others. There are also completely unexpected languages in Dagestan, for example, 90 people speak Greek, more than 100 speak Korean, Italian, Kyrgyz, and Hindi.

Religions in Dagestan

The majority of believers in the Republic are Muslims. These are found among the Dagestan-Nakh and Turkic peoples. The Muslim community is predominantly Sunni, but there are also Shiites among Azerbaijanis and Lezgins. The Jewish people (Tats) profess Judaism. Among the Russian population of the Republic there are also Christians (Orthodox branch).

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Tterritory and population of Dagestan

Territory : 50.3 thousand sq. km.

Population : 2125 thousand people

Capital: Makhachkala. The Republic of Dagestan is a multinational republic. The main nationalities: Avars, Dargins, Lezgins, Kumyks, Laks, Russians, Nogais, Tabasarans, Aguls, Rutuls, Tsakhurs and so on.

Geographical position: located in the central part of the Caucasus, in the northern part there is a lowland, in the southern part there are foothills and mountains of the Greater Caucasus. In the east it is washed by the Caspian Sea. The main rivers are Terek, Sulak, Samur, Avar and Andian Koisu.

Brief historical sketch . At the end of the 1st millennium BC, the territory of Dagestan was part of Caucasian Albania, then the Sassanid state. Subjected to Arab raids. At the beginning of the 13th century, the territory of Dagestan was conquered by the Mongol-Tatars. According to the Treaty of Gulistan in 1813, Dagestan was annexed to Russia. During the Caucasian War of 1817-64, there was an anti-colonial movement of highlanders who acted under the slogans of muridism. On January 20, 1921, the Dag ASSR was formed as part of the RSFSR. The current official name of the republic is the Republic of Dagestan.

Demography. The population of the republic, according to Rosstat, is 3,015,639 people. (2016). Population density -- 59.99 people/km 2 (2016). Urban population -- 44,71 % (2015).

According to the government of the republic, more than 700 thousand Dagestanis permanently live outside its borders.

The birth rate is 19.5 per thousand population (3rd place in the Russian Federation, after Ingushetia and Chechnya), the birth rate for 2010 is 18.8 per 1 thousand people. The average number of children per woman is 2.13.

According to preliminary official data from the 2010 population census, the population of Dagestan increased by 15.6% compared to 2002 and reached 2977.4 thousand people. The share of the urban population increased from 42.8 to 45.3%. The share of men and women remained stable (the share of men decreased by 0.1% and amounted to 48.1%).

Dagestan showed the highest population growth rates among Russian regions. Thanks to this, the Republic overtook many large regions in 2002-2010 (Krasnoyarsk Territory, Volgograd Region, Perm Territory, etc.). To date, Dagestan ranks 13th in Russia in terms of population.

WITH the rest of the population. According to the 1989 census, representatives of 102 nationalities were recorded on the territory of Dagestan. At the same time, among the so-called Indigenous peoples include peoples belonging to three language families:

1. The Dagestan-Nakh branch of the Iberian-Caucasian family of languages includes the Avars (together with 14 ethnic groups that have independent, but close to Avar, languages, namely, the Akhvakhians, Karatinians, Andians, Botlikhians, Godoberins, Tindals, Chamalyals, Bagulals, Khvarshins, Didoi, Bezhta, Gunzib, Ginukh and Archin), Dargins (including Kubachi and Kaytag), Lezgins, Laks, Tabasarans, Rutuls, Aguls, Tsakhurs and Chechens.

2. The Turkic group of the Altai language family includes Kumyks, Azerbaijanis and Nogais.

3. The Indo-European language family includes Russians, Tats and Mountain Jews who speak the Tat language, which belongs to the Iranian languages.

There is no so-called in the republic."titular nationality", but its political attributes are currently endowed with 14 nationalities of Dagestan:

1. Avars- the most numerous ethnic group in Dagestan. Currently there are 577.1 thousand people in the republic, which is 27.9% of the republic’s population. The main area of settlement is the regions of western mountainous Dagestan. The rural population of Avars is 68% and is settled mainly in 22 regions of the republic. In Akhvakhsky, Botlikhsky, Gergebilsky, Gumbetovsky, Gunibsky, Kazbekovsky, Tlyaratinsky, Untsukulsky, Khunzakhsky, Tsumadinsky, Tsuntinsky, Charodinsky and Shamilsky regions, Avars make up 98-100 percent of the population. In the Kizilyurt district, the share of Avars has grown to almost 80%, in the Khasavyurt, Kizlyar, Buynaksky and Kumturkalinsky districts they make up a third, and in the Tarumovsky, Babayurtovsky, Levashinsky and Novolaksky districts - up to a quarter of the total population. 32% of the Avar population lives in cities and towns. In Makhachkala they make up 21%. In Kizilyurt, Yuzhno-Sukhokumsk and Buinaksk - 43-52%, in Khasavyurt, Kizlyar and Kaspiysk - 12-22% Avars make up a significant part of the population of urban settlements: Bavtugai, Novy Sulak, Shamilkala, Dubki, Shamkhal.

2. Dargins- the second largest Dagestani ethnic group - they make up 16.1% of the population of the republic (332.4 thousand people). The territory of traditional settlement of the Dargins is the mountain and foothill regions of central Dagestan. About 68% of the Dargins are settled in 16 rural areas. In Akushinsky, Dakhadaevsky, Kaitagsky, Levashinsky and Sergokalinsky districts, Dargins make up from 75 to 100 of the population. Their share is significant in the Kayakent and Karabudakhkent districts (43 and 36%, respectively). They also live in Tarumovsky (19%), Kizlyarsky (15%) and Buinaksky (14%) districts. In the Derbent, Nogai, Agul, Babayurt, Khasavyurt and Kumtorkala regions, the share of Dargins varies from 4 to 9% of the population of these areas. Dargins - city dwellers live in Izberbash (57% of the population of this city), in Makhachkala (12.4%), Kizlyar (7.3%), Buynaksk (6.6%), Khasavyurt (4.2%) and Dagestan Lights (9%). The famous Dargin village of Kubachi refers to urban-type settlements. There are also many Dargins in the villages of Achisu, Manaskent and Mamedkala.

3. Kumyks number 267.5 thousand people and make up 12.9% of the population of the republic. The territory of their traditional settlement is the Tersko-Sulak lowland and the foothills of Dagestan. More than half of the Kumyks (52%) live in 8 rural districts. In the Kumtorkalinsky district there are 67.5% of them, in the Karabudakhkentsky district - 62%, in the Buynaksky district - 55%, in the Kayakentsky district - 51%, in the Babayurtsky district - 44%, in the Khasavyurtsky district - 28.5%, in the Kizilyurtsky district - 13.6%, in the Kaitagsky district - 9% of the population of the districts. In Makhachkala they make up 15% of the population, in Buinaksk - a third, Khasavyurt - a quarter and Kizilyurt - a fifth of the population. In Izberbash - 17% and Kaspiysk - 10%. There are less than one percent of Kumyks in Derbent. Some of the Kumyks are settled in urban-type settlements: in Tarki - 91% of the population, Tyube - 36%, Leninkent - 31.3%, Kyakhulae - 28.6%, Alburikent - 27.6%, Shamkhal - 26.8%, Manaskent - 24.9%

4. Lezgin There are currently 250.7 thousand people in Dagestan, which is 12.2% of the republic’s population. The main territory of Lezgin settlement is mountainous, foothill and flat Southern Dagestan. The rural population (about 64%) is settled in 9 districts. In Akhtynsky, Dokuzparinsky, Kurakhsky, Magaramkent and Suleiman-Stalsky districts they range from 93 to 100%, in Khivsky - 37.3 and Rutulsky - 8% of the population. Some Lezgins live in the Derbent (15%) and Khasavyurt (6%) districts. Lezgins - city dwellers are concentrated mainly in Derbent (26%), Dagestan Lights (22%), Kaspiysk (16%), Makhachkala (9.5%) and Izberbash (8%). They make up the main population of the village of Belidzhi and about 10% of the village of Mammadkala.

5. Laktsy settled historically in the central part of mountainous Dagestan on the territory of the Laksky and Kulinsky regions. Currently there are 102.6 thousand people in the republic or 5% of the total population. In these mountainous regions they make up 94 and 99% of the population, respectively. The rural population of Laks also live in the flat Novolaksky district (48% of the region's population), Akushinsky (5%), Rutulsky (5%) and Kizlyarsky (3%) regions. However, the majority (64%) of Laks live in the cities of the republic. Of these, more than half are concentrated in Makhachkala, where they make up more than 12% of the population, in Kaspiysk - 14%, in Buinaksk and Kizilyurt - about 8% of the population of these cities. In a number of urban-type settlements - Sulak, Achisu, Kyakhulai, Manaskent and others - Laks make up from 3 to 9% of the population.

6. Tabasarans number 93.6 thousand people, which is 4.5% of the population of Dagestan. The main territory of their settlement is southeastern Dagestan. The majority (64%) of Tabasarans live in rural areas in the Tabasaran region (80%), Khiva (62%) and Derbent (15%). A small number of them live in the Kayakent and Kizlyar regions. The townspeople are concentrated mainly in Derbent and Dagestanskie Ogni (up to a third of the population in each), and in Makhachkala and other cities the number of Tabasarans is insignificant.

7. Azerbaijanis number 88.3 thousand, which is 4.3% of the population of the republic. About half of them live in rural areas in Derbent (55.7%), Tabasaran (18%), also in Rutul (4%) and Kizlyar (3%) districts. Azerbaijani city dwellers live mainly in Derbent and Dagestan Ogni, where they make up about a third of the population, as well as in the villages of Mamedkala (22.4) and Belidzhi (7.3%). In Makhachkala, there are now a little more than 6 thousand Azerbaijanis, or 1.6% of the population of the capital of Dagestan. Dagestan geographical ethnic population

8. Chechens There are currently 92.2 thousand people in Dagestan. Their numbers have increased significantly in the last two years. Back in 1994, their number in Dagestan was 62 thousand. Without a doubt, such a sharp increase is associated with military operations in the neighboring Chechen Republic. They now make up 4.5% of the republic's population. The rural population, amounting to about 48%, is concentrated in the Khasavyurt district (25.6% of the population of this district), Novolaksky (13%), Kazbekovsky (13%) and Babayurtovsky (8%). Chechen city dwellers live mainly in three cities of Dagestan - Khasavyurt (35.6% of the city's population), Makhachkala (4.3%) and Kizlyar (6.5%).

9. Nogaitsev There are 33.4 thousand people in Dagestan, 16% of the population. The main area of their settlement is the territory of the Nogai steppe in the north of the republic. The rural population of Nogais - about 87% of all Nogais - is settled in four districts: Nogai (82% of the district population), Babayurt (16), Tarumov (8) and Kizlyar (7.8%). In the village of Sulak they make up more than half of the residents. A small number of Nogais live in Makhachkala, Kizlyar and Khasavyurt.

10. Tats- a Dagestani ethnic group that speaks the Tat language (Iranian branch) and historically professes Judaism. It is currently somewhat difficult to indicate their number since many of them are registered as Jews and fall into the same nationality column as them. There are now 18.5 thousand Jews together with tatami in Dagestan. This is less than one percent of the republic's population. Their numbers are noticeably decreasing, especially in recent years due to the mass exodus to Israel. The vast majority of them live in cities - 98%, mainly in Derbent, Makhachkala, Buynaksk, Khasavyurt, Kaspiysk and Kizlyar.

11. Rutulians- a small ethnic group of Dagestan, numbering 17.1 thousand people (0.8% of the republic’s population). The main area of settlement is the upper reaches of the Samur River in Southern Dagestan. The rural population (about 70%) of the Rutulians is settled in the Rutulsky (55% of the district's population) and Dokuzparinsky (2.3%) districts, as well as in small groups of several hundred people in the Kizlyar, Magaramkent, and Derbent districts. Most Rutul citizens live in Makhachkala and Derbent.

12. Agulov only 16 thousand people. The main area of their settlement is the basin of the Chiragchay and Kurakh rivers in the highlands of Southern Dagestan. There are about 67 percent of rural Aguls and they live mainly in the Agul district (90% of the district's population). Agul townspeople live in the villages of Shamkhal and Tyube and in the cities of Makhachkala, Derbent and Dagestan Ogni.

13. Tsakhur- the smallest people of Dagestan, numbering 6.3 thousand people. (0.3% of the population of Dagestan) - live in the upper reaches of the Samur River. There are 82% of rural Tsakhurs, who live mainly in the Rutul region. Urban Tsakhurians live in Makhachkala, Yuzhno-Sukhokumsk and Derbent.

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About the republic

Dagestan, with a population of approximately 2,711,000, is the largest of the North Caucasus republics. Almost two Armenias can fit in an area of 50,300 square kilometers. The GDP (gross domestic product) is over a billion US dollars. The nature here is exceptionally picturesque and therefore attracts a huge number of travelers to this region; the most famous writers, poets and artists have sung the praises of this region.

The side of mountains and the mysteries hidden in them is Dagestan. The population is distinguished by its hospitality, but at the same time, the cruel customs of blood feud have not been completely eradicated. The wealth of customs is unique, and, characteristically, nowhere are they honored as much as here. The beauty of the mountain landscapes is soothing, but wars have been fought here since time immemorial - a variety of people fought for the possession of this land for many thousands of years - from the Mongol-Tatars, Turks, Arabs and Khazars to the Romans and Huns.

Geography

Now, after the collapse of the USSR, Dagestan, whose population is subject to a wide variety of religious sentiments, has become the southernmost and border republic in Russia, and also the largest in population. The land borders with Azerbaijan and Georgia are not currently impenetrable, so the threat of Islamic terrorism constantly hangs over Russia from the south. By sea, Dagestan has borders with Iran, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, where the situation is also not very calm at the moment.

If it were possible to cut off the terrorist threat in these territories, then it would simply be impossible to find a better place for the development of tourism. There are not only magnificent mountains here, but also a liana subtropical forest, the only one in Russia, there are also steppes with herbs woven from a variety of flowers, and high-mountain glaciers. The entire population of Dagestan is more than two and a half million people, and everyone would find something to do, if not in tourism, then in mining. Oil and gas reserves in the Caspian Sea are very large, and the largest copper deposit has been discovered in the south of Dagestan.

About the population

The population of the Republic of Dagestan is a unique ethnic community, the only one in the world, since there is no other such not too large territory where more than a hundred peoples and nationalities live in harmony. About 600 thousand people chose the capital of the republic as their place of residence. This is Makhachkala, the cultural and administrative center of Dagestan.

Dagestan occupies an extremely advantageous position as a transport and important strategic hub, since it is located at the junction of Asia and Europe. The largest trade routes that connected the West and the East have always lay here. The medieval legendary route called the Great Silk Road also passed here. And now the map of the republic is dotted with dotted lines and lines of the most important road, rail, air, sea routes and pipeline routes. All of them have federal significance.

Economy

The economic potential is very high, it is supported by the transport and fuel and energy complex, industry and agriculture are actively involved in the process. The population of the Republic of Dagestan is constantly growing. According to the 2002 and 2009 censuses, it increased by more than one hundred and eleven thousand people, taking into account only natural increase. The share of industry in the gross regional product is sixteen and a half percent, with priority given to food production, the chemical industry and mechanical engineering. The climate in the republic is favorable for agriculture, the soil resources are diverse, the ecology is unique, so many crops are grown here, among which one of the most important is winemaking.

Ninety percent of cognac products are produced in Dagestan, and they are appreciated at many international exhibitions, being the basis of the country's alcohol stock. No matter how many people there are in Dagestan, the majority are Muslims who do not drink alcoholic products, therefore all winemaking is aimed at export. This is a coastal republic, and the fishery complex is excellently developed: salmon and trout production has been established here. And sheep farming is a permanent occupation, which the population in Dagestan has been practicing for many centuries, and therefore the number of goats and sheep here is the largest in the Russian Federation.

Culture

The history of Dagestan, its original and unique culture, its art - these are the main assets of the republic. Monuments of antiquity - stone fortresses, active mosques, minarets and towers - are treasured by the population of the Republic of Dagestan like the apple of their eye. The silhouettes of the villages have chased lines of silhouettes, and the mountain roads are whimsically winding.

This is how modern civilization coexists with hoary antiquity. All this is reflected in the works of the Kubachi craftsmen, in the songs of the Tabasaran carpet patterns, in the dishes made by the Balkhar potters, in the singing wood of the Untsukul craftsmen, in the silver patterns of the Gotsatlin minters. Customs are revered sacredly, the native land is loved here selflessly, elders and the past of their people are unshakably respected.

Peoples

The constellation of nationalities in Dagestan is unique: Kumyks, Lezgins, Laks, and Nogais live next to the Azerbaijanis, Avars, Aguls and Dargins. Russians coexist with Rutulians and Tabasarans, Tatas and Tsakhurs, Chechens and Akkins. Languages and dialects are completely different, cultural traditions and purely everyday features are also often completely different.

Dagestan is a country of mountains and a mountain of languages, as they used to say in ancient times when describing this region. In terms of linguistic diversity, three main groups can be distinguished: North Caucasian, Altai and Indo-European. Some scientists insist on a more fractional division. How good it is that there is such a beautiful and understandable Russian language, which is the state language and has taken upon itself all the problems of interethnic communication!

Settlement

The rural population of Dagestan makes up a little more than half - 57.6%, and the urban population - the remaining 42.4%, in addition, according to government republican data, to the 2,711,700 people it is necessary to add approximately 700,000 more living outside of Dagestan. Its population density is 54 people per square kilometer. The population of the regions of Dagestan is divided religiously as follows: up to ninety-six percent of believers are Muslims, of which only five percent are Shiites, the rest are Sunnis.

There are very few Orthodox Christians - only four percent. The birth rate in the republic is very high, higher only in Chechnya and Ingushetia, and it amounts to almost twenty people per thousand population. There are no fewer than three children in Dagestan families. Until the forties of the last century, Germans lived in the Babayurt, Khasavyurt and Kizlyar districts - about six thousand, who were resettled at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War to Central Asia.

Derbent

The oldest city in Russia, located in the west - near the Caspian Sea, where the spurs of the Greater Caucasus mountains almost bathe in it. There are only three kilometers of coastal strip - a narrow strip of plain. The fortress city has existed for one and a half thousand years. Derbent is much older than Rome. It was built precisely on the coastal lowland, where in ancient times the Caspian Route lay - the only relatively convenient road for traveling from Europe to the Middle East. (Which is where Middle Eastern terrorists now appear in our area - in the opposite way.)

The citadel of the fortress was built on a high plateau, with impregnable walls extending from it - stone and high, two of them reached the sea, and the third went far into the mountains. This unique structure is compared by many to the Great Wall of China. Numerous strong gates were built within the walls, and the name of the city itself comes from the Persian “Derbent” meaning “gate castle” or “gate junction”.

Kizlyar and Khasavyurt

The center of the richest agricultural region of Dagestan is Kizlyar. This has long been a famous city, associated with the presence of the most outstanding personalities there - writers, artists, for whom memorials were created. More recently, this city became notorious - after terrorists seized a school and killed many hostages .

Khasavyurt is the second most important city in Dagestan, second in size only to Makhachkala, which is located ninety kilometers away. About one hundred and forty thousand people live here. It was here that the agreement was concluded that deprived Russia of victory in the first Chechen war. The situation there still cannot be called calm.

Dagestan is the most unique region of Russia: in a small territory there are more than a hundred peoples and ethnic groups. What nationalities live in Dagestan today? We will answer this question in the article.

The nationalities of the republic make up an extensive list. Historically determined and some modern processes influence the number of a particular nation present in the republic. Peoples left Dagestan, new nationalities appeared. Attitudes towards the national palette and its perception were not always positive, which immediately affected the development of the social and economic spheres. And the more Dagestanis develop tolerance towards each other, the easier it is to solve common problems.

Nationalities of the Republic of Dagestan

The first attempt to count the population of Dagestan was made by the military department of the Russian Empire at the end of the nineteenth century. But more accurate data were obtained during the census eleven years later. It turned out that almost 590 thousand people lived in Dagestan within the borders of that time.

If we compare these figures with those obtained in the 2010 population census of Dagestan, they increased almost five times - 2 million 323 thousand people. Population growth was noted from the mid-20s to the 40s. last century, also the decade before the 70s. and from 1989 to 2002. The lowest population in Dagestan was noted in the period from 1897 to 1926, as well as from 1939 for the next twenty years.

The civil war and the drought of the early 20s also affected demographic indicators. At the same time, Russians, Ukrainians and Jews began to leave Dagestan, followed by the emigration of some Dagestanis to Turkey. This led to a 20% drop in population.

However, after the mid-20s of the twentieth century, a sharp increase began. It is associated with natural growth, reaching more than 20%. The influx of Russians, Ukrainians, Armenians, Tatars, Jews and representatives of other nationalities also had an impact. People moved to the Dagestan Republic in search of work.

Before the start of the Great Patriotic War, almost 970 thousand people lived in Dagestan. The population of the republic, like other territories, was affected by the Nazi attack on the Soviet Union. The mobilization involved more than 160 thousand men, some of whom did not return from the battlefields. Since the early 50s. Demographers note the highest birth rate and natural increase - almost 34%.

Nationalities that live in Dagestan

Answering the question of what nationalities live in Dagestan, we note right away that today the republic is one of the three most numerous national republics in Russia, behind Bashkortostan and Tatarstan. In the North Caucasus Federal District, among seven constituent entities, Dagestan ranks first in terms of population - more than 30% of the total population of the district. In this indicator it surpasses Iceland, Latvia, Estonia, Montenegro, Qatar, Cyprus, Kuwait and Bahrain. However, in recent decades there has been a downward trend in the birth rate.

Speaking about how many nationalities there are in Dagestan, we should refer to the numbers of censuses and modern data.

According to Rosstat, more than three million people live in Dagestan in 2017. This is the 13th largest population in Russia. The absolute population growth was 26 thousand people - 5th place in the country. 12th place in terms of relative growth - 0.86%.

In the list of nationalities of Dagestan, the largest groups are Avars, Dargins, Kumyks, Lezgins and Laks. Books are published and the media operate in the languages of these peoples. Small ethnic groups of Dagestan: Chukchi, Arabs, Serbs and Slovaks.

The population in the 1959 census was just over one million people. In 1970 - about one and a half million people. Nine years later - two hundred more people. In 1989, the population increased by another two hundred people - 1 million 800 thousand. A census conducted fifteen years ago showed that more than two and a half million people live in Dagestan. The 2010 census provided data with an increase of 2 million 900 thousand people.

How did the population change?

Of the nationalities living in Dagestan, the Avars remain the most numerous:

1959 - 22.5%;
1970 - 24.4%;
1979 - 25.7%;
1989 - 27.5%;
2002 - 29.4%;
2010 - 29.4%.

The second largest group is the Dargins:

1959 - 14%;
1970 - 14.5%;
1979 - 15.2%;
1989 - 15.6%;
2002 - 16.5%;
2010 - 17%.

The third group in number is the Kumyks:

1959 - 11.4%;
1970 - 11.8%;
1979 - 12.4%;
1989 - 12.9%;
2002 - 14.2%;
2010 - 14.9%.

Data for Russians and Jews show an increasing decline.

1959 - 20.1%;
1970 - 14.7%;
1979 - 11.6%;
1989 - 9.2%;
2002 - 4.69%;
2010 - 3.6%.

1959 - 2.3%;
1970 - 2.0%;
1979 - 1.6%;
1989 - 1.44%;
2002 - 0.13%;
2010 - 0.08%.

What other peoples live in Dagestan

The list of nationalities of Dagestan includes dozens of names of peoples. The latest population census showed the following data for other peoples: Georgians - almost 700 people, Laks - more than 160 thousand, Lezgins - almost 390 thousand, Nogais - 40 and a half thousand, Ossetians - less than 900, Tatars - almost 4 thousand, Kazakhs and Persians - more than 500, Ukrainians - one and a half thousand, Chechens - almost 94 thousand, Tsukhurs - about 9800 people.

If you count how many nationalities live in Dagestan, you can find very interesting data. An analysis of the population census of the republic showed that there were fewer nationalities, some nationalities left Dagestan, but those that were not there also appeared. Sometimes the names of the nationalities to which some residents consider themselves made the researchers smile.

Changes in national groups:

2002 - 121 nationalities. 2010 - 117 nationalities and ethnic groups.
During the 2010 population census, the Bagulals, Americans, Besermyans, Vepsians, Karaites, Tuvans, Udins, Nagaibaks, Nanais, Pashtuns, Eskimos, Yukaghirs and Yakuts, who were listed previously, were no longer found among the residents. Representatives of the Afghan nation, Albanian, Bulgur, Colombian, Nigerian, Turkic, Serbian, French, Ethiopian and Japanese nations settled in Dagestan.

It is interesting that almost 450 people, denoting their nationality, called themselves Akhtynts, Buinakts, Dagestanis, Makhachkala residents (this is what the residents of the city of Makhachkala are called, but there is no separate nationality) and Tsumadinians, as well as mestizos, Russians and even Afro-Russians. Fifteen years ago, more than 350 people considered themselves to be among the amazing and extremely unusual-sounding ethnic groups and nationalities.

The number of Cossacks increased - almost 700 people. In 2002, 11 residents of Dagestan called themselves Cossacks. Before this, Cossacks were present only in the 1897 census data.

Avars

In Dagestan, the most numerous peoples are Avars, Dargins and Kumyks.

The Avars are settled mainly in the territories of mountainous Dagestan and speak several dialects and dialects. The literary language of the Avars is called the language of the guest or the language of the army. Arabic graphics provided the basis for Avar writing in the 15th and 16th centuries. But by the thirtieth year of the twentieth century, Avars began to master the Russian language en masse, because they were trained in it. In 1938, representatives of the nationality began to use the Cyrillic alphabet. Children in schools were first taught in their native language, and in middle classes - in Russian. Today, Avars speak both the language of their people and Russian, which has allowed them to easily integrate into the cultural space of Russia.

Avars are considered Sunni Muslims by religious affiliation.

Dargins

The Dargins were among the first to start fighting during the Civil War: they rebelled against Denikin and defeated the White Cossacks in the Aya-Kakak Gorge. These people are very hospitable. Previously, the Dargins reverently revered blood feud, but the community, represented by the elders, gradually achieved a change in attitude towards this in the Dargian code of honor. For example, murderers began to be expelled from the community.

Islam as a religion among the Dargians was established by the fourteenth century. They are Sunni Muslims - madhhab. Before the Islamic faith, they worshiped the forces of nature and were pagans, just like the original Russian population before the adoption of Christianity.

Kumyks

Kumyks are also the indigenous inhabitants of Dagestan. They are Sunni Muslims. It is believed that the Kumyk language began to take shape in the pre-Mongol era. Kumykia was crossed by all travelers of the Great Silk Road. The first national theater in Dagestan appeared precisely among these people.

Kumyks are very proud of their scientists, artists (artists, writers) and athletes. The special pride of the people is Hero of the Soviet Union Abdulkhakim Ismailov, who, together with Kyivian resident Alexei Kovalev and Minsk resident Leonid Gorichev, hoisted the Victory Banner over the defeated Reichstag in Berlin. Two representatives of the Kumyk people became full holders of the Order of Glory.

Russians in Dagestan

Russians have lived side by side with the mountaineers for thousands of years. And in Soviet times, they went en masse to the republic to teach children in schools, treat people in hospitals, build houses and work in other professions. The Soviet distribution after universities and colleges made the teaching profession the most respected and revered in Dagestan. Therefore, it is no coincidence that a monument dedicated to the work of Russian teachers was erected in Makhachkala.

Today, Russians in Dagestan make up more than 8%, which is about one hundred and fifty thousand people. A large proportion of Russians live in Makhachkala and Kaspiysk; half of the Russian population lives in Kizlyar. In the nineties, many native Dagestan Russians left Dagestan due to the growth of a national movement, radical and cruel. At that time, there was a sharp decline in the population - seven to eight thousand Russian citizens a year were leaving the republic.

However, recently Caucasian Russians have been making a comeback. Experts associate this with longing for their small homeland and the land of their ancestors, as well as the special Dagestan character. But they are not returning in the same numbers as when they left Dagestan: in ten years, only about five thousand people returned to their small homeland.

In addition, today the government pays special attention to protecting the interests and security of Russians in Dagestan. The number of cases of violation of human rights based on nationality is gradually decreasing.

Linguistic composition of the inhabitants of Dagestan

Almost seven hundred thousand people speak the Avar language, about 420,000 speak Dargin, and almost 380,000 citizens speak Kumyk. About 140,000 people know Lak, almost 360,000 speak Lezgin. There are 500 people who speak the Chamalin language, 230 people who speak Karata language, more than 180 people who speak Botlikh language, and only one citizen who speaks Ginukh language. This is data from the latest All-Russian population census, which took place in 2010.

More than two and a half thousand Dagestanis constantly use the Russian language in everyday life. Among foreign languages, citizens identified English, German, Arabic, French, Turkish, Persian, Hindi and Japanese. Two answered that they knew Esperanto.

Russian alone is used by almost half a million people; more than two million speak two languages, 115 thousand speak three languages, 10 thousand speak four languages, and only seventeen people know five languages.

Young Dagestan

More than thirty percent of the population of Dagestan are young people. The average age of Dagestanis does not reach thirty years. Even less in Chechnya - twenty-five years. Demographers believe that this forecast in the region will continue for the next eighteen to twenty years. The difference between the age of the young population in Dagestan and the elderly people of the republic is almost fifteen years.

Finally

The nineties had a hard impact on Dagestan, when the struggle for sovereignty that had just begun almost broke the multinational region into dozens of small groups and did not lead to large casualties among the civilian population. Of course they were. The echoes of that time are still felt by society in the region and the demographic situation. But the population of Dagestan is still very diverse by nationality.

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