The Karachay-Cherkess Republic is a republic within the Russian Federation. It is located in the foothills of the northwestern Caucasus, being in the European part of Russia. Most of the republic occupies mountainous areas. It is part of the North Caucasus Economic Region and is part of the North Caucasus Federal District. Territorially it was formed on January 12, 1922 and until 1992 was the Karachay-Cherkess Autonomous Region, further transformed into a republic. The capital is Cherkessk. The republic borders with the Stavropol Territory in the north, with the Kabardino-Balkar Republic in the east, with the Krasnodar Territory in the west and with Georgia in the south.
The republic consists of 10 municipal districts: Abazin, Adyge-Khabl, Zelenchuk, Karachayev, Malokarachayev, Nogay, Prikubansky, Urupsk, Ust-Dzhegutin, Khabez, as well as two cities of republican subordination - Karachayevsk and Cherkessk.
Representatives of more than 80 nationalities live on the territory of the republic. The official languages are Abaza, Karachay, Nogay, Russian and Circassian. As of 2024, the population is 468,322.
The republic is teeming with water resources - there are many lakes, rivers and mountain waterfalls. The climate is moderately warm and quite humid. In Karachay-Cherkessia, minerals are widely mined - coal, granite, marble, various ores and clays. There are also healing mineral waters and many thermal springs.
Karachay-Cherkessia is an industrial and agricultural republic. Chemical production, mechanical engineering, light, mining, woodworking industry and animal husbandry are developed here. A favorable climate promotes the development of agriculture. Agricultural lands occupy 46.5% of the territory of the republic.