Dagestan is a republic of Russia situated on the Caspian Sea. It is located north of the Greater Caucasus, and is a part of the North Caucasian Federal District. Makhachkala is the capital and largest city; other chief cities are Derbent, Kizlyar, Izberbash, Kaspiysk and Buynaksk.
About Dagestan in brief
Dagestan, officially the Republic of Dagestan, is a republic of Russia situated on the Caspian Sea. It is located north of the Greater Caucasus, and is a part of the North Caucasian Federal District. Makhachkala is the capital and largest city; other chief cities are Derbent, Kizlyar, Izberbash, Kaspiysk and Buynaksk. The republic covers an area of 50,300 square kilometres, with a population of over 3.1 million residents, of more than 30 ethnic groups and 81 nationalities. The residents of the republic mostly speak North Caucasian, and Turkic languages, however Russian is the primary language and the lingua franca in the republic. Most of the Republic is mountainous, with the greater Caucasus Mountains covering the south. The highest point is the BazardüzüBazardyuzyu peak at 4,470 meters on the border with Azerbaijan. The southernmost point of Russia is located about seven kilometers southwest of the peak. The region is rich in oil, natural gas, coal, and many other minerals. The climate is hot and dry in the summer but the winters are harsh in the mountain areas. The current borders were created with the establishment of the Dagestans Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in 1921, with incorporation of the eastern part of Terek Oblast, which is not mountainous but includes the Terek littoral at the southern end of theCaspian Depression.
The word Dagesta is of Turkish and Persian origin. The Turkish word dağ means’mountain’ and the Persian suffix -stan means ‘land’ Some areas of Dagestsan were known as Lezgistan, Avaria and Tarkov at various times. In the first few centuries AD, Caucasian Albania became a vassal and eventually subordinate to the Parthian Empire. With the advent of the Sassanian Empire, it became a satrapy within the vast domains of the empire. In later antiquity, it was a few times fought over by the Roman Empire and the Sassanid Persians as the former sought to contest the latter’s rule over the region, without success. In 664, the Persians were succeeded by the Khazars. By the 15th century, Christianity had died away, leaving a church at Derbent as the sole monument to its existence. As the Mongolian authority eroded, it gradually penetrated steadily into the highlands where it eventually adopted in urban centers, such as Samandar and Kubachi where it was adopted in Islam. In 913, Islam was adopted as the religion by the people of Derbent. In 10th-century, the city became a bastion of civilization, followed by the Caucasian Avar civilization, with its bastion followed by Kubachi in the 12th century. In 13th century the city was overrun by the Huns, who can be traced over many centuries.
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This page is based on the article Dagestan published in Wikipedia (as of Dec. 04, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
