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DAGHESTAN
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DAGHESTAN , a See also:province of See also:Russia, See also:Transcaucasia, occupying the triangular space between the Andi See also:ridge, the See also:south-See also:east See also:division of the See also:main See also:Caucasus range, and the See also:Caspian See also:Sea. It has the province of See also:Terek on the N.W., the See also:government of See also:Tiflis on the S.W., and that of See also:Baku on the S.E. With the exception of a narrow See also:strip along the sea-See also:coast and a small See also:district in the N., it is entirely mountainous. See also:Area, 11,332 sq. m. The See also:snow-clad Andi ridge, belonging to the See also:system of transverse upheavals which See also:cross the Caucasus, branches off the latter at Borbalo See also:Peak (10,175 ft.), and reaches its highest altitudes in Tebulosmta (14,775 ft.) and Diklos-mta (13,740 ft.). It is encircled on the N. by a See also:lower See also:outer ridge, the Karadagh, through which the See also:rivers cut their way. This ridge is thickly clothed with forests, chiefly See also:beech. The Boz-dagh and another ridge run between the four Koisu rivers, the See also:head-streams of the Sulak, which flows into the Caspian. The next most important stream, out of the See also:great number which course down the flanks of the Caucasus and terminate in the Caspian, is the Samur. The most notable feature of the province is, however, according to O. W. H. See also:Abich (Sur la structure et la geologic du Daghestan, 1862), the successive folds of See also:Jurassic limestones and slates, all nearly parallel to the Caucasus, which See also:form lofty, narrow plateaus. Many of the peaks upon them rise higher than 12,000 ft., and the passes See also:lie at altitudes of 11,000 ft. in the interior and 9000 ft. towards the Caspian. Towards the Caspian, especially between See also:Petrovsk and the See also:river Sulak, the Cretaceous system is well represented, and upon its rocks See also:rest marls, shales, and sandstones of the See also:Eocene See also:period. The See also:country is altogether difficult of See also:access, and only one military route leads up from the river Terek, while every one of the eleven passes known across the Caucasus is a See also:mere bridle-path. The See also:climate is severe on the plateaus, hot towards the Caspian, and dry everywhere. The See also:average temperatures are—year 510, See also:January 26°, See also:July 73° at Temir-khanshura (42° 49' N.; alt. 1510 ft.). The See also:annual rainfall varies from 17 to 21 in. The See also:population, estimated at 6o5,1oo in 1906, numbered 587,326 in 1897, of whom only 5000 were Russians. They consist chiefly of mountaineers known as See also:Lesghians (i.e. 158,550 See also:Avars, 121,375 Darghis, 94,506 Kurins), a See also:race closely akin to the Circassians, intermingled towards the Caspian Sea with See also:Tatars and Georgians. There are also sprinklings of See also:Jews and Persians. The See also:highlands of Daghestan were for many years the stronghold of the Circassians in their struggle against Russia, especially under the leadership of See also:Shamyl, whose last stand was made on the steep See also:mountain fastness of Gunib, 74 M. S. of Temirkhan-shura, in 1859. The difficulty of communication between the valleys has resulted in the growth of a great number of dialects. Avarian is a sort of inter-tribal See also:tongue, while See also:Lakh or Kazi-kumukh, Kurin, Darghi-kaitakh, Andi, and Tabasaran are some of the more important dialects, each subdivided into sub dialects. The mountaineers breed some See also:cattle and See also:sheep, and cultivate small See also:fields on the mountain-sides. In the littoral districts excellent crops of cereals, See also:cotton, See also:fruit, See also:wine and See also:tobacco are obtained with the aid of See also:irrigation. Silkworms are bred. The mountaineers excel also in a variety of See also:petty trades. See also:Sulphur, See also:salt and See also:copper are the most important of the minerals. A See also:rail-way See also:line to connect the See also:North Caucasian line (Rostov to Petrovsk) with the Transcaucasian line (See also:Batum to Baku) has been built along the Caspian See also:shore from Petrovsk, through the " See also:gate " or pass of See also:Derbent, to Baku. The province is divided into nine districts—Temir-See also:khan-shura, Avar, Andi, Gunib, Dargo, Kazikumukh, Kaitago-Tabasaran, Kurin, and Samur. The only towns are Temir-khan-shura (pop. 9208 in 1897), the See also:capital of the government, Derbent (14,821) and Petrovsk (9806), the last two both on the Caspian. See G. Radde, " Aus den Daghestanischen Hochalpen," in Petermanns Mitteilungen, Erganzungsheft, No. 85, 1887, and, with E. Kbnig, " Der Nordfuss See also:des Daghestan," in Petermanns Mitteil., Erganzungsheft, No. 117, 1895. (P. A. K.; J. T. Additional information and CommentsThere are no comments yet for this article.
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