Chechnya 6095 224348168 2008-07-08T13:29:12Z Ak5271 7265323 /* Politics */ {{Infobox Russian federal subject |EnglishName = Chechen Republic |RussianName = Чеченская Республика |LocalName1 = Нохчийн Республика |LocalLangName1 = Chechen |LocatorMap = Map of Russia - Chechen Republic (2008-03).svg |LocatorMapLegend = Location of the Chechen Republic in Russia |CoatOfArms = Coat_of_arms_of_Chechnya.svg |CoatOfArmsLink = [[Coat of arms]] |Flag = Flag of Chechen Republic since 2004.svg |FlagLink = [[Flag of Chechnya]] |AnthemLink = [[Anthem of the Chechen Republic]] |AdmCtrOrCapital = Capital |AdmCtrName = [[Grozny]] |FoundationDate = [[January 11]], [[1991]] |PoliticalStatus = Republic |PoliticalStatusLink = Republics of Russia |FederalDistrict = [[Southern Federal District|Southern]] |EconomicRegion = [[North Caucasus economic region|North Caucasus]] |CodeNumber = 20 |Area = 15300 |AreaRank=75th |Population = 1103686 |PopulationRank = 49th |UrbanPopulation = 33.8% |RuralPopulation = 66.2% |LangLangs = s |LangList = [[Russian language|Russian]], [[Chechen language|Chechen]] |HeadTitle = [[President of Chechnya|President]] |HeadName = [[Ramzan Kadyrov]] |PrimeTitle = Chairman of the Government |PrimeName = [[Odes Baysultanov]] |Legislature = [[Parliament of Chechnya|Parliament]] |ConstitutionType = Constitution |ConstitutionName = [[Constitution of the Chechen Republic]] |Website = http://chechnya.gov.ru/ }} {{Portalpar|Chechnya|Flag_of_Chechen_Republic_since_2004.svg}} [[Image:Chechenya gorge2.jpg|thumb|200px|View of a gorge in the [[Caucasus Mountains]] in Chechnya, photographed at some point between 1905 and 1915]] The '''Chechen Republic''' ({{IPAEng|ˈʧɛʧɨn rɪˈpʌblɨk}}; {{lang-ru|Чече́нская Респу́блика}}, ''Chechenskaya Respublika''; {{lang-ce|Нохчийн Республика}}, ''Noxçiyn Respublika''), or, informally, '''Chechnya''' ({{IPA|/ˈʧɛʧniːə/}}; {{lang-ru|Чечня́}}; {{lang-ce|Нохчийчоь}}, '''Noxçiyçö'''), sometimes referred to as '''[[Ichkeria]]''', '''Chechnia''', '''Chechenia''' or '''Noxçiyn''', is a [[federal subjects of Russia|federal subject]] of [[Russia]]. It is located in the [[Northern Caucasus]] mountains, in the [[Southern Federal District]]. It borders [[Stavropol Krai]] to the northwest, the republic of [[Dagestan]] to the northeast and east, [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]] to the south, and the [[republics of Russia|republics]] of [[Ingushetia]] and [[North Ossetia]] to the west. After the [[collapse of the Soviet Union]] in 1991, the [[Chechen-Ingush ASSR]] was split into the [[Ingushetia|Republic of Ingushetia]] and proclaimed the '''[[Chechen Republic of Ichkeria]]''', which sought independence. Following the [[First Chechen War]] with Russia, Chechnya gained ''de facto'' independence as the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. Russian federal control was restored during the [[Second Chechen War]]. Since then there has been a systematic reconstruction and rebuilding process, though sporadic fighting continues in the mountains and south of the republic. See "[[Chechen people]]" for etymology of the name. In 2006 the former president, [[Alu Alkhanov]], proposed changing the official name of the republic to '''Noxçiyn''' (or '''Nokhchiin''') which is a [[Transcription (linguistics)|transcription]] of the name in the [[Chechen language]].<ref>{{cite web | last = BBC News | title = New name for Chechnya suggested | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/5313594.stm | accessdate = 2007-01-23}}</ref> ==Geography== Situated in the eastern part of the [[North Caucasus]], Chechnya is surrounded on nearly all sides by Russian Federal territory. In the west, it borders North [[Ossetia]] and [[Ingushetia]], in the north, [[Stavropol Krai]], in the east, [[Dagestan]], and to the south, [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]]. Its capital is Grozny. *Area: 15,300&nbsp;km² *Borders: **''Internal Russian'': ***[[Dagestan|Republic of Dagestan]] ***[[Ingushetia|Republic of Ingushetia]] ***[[North Ossetia-Alania|Republic of North Ossetia-Alania]] ***[[Stavropol Krai]] **''Foreign'': ***[[Georgia (country)|Georgia]] '''Rivers:''' *[[Terek River|Terek]] *[[Sunzha River|Sunzha]] *[[Argun River (Caucasus)|Argun River]] ===Time zone=== [[Image:RTZ2.png|left|75px]] Chechnya is located in the [[Moscow Time|Moscow Time Zone]] (MSK/MSD). [[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]] offset is +0300&nbsp;(MSK)/+0400&nbsp;(MSD). <div style="clear:left"></div> ==History== {{Main|History of Chechnya}} ===Early history=== In classical times the northern slopes of the [[Caucasus]] mountains were inhabited by the [[Circassians]] on the west and the [[Caucasian Avars|Avars]] on the east. In between them, the [[Zygians]] occupied [[Zyx]], approximately the area covered by north [[Ossetia]], the [[Balkar]], the [[Ingush]] and the Chechen republics today. Chechnya is a region in the Northern Caucasus which has constantly fought against foreign rule beginning with the [[Ottoman Turks]] in the 15th century. Eventually the Chechens converted to [[Islam]] and tensions began to die down with the Turks; however, conflicts with their Christian neighbours such as [[Georgian people|Georgians]] and [[Cossacks]], as well as with the Buddhist [[Kalmyk people|Kalmyks]] intensified. The Russian [[Terek Cossack Host]] was established in lowland Chechnya in 1577 by free Cossacks resettled from the [[Volga]] to the [[Terek River]]. ===Caucasian Wars=== {{main|Caucasian War}} In 1783, Russia and the eastern Georgian kingdom of [[Kartl-Kakheti]] (which was devastated by Turkish and Persian invasions) signed the [[Treaty of Georgievsk]], according to which Kartl-Kakheti received protection by Russia. In order to secure communications with Georgia and other regions of the Transcaucasia, the Russian Empire began spreading its influence into the Caucasus mountains. The current resistance to Russian rule has its roots in the late 18th century (1785–1791), a period when Russia expanded into territories formerly under the dominion of [[Turkey]] and [[Persia]] (see also the [[Russo-Turkish Wars]] and [[Russo-Persian War, 1804-13]]), under [[Mansur Ushurma]]—a Chechen [[Naqshbandi]] ([[Sufi]]) Sheikh—with wavering support from other North Caucasian tribes. Mansur hoped to establish a [[Transcaucasus]] Islamic state under [[shari'a]] law, but was ultimately unable to do so because of both Russian resistance and opposition from many Chechens (many of whom had not been converted to Islam at the time). Its banner was again picked up by the [[Caucasian Avars|Avar]] [[Imam Shamil]], who fought against the Russians from 1834 until 1859. ===Soviet rule=== Chechen rebellion would characteristically flame up whenever the Russian state faced a period of internal uncertainty. [[Rebellion]]s occurred during the [[Russo-Turkish War, 1877–1878|Russo-Turkish War]], the [[Russian Revolution of 1905]], the [[Russian Revolution of 1917]], [[Russian Civil War]] (see [[Mountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus]]), and [[Collectivization]]. Under Soviet rule, Chechnya was combined with [[Ingushetia]] to form the [[autonomy|autonomous]] republic of [[Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic|Chechen-Ingushetia]] in the late 1930s. The Chechens, though, again rose up against Soviet rule during the 1940s (see ''[[1940-1944 Chechnya insurgency]]''), resulting in the [[deportation]] of [[Operation Lentil|the entire ethnic Chechen and Ingush populations]] to the [[Kazakh SSR]] (later [[Kazakhstan]]) and [[Siberia]] in 1944 near the end of the [[World War II]] (see ''[[Population transfer in the Soviet Union]]'').<ref>{{cite web| last=Kavkazcenter.com| title=European Parliament recognizes deportation of Chechens as act of genocide| url=http://www.kavkazcenter.com/eng/content/2004/02/26/2469.shtml| accessdate=2007-01-23}}</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3509933.stm Remembering Stalin's deportations]</ref> [[Stalin]] and others argued this was punishment to the Chechens for providing assistance to the German forces; although the German front never made it to the border of Chechnya, an active [[guerrilla warfare|guerrilla]] movement threatened to undermine the Soviet defenses of the [[Caucasus]] (noted writer [[Valentin Pikul]] claims that while the city of Grozny was being prepared for a siege in 1942, all of the air bombers stationed on the Caucasian front had to be re-directed towards quelling the Chechen [[insurrection]] instead of fighting Germans at the [[Battle of Stalingrad|siege of Stalingrad]]). Chechen-Ingushetia was abolished and the Chechens were allowed to return to their homeland after 1956 during [[de-Stalinization]], which occurred under [[Nikita Khrushchev]]. The [[Russification]] policies towards Chechens continued after 1956, with [[Russian language]] proficiency required in many aspects of life and for advancement in the Soviet system. ===Recent events=== With the impending collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, an [[independence]] movement, initially known as the ''Chechen National Congress'' was formed. This movement was ultimately opposed by [[Boris Yeltsin]]'s [[Russia|Russian Federation]], which argued, first, that Chechnya had not been an independent entity within the Soviet Union—as the Baltic, Central Asian, and other Caucasian States had—but was a part of the [[Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic]] and hence did not have a right under the Soviet constitution to secede; second, that other [[republics of Russia]], such as [[Tatarstan]], would consider seceding from the Russian Federation if Chechnya were granted that right; and third, that Chechnya was a major hub in the oil infrastructure of the Federation and hence its secession would hurt the country's economy and control of oil resources. In the ensuing decade, the territory was locked in an ongoing struggle between various factions, usually fighting unconventionally and forgoing the position held by the several successive Russian governments through the current administration. Various demographic factors including religious ones have continued to keep the area in a near constant state of war. ====First Chechen War==== {{Main|First Chechen War}} The First Chechen War occurred in a two year period lasting from 1994 to 1996, when Russian forces attempted to stop Chechnya from seceding. Despite overwhelming manpower, weaponry and [[air support]], the Russian forces were unable to establish effective control over the mountainous area due to many successful [[Chechen people|Chechen]] [[guerrilla warfare|guerrilla]] raids. [[Budyonnovsk hospital hostage crisis]] in 1995 shocked the Russian public, and discredited Chechen guerrillas. Widespread [[morale|demoralization]] of the Russian forces in the area prompted [[Russian President]] Boris Yeltsin to declare a [[ceasefire]] in 1996 and sign a [[peace treaty]] a year later. The war was disastrous for both sides. Most estimates give figures of between 3,500 and 7,500 Russian [[military]] dead, between 3,000 and 15,000 Chechen [[militants]] dead, and no fewer than 35,000 [[civilian]] deaths—a minimum total of 41,500 dead. Others have cited figures in the range 80,000 to 100,000.<ref>{{cite web | last = Wood, Tony, New Left Review | title = The case for Chechnya | url=http://www.newleftreview.net/NLR26401.shtml | accessdate = 2007-01-23}}</ref> ====Inter-war period==== {{Main|Chechen Republic of Ichkeria}} After the war, [[parliament]]ary and [[presidential elections]] took place in January 1997 in Chechnya and brought to power [[Aslan Maskhadov]], chief of staff and [[prime minister]] in the Chechen [[coalition]] government, for a five-year term. Maskhadov sought to maintain Chechen sovereignty while pressing [[Moscow]] to help rebuild the republic, whose formal economy and infrastructure were virtually destroyed.<ref>[http://www.freedomhouse.org/modules/mod_call_dsp_country-fiw.cfm?year=2003&country=2593 Chechnya, reference article by Feedom House publications. ]</ref> Russia continued to send money for the rehabilitation of the republic; it also provided pensions and funds for schools and hospitals. Most of these transfers were stolen by Chechen authorities and divided between favoured warlords.<ref>Leon Aron. [http://www.aei.org/publications/pubID.15848/pub_detail.asp Chechnya, New Dimensions of the Old Crisis]. [[American Enterprise Institute|AEI]], 01.02.2003</ref> Nearly half a million people (40% of Chechnya's prewar population) have been internally displaced and lived in [[refugee camps]] or overcrowded villages. <ref name="dissident"> [[Alexander Goldfarb (author)|Alex Goldfarb]] and Marina Litvinenko. [http://www.amazon.com/dp/1416551654/ "Death of a Dissident: The Poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko and the Return of the KGB." Free Press, New York, 2007.] ISBN 978-1416551652.</ref> The economy was destroyed. Two Russian brigades were stationed in Chechnya and did not leave.<ref name="dissident"/> In lieu of the devastated economic structure, [[kidnapping]] emerged as the principal source of income countrywide, procuring over $200 million during the three year independence of the chaotic fledgling state <ref>Tishkov, Valery. ''Chechnya: Life in a War-Torn Society.'' Berkeley: University of California Press, 2004. Page 114.</ref> but victims were rarely killed.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/europe/9812/08/chechnya.01/ Four Western hostages beheaded in Chechnya]</ref> In 1998, 176 people had been kidnapped, and 90 of them had been released during the same year according to official accounts. President Maskhadov started a major campaign against hostage-takers, and on [[October 25]], [[1998]], Shadid Bargishev, Chechnya's top anti-kidnapping official, was killed in a remote controlled car bombing. Bargishev's colleagues then insisted they would not be intimidated by the attack and would go ahead with their offensive. Political violence and religious extremism, blamed on "[[Wahhabism]]", was rife as well. In 1998, a [[state of emergency]] was declared by the authorities in Grozny. Tensions led to the open clashes like the July 1998 confrontation in Gudermes between Chechen National Guard and Islamist militants. ====Second Chechen War==== {{Main|Second Chechen War}} In August 1999, the [[Islamic International Brigade|IIPB]] began an unsuccessful incursion into the neighbouring Russian republic of [[Dagestan]] in favor of the [[Shura of Dagestan]] who sought independence from Russia. (see [[Dagestan War]]). In September, a series of [[Russian apartment bombings|apartment bombings]] took place in several Russian cities, including Moscow, which were blamed on the [[Chechen Republic of Ichkeria|Chechens]]. In response, after a prolonged air campaign of retaliatory strikes against the [[Ichkeria]]n regime a ground offensive began in October 1999 effectively starting the Second Chechen War. Much better organised and planned than in the first Chechen War, the military actions by the Russian Federal forces enabled them to re-establish control over most regions. After the re-capture of [[Grozny]] in February 2000, the Ichkerian regime fell apart. Russia has severely disabled the Chechen rebel movement, although violence still occurs throughout the [[North Caucasus]].<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rs.html Russia - CIA Factbook]</ref> Nonetheless Russia was successful in installing a pro-[[Moscow]] Chechen regime, and the most prominent separatist leaders died including former President Aslan Maskhadov and radical warlord [[Shamil Basayev]]. ==Politics== {{Main|Politics of Chechnya}} Since 1990, the Chechen Republic has had legal, military, and civil conflicts involving separatist movements and pro-Russian authorities. Today, Chechnya is a relatively stable [[federal republic]], although there is still some separatist movement there. Its regional constitution entered into effect on [[April 2]], [[2003]] after an all-Chechen referendum was held on [[March 23]], [[2003]]. The independent observers alleged that the officially reported voter turnout seemed to be much higher than the reality.<ref>{{cite web | last = ISHR Germany | title = Some thoughts about the referendum in Chechnya | url = http://www.ishr.org/publications/2003/chechnya.htm | accessdate = 2007-01-23}}</ref> Some Chechens are or were controlled by regional [[teip]]s, or clans, despite the existence of pro- and anti-Russian political structures. [[Image:Chechnya and Caucasus.png|thumb|300px|Chechnya and Caucasus map]] The motivations of the Russian and Chechens in these conflicts are complicated. Principally, Russia's stake in Chechnya relates to the fear that if Chechnya becomes independent, even more territories will break away from Russia, leading to its disintegration. Economic interests are another factor, as is a long standing conflict between Russia and Chechnya. There are different groups within Chechnya fighting the Russians who have different political, economic and/or ideological motivations for doing so.{{Fact|date=February 2008}} Some of these derive from hatred and a desire for the revenge of past Russian military and political action in the region. Most notably the forced relocation in the 1940s of the entire population to [[Middle Asia]], resulting in the estimated death of a quarter of the population. The combination of motives demonstrates the cycle of violence and hatred that often fuels regional conflicts of this nature, as well as a military culture that makes much of the population willing to engage in military struggle under the command of one leader. Unemployment and poverty are also factors in the prolonged conflict. ===Regional government=== The former separatist religious leader (mufti) [[Akhmad Kadyrov]], looked upon as a traitor by many separatists, was elected president with 83% of the vote in an internationally monitored election on [[October 5]], [[2003]]. Incidents of ballot stuffing and voter intimidation by Russian soldiers and the exclusion of separatist parties from the polls were subsequently reported by the [[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe|OSCE]] monitors. On [[May 9]], [[2004]], Kadyrov was assassinated in Grozny football stadium by a [[land mine|landmine]] explosion that was planted beneath a VIP stage and detonated during a parade, and [[Sergey Abramov]] was appointed to the position of acting prime minister after the incident. However, since 2005 [[Ramzan Kadyrov]] (son of Akhmad Kadyrov) has been caretaker prime minister, and in 2007 was appointed a new president. Many allege he is the wealthiest and most powerful man in the republic, with control over a large private militia referred to as the ''[[Kadyrovtsy]]''. The militia, which began as his father's security force, has been accused of killings and kidnappings by human rights organizations such as [[Human Rights Watch]]. ===Separatist government=== In addition to the Russian regional government, there was a separatist Ichkeria government that was not recognized by any state (although members have been given political asylum in European and Arab countries, as well as the United States). The separatist government was recognised for a short while by Georgia (when Georgian President was [[Zviad Gamsakhurdia]] and Chechen President was [[Dzhokhar Dudaev]]). In 1999 the [[Taliban]] government of Afghanistan recognized independent Chechnya and opened an embassy in Kabul on [[16 January]] [[2000]]; recognition ceased with the fall of the Taliban in 2001. The president of this government was [[Aslan Maskhadov]], the Foreign Minister was [[Ilyas Akhmadov]], who was the spokesman for Maskhadov. Aslan Maskhadov had been elected in an internationally monitored election in 1997 for 4 years, which took place after signing a peace agreement with Russia. In 2001 he issued a decree prolonging his office for one additional year; he was unable to participate in the 2003 presidential election, since separatist parties were barred by the Russian government, and Maskhadov faced accusations of terrorist offences in Russia. Maskhadov left Grozny and moved to the separatist-controlled areas of the south at the onset of the [[Second Chechen War]]. Maskhadov was unable to influence a number of warlords who retain effective control over Chechen territory, and his power was diminished as a result. Russian forces killed Maskhadov on [[March 8]], [[2005]], and the assassination of Maskhadov was widely criticized since it left no legitimate Chechen separatist leader to conduct peace talks with. [[Akhmed Zakayev]], Deputy Prime Minister and a Foreign Minister under Maskhadov, was appointed shortly after the 1997 election and is currently living under asylum in [[England]]. He and others chose [[Abdul Khalim Saidullayev]], a relatively unknown Islamic judge who was previously the host of an Islamic program on Chechen television, to replace Maskhadov following his death. On [[June 17]], [[2006]], it was reported that Russian special forces killed Abdul Khalim Saidullayev in a raid in a Chechen town Argun. The successor of Saidullayev became [[Doku Umarov]]. On [[October 31]], [[2007]] Umarov abolished the [[Chechen Republic of Ichkeria]] and its presidency and in its place proclaimed the [[Caucasian Emirate]] with himself as its [[Emir]]. This change of status has been rejected by many Chechen politicians and military leaders who continue to support the existence of the republic. ==Human rights== [[Human Rights Watch]] reports that pro-Moscow Chechen forces under the effective command of President [[Ramzan Kadyrov]], as well as federal police personnel used torture to get information about separatist forces. "If you are detained in Chechnya, you face a real and immediate risk of torture. And there is little chance that your torturer will be held accountable," said Holly Cartner, Director Europe and Central Asia division of HRW<ref>[[Human Rights Watch]]:[http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/11/13/russia14557.htm Chechnya: Research Shows Widespread and Systematic Use of Torture]</ref>. Human rights groups criticized the conduct of the 2005 parliamentary elections as unfairly influenced by the central Russian government and military.<ref>[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5028949 Chechnya Holds Parliamentary Vote], Morning Edition, NPR, 28 November 2005.</ref> The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre reports that after hundreds of thousands of people fled their homes after inter-ethnic and separatist conflicts in Chechnya in 1994 and 1999, more than 150,000 people still remain displaced in Russia more than a decade after the beginning of armed conflict.<ref>[http://www.internal-displacement.org/8025708F004CE90B/(httpCountrySummaries)/441ED4F5458A7C1DC125733600369629?OpenDocument&count=10000 Government efforts help only some IDPs rebuild their lives], IDMC, 13 August 2007</ref> ==Administrative divisions== {{Main|Administrative divisions of Chechnya}} ==Demographics== {{Main|Chechen people}} According to the 2004 estimates, the population of Chechnya is approximately 1.1 million. As per 2002 [[Russian Census (2002)|Census]], [[Chechen people|Chechens]] at&nbsp;1,031,647 make up 93.5% of the republic's population. Other groups include [[Russians]] (40,645, or 3.7%), [[Kumyks]] (8,883, or 0.8%), [[Ingush]] (2,914 or 0.3%) and a host of smaller groups, each accounting for less than 0.5% of the total population. Birth rate was 25.41 in 2004. (25.7 in Achkhoi Martan, 19.8 in Groznyy, 17.5 in Kurchaloi,28.3 in Urus Martan and 11.1 in Vedeno). According to the Chechen State Statistical Committee, Chechnya's population had grown to 1.205 million in January 2006.<ref>[http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/KHII-7BR2LM?OpenDocument Chechnya - The week in brief: 4 - 11 Feb 2008]</ref> At the end of the Soviet era, ethnic Russians comprised about 23% of the population (269,000 in 1989). Due to widespread lawlessness and ethnic cleansing under the government of [[Dzhokhar Dudayev]] most non-Chechens (and many Chechens as well) fled the country during the 1990s or were killed.<ref>Sokolov-Mitrich, Dmitryi. [http://www.izvestia.ru/russia/article1092129 "Забытый геноцид"]. Izvestia. Retrieved on [[July 17]], [[2002]].</ref><ref>[http://www.chechnyaadvocacy.org/refugees.html Chechnya Advocacy Network. Refugees and Diaspora]</ref> The languages used in the Republic are [[Chechen language|Chechen]] and [[Russian language|Russian]]. Chechen belongs to the Vaynakh or [[North-central Caucasian languages|North-central Caucasian]] linguistic family, which also includes [[Ingush language|Ingush]] and [[Batsb language|Batsb]]. Some scholars place it in a wider [[Iberian-Caucasian languages|Iberian-Caucasian super-family]]. Chechnya has one of the youngest populations in the generally aging Russian Federation; in the early 1990s, it was among the few regions experiencing natural population growth. *'''Population''': 1,103,686 (2002) - numbers are disputed **''Urban'': 373,177 (33.8%) **''Rural'': 730,509 (66.2%) **''Male'': 532,724 (48.3%) **''Female'': 570,962 (51.7%) *'''Average age''': 22.7 years **''Urban'': 22.8 years **''Rural'': 22.7 years **''Male'': 21.6 years **''Female'': 23.9 years *'''Number of households''': 195,304 (with 1,069,600 people) **''Urban'': 65,741 (with 365,577 people) **''Rural'': 129,563 (with 704,023 people) *'''Vital statistics''' (2005) **''Births'': 28,652 (birth rate 24.9) **''Deaths'': 5,857 (death rate 5.1) For the first half of 2007, the birth rate was 26.4<ref>[http://demoscope.ru/weekly/2007/0301/barom04.php В первом полугодии продолжалось умеренное повышение числа рождений<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> {| class="wikitable" |- ! ! 1926 census ! 1939 census ! 2002 census |- | [[Chechen people|Chechens]] | 293,190 (72.0%) | 360,598 (64.4%) | 1,031,647 (93.5%) |- | [[Russians]] | 77,274 (19.0%) | 157,621 (28.1%) | 40,645 (3.7%) |- | [[Kumyks]] | 2,217 (0.5%) | 3,305 (0.6%) | 8,883 (0.8%) |- | [[Ingush people|Ingushes]] | 154 (0.0%) | 4,336 (0.8%) | 2,914 (0.3%) |- | Others | 34,112 (8.4%) | 34,088 (6.1%) | 19,597 (1.8%) |} Most Chechens are [[Sunnite|Sunni]] [[Muslim]], the country having converted to that religion between the 16th and the 19th centuries. Most of the population follows either the [[Shafi'i]], [[Hanafi]], or [[Maliki]] schools of jurisprudence. The Shafi'i school of jurisprudence has a long tradition among the Chechens,<ref>[http://meria.idc.ac.il/journal/2005/issue4/jv9no4a4.html] Chechnya, Wahhabism and the invasion of Dagestan</ref><ref>[http://www.kavkazcenter.com/russ/islam/jihad_in_ncaucasus/chap3.shtml] Djihad in the Northern Caucus Ch3</ref> and thus it remains the most practiced.<ref>[http://jamestown.org/chechnya_weekly/article.php?articleid=2372572] Chechnya Weekly -- Volume 7, Issue 34 (September 8, 2006)</ref> The once-strong Russian minority in Chechnya, mostly [[Terek Cossacks]], are predominately [[Russian Orthodox]], although presently only one church exists in Grozny. The [[Armenians|Armenian]] community, which used to number around 20,000 in Grozny alone, has dwindled to a couple of families.<ref>{{cite web | last = Ishkhanyan, Vahan, ArmeniaNow.com | title = The case for Chechnya | url=http://www.armenianow.com/?action=viewArticle&AID=2638 | accessdate = 2008-05-12}}</ref> ==Economy== During the war, the Chechen economy fell apart. [[Gross domestic product]], if reliably calculable, would be only a fraction of the prewar level. Problems with the Chechen economy had an effect on the federal Russian economy&nbsp;— a number of financial crimes during the 1990s were committed using Chechen financial organizations. Chechnya has the highest ratio within Russian Federation of financial operations made in [[United States dollar|U.S. dollar]] to operations in [[Russian ruble]]s. There are many [[counterfeit]] U.S. dollars printed there. In 1994, the separatists planned to introduce a new currency, the [[Chechen nahar|nahar]], but that did not happen due to Russian troops re-taking Chechnya in the [[Second Chechen War]].{{Facts|date=June 2007}} As an effect of the war, approximately 80% of the economic potential of Chechnya was destroyed. Much of the money spent by the Russian federal government to rebuild Chechnya has been wasted. According to the Russian government, over $2 billion were spent on the reconstruction of the Chechen economy since 2000. However, according to the Russian central economic control agency (''Schyotnaya Palata''), not more than $350 million were spent as intended.{{Facts|date=June 2007}} That being said, the economic situation in Chechnya has improved considerably since 2000. According to the ''New York Times'', major efforts to rebuild Grozny have been made, and improvements in the political situation have led some officials to consider setting up a tourism industry-though there are claims that construction workers are being irregularly paid and that poor people have been displaced. See the main article [[Grozny#Today]]. ==See also== *[[List of active autonomist and secessionist movements]] *[[List of revolutions and rebellions]] *[[Chechen War]] *[[Peoples of the Caucasus]] *[[Music of Chechnya]] *[[Anna Politkovskaya]] *[[Chris Giannou]] *[[Beslan school hostage crisis]] *[[Second Chechen War#Impact on the Russian population|Chechen syndrome]] *[[Akhmed Kadyrov]] *[[Ibn al-Khattab]] *[[Moscow theater hostage crisis]] *[[October 2005 Nalchik attack]] *[[Shahidka]] ==Further reading== *Khassan Baiev. ''The Oath: A Surgeon Under Fire''. ISBN 0-8027-1404-8 *Vyacheslav Mironov. ''Ya byl na etoy voyne.'' (I was in this war) Biblion&nbsp;— Russkaya Kniga, 2001. Partial translation available online [http://lib.ru/MEMUARY/CHECHNYA/chechen_war.txt] *Matthew Evangelista, ''The Chechen Wars: Will Russia Go the Way of the Soviet Union?''. ISBN 0-8157-2499-3. *Roy Conrad. ''A few days...'' Available online [http://lib.ru/MEMUARY/CHECHNYA/grozny_engl.txt] *Olga Oliker, ''Russia's Chechen Wars 1994–2000: Lessons from Urban Combat''. ISBN 0-8330-2998-3. (A strategic and tactical analysis of the Chechen Wars.) *Charlotta Gall & Thomas de Waal. ''Chechnya: A Small Victorious War''. ISBN 0-330-35075-7 *Paul J., Ph. D. Murphy. ''The Wolves of Islam: Russia and the Faces of Chechen Terror''. ISBN 1-57488-830-7 *Anatol Lieven. ''Chechnya : Tombstone of Russian Power'' ISBN 0-300-07881-1 *John B Dunlop. ''Russia Confronts Chechnya: Roots of a Separatist Conflict'' ISBN 0-521-63619-1 *Paul Khlebnikov. ''Razgovor s varvarom'' (Interview with a barbarian). ISBN 5-89935-057-1. Available online in full [http://www.compromat.ru/main/chechya/nuhaevar.htm] *[[Marie Benningsen-Broxup]]. ''The North Caucasus Barrier: The Russian Advance Towards the Muslim World''. ISBN 1-85065-069-1 *Anna Politkovskaya. ''A Small Corner of Hell: Dispatches from Chechnya'' ISBN 0-226-67432-0 *Chris Bird. ''"To Catch a Tartar: Notes from the Caucasus"'' [ISBN 0-7195-6506-5] *Carlotta Gall, Thomas de Waal, ''Chechnya: Calamity in the Caucasus'' [ISBN 0-8147-3132-5] * Yvonne Bornstein and Mark Ribowsky, "Eleven Days of Hell: My True Story Of Kidnapping, Terror, Torture And Historic FBI & KGB Rescue" AuthorHouse, 2004. ISBN 1-4184-9302-3. * Ali Khan, [http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=940307 The Chechen Terror: The Play within the Play] *''Hunter Hammer and Heaven, Journeys to Three World's Gone Mad, by Robert Young Pelton'' (ISBN 1-58574-416-6) *Arkady Babchenko "''One Soldier's War In Chechnya''" Portobello, London ISBN 978 1 84627 039 0 * Asne Seirstad. The Angel of Grozny. ISBN 1-84408-395-4 * Scott Anderson. The Man Who Tried to Save the World. ISBN 0-385-48666-9 * [http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/chechnya-the-case-for-independence-by-tony-wood-442076.html Chechnya: The Case For Independence by Tony Wood] Book review in [[The Independent]], 2007 ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== {{commonscat-inline}} {{Linkfarm}} ===Maps and geography of Chechnya=== *[http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/chechen.html UT: Chechnya maps] <!-- *[http://harki.ath.cx/maps/chechnya.php?segment=b4 Chechnya topographical map] --> ===Human rights in Chechnya=== *Reports by European Commissioners for Human Rights, on their visits to the Chechen Republic of the Russian Federation: [https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?id=979423 25-26 February 2006] and [https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?id=1103233 27 February - 1 March 2007] *[http://www.internal-displacement.org/countries/russianfederation Internal Displacement in the Russian Federation] Country page by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre with a special focus on Chechnya and North Ossetia *2007 book ''[http://demos-center.ru/images/kniga_a5_.pdf Chechnya. Life at the war]'', issued by human rights center [[Demos (human rights)|Demos]] (in Russian) *[http://www.memo.ru/hr/hotpoints/caucas1/index.htm Reports on Northern Caucasus] by human rights center [[Memorial]] (in Russian) *[http://www.txetxenia.org Chechnya, let's break the silence] (in [[Catalan language|Catalan]] and Spanish) *[http://www.czeczenia.com.pl Chechnya&nbsp;— freedom] Crime, War, Freedom for Chechnya (in Polish) ===Chechen culture=== *Magazine [http://www.chechnya.cjes.ru/ "Chechen society today"] (in Russian) ===Western and independent Russian websites=== *[http://www.chechenworld.info/ Chechen World Online] *[http://eng.kavkaz.memo.ru/ Caucasian Knot] [[Memorial (society)|Memorial]] *[http://www.kavkaz-uzel.ru/news/?srch_section1=news&srch_count=20&srch_section2=chechnya Caucasian Knot&nbsp;— Chechnya section in Russian] *[http://www.jamestown.org/publications_view.php?publication_id=1 Chechnya Weekly (articles and analyses)] [[Jamestown Foundation]] *[http://www.watchdog.cz/ Prague Watchdog, Czech human rights group covering conflict in Chechnya] *[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/country_profiles/2565049.stm BBC Chechnya profile] *[http://www.time.com/time/europe/russia/chechnya/ Chechnya in TIME Magazine] ===Separatist and pro-Chechen websites=== <!-- *[http://www.chechenpress.co.uk/ Official bilingual site of the ChRI news media] [[Chechenpress]] --> *[http://www.kavkazcenter.com/ KC, Movladi Udugov's website] [[Kavkaz Center]] *[http://www.amina.com Chechen Republic Online] *[http://www.chechen.org/ The News Service of the ChRI President (in Russian)] ===Federalist websites=== *[http://chechnya.gov.ru/ Official site of the government of Chechen republic] {{ru icon}} *[http://www.chechnyafree.ru/index.php?lng=eng Free Chechnya site] (Chechen, Russian, English) *[http://www.chechnya.ru/ Chechnya.ru] {{ru icon}} ===Russian military websites=== *[http://artofwar.ru/e/english/ Some war veterans' memoirs] ("Art Of War" project) *[http://www.aeronautics.ru/chechnya/cindex.htm War in Chechnya 1999] *[http://www.foxbat.ru/Chechnya.htm Russian Air Force in Chechnya] ===Articles=== *[http://www.czeczenia.com.pl Chechnya&nbsp;— freedom] Crime, War, Freedom for Chechnya *[http://www.polosbastards.com/artman/publish/chechnya-history.shtml Russia's Splitting Headache&nbsp;— A Brief History Of Chechnya] *[http://www.pinr.com/report.php?ac=view_report&report_id=221&language_id=1 PINR&nbsp;— Chechnya: Russia's Second Afghanistan] *[http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/chechnya/ CBC.ca News Indepth: Chechnya] <!-- *[http://www.russiavotes.org/Mood_int_cur.htm Russians polled on Chechnya] --> *[http://assembly.coe.int/Documents/WorkingDocs/doc04/EDOC10276.htm The PACE report on the Chechnya political situation] *[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A27550-2004Sep16.html Washington Post: Is there no solution to the nine-year-old Chechen bloodbath?] <!-- *[http://www.mosnews.com/news/2004/11/19/civiliandeath.shtml Casualties since 1994] --> *[http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/Columnists/Toronto/Eric_Margolis/2005/02/27/944231.html Chechen struggle ignored] *[http://www.globalpolitician.com/articleshow.asp?ID=990&cid=4&sid=35 The Rise and Fall of the Chechen Independence Movement] *[http://www.da.mod.uk/CSRC/documents/Special/S40/view?searchterm=chechnya CSRC: The Caspian: Comminatory Crosscurrents, Oil and geopolitics] *[http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1289/ Significant excerpts are available online for free at the Rand] *[http://www.gazeta.ru/2005/08/15/oa_167396.shtml Chechen Death Toll claimed to be 160,000 by Chechen Authorities (in Russian)] *[http://www.chechnyaadvocacy.org Chechnya Advocacy Network (in English)] *[http://www.isn.ethz.ch/news/sw/details.cfm?id=16070 ISN Security Watch: Moscow's North Caucasus Quagmire] *[http://www.axisglobe.com/article.asp?article=976 Dossier: Chechen Security Forces 2000&nbsp;– 2006] *[http://www.geocities.com/svetlana.gubareva/30.html Beginning of the Chechen War (translation of grani.ru article)] *[http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2000/04/white/part05.htm The attack on the ICRC hospital in Novye Atagi] *[http://english.mn.ru/english/issue.php?2006-14-6 10 years ago Russian special forces killed Chechnya's self-proclaimed president, Dzhokhar Dudayev] "Moscow News" *[http://members.tripod.com/~ChechenianPhenomenon/ Almanac "Chechenian Phenomenon" in English and Russian, articles about the First Chechen war and its immediate aftermath] *[http://www.guardian.co.uk/chechnya/Story/0,,2179772,00.html Snipers, poverty and poor roads, but is this the next tourist haven?], by [[Tom Parfitt]], ''[[The Guardian]]'', [[September 29]], [[2007]] ===Currency=== *[http://numismondo.com/pm/cha Chechnya Paper Money] ===Photos of Chechnya=== *[http://www.syrtash.com/ Chechen Photo Gallery] ====War==== *[http://www.gallery.cjes.ru/foto/?author=1&cat=1 Chechnya 1994&nbsp;— 1995] photos by [[User:Evstafiev|Mikhail Evstafiev]] ====Modern photos==== *[http://sasisa.ru/2006/11/29/print:page,1,a_vot_tak_vyglyadit_chechnya_segodnya___30_foto__.html 2006 photos of Grozny], author unknown *[http://kunstkamera.livejournal.com/156555.html 2007 views of Grozny], [http://kunstkamera.livejournal.com/160625.html#cutid1 2007 photos of Chechen schools], both by Wischnewetzkaja Julia *[http://mnog.livejournal.com/189494.html?mode=reply April 2008 views] of Grozny, [http://mnog.livejournal.com/189766.html?mode=reply April 2008 photos of soccer match in Grozny] between [[FC Terek Grozny|Terek]] and [[PFC CSKA Moscow|CSKA]], both by Rubahin {{Subdivisions of Russia}} {{Countries and regions of the Caucasus}} [[Category:Chechnya| ]] [[Category:Proposed countries]] [[Category:Divided regions]] [[Category:Islam in Russia]] {{Link FA|fr}} [[ab:Чачантәыла Аҳәынҭқарра]] [[ar:شيشان]] [[az:Çeçenistan]] [[be:Чачня]] [[bg:Чеченска република]] [[ca:Txetxènia]] [[cs:Čečensko]] [[da:Tjetjenien]] [[de:Tschetschenien]] [[et:Tšetšeeni 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