Dagestan

The **Republic o Dagestan** ( or ; , *Respublika Dagestan*; an aw spelt *Daghestan*) is a federal subject (a republic) o Roushie, locatit in the North Caucasus region. Its caipital an the lairgest ceety is Makhachkala, locatit at the centre o Dagestan on the Caspian Sea. Population: 2,910,249 (2010 Census).

Dagestan is ethnically vera diverse, wi several dozen ethnic groups an subgroups inhabitin the republic, maist o which speak aither Caucasian, Turkic, or Iranian leids. Lairgest amang thir ethnic groups are the Avar, Dargin, Kumyk, Lezgin, an Laks. While Roushies form anerlie a sma proportion (4.7%) o the population, Roushie remains the primary offeecial leid.

Dagestan haes been a scene o law-level Islamic insurgency, occasional ootbreaks o separatism, ethnic tensions an terrorism syne the 1990s. Accordin tae International Crisis Group, the militant Islamist organisation Shariat Jamaat is responsible for hintle o the violence. Hintle o the tension is ruitit in an internal Islamic conflict atween traditional Sufi groups advocatin secular govrenment an mair recently introducit Salafist teachers preachin the implementation o Sharia law in Dagestan.

## Toponymy
The wird *Dagestan* is o Turkic oreegin. *Dag* means 'muntain' an *-stan* is a Persie suffix meanin 'land'. The wird *Dagestan* therefore means "the land o muntains". Some areas o Dagestan wur kent as ''Albanie'', *Avaria*, an *Tarkov* at various times.

### Names for Dagestan
*Avar - Дагъистаналъул Республика (Dağistanal‘ul Respublika)
*Dargin - Дагъистанес Республика (Dağistanes Respublika)
*Kumyk - Дагъыстан Республикасы (Dağıstan Respublikası)
*Lezgian - Дагъустандин Республика (Dağustandin Respublika)
*Lak - Дагъустаннал Республика (Dağustannal Respublika)
*Tabasaran - Дагъустан Республика (Dağustan Respublika)
*Turkis - Dağıstan Cumhuriyeti
*Azerbaijani - Dağıstan Respublikası
*Chechen - Dexasta-çö.

## Geography
The republic is situatit in the North Caucasus muntains.  It is the soothmaist pairt o Roushie, an is bordered on its eastren side bi the Caspian Sea.
**Area*: 
**Borders*:
***internal*: Kalmykie (N), Chechenie (W), an Stavropol Krai (NW)
***internaitional*: Azerbaijan (S), Georgie (SW)
***watter*: Caspian Sea (E)
**Heichest point*: Bazardyuzi Muntain (4,466&nbsp;m)
**Maximum north-sooth distance*: 
**Maximum east-wast distance*: 

### Rivers

Thare are ower 1,800 rivers in the republic.  Major rivers include:
*Sulak River
*Samur River
*Terek River
*Rubas River
*Avar Koisu

### Lakes
Dagestan haes aboot  o coast line on the Caspian Sea.

### Muntains
Maist o the Republic is muntainous, wi the Greater Caucasus Muntains coverin the sooth.  The heichest pynt is the Bazardyuzi peak at 4,466 m.

### Natural resources
Dagestan is rich in Ile, natural gas, coal, an mony ither minerals.

### Climate
The climate is het an dry in the simmer but the winters are haurd in the muntain areas.

**Average Januar temperatur*: 
**Average Julie temperatur*: 
**Average annual [[precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation]]*: 250 (northren plains) tae 800&nbsp;mm (in the muntains).

## Admeenistrative diveesions

## See an aw
*Insurgency in the North Caucasus
*Leet o clashes in the North Caucasus
*Former countries in Europe after 1815
*Muusic o Dagestan

## Notes

## Freemit airtins
* Offeecial govrenmental wabsteid o Dagestan