Adygey Republic

Adygey Republic

(ədĭgyĕ`) or

Adygeya,

formerly

Adyge Autonomous Region,

constituent republic (1990 est. pop. 435,000), c.2,935 sq mi (7,600 sq km), an enclave within Krasnodar Territory, SE European Russia, at the northern foothills of the Greater Caucasus. MaykopMaykop
, city (1989 pop. 149,000), capital of Adygey Republic, Krasnodar Territory, S European Russia, at the foot of the Greater Caucasus and on the Belaya River. It has machinery, lumber, and food-processing industries.
..... Click the link for more information.  is the capital. Agriculture is the chief occupation; wheat, corn, and rice are the leading food crops. Cattle raising is the predominant farm industry. Forests in the Caucasian foothills support a lumber industry. The Maykop region has oil and natural gas deposits. Oil refining, food processing, furniture making, and the production of machinery, machine tools, and building materials are leading industries. The Muslim Adygey (or Cherkess) people (see CircassiaCircassia
, historic region, encompassing roughly the area between the Black Sea, the Kuban River, and the Caucasus, now largely the Krasnodar Territory of SE European Russia. The Circassians are a Muslim people, whose Russian name is Cherkess and whose native name is Adygey.
..... Click the link for more information. ) are known for their tapestries and other handicrafts. The Adygey people make up only 22% of the population of the republic; 68% of the population is Russian. The region was conquered (1830–64) by the Russians from the Turks, who had introduced Islam. It was established as an autonomous region [oblast] in 1922. The region was given republic status in 1991, and was a signatory of the Mar. 31, 1992, treaty of federation. Russians and other people of Slavic descent have called for merging the republic into the surrounding Krasnodar Territory, leading to ethnic tensions in Adygeya.