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Republic of North Ossetia - Alania

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    • General Information

    Passport of the subject of the Russian Federation
    Passport of the subject of the Russian Federation

    INFORMATION NOTE

    on the

    Republic of North Ossetia-Alania



    The Republic of North Ossetia-Alania is located in the North Caucasus Federal District of the Russian Federation.

    Area – about 8 thous. sq. km (0.05% of the area of the Russian Federation), 48 percent of which is occupied by its mountainous part.

    Population – 696.8 thousand people. More than 100 nationalities are represented in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania. The Republic is one of the most densely populated regions of Russia. The capital is the city of Vladikavkaz (321.1 thousand people).

    Social and cultural development. North Ossetia can rightfully be considered a cultural and ethnographic center in the North Caucasus – 7 theaters (including musical); 6 concert organizations: the philharmonic; the chamber choir, the national pop orchestra, the state folk orchestra, the folk-dance ensemble; 16 museums, including branches. The Republic is home to the oldest Russian Drama Theater in the North Caucasus n. a. Evgeny Vakhtangov, a native of Vladikavkaz, which was opened in 1871, North Ossetian State Drama Theater, State Opera and Ballet Theater, State Philharmonic Hall.

    The Republic of North Ossetia-Alania is rich in the sites of cultural heritage. There are 4,500 monuments of archaeology, history, urban planning, architecture, and monumental art (about 1,000 objects are in the mountainous areas). The vast majority of them date back to the era of the 15th-18th centuries and the beginning of the 19th  century, others – to the eras of the Stone Age, Early Iron Age, and Early Middle Ages.

    Sport in North Ossetia is part of the general culture and an important sphere in the life of the Ossetian people. Athletes from Ossetia have won 48 Olympic medals, of which 19 are gold, as well as more than 60 gold medals at world championships in various Olympic disciplines.

    Education and science. In the general education system of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, there are 186 state and municipal and 4 non-state educational institutions.

    The structure of the vocational education system of the Republic includes 20 professional educational organizations: 7 technical schools, 6 colleges, 6 vocational schools and 1 lyceum.

    Workers and mid-level specialists are being trained in 45 professions and 58 specialties in demand in agriculture, social sphere, transport, construction and industrial sectors, public services, tourism and services.

    The higher education system includes:

    4 state universities – North Ossetian State University n. a. K.L. Khetagurov; North Caucasus Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (State Technological University); Mountain (Gorskiy) State Agrarian University; North Ossetian State Medical Academy of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation.

    1 private educational institution of higher education - Vladikavkaz Institute of Management.

    Geographical features and climatic conditions

    The Republic of North Ossetia-Alania is located on the southern border of the Russian Federation. A special feature of the territorial location is the combination of mountainous, foothill and lowland areas.

    An important characteristic of the region’s climate is the sunshine duration throughout the year: in the mountainous area this indicator ranges from 1,980 to 2,780 hours. Similar mountain-recreational indicators are in Switzerland, Austria, and Italy.

    The Republic has convenient summer and winter periods of comfort (summer – 130-140 days, winter – 100-120 days). For winter types of recreation, the snow cover and its thickness are crucial. In the upper reaches of the Tseysky and Digorsky gorges, in the Zakinsky depression and in the Mamison region, the number of days with snow ranges from 105 to 140-150, the maximum height of snow cover ranges from 50-60 to 120-140 cm.

    The presence of two main highways through the Main Caucasus Range (the Georgian Military Highway and the Transcaucasian Highway “Transcam”) ensures the shortest overland safe transport links and the establishment of stable trade and economic ties of the Republic with the European part of Russia, the states of Transcaucasia, the Near and Middle East.

    Recreational, tourist and balneological resources

    Thanks to its natural-climatic and historical-cultural potential, Republic of North Ossetia-Alania has quite significant prospects for a stable competitive presence in the national market of recreational services.

    The region has a lot of historical and cultural resources for the development of excursion recreation and travel. About 2.5 thousand monuments of federal and republican significance are registered here, a number of which have been nominated for the approval by UNESCO as the monuments of world significance, such as the Dargavsky and Kurtatinsky gorges.

    In terms of the number of historical, cultural and architectural monuments per 1 sq. km. Republic of North Ossetia-Alania occupies one of the first places in Russia.

    An important component of the recreational potential of the Republic is the relatively developed engineering infrastructure, as well as transport accessibility, which allows for relatively short routes for transporting tourists to tourist attractions.

    The geographic location and climate of North Ossetia create the prerequisites for the development of almost all types of recreation and tourism.

    There are over 35 glaciers in the territory of the Republic. The Karaugomsky, Tseysky, Midagrabinsky, Skazsky, Mailisky glaciers are the most popular among tourists.

    The presence of 6 specially protected natural areas in the Republic, such as North Ossetian State Nature Reserve, Alania National Park, Tseysky State Nature Reserve, as well as state natural zoological reserves of regional significance, such as Turmonsky, Zmeysko-Nikolaevsky, Zamankulsky, are the prerequisites for the development of eco-tourism.

    The territory of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania is characterized not only by a huge diversity of natural and climatic complexes with picturesque landscape zones that follow in quick succession, but also by mineral water resources unique in their volume and diversity, which can serve as the basis for the creation of a large sanatorium and resort agglomeration. More than two hundred and fifty outlets of mineral waters of varying composition and properties are known in the small territory of the Republic. In terms of balneological properties, chemical and gas compositions, the mineral springs of North Ossetia are analogues of such well-known waters as Matsesta, Essentuki, Borjomi, Truskavets, Kislovodsk and others.

    In the territory of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, ski tourism is also developed, which is based on the travels associated with active recreation (skiing, snowboarding, etc.) in the existing ski resorts of the Republic (Tsey, Digoria).

    Industrial complex. The conditions for the development of the industrial complex in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania are associated with the presence of significant reserves of various minerals.

    All lead deposits of the North Caucasus Federal District are concentrated in North Ossetia. Major resources are localized in the Dzhimidon ore field. The Republic is also home to the largest zinc deposits – Dzhimidonsky, Kadat-Khampaldonsky, Kakadur-Kanikomovsky.

    There are sources of ores of non-ferrous, noble and rare metals (copper, tungsten, molybdenum, lead, zinc, cobalt, gold, silver, platinoids, rhenium and others) in the territory of the Republic.

    Agro-industrial complex. The main directions of the agro-industrial complex development in the Republic are growing and processing of grain crops and production of maize starch, molasses, glucose, dextrin, corn oil, processing and canning of vegetables and fruits, development of livestock and poultry farming, milk processing and production of a wide range of dairy products, extraction and bottling of mineral and fresh waters.

    Production of building materials. The industry of building materials in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania avails plants for the production of brick, concrete, lime, reinforced concrete products, sand and gravel mixtures, and metal structures. In recent years, production of metal tiles, reinforced foam concrete, decorative wall stone, highly artistic metal items using cold forging technology, and permanent polystyrene foam formwork for monolithic housing construction has been established.

    The Republic has significant reserves of building materials, such as sand and gravel mixtures, construction sands, clay raw materials, dolomites, limestones, marls, quartz sands, facing stones, and there is a number of promising deposits of roofing slates.

    More than 70% of the dolomite reserves in the Russian Federation used in the glass industry is concentrated in the Republic.

    Investment potential.

    Systematic activities aimed at the improvement of the investment climate in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania are carried out.

    All the necessary regulatory and legal framework has been generated and development institutions are operating, the work of which is aimed at creating a favorable investment climate in the region.

    In order to resolve the issue of import substitution, the Republic has approved the list of products necessary to ensure import substitution in the context of restrictive measures imposed by foreign states and international organizations.

    Every year the Republic shows positive dynamics in the National Investment Attractiveness Rating. Thus, by the end of 2023, the Republic was among the 15 regions with the most favorable investment climate.

    In 2023, the Investment Council in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania recognized 22 projects as large-scale investment projects, and 1 project as a socio-cultural facility.

    The largest among them are “Creation of an All-Season Theme Park Complex “Alania Park”, “Creation of a Tourist and Recreational Complex “Kakhtisar”, “Technical Re-Equipment and Expansion of Dolomite Production in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania,” “Construction of a Modern Greenhouse Complex in the Republic of North Ossetia -Alania,” “Center for Year-Round Production of Live Caviar and Rainbow Trout Seed in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania”.

    Within the framework of the economic development model of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, five “breakthrough” projects are being implemented: “Agro-Industrial Complex”, “Development of New Tourist Destinations”, “Creation of a Trout Farm”, “All-Season Tourist and Recreational Complex “Mamison”, as well as “Transport and Logistic Complex." The total cost of the projects is more than 64 billion rubles.

    The implementation of all breakthrough projects will make it possible to allow attracting more than 54 billion extra-budgetary funds by 2030 and create over 7 thousand jobs.

    The Development Agency of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania operates successfully supporting investment projects on the basis of “one-stop” principle.

    Transport and logistic complex. Republic of North Ossetia-Alania has a favorable strategic position on the southern borders of the Russian Federation, being in the center of land transport links between the countries of Europe, the Near and Middle East, which envisages creation of a modern transport and logistic complex  in its territory, including two federal highways through the Main Caucasus ridge on which modern international road checkpoints, an extensive railway and road system, the Vladikavkaz international airport, and equipped transport terminals are located.

    Making full use of the Republic’s transit potential will allow for the development of trade, financial system and transport-logistic activities. Development of transport corridors running through the territory of the Republic will contribute to the growth of the budgetary effect, organization of the associated infrastructure, and will open up wide opportunities for the economy and trade.

    Creation and development of an interregional logistic complex in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, which includes industrial production, polymer and packaging production, assembly production and processing of incoming cargo, warehouses, open container sites, a fleet of vehicles and service companies, loading and unloading complexes and a customs terminal, office premises, hotel complexes, catering is also promising.

    Currently, private investors are already constructing a transport and logistic terminal in the border area of the Republic.

    Creation of a modern, well-protected from the elements, year-round, comfortable transport corridor in the southern border region of Russia will ensure more profitable transit to European countries for the partners from Asia and Middle East with a times increase in cargo transportation volumes.

    Photo

    © The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation