Located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, the Republic of Dagestan is located in the eastern Caucasus, the southernmost region of the Russian Federation. The borders of Dagestan cross the land and sea borders of five states - Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan. Cordons in Russia with the Chechen Republic, the Stavropol Territory and Kalmykia.
The territory of Dagestan has a total length from north to south - 400 kilometers, its area is 50.3 thousand km2, the coastline stretches for 530 km.
Russian-Azerbaijani border
The total length of the bordering territories is 327.6 km, including river (55.2 km) and land (272.4 km) sections. Thanks to the agreement, which was signed on October 3, 2010 in Baku, the borders between the states were officially established. But this agreement entered into force during the exchange of instruments of ratification - July 18, 2011.
On the borders of Dagestan and Azerbaijan are locatedcontrol points through which transport and pedestrian communication between countries is carried out. The extremities of the territory have three main sections of the division - mountainous, foothill, passing along the Samur River, and lowland, located in the delta of the Samur River in the Caspian Lowland. The territorial cordons of Dagestan are equipped with modern tracking and protection equipment. Flat areas are equipped with barbed wire and video surveillance sensors.
Samur River
When dividing territorial lands, the issue of dividing the Samur River, the waters of which are used for irrigation by the two countries, is particularly acute. At the request of Azerbaijan, water intake enterprises were built on the territory of Dagestan to provide fresh water to dry lands. During the collapse of the USSR, the government of Azerbaijan declared the hydroelectric complex its property, although all enterprises are located within the territory of Russia.
Since the 1990s, the issue of delimitation of bordering territories and division in equal shares of freshwater resources obtained through the exploitation of the Samur River has been sharply raised. This issue was rejected by the Azerbaijani side, which argued the refusal by the shortage of fresh water in the mountainous areas and considered it economically unprofitable to reduce the volume of irrigated areas in the coastal lowland. In 2008, in order to increase the water intake of the Samur River, Azerbaijan began the reconstruction of the Samur-Absheron Canal.
The conflict was settled by the signing of Agreement No. 1416 of August 28, 2010 on the delimitation of borders. It included a provision on the rationalization of the use and protection of the natural resources of the Samur River. The state borders of Dagestan have changed, now passing in the middle of the hydroelectric complex. An equal amount of environmental discharge was also set - 30.5%.
Northern borders of Dagestan
Passes along the dry bed of the Kuma River. The border between Dagestan and Kalmykia has a total length of about 110 kilometers. The main religion of the Kalmyks is Buddhism, their religious beliefs in the territory of the Caucasian peoples, mostly preaching Islam, were the basis for many national conflicts.
Western border of Dagestan
The border between Dagestan and Chechnya runs in the west of the republic. Both Chechen and Dagestan peoples led a nomadic way of life. On the territory of the Republic of Chechnya, one nationality prevails - the Chechens, while the Republic of Dagestan is a multinational territory and has more than thirty different peoples. Since ancient times, the Chechen peoples did not have their own statehood, all power was distributed based on the tribal system. While the formation of state power among the Dagestan peoples is mentioned as early as the 1st century BC.
These two nations preach Sunni Islam. However, on the territory of Dagestan, the beginning of the formation of religious traditions dates back to the 7th century AD and, continuing gradually, is included in the traditions of the people. The Chechen peoples en masse entered the Islamic faith in the 18th century,therefore religion is not so deeply rooted among the population.
There is a difference in language between the republics. Although they belong to the Caucasian language family, due to linguistic differences, they cannot understand each other.
Today the most acute issue is about national relations on the border of Dagestan. Conflict situations are generated by the influence of the centuries-old traditions of the Caucasian peoples, the difference in religion, the established borders of states and the personal hostility of neighboring peoples.
