INGUSHETIA, an autonomous area created in July, 1924, within the North Caucasian Area, occupying 3,199 sq.km. The watershed of the Caucasus forms its southern boundary, where Georgia borders it, the Kabardian territory lies to the north, the Chechen to the east and the North Ossetian to the west. The mountain region consists of the peaks, ridges and deep ravines of the main crest of the Caucasus lying east of Kazbek; the lowland is the eastern extension of the Vladikavkaz valley, and merges into the Kabardian plain. This small lowland area is only 200 metres above sea level, but much of Ingushetia is 4,00o metres, with scattered peaks rising even higher. It is drained by the Terek and its tributaries the Armkhi, Sunzha, Kambileyevka; the Ossa river, a tributary of the Sunzha, is the main stream in the district. The climate varies with the relief ; the annual rainfall may be 50o to 84o mm., and is greatest from the end of spring to midsum mer, with a further fall at the beginning of winter. This type of rainfall favours the growth of maize, but is bad for wheat. There are seven meteorological stations in Ingushetia which record average January temperature —4.5° to —5.4° C and July 2o.6° to 2 2.2 ° C. The temperature is rarely higher than 22.6° C. The north of the valley of the Armkhi, on the Stolovoi slopes, is, how ever, practically rainless and the hill meadows are parched in summer, while the south below the snow-line is covered with mixed pine and deciduous forest where health resorts could be favourably developed. Near Kabardia the climate approximates to the dry continental type of the North Caucasian Area, and the soil is a transition type between chestnut coloured and black earth (see RUSSIA, Soils) ; typical steppe vegetation is found here. On the southern slopes of the hills are forests of ash, lime, oak, wild cherry and a great variety of shrubs ; on the northern are birch and willow. In the Black mountain region, beech occupies 7o% of the forest, the rest being lime, hazel, oak, apple and pear. On the higher slopes are pine forests and alpine and sub-alpine mead ows. Agriculture is the chief occupation; there are no settlements large enough to be called towns, the administrative offices are in Vladikavkaz. The cultivation of maize occupies the first place in the local economy; in 1926, of 5o,800 hectares of cultivated land 97.4% were under maize. Livestock breeding, mainly of a nomad type relying on pasturage, supplemented , in the winter by maize forage, comes next. In 1926 there were roughly 55,000 sheep, 52,00o working cattle, 21,60o horses and 5,5oo goats, i.e., about 75% of the number in 1913. Potatoes, vegetables, fruit, melons and cucumbers are grown and could be profitably developed f or the market if transport facilities were provided. Beekeeping forms a supplementary occupation. The tiny scattered hamlets in the higher valleys rely almost exclusively on their flocks of sheep, goats and chamois which provide them with wool for homespun and with leather, meat and milk. The Ingushetes in these regions are wild and lawless; the blood feud is common and trade is of an exchange and barter type. Their homes are smoky, windowless hovels, and eye diseases are common. The valley Ingushetes are settled cultivators and their easier contact with their Russian neighbours has considerably modified their customs. The absence of transport facilities is marked, roads are non existent in many places, and the hill streams are impossible for navigation. Only 7 km. of the westward railway from Groznyi comes into the area, with Nazran as its stopping place. Until communications have improved, the timber wealth of the region will remain unexploited; at present it has not been surveyed completely. Nor, as yet, has a geological survey been completed. A westward extension of the Groznyi naphtha beds exists in the Achalukov region, in which also copper and sulphur pyrites are known to exist, but they are not worked. It is estimated that there must also be layers of copper, asbestos, coal and saltpetre in other regions. Mineral springs exist, and those at Achaluk are much resorted to by the native tribes. At present, the only mining activity is carried on by peasant artels working salt, lime and ochre. There are two factories which export products outside Ingushetia, one a brandy distillery, and the other a starch factory. According to the 1926 census the population was roughly 75,2o0, of whom more than 9o% were Ingushetes. The literacy rate is about 6% for men and less than 1 % for women. Education in a hill community with poor communications and a slender budget presents great difficulties ; the number of primary schools in 1925-6 was 22, and there were 1,26o scholars; it is evident that in such circumstances the rate of literacy cannot increase rapidly. Health services are poor; there is one hospital, with 20 beds, for the whole area. Government stations for dealing with malaria, tuberculosis and social diseases have recently been established. The Ingushete language is closely allied to that of the Chechens, and both Ingushetians and Chechens call themselves "nakhchi" (people). The Ingushetes also call themselves "Lamur," "Galgai" or "Nazranovs." In physical type they are extremely varied, and dark brown, blue and light grey eyes are common; the prevailing hair shades are dark red and black, and a large proportion is dolichocephalic.
In 1926 an Ingushetian Research Institute was founded in Vladikavkaz. The district is full of interest because it has pre served its ancient customs to so late a date. Numerous cist burials, associated with Bronze and Iron cultures, have been dis covered, some crouched and some extended, but all with the head oriented to the west. Until the middle of the i9th century burials took place in "kashi," or two storied chambers, some hut-shaped with roofs and some cone shaped. The corpses were piled up to the ceiling buried in their ordinary garments, and with utensils and weapons for use in the next world. These sepulchres were built of stone cemented with clay or lime and were whitewashed on the outside ; the window was to the east and the roof of the lower chamber vaulted, with a window in the north leading to the upper chamber. Owing to the dryness of the atmosphere, the corpses became partially mummified. A marked feature of Ingushete "awls" or mountain villages from the 15th century to modern times is the erection of military and resi dential turrets, mostly square at the base and tapering towards the top : the military turrets are of ten 7o ft. high with 4 or 5 storeys. They are an indication of the state of perpetual tribal warfare existing in the region. In the iith century the Ingushetes were dependent on Georgia, but in the early 15th century the Kabardians conquered them and exacted tribute so oppressively that the Ingushetes placed themselves under Russian protection in 17 7o. The Kabardians resented this and a Russian regiment under General Medemom was sent to pacify the district. From that time onwards sporadic outbreaks of unrest continued, in which religious fanaticism played its part. The Ingushetes are Mohammedans of the Sunni sect, and joined the rebellion under Shamil (q.v.) . The building of the Georgian military road, the establishment of Cossack military outposts and finally the build ing of the railway to Vladikavkaz gradually pacified the district, but the bands of Ingushete highway robbers, retreating to their inaccessible mountain fastnesses, have been a thorn in the side of settled government.
See N. Yakovlev, Ingushi (Moscow, 1925) .