ABSTRACT
This chapter provides all basic political, economic, and demographic data on every territorial unit of the Russian Federation, its local government structure, regional politics and electoral history through the spring 2000 elections and the summer 2000 reorganization of the North Ossetia-Alania. The republic is located in the southeastern part of the North Caucasus and borders Stavropol Krai, Kabardino-Balkaria, Ingushetia, Chechnya, and Georgia. Unlike the majority of North Caucasian peoples who are Muslim, the majority of North Ossetians are Orthodox Christian. When Duma Deputy Aleksandr Dzasokhov was elected president of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania on 18 January 1998, many hoped that a resolution to the conflict between North Ossetia and the Republic of Ingushetia would soon be found. Although ethnic conflict plays a large role in North Caucasian history, the contemporary Ossetian-Ingush hostility is primarily a result of events from the Soviet period.
