Geography:
Ingushetia is located between Chechenia to the east and North Ossetia to the west and borders Georgia in the south. The capital is Nazran. Area: 3000 km², excluding the disputed Prigorodni Rayon.

 
People:

Population:
The population of Ingushetia is 300,000 including displaced Ingush. The Ingush refer themselves as Galgai, the name of one of the main tribes.

Languages:

The Ingush is a Caucasian people and the Ingush language is of the Caucasian group.

Economy:

Ingushetia has been designated a free economic zone. The republic has mineral water and is considering developing a modest tourist industry.

Brief History:

Part of the Russian empire since the early 19th century, during the Russian domination a large number of North Caucasians, including many Ingush, were forced to emigrate, mostly to the Ottoman Empire while a large number of Russians were resettled in the region.
In 1921 the Autonomous Soviet Mountain Republic, of which the Ingush formed a part together with Kabardans, Chechens, Circassians, Ossetians, Balkars and the Karachai, was created.

In 1924 Ingushetia became an autonomous district of the Russian Federation. The political and intellectual leadership of Ingushetia were deported.

In 1936 the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Region was raised to the status of an Autonomous Republic. Like the Chechens, the Ingush, despite their history of relative loyalty to Moscow, were deported to Central Asia towards the end of World War II by Stalin who accused them of collaborating with the Nazis. The Prigorodni Rayon was transferred to north Ossetia. The republic was dissolved. Only in 1957 when Khrushchev was Soviet leader, Ingush were allowed to return and the Chechen-Ingush Republic was restored, without the Prigorodni Rayon.

Following the Chechen declaration of independence, the Republic of Ingushetia formally became a republic within the new Russian Federation.

In late 1992 violence erupted in Prigorodny Rayon between Ingush and Ossetian. The fighting left many dead. Moscow sent troops to establish order. The Ingush population was expelled and Ingushetia faced its first post-independence refugee crisis. In 1995 an agreement between North Ossetia and Ingushetia was signed which concerned the return of the displaced persons. In 1997 an international conference in Nazran on the refugee issue was co- sponsored by UNPO.

Current situation

Ingushetia lives in the shadow of the violence and lawlessness of its Chechen neighbour and poverty is widespread. From time to time the violence has spilled over the border and Russian forces are regularly targeted by attackers. In 2004 several dozen people, including the Ingush acting interior minister, were killed in attacks reported to have involved hundreds of gunmen armed with grenades and rockets. Last september a group of Chechen terrorists seized a school in the city of Beslan killing at least 330 people.


Organizations:
The Ingush Republic is represented within UNPO by the Government of the Ingush republic

Statistics: