Chechnya

The Chechen Republic (Chechen: ??????? ??????????/Nox?iyn Respublika, Russian: ????????? ??????????), informal Chechnya (Chechen: ????????/Nox?iy?/Nokhchiyno, Russian: ?????), sometimes incorrectly refered to as Ichkeria, Chechnia or Chechenia, is currently a constituent republic of the Russian Federation. Bordering Stavropol Krai to the northwest, the republic of Dagestan to the northeast and east, Georgia to the south, and the republics of Ingushetia and North Ossetia to the west, it is located in the Northern Caucasus mountains, in the Southern Federal District.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

During the collapse of the Soviet Union (1991), the government of the republic declared independence as the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. As of 2005, their independence has not been recognized by any major state. This declaration has led to armed conflicts between the forces of the self-declared government and other Chechen groups, and the Russian Federal army.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Pro-Moscow Chechen officials claim that by 1994 over 200,000 people have been killed in Chechnya, including more than 20,000 children,http://www.mosnews.com/news/2004/11/19/civiliandeath.shtml and further that ethnic Chechens comprise only one quarter of this number http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/08/b23f8d99-f15d-4b40-882c-975598c29ae3.html. They do not account for the remainder of those killed.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Rebel sources claim that federal forces have killed more than 250,000 people in Chechnya, including 42,000 children http://www.chechnya-mfa.info/print_news.php?func=detail&par=123.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The official death toll for federal troops is more than 10,000, although other sources claim the real figure is closer to 40,000. There is no independent confirmation for any of these figures.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Chechen: Chechen can mean:...

Russian: Russian can mean:...

Ichkeria: Ichkeria is a Turkic name for the central part of Chechnya. According to the legend, all "pure" Chechen teips originated there....