North Ossetia-Alania is one of the smallest, most densely populated and multi-cultural republics in Russian Federation. The findings of the last census of 1989 show that the population of 646,000 inhabitants represents about 100 nationalities living on an area of 8,000 sq.km. (81 people to every sq.km.). Vladikavkaz is the capital of North Ossetia-Alania.
Since before recorded history, North Ossetia-Alania has been the crossroads of main Caucasus routes and a bridge between Transcaucasus and Europe. Due to its strategic geographical position, North Ossetia-Alania has always been the subject of dispute for all the great empires. The Great Silk Route, which bound all civilized mankind from China to the Atlantic coast at the begining of our time, passed through the Alan kingdom, from which Ossetia inherited its ethnic and cultural traditions. During the times of II-I millennia BC one of the oldest cultures of the world - the Coban culture, transient from the Bronze to the Early Iron Age, was formed in the territory of modern Ossetia. "The Narts" cultural liturature, known worldwide, is a witness to the culture and ways of life, social and economic structure, traditions, habits and religious beliefs of the Ossettes for thousands of years.
Historically the Ossetes have been divided between two states, Georgia, to which South Ossetia belongs and Russia, of which North Ossetia is a constituent republic.
North Ossetia is a presidential republic. Ahsarbek Galazov, the first president in the history of Ossetia was unanimously elected and inaugurated on 16th of January, 1994. He is, and has always been, a vigorous participant of peacemaking actions aimed at the different situations in the region.
