Head of the Republic: Ramzan Kadyrov (appointed February 16, 2007)
Federation Council representatives: Suleiman Geremeyev (2010 to 2011), Ziyad Sabsabi (2008 to 2012)
Population: 1,268,042 (2010 census)
Territory: 16,000 square km.
Capital: Grozny (population 250,803), 2,030 km from Moscow
Other major cities: Argun, Gudermes
Federal district: Southern
Economic region: North Caucasus
Time zone: Moscow, GMT +3, EST +8
Geography: The Chechen Republic is located on the northern slopes of the Greater Caucasus and on the adjacent Chechen Plain and Terek-Kuma Lowland. The republic borders Georgia, Stavropol Territory and the republics of Ingushetia, Dagestan and North Ossetia. The main topographical features are the high lateral nd rocky ranges of the Greater Caucasus; the valleys of the Terek River and its tributary the Sunzha; and the Chechen Plain, which leads into the Terek-Kuma Lowland, lying below sea level. The landscape changes from north to south, from steppe and chestnut soils, to forest steppe with black earth, to forests of broad-leaved evergreens covering the mountain slopes, and finally to alpine meadows.
Urban population: 34%, Rural population: 66%
Ethnic make-up: more than 40 nationalities, including Chechens (66%), Russians (24.8%) and Ingush (2.3%)
