Confessions Of A Stumped Geo-Wonk

When Publius Pundit wrote that Russia is "worried about the situation in Dagestan," I said "Dage-what?"A nation I've never even heard of? Whoa; that doesn't happen very often. I mean, I can even spell Kyrgyzstan.

So I read on ... kind of routine crumbling remnants of the Soviet empire stuff... clicked through to Radio Free Europe and found this amazing paragraph:

Part of the problem derives from Daghestan's [note different spelling from Publius Pundits'] complex ethnic makeup. With a total population of 2,149,000, Daghestan is home to some 50 different nationalities, of which 14 have the status of titular nationalities. They are the Avars (28 percent), Dargins (15.5 percent), Kumyks (12.9 percent), Lezgins (11.5 percent), Russians, Laks, Tabasarans, Azeris, Chechens, Nogais, Tats, Rutuls, Agurs, and Tsakhurs.

I read the paragraph to Incredible Daughter #1 and she said, "That can't be real!" But it is.


Proof of Dagestan. Sing along now,
"I left my heart in Makhachkala...."