Uchkeken

Utschkeken (Russian Учкекен, Karachay- Balkar Ючкёкен ) is a village ( selo ) in the Republic of Karachay -Cherkessia (Russia) with 16,512 inhabitants (as of October 14, 2010 ).

Geography

The village is situated on the northern edge of the Greater Caucasus, about 50 km as the crow southwest of the Republic Capital Tscherkessk and 16 km west of the already lying in the neighboring region of Stavropol spa town of Kislovodsk. The mountains in the area of nearly 1000 m high town rise up to about 1500 m. Utschkeken extends in the valley of Eschkakon, which opens into the right Kuma Creek Podkumok at the lower edge.

Utschkeken is the administrative center of the Rajons Malokaratschajewski. The place is inhabited mainly by Karachay.

History

The village was founded in 1922. With the founding of the Karachay- Cherkess 1943 resolved Autonomous Region ( predecessor of the present-day Republic ) it was the administrative center of a Rajons 1957.

Demographics

Note: Census data

Education

In Utschkeken there are branches of the Southern Federal University Rostov-on- Don and the Pyatigorsk State Linguistic University.

Economy and infrastructure

In the agricultural area around Utschkeken wheat, potatoes and forage crops are grown; it is operated ( stud Karatschajewski ) cattle, sheep and horses. In the village there are farms of the light and food industries and the construction industry.

The nearest train station as the end point of a branch line from Mineralnye Vody is located in Kislovodsk. Leads through the village the highway A157 Karatschajewsk - Pyatigorsk.