Ossetians

Ossetians, people descended from the ancient Alans, who speak Ossetic, a language of the Iranian branch of the subfamily of Indo-Iranian languages. Ossetic has two dialects, Iron and Digor, and uses the Latin alphabet for writing; formerly the Armenian alphabet was used. The Ossetians inhabited Ossetia, a region in the central Caucasus (part of Caucasia), the northern areas of which are in Russia, the southern areas, in the Republic of Georgia. Ossetians presently number some 600,000. The northern Ossetians are Sunnites. They export timber and cultivate various crops, especially maize. The southern Ossetians are Eastern Orthodox Christians and are chiefly pastoral, herding sheep, goats, and cattle. Traditional industry includes the manufacturing of leather goods, fur caps, daggers, and metalware.

Christianity was introduced to Ossetia in the 12th century. The region was conquered by Russia in 1806.