MAYKOP

also spelled Maikop, city and capital of the republic of Adygea, Krasnodar kray (region), Russia, on the right bank of the Belaya River. Maykop (from the Adyghian myequape meaning valley of apple trees) was founded in 1857 as a Russian fortress. Food processing is the city's leading industry; metalworking, machine building, timber working, and tannin extracting are also important. The Maykop oil fields lie southwest of the city. In 1950 a hydroelectric plant was completed on the Belaya. The many mineral springs in the neighbourhood have given Maykop some importance as a spa. The city has a teacher-training institute and an institute of the Adyghian language, history, and literature. Pop. (1994 est.) 163,600.