Conditions for effective development of mountain regions (the case of the North Caucasus)

The paper deals with the problems and conditions for effective development of mountain regions. For Russia, a significant part of which is in mountain areas, this issue is particularly relevant. The Russian region with the largest area of mountain territories and at the same time with the greatest number of social risks that require constant research and monitoring is the North Caucasus. The author analyzes the development of this region taking into account economic, socio-cultural and environmental factors. The special role of the tourism sector, which can become a driver of economic growth, is noted. However, it is possible only in the case of a high level of security, therefore, at present, the tourism industry is poorly developed in the subjects of the Russian Federation that are part of the North Caucasian Federal District. It is concluded that it is necessary to adopt relevant legislative act at the federal level in order to comprehensively cover the entire range of problems of Russia’s mountain regions and regulate interregional cooperation on this issue.