Bashkortostan
Encyclopedia
The Republic of Bashkortostan , also known as Bashkiria is a federal subject
of Russia
(a republic
). It is located between the Volga River
and the Ural Mountains
. Its capital
is the city of Ufa
. Population:
suffix -stan
(an ending common to many Central Asian countries).
period; however, it was the Bronze Age
which served as a spur to populate this territory. When people of Abashevo culture
started settling here, they possessed high skills in manufacturing bronze tools, weapons, and decorations. They were the first to establish permanent settlements in the Southern Urals.
Bashkortostan is a territory in the Southern Urals and in Cis-Urals, named after its native people - Bashkirs (bashkort). The Russian (Slavonic) name of the country — Bashkiriya — formed at the end of the XVI century. Originally it was used in the form «Bashkir’», «Bashkirda», «Bashkir horde». The first written references to Bashkir tribes were in compositions of Herodotus (fifth century B.C.). The ethnonym Bashkirs first became known in the 9th century. Valuable information is contained in works by Sallam Tardzheman (IX cent.) and Ibn-Fadlan (X cent.); Al-Balkhi (X cent.) wrote about Bashkirs as a people, divided into two groups, one of which inhabited the Southern Urals, the other near the Danube river , close to the boundaries of Byzantium. His contemporary Ibn-Ruste wrote that Bashkirs were «an independent people, occupying territories on both sides of the Ural mountain ridge between Volga, Kama, Tobol and upstream of Yaik river».
After the early-feudal Mongolian state had broken down, the territory of modern Bashkortostan was divided between Kazan, Siberia Khanate
s and Nogai Horde
. The tribes that lived there were headed by bi (tribal heads). After Kazan
fell to Ivan the Terrible
in 1554–1555, representatives of western and northwestern Bashkir tribes approached the Tsar with a request to voluntarily join the Muscovy.
Starting from the second half of the 16th century, Bashkiria's territory began taking shape as a part of the Russian state. In 1798 the Spiritual Assembly of Russian Muslims was established— an indication that the tsarist Government recognized the rights of Bashkirs
, Tatars
, and other Muslim nations to profess Islam and perform religious rituals. Ufa Governorate
, with a center in Ufa
, was formed in 1865— another step towards territorial identification.
After the Russian revolution
, Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic
(ASSR
) was established, firstly as Little Bashkortostan, but eventually all of Ufa Governorate
was incorporated into the newly established republic. During the Soviet period, Bashkiria was granted broad autonomous rights— the first among other Russian regions. The administrative structure of the Bashkir ASSR was based on principles similar to those of other autonomous republics of Russia.
The extraction of crude oil in Bashkiria began in 1932. At the end of 1943, large crude oil deposits were discovered. During World War II
, Bashkiria became one of the major regions of the Soviet Union to accommodate plants and factories evacuated from Western Russia, as well as great masses of people, as well as providing the country with weaponry, fuel, and foodstuffs. After the war, a good number of industries were further developed in Bashkiria such as mining, machine building and, especially, oil-refining. Bashkiria's industry became a solid base for the further economic growth of all European outlying territories of Russia.
On October 11, 1990 the Supreme Soviet of the Republic adopted the Declaration on state sovereignty of the Bashkir ASSR. On February 25, 1992 the Bashkir ASSR was renamed the Republic of Bashkortostan.
On March 31, 1992 a Federative Compact "On separation of authorities and powers among federal organs of power of the Russian Federation and the organs of power of the Republic of Bashkortostan" was signed. On August 3, 1994 a Compact "On separation of authorities and mutual delegating of powers among the organs of power of the Russian Federation and the organs of power of the Republic of Bashkortostan" was signed.
Bashkortostan is traversed by the northeasterly line of equal latitude and longitude.
There are over 13,000 rivers in the republic. Many rivers are part of the deepwater transportation system of European Russia; they provide access to ports of the Baltic
and Black seas
.
Major rivers include:
reserves, and was one of the principal centers of oil extraction in the Soviet Union
. Other major resources are natural gas
, coal
, ferrous metal ores
, manganese
, chromite
, iron ores, non-ferrous metals ores (lead
, tungsten
), non-metallic ores (rock crystal, fluorite
, iceland spar
, sulfide
pyrite
s, barite
, silicates, silica, asbestos
, talcum), deposits of precious and semi-precious stones and natural stones (malachite
, jade
, granite
).
The republic has enough mineral resources to provide its power and fuel complex as well as petro-chemical, chemical, agro-industrial complex, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, glass-making and ceramic branches with raw materials.
Bashkortostan is one of the major raw materials bases for Russia non-ferrous metallurgy
. The republic has good deposits of lignite
with a high degree of bitumenosity. This lignite can be used for obtaining a variety of different chemical products like resins, surface-active substances, gummy fertilizer
s, and other stimulants for plants growth. Mining-chemical raw materials (rock salt, lime
, phosphorite
s, barytes, etc.) are quite substantial, and are utilized in the republic economy.
Bashkortostan is also rich in woods. The total territory covered with forests is about 62000 square kilometres (23,938.3 sq mi). More than one third of the republic territory is covered with woods. The following types of trees dominate: birch
tree, conifers, lime
, oak
, and maple
. The general stock of timber according to some evaluation is 717.9 million m³. Bashkortostan forests have special sanctuaries and national parks. They cover more than 10000 square kilometres (3,861 sq mi).
Bashkortostan is also rich in springs and sources of mineral
, medicinal, and drinking water.
Rustem Khamitov
assumed office as president on July 19, 2010. His predecessor was Murtaza Rakhimov
, elected on December 17, 1993. Before the elections, Rakhimov was the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the Republic— the highest post at that time. Rakhimov was re-elected in December 2003 in a poll condemned by the OSCE
for exhibiting "elements of basic fraud."
The Republic's parliament
is the State Assembly—Kurultai
, popularly elected every five years. The one-chamber State Assembly has 120 deputies.
The Republic's Constitution was adopted on December 24, 1993. Article 1 of the Constitution stipulates that Bashkortostan is a sovereign state within Russia, it has state power beyond the limits of authority of the Russian Federation and the powers of the Russian Federation concerning the aspect of joint authority of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Bashkortostan. The Republic of Bashkortostan is a full-fledged subject of the Russian Federation on equal and agreed bases.
The relations of the Republic of Bashkortostan and the Russian Federation are at present based on the articles of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the Constitution of the Republic of Bashkortostan, the Federative Compact (with amendments), and the Agreement on Separation of authorities and powers and mutual delegating of powers among the organs of state power of the Republic of Bashkortostan.
The judicial power of the republic is in the hands of the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, district Courts, and justices of the peace.
In full accord with universally recognized principles of international law, articles of the European Charter on local self-government and the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the Republic of Bashkortostan ensures in its Constitution that local self-government is recognized and guaranteed within the republic's territory.
The Republic of Bashkortostan resolves all issues of administrative-territorial structure on its own. The list of districts and towns, municipalities, as well as the order of establishing, amending and changing borders of municipalities and their names are stipulated by the Republic of Bashkortostan law "On administrative-territorial structure of the Republic of Bashkortostan and territory of municipalities".
The economy of Bashkortostan, being one of the largest industrial centers of Russia, is very diverse. Bashkortostan has a large agricultural
sector. But the republic's most important industry is chemical processing; Bashkortostan produces more oil
than any other region of Russia, about 26 million tons annually, and provides 17% of the country's gasoline
and 15% of its diesel
fuel. Other important products manufactured in Bashkortostan include alcohols, pesticide
s and plastics. The republic's gross regional product
in 2007 was 645 billion rubles (over €18 billion). More than half of Bashkortostan's industry is based in Ufa
, the republic's capital.
the ‘national composition’ was • Russian
36.32% • Bashkir
29.76% • Tatar
24.14% • Chuvash
2.86% • Mari 2.58% • Ukrainian
1.35% • Mordovian 0.63% • Udmurt 0.55% • Belarusians
0.42% • Armenian
0.21% • German
0.20% • Uzbek
0.13% • Azeri
0.12% • Kryashen 0.11% • Kazakh
0.10% • Tajik 0.07% • Jewish
0.06% • and various other groups of less than two thousand persons each. An additional 0.11% of the inhabitants declined to state their nationality on the census questionnaire. Historical figures are shown below:
Spoken languages: Russian
(96%), Tatar
(34%), Bashkir
(26%).
account for the majority of Bashkir and Tatar. Most Russians, Chuvash and Ukrainians are Orthodox Christians.Most Mari are Pagan.Non-religious people form a substantial part of any ethnic group in Bashkortostan. There are 13,000 Jews in the republic, with a historic synagogue
in Ufa
, and a new Jewish Community Center built in 2008.
is under way at twelve institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences, twenty-nine institutes of different branches of industry, as well as numerous design bureaus and organizations, universities, and colleges.
The country's system of popular education took shape over many centuries and reflects the Bashkir people's folklore
, nation
al customs, and tradition
s. When Islam
spread in Bashkiria in the 10th century, an educational system began to emerge gradually— primarily religious schools operated under the supervision of mosque
s ( and madrasah
).
In addition, many institutions of higher education operate in the republic, including branches of 16 leading Russian universities and colleges. Specialists graduate with degrees in about 200 trades and profession
s.
Education is primarily in Russian
and Bashkir
.
In addition, Bashkortostan is home to song and dance companies, a network of national theaters, museums, and libraries, and a number of annual folk festivals. The republic has seven Bashkir, four Russian, and two Tatar State Drama Theaters, a State Opera and Ballet Theater, a National Symphony Orchestra, "Bashkortostan" film studio, thirty philharmonic collectives, and the Bashkir State Folk Dance Ensemble.
The Bashkir School of Dance is well respected, with many students receiving international awards at competitions in Russia and other countries. World-renowned ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev
, as a child, was encouraged to dance in Bashkir folk performances, and began his dancing career in Ufa.
Federal subjects of Russia
Russia is a federation which, since March 1, 2008, consists of 83 federal subjects . In 1993, when the Constitution was adopted, there were 89 federal subjects listed...
of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
(a republic
Republics of Russia
The Russian Federation is divided into 83 federal subjects , 21 of which are republics. The republics represent areas of non-Russian ethnicity. The indigenous ethnic group of a republic that gives it its name is referred to as the "titular nationality"...
). It is located between the Volga River
Volga River
The Volga is the largest river in Europe in terms of length, discharge, and watershed. It flows through central Russia, and is widely viewed as the national river of Russia. Out of the twenty largest cities of Russia, eleven, including the capital Moscow, are situated in the Volga's drainage...
and the Ural Mountains
Ural Mountains
The Ural Mountains , or simply the Urals, are a mountain range that runs approximately from north to south through western Russia, from the coast of the Arctic Ocean to the Ural River and northwestern Kazakhstan. Their eastern side is usually considered the natural boundary between Europe and Asia...
. Its capital
Capital City
Capital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....
is the city of Ufa
Ufa
-Demographics:Nationally, dominated by Russian , Bashkirs and Tatars . In addition, numerous are Ukrainians , Chuvash , Mari , Belarusians , Mordovians , Armenian , Germans , Jews , Azeris .-Government and administration:Local...
. Population:
Terminology
"Bashkortostan" derives from the name of the Bashkir ethnic group and the PersianPersian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
suffix -stan
-stan
The suffix -stan is Persian for "place of", a cognate to Pashto -tun and to Indo-Aryan -sthāna , a Sanskrit suffix with a similar meaning...
(an ending common to many Central Asian countries).
History
The first settlements in the territory of modern Bashkortostan were set up in the early PaleolithicPaleolithic
The Paleolithic Age, Era or Period, is a prehistoric period of human history distinguished by the development of the most primitive stone tools discovered , and covers roughly 99% of human technological prehistory...
period; however, it was the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
which served as a spur to populate this territory. When people of Abashevo culture
Abashevo culture
Abashevo culture is a later Bronze Age archaeological culture found in the valleys of the Volga and Kama River north of the Samara bend and into the southern Ural Mountains. It receives its name from a village of Abashevo in Chuvashia. Artifacts are kurgans and remnants of settlements...
started settling here, they possessed high skills in manufacturing bronze tools, weapons, and decorations. They were the first to establish permanent settlements in the Southern Urals.
Bashkortostan is a territory in the Southern Urals and in Cis-Urals, named after its native people - Bashkirs (bashkort). The Russian (Slavonic) name of the country — Bashkiriya — formed at the end of the XVI century. Originally it was used in the form «Bashkir’», «Bashkirda», «Bashkir horde». The first written references to Bashkir tribes were in compositions of Herodotus (fifth century B.C.). The ethnonym Bashkirs first became known in the 9th century. Valuable information is contained in works by Sallam Tardzheman (IX cent.) and Ibn-Fadlan (X cent.); Al-Balkhi (X cent.) wrote about Bashkirs as a people, divided into two groups, one of which inhabited the Southern Urals, the other near the Danube river , close to the boundaries of Byzantium. His contemporary Ibn-Ruste wrote that Bashkirs were «an independent people, occupying territories on both sides of the Ural mountain ridge between Volga, Kama, Tobol and upstream of Yaik river».
After the early-feudal Mongolian state had broken down, the territory of modern Bashkortostan was divided between Kazan, Siberia Khanate
Siberia Khanate
The Khanate of Sibir were the patrilineal descendants of Shayban , the fifth son of Jochi and grandson of Genghis Khan. The Khanate had an ethnically diverse population of Siberian Tatars, Khanty, Mansi, Nenets and Selkup people. Along with the Khanate of Kazan it was the northernmost Muslim state....
s and Nogai Horde
Nogai Horde
The Nogai Horde was a confederation of about eighteen Turkic and Mongol tribes that occupied the Pontic-Caspian steppe from about 1500 until they were pushed west by the Kalmyks and south by the Russians in the 17th century. The Mongol tribe called the Manghits constituted a core of the Horde...
. The tribes that lived there were headed by bi (tribal heads). After Kazan
Kazan
Kazan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. With a population of 1,143,546 , it is the eighth most populous city in Russia. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia. In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the...
fell to Ivan the Terrible
Ivan IV of Russia
Ivan IV Vasilyevich , known in English as Ivan the Terrible , was Grand Prince of Moscow from 1533 until his death. His long reign saw the conquest of the Khanates of Kazan, Astrakhan, and Siberia, transforming Russia into a multiethnic and multiconfessional state spanning almost one billion acres,...
in 1554–1555, representatives of western and northwestern Bashkir tribes approached the Tsar with a request to voluntarily join the Muscovy.
Starting from the second half of the 16th century, Bashkiria's territory began taking shape as a part of the Russian state. In 1798 the Spiritual Assembly of Russian Muslims was established— an indication that the tsarist Government recognized the rights of Bashkirs
Bashkirs
The Bashkirs are a Turkic people indigenous to Bashkortostan extending on both parts of the Ural mountains, on the place where Europe meets Asia. Groups of Bashkirs also live in the republic of Tatarstan, Perm Krai, Chelyabinsk, Orenburg, Tyumen, Sverdlovsk, Kurgan, Samara and Saratov Oblasts of...
, Tatars
Tatars
Tatars are a Turkic speaking ethnic group , numbering roughly 7 million.The majority of Tatars live in the Russian Federation, with a population of around 5.5 million, about 2 million of which in the republic of Tatarstan.Significant minority populations are found in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan,...
, and other Muslim nations to profess Islam and perform religious rituals. Ufa Governorate
Ufa Governorate
Ufa Governorate was a governorate of Russian Empire with its capital in city Ufa. Was created in 1865 by separation from Orenburg Governorate. March 23, 1919 the governorate was transformed to Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic...
, with a center in Ufa
Ufa
-Demographics:Nationally, dominated by Russian , Bashkirs and Tatars . In addition, numerous are Ukrainians , Chuvash , Mari , Belarusians , Mordovians , Armenian , Germans , Jews , Azeris .-Government and administration:Local...
, was formed in 1865— another step towards territorial identification.
After the Russian revolution
Russian Revolution of 1917
The Russian Revolution is the collective term for a series of revolutions in Russia in 1917, which destroyed the Tsarist autocracy and led to the creation of the Soviet Union. The Tsar was deposed and replaced by a provisional government in the first revolution of February 1917...
, Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic
Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic
The Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was an Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in the former Soviet Union. Currently it is known as Bashkortostan....
(ASSR
ASSR
ASSR may refer to:* Autonomous republics of the Soviet Union* Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, now Armenia * Auditory steady-state response, a steady-state evoked potential...
) was established, firstly as Little Bashkortostan, but eventually all of Ufa Governorate
Ufa Governorate
Ufa Governorate was a governorate of Russian Empire with its capital in city Ufa. Was created in 1865 by separation from Orenburg Governorate. March 23, 1919 the governorate was transformed to Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic...
was incorporated into the newly established republic. During the Soviet period, Bashkiria was granted broad autonomous rights— the first among other Russian regions. The administrative structure of the Bashkir ASSR was based on principles similar to those of other autonomous republics of Russia.
The extraction of crude oil in Bashkiria began in 1932. At the end of 1943, large crude oil deposits were discovered. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Bashkiria became one of the major regions of the Soviet Union to accommodate plants and factories evacuated from Western Russia, as well as great masses of people, as well as providing the country with weaponry, fuel, and foodstuffs. After the war, a good number of industries were further developed in Bashkiria such as mining, machine building and, especially, oil-refining. Bashkiria's industry became a solid base for the further economic growth of all European outlying territories of Russia.
On October 11, 1990 the Supreme Soviet of the Republic adopted the Declaration on state sovereignty of the Bashkir ASSR. On February 25, 1992 the Bashkir ASSR was renamed the Republic of Bashkortostan.
On March 31, 1992 a Federative Compact "On separation of authorities and powers among federal organs of power of the Russian Federation and the organs of power of the Republic of Bashkortostan" was signed. On August 3, 1994 a Compact "On separation of authorities and mutual delegating of powers among the organs of power of the Russian Federation and the organs of power of the Republic of Bashkortostan" was signed.
Geography
Bashkortostan contains part of the southern Urals and the adjacent plains.- Area: 143,600 km² (according to the 2002 Census) or 142,900 km² (according to )
- Borders: Bashkortostan borders Perm KraiPerm KraiPerm Krai is a federal subject of Russia that came into existence on December 1, 2005 as a result of the 2004 referendum on the merger of Perm Oblast and Komi-Permyak Autonomous Okrug. The city of Perm became the administrative center of the new federal subject...
(N), Sverdlovsk OblastSverdlovsk OblastSverdlovsk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia located in the Urals Federal District. Its administrative center is the city of Yekaterinburg formerly known as Sverdlovsk. Population: -Geography:...
(NE), Chelyabinsk OblastChelyabinsk Oblast-External links:*...
(NE/E/SE), Orenburg OblastOrenburg OblastOrenburg Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Orenburg. From 1938 to 1957, it bore the name Chkalov Oblast in honor of Valery Chkalov...
(SE/S/SW), TatarstanTatarstanThe Republic of Tatarstan is a federal subject of Russia located in the Volga Federal District. Its capital is the city of Kazan, which is one of Russia's largest and most prosperous cities. The republic borders with Kirov, Ulyanovsk, Samara, and Orenburg Oblasts, and with the Mari El, Udmurt,...
(W), and UdmurtiaUdmurtiaThe Udmurt Republic , or Udmurtia is a federal subject of Russia . Its capital is the city of Izhevsk. Population: -History:...
(NW) - Highest point: Mount Yamantau (1,638 m)
- Maximum N->S distance: 550 km
- Maximum E->W distance: over 430 km
Bashkortostan is traversed by the northeasterly line of equal latitude and longitude.
Rivers
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
and Black seas
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
.
Major rivers include:
- Belaya (Aghidhel) RiverBelaya (Aghidhel) RiverBelaya River is a river in the Bashkortostan and Tatarstan, Russian Federation. Its source lies in the south-western Ural Mountains. Its length is 1,430 km...
(1,430 km) - Ufa (Qaraidel) RiverUfa RiverUfa River is a river in the Urals, Chelyabinsk Oblast, Sverdlovsk Oblast, and the Republic of Bashkortostan; a tributary of the Belaya River. It is 918 km in length. The area of the basin is 53,100 km². It freezes up between late October and early December and stays under the ice until...
(918 km) - Sakmara RiverSakmara RiverSakmara River is a river in Russia that drains the southern tip of the Ural Mountains south into the Ural River. Its length is . It is a tributary of the Ural River, which it meets in Orenburg. The source of the Sakmara River is in the Republic of Bashkortostan...
(760 km) - Ik (Iq) RiverIk RiverIk River is a river in Russia which flows north to the Kama River. It flows through the Republics of Bashkortostan and Tatarstan, and through Orenburg Oblast. The left tributaries are Mellya, Menzelya, Dymka, the right tributary is Usen....
(571 km) - Dyoma RiverDyoma RiverDyoma is a river in the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia. It flows north and joins the Belaya River at Ufa. The river is 535 km long, with a drainage basin of 12 800 km², and an average discharge of 35 m³/s....
(556 km) - Ay RiverAy RiverAy River is a river in Bashkortostan and Chelyabinsk Oblast in Russia, a left tributary of the Ufa River. The length of the river is 549 km, the area of its drainage basin is 15,000 km². The Ay freezes up in late October - early November and remains icebound until mid-April. A city of Zlatoust is...
(549 km) - Yuruzan River (404 km)
- Bystry Tanyp RiverBystry Tanyp RiverBystry Tanyp River, or Tanyp River , is a river in Bashkortostan and Perm Krai in Russia, a right tributary of the Belaya River. The length of the river is 345 km, the area of its drainage basin is 7,560 km². The Bystry Tanyp freezes up in the first half of November and remains icebound until April....
(345 km) - Sim RiverSim RiverSim River is a river in Chelyabinsk Oblast and the Republic of Bashkortostan in Russia. It is a tributary of the Belaya River, part of the Volga watershed. Its length is ....
(239 km) - Nugush RiverNugush RiverNugush River, also known as the Bolshoi Nugush River , is a river in Bashkortostan in Russia, a right tributary of the Belaya River. The length of the river is 235 km, the area of its drainage basin is 3,820 km². The Nugush freezes up in the first half of November and remains icebound until the...
(235 km) - Tanalyk RiverTanalyk RiverTanalyk River , is a river in Bashkortostan and Orenburg Oblast in Russia, a right tributary of the Ural River. The length of the river is 225 km, the area of its drainage basin is 4,160 km². The Tanalyk freezes up in the second half of October - November and remains icebound until April. A town of...
(225 km) - Zilim RiverZilim RiverZilim , — river in Bashkortostan, Russia. The river's length is 215 km....
(215 km) - Syun RiverSyun RiverThe Syun is a river in Bashkortostan and Tatarstan, Russian Federation, a left-bank tributary of the Belaya River . Its length is 209 km and its drainage basin is 4,500 km²....
(209 km)
Lakes
There are 2,700 lakes and reservoirs in the republic. Major lakes and reservoirs include:- Asylykül Lake (23.5 km²)
- Qandrykül Lake (15.6 km²)
- Urgun Lake (12.0 km²)
- Pavlovskoye Reservoir (120.0 km²)
- Nugushkoye Reservoir (25.2 km²)
Mountains
The republic contains part of the southern Urals, which stretch from the northern to the southern border. The highest mountains include:- Mount Yamantau (1,638 m)
- Mount Bolshoy IremelIremelIremel is a compact mountain ridge in the Southern Ural Mountains in the republic of Bashkortostan, Russian Federation . The highest peak, Bolshoy Iremel, or simply Iremel, stands at 1589 metres high. Maly Iremel, 6 kilometers north-east, stands at 1449 meters...
(1,582 m) - Mount Maly IremelIremelIremel is a compact mountain ridge in the Southern Ural Mountains in the republic of Bashkortostan, Russian Federation . The highest peak, Bolshoy Iremel, or simply Iremel, stands at 1589 metres high. Maly Iremel, 6 kilometers north-east, stands at 1449 meters...
(1,449 m) - Mount Arwyakryaz (1,068 m)
- Mount Zilmerdaq (909 m)
- Mount Alataw (845 m)
- Mount Yurmataw (842 m)
Natural resources
The Republic of Bashkortostan is one of the richest territories of Russia in mineral resources with deposits of some 3,000 mineral resources. Bashkortostan is rich in crude oilPetroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
reserves, and was one of the principal centers of oil extraction in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. Other major resources are natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
, coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
, ferrous metal ores
Orés
Orés is a municipality in the Cinco Villas, in the province of Zaragoza, in the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It belongs to the comarca of Cinco Villas. It is placed 104 km to the northwest of the provincial capital city, Zaragoza. Its coordinates are: 42° 17' N, 1° 00' W, and is...
, manganese
Manganese
Manganese is a chemical element, designated by the symbol Mn. It has the atomic number 25. It is found as a free element in nature , and in many minerals...
, chromite
Chromite
Chromite is an iron chromium oxide: FeCr2O4. It is an oxide mineral belonging to the spinel group. Magnesium can substitute for iron in variable amounts as it forms a solid solution with magnesiochromite ; substitution of aluminium occurs leading to hercynite .-Occurrence:Chromite is found in...
, iron ores, non-ferrous metals ores (lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
, tungsten
Tungsten
Tungsten , also known as wolfram , is a chemical element with the chemical symbol W and atomic number 74.A hard, rare metal under standard conditions when uncombined, tungsten is found naturally on Earth only in chemical compounds. It was identified as a new element in 1781, and first isolated as...
), non-metallic ores (rock crystal, fluorite
Fluorite
Fluorite is a halide mineral composed of calcium fluoride, CaF2. It is an isometric mineral with a cubic habit, though octahedral and more complex isometric forms are not uncommon...
, iceland spar
Iceland spar
Iceland spar, formerly known as Iceland crystal, is a transparent variety of calcite, or crystallized calcium carbonate, originally brought from Iceland, and used in demonstrating the polarization of light . It occurs in large readily cleavable crystals, easily divisible into rhombs, and is...
, sulfide
Sulfide
A sulfide is an anion of sulfur in its lowest oxidation state of 2-. Sulfide is also a slightly archaic term for thioethers, a common type of organosulfur compound that are well known for their bad odors.- Properties :...
pyrite
Pyrite
The mineral pyrite, or iron pyrite, is an iron sulfide with the formula FeS2. This mineral's metallic luster and pale-to-normal, brass-yellow hue have earned it the nickname fool's gold because of its resemblance to gold...
s, barite
Barite
Baryte, or barite, is a mineral consisting of barium sulfate. The baryte group consists of baryte, celestine, anglesite and anhydrite. Baryte itself is generally white or colorless, and is the main source of barium...
, silicates, silica, asbestos
Asbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
, talcum), deposits of precious and semi-precious stones and natural stones (malachite
Malachite
Malachite is a copper carbonate mineral, with the formula Cu2CO32. This green-colored mineral crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system, and most often forms botryoidal, fibrous, or stalagmitic masses. Individual crystals are rare but do occur as slender to acicular prisms...
, jade
Jade
Jade is an ornamental stone.The term jade is applied to two different metamorphic rocks that are made up of different silicate minerals:...
, granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
).
The republic has enough mineral resources to provide its power and fuel complex as well as petro-chemical, chemical, agro-industrial complex, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, glass-making and ceramic branches with raw materials.
Bashkortostan is one of the major raw materials bases for Russia non-ferrous metallurgy
Metallurgy
Metallurgy is a domain of materials science that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their intermetallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are called alloys. It is also the technology of metals: the way in which science is applied to their practical use...
. The republic has good deposits of lignite
Lignite
Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, or Rosebud coal by Northern Pacific Railroad,is a soft brown fuel with characteristics that put it somewhere between coal and peat...
with a high degree of bitumenosity. This lignite can be used for obtaining a variety of different chemical products like resins, surface-active substances, gummy fertilizer
Fertilizer
Fertilizer is any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. A recent assessment found that about 40 to 60% of crop yields are attributable to commercial fertilizer use...
s, and other stimulants for plants growth. Mining-chemical raw materials (rock salt, lime
Lime (mineral)
Lime is a general term for calcium-containing inorganic materials, in which carbonates, oxides and hydroxides predominate. Strictly speaking, lime is calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide. It is also the name for a single mineral of the CaO composition, occurring very rarely...
, phosphorite
Phosphorite
Phosphorite, phosphate rock or rock phosphate is a non-detrital sedimentary rock which contains high amounts of phosphate bearing minerals. The phosphate content of phosphorite is at least 15 to 20% which is a large enrichment over the typical sedimentary rock content of less than 0.2%...
s, barytes, etc.) are quite substantial, and are utilized in the republic economy.
Bashkortostan is also rich in woods. The total territory covered with forests is about 62000 square kilometres (23,938.3 sq mi). More than one third of the republic territory is covered with woods. The following types of trees dominate: birch
Birch
Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...
tree, conifers, lime
Tilia
Tilia is a genus of about 30 species of trees native throughout most of the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The greatest species diversity is found in Asia, and the genus also occurs in Europe and eastern North America, but not western North America...
, oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
, and maple
Maple
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
. The general stock of timber according to some evaluation is 717.9 million m³. Bashkortostan forests have special sanctuaries and national parks. They cover more than 10000 square kilometres (3,861 sq mi).
Bashkortostan is also rich in springs and sources of mineral
Mineral water
Mineral water is water containing minerals or other dissolved substances that alter its taste or give it therapeutic value, generally obtained from a naturally occurring mineral spring or source. Dissolved substances in the water may include various salts and sulfur compounds...
, medicinal, and drinking water.
Climate
- Average annual temperature: 0.3 °C (mountains) to 2.8 °C (plains)
- Average January temperature: -16 °C
- Average July temperature: 18 °C (64.4 °F)
Administrative divisions
Politics
The head of the government of the Republic of Bashkortostan is the President, who is appointed by the President of Russia for a four-year term. According to the Constitution, the President of the Republic of Bashkortostan guarantees rights and liberties of the country's people and citizens, protects economic and political interests of the Republic of Bashkortostan, and secures legitimacy, law and order within its territory.Rustem Khamitov
Rustem Khamitov
Rustem Zakievich Khamitov is the second President of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia, , who succeeded the long-time ruler Murtaza Rakhimov after his apparent resignation in 2010.- Biography :...
assumed office as president on July 19, 2010. His predecessor was Murtaza Rakhimov
Murtaza Rakhimov
Murtaza Gubaydullovich Rakhimov is a Russian politician of Bashkir ethnicity, who served as the first President of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia.- Biography :...
, elected on December 17, 1993. Before the elections, Rakhimov was the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the Republic— the highest post at that time. Rakhimov was re-elected in December 2003 in a poll condemned by the OSCE
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe is the world's largest security-oriented intergovernmental organization. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, human rights, freedom of the press and fair elections...
for exhibiting "elements of basic fraud."
The Republic's parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
is the State Assembly—Kurultai
State Assembly of Bashkortostan
The National Assembly - Kurultay is the supreme representative and legislative body of the Republic of Bashkortostan. Its members are elected for four years....
, popularly elected every five years. The one-chamber State Assembly has 120 deputies.
The Republic's Constitution was adopted on December 24, 1993. Article 1 of the Constitution stipulates that Bashkortostan is a sovereign state within Russia, it has state power beyond the limits of authority of the Russian Federation and the powers of the Russian Federation concerning the aspect of joint authority of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Bashkortostan. The Republic of Bashkortostan is a full-fledged subject of the Russian Federation on equal and agreed bases.
The relations of the Republic of Bashkortostan and the Russian Federation are at present based on the articles of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the Constitution of the Republic of Bashkortostan, the Federative Compact (with amendments), and the Agreement on Separation of authorities and powers and mutual delegating of powers among the organs of state power of the Republic of Bashkortostan.
The judicial power of the republic is in the hands of the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, district Courts, and justices of the peace.
In full accord with universally recognized principles of international law, articles of the European Charter on local self-government and the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the Republic of Bashkortostan ensures in its Constitution that local self-government is recognized and guaranteed within the republic's territory.
The Republic of Bashkortostan resolves all issues of administrative-territorial structure on its own. The list of districts and towns, municipalities, as well as the order of establishing, amending and changing borders of municipalities and their names are stipulated by the Republic of Bashkortostan law "On administrative-territorial structure of the Republic of Bashkortostan and territory of municipalities".
Economy
Bashkortostan is one of the most developed regions of the Russian Federation in terms of its gross regional output, volume of industrial production, agricultural production, and investment in fixed assets.The economy of Bashkortostan, being one of the largest industrial centers of Russia, is very diverse. Bashkortostan has a large agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
sector. But the republic's most important industry is chemical processing; Bashkortostan produces more oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
than any other region of Russia, about 26 million tons annually, and provides 17% of the country's gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
and 15% of its diesel
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
fuel. Other important products manufactured in Bashkortostan include alcohols, pesticide
Pesticide
Pesticides are substances or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest.A pesticide may be a chemical unicycle, biological agent , antimicrobial, disinfectant or device used against any pest...
s and plastics. The republic's gross regional product
Gross Regional Product
A metropolitan area's gross regional product, i.e. GMP or GRP, is one of several measures of the size of its economy. Similar to GDP, GRP is defined as the market value of all final goods and services produced within a metropolitan area in a given period of time.-See also:*List of European...
in 2007 was 645 billion rubles (over €18 billion). More than half of Bashkortostan's industry is based in Ufa
Ufa
-Demographics:Nationally, dominated by Russian , Bashkirs and Tatars . In addition, numerous are Ukrainians , Chuvash , Mari , Belarusians , Mordovians , Armenian , Germans , Jews , Azeris .-Government and administration:Local...
, the republic's capital.
| 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross regional product | 214.8 | 279.7 | n/a | billion roubles | |
| Industrial production volume | 161.7 | 192.1 | 354 | billion roubles | |
| Construction | 1,408 | 1,471.5 | 1508.4 | th.m.² | |
| Agricultural produce | 50.1 | 52.1 | 57.2 | billion roubles | |
| Investments into fixed capital | 52.1 | 53.7 | 62.4 | billion roubles | |
| Accumulated foreign investments | 71.7 | 97.6 | 157.1 | million US$ | |
| Foreign trade turnover | 2646 | 3045.3 | 3840.6 | million US$ | |
| Export | 2303.4 | 2724.4 | 3525.9 | million US$ | |
| Import | 342.3 | 320.9 | 314.7 | million US$ | |
| Wholesale trade turnover | 117.7 | 118.1 | 151.2 | billion roubles |
Demographics
- Population development
Year Population 1897 1,991,000 1913 2,811,000 1926 2,547,000 1939 3,158,000 1959 3,340,000 1970 3,818,000 1979 3,849,000 1989 3,950,482 2002 4,104,336 2010 4,072,102
- Population: 4,104,336 (2002)
- Urban: 2,626,613 (70.8%)
- Rural: 1,477,723 (29.2%)
- Male: 1,923,233 (46.9%)
- Female: 2,181,103 (53.1%)
- Females per 1000 males: 1,134
- Average age: 35.6 years
- Urban: 35.2 years
- Rural: 36.4 years
- Male: 33.4 years
- Female: 37.7 years
- Number of households: 1,429,004 (with 4,066,649 people)
- Urban: 931,417 (with 2,592,909 people)
- Rural: 497,587 (with 1,473,740 people)
- Vital statistics
| Births | Deaths | Birth rate | Death rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 63,498 | 28,004 | 16.6 | 7.3 |
| 1975 | 63,096 | 31,802 | 16.5 | 8.3 |
| 1980 | 67,743 | 36,067 | 17.6 | 9.4 |
| 1985 | 76,839 | 39,101 | 19.9 | 10.1 |
| 1990 | 63,899 | 38,157 | 16.2 | 9.7 |
| 1991 | 58,240 | 39,638 | 14.7 | 10.0 |
| 1992 | 53,271 | 43,539 | 13.3 | 10.9 |
| 1993 | 46,772 | 50,738 | 11.6 | 12.6 |
| 1994 | 47,296 | 54,267 | 11.7 | 13.4 |
| 1995 | 45,622 | 51,734 | 11.2 | 12.7 |
| 1996 | 45,228 | 49,600 | 11.1 | 12.1 |
| 1997 | 43,776 | 49,354 | 10.7 | 12.0 |
| 1998 | 44,465 | 48,470 | 10.8 | 11.8 |
| 1999 | 41,368 | 52,608 | 10.0 | 12.8 |
| 2000 | 41,642 | 53,550 | 10.1 | 13.0 |
| 2001 | 42,793 | 55,001 | 10.4 | 13.4 |
| 2002 | 45,481 | 57,836 | 11.1 | 14.1 |
| 2003 | 45,583 | 58,237 | 11.1 | 14.2 |
| 2004 | 45,733 | 57,726 | 11.2 | 14.1 |
| 2005 | 44,094 | 57,787 | 10.8 | 14.2 |
| 2006 | 45,055 | 55,319 | 11.1 | 13.6 |
| 2007 | 51,453 | 55,144 | 12.7 | 13.6 |
| 2008 | 54,493 | 55,568 | 13.4 | 13.7 |
Ethnic groups
According to the 2002 CensusRussian Census (2002)
Russian Census of 2002 was the first census of the Russian Federation carried out on October 9 through October 16, 2002. It was carried out by the Russian Federal Service of State Statistics .-Resident population:...
the ‘national composition’ was • Russian
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
36.32% • Bashkir
Bashkirs
The Bashkirs are a Turkic people indigenous to Bashkortostan extending on both parts of the Ural mountains, on the place where Europe meets Asia. Groups of Bashkirs also live in the republic of Tatarstan, Perm Krai, Chelyabinsk, Orenburg, Tyumen, Sverdlovsk, Kurgan, Samara and Saratov Oblasts of...
29.76% • Tatar
Tatars
Tatars are a Turkic speaking ethnic group , numbering roughly 7 million.The majority of Tatars live in the Russian Federation, with a population of around 5.5 million, about 2 million of which in the republic of Tatarstan.Significant minority populations are found in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan,...
24.14% • Chuvash
Chuvash people
The Chuvash people are a Turkic ethnic group, native to an area stretching from the Volga Region to Siberia. Most of them live in Republic of Chuvashia and surrounding areas, although Chuvash communities may be found throughout all Russia.- Etymology :...
2.86% • Mari 2.58% • Ukrainian
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
1.35% • Mordovian 0.63% • Udmurt 0.55% • Belarusians
Belarusians
Belarusians ; are an East Slavic ethnic group who populate the majority of the Republic of Belarus. Introduced to the world as a new state in the early 1990s, the Republic of Belarus brought with it the notion of a re-emerging Belarusian ethnicity, drawn upon the lines of the Old Belarusian...
0.42% • Armenian
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
0.21% • German
Ethnic German
Ethnic Germans historically also ), also collectively referred to as the German diaspora, refers to people who are of German ethnicity. Many are not born in Europe or in the modern-day state of Germany or hold German citizenship...
0.20% • Uzbek
Uzbeks
The Uzbeks are a Turkic ethnic group in Central Asia. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, and large populations can also be found in Afghanistan, Tajikstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Pakistan, Mongolia and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China...
0.13% • Azeri
Azeris in Russia
Aside from the large Azeri community native to Russia's Dagestan Republic, the majority of Azeris in Russia are fairly recent immigrants. Azeris started settling in Russia around the late 19th century, but their migration became intensive after World War II. It rapidly increased with the collapse...
0.12% • Kryashen 0.11% • Kazakh
Kazakhs
The Kazakhs are a Turkic people of the northern parts of Central Asia ....
0.10% • Tajik 0.07% • Jewish
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
0.06% • and various other groups of less than two thousand persons each. An additional 0.11% of the inhabitants declined to state their nationality on the census questionnaire. Historical figures are shown below:
| census 1926 | census 1939 | census 1959 | census 1970 | census 1979 | census 1989 | census 2002 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bashkirs Bashkirs The Bashkirs are a Turkic people indigenous to Bashkortostan extending on both parts of the Ural mountains, on the place where Europe meets Asia. Groups of Bashkirs also live in the republic of Tatarstan, Perm Krai, Chelyabinsk, Orenburg, Tyumen, Sverdlovsk, Kurgan, Samara and Saratov Oblasts of... |
625,845 (23.5%) | 671,188 (21.2%) | 737,744 (22.1%) | 892,248 (23.4%) | 935,880 (24.3%) | 863,808 (21.9%) | 1,221,302 (29.8%) |
| Russians Russians The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries.... |
1,064,707 (39.9%) | 1,281,347 (40.6%) | 1,418,147 (42.4%) | 1,546,304 (40.5%) | 1,547,893 (40.3%) | 1,548,291 (39.3%) | 1,490,715 (36.3%) |
| Tatars Tatars Tatars are a Turkic speaking ethnic group , numbering roughly 7 million.The majority of Tatars live in the Russian Federation, with a population of around 5.5 million, about 2 million of which in the republic of Tatarstan.Significant minority populations are found in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan,... |
621,158 (23.3%) | 777,230 (24.6%) | 768,566 (23.0%) | 944,505 (24.7%) | 940,436 (24.5%) | 1,120,702 (28.4%) | 990,702 (24.1%) |
| Chuvash Chuvash people The Chuvash people are a Turkic ethnic group, native to an area stretching from the Volga Region to Siberia. Most of them live in Republic of Chuvashia and surrounding areas, although Chuvash communities may be found throughout all Russia.- Etymology :... |
84,886 (3.2%) | 106,892 (3.4%) | 109,970 (3.3%) | 126,638 (3.3%) | 122,344 (3.2%) | 118,509 (3.0%) | 117,317 (2.9%) |
| Mari | 79,298 (3.0%) | 90,163 (2.9%) | 93,902 (2.8%) | 109,638 (2.9%) | 106,793 (2.8%) | 105,768 (2.7%) | 105,829 (2.6%) |
| Ukrainians Ukrainians Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens... |
76,710 (2.9%) | 99,289 (3.1%) | 83,594 (2.5%) | 76,005 (2.0%) | 75,571 (2.0%) | 74,990 (1.9%) | 55,249 (1.3%) |
| Others | 113,232 (4.2%) | 132,860 (4.2%) | 129,686 (3.9%) | 122,737 (3.2%) | 115,363 (3.0%) | 111,045 (2.8%) | 123,222 (3.0%) |
Spoken languages: Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
(96%), Tatar
Tatar language
The Tatar language , or more specifically Kazan Tatar, is a Turkic language spoken by the Tatars of historical Kazan Khanate, including modern Tatarstan and Bashkiria...
(34%), Bashkir
Bashkir language
The Bashkir language is a Turkic language, and is the language of the Bashkirs. It is co-official with Russian in the Republic of Bashkortostan.-Speakers:...
(26%).
Religion
Adherents of IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
account for the majority of Bashkir and Tatar. Most Russians, Chuvash and Ukrainians are Orthodox Christians.Most Mari are Pagan.Non-religious people form a substantial part of any ethnic group in Bashkortostan. There are 13,000 Jews in the republic, with a historic synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
in Ufa
Ufa
-Demographics:Nationally, dominated by Russian , Bashkirs and Tatars . In addition, numerous are Ukrainians , Chuvash , Mari , Belarusians , Mordovians , Armenian , Germans , Jews , Azeris .-Government and administration:Local...
, and a new Jewish Community Center built in 2008.
Education
About sixty scientific organizations are active in the republic. Fundamental and applied scientific researchResearch
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
is under way at twelve institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences, twenty-nine institutes of different branches of industry, as well as numerous design bureaus and organizations, universities, and colleges.
The country's system of popular education took shape over many centuries and reflects the Bashkir people's folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
, nation
Nation
A nation may refer to a community of people who share a common language, culture, ethnicity, descent, and/or history. In this definition, a nation has no physical borders. However, it can also refer to people who share a common territory and government irrespective of their ethnic make-up...
al customs, and tradition
Tradition
A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
s. When Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
spread in Bashkiria in the 10th century, an educational system began to emerge gradually— primarily religious schools operated under the supervision of mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
s ( and madrasah
Madrasah
Madrasah is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, whether secular or religious...
).
In addition, many institutions of higher education operate in the republic, including branches of 16 leading Russian universities and colleges. Specialists graduate with degrees in about 200 trades and profession
Profession
A profession is a vocation founded upon specialized educational training, the purpose of which is to supply disinterested counsel and service to others, for a direct and definite compensation, wholly apart from expectation of other business gain....
s.
Education is primarily in Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
and Bashkir
Bashkir language
The Bashkir language is a Turkic language, and is the language of the Bashkirs. It is co-official with Russian in the Republic of Bashkortostan.-Speakers:...
.
Culture
Bashkortostan is one of the largest cultural centers of Russia. The republic is located on the border of Europe and Asia and inhabited by peoples of more than a hundred nationalities.In addition, Bashkortostan is home to song and dance companies, a network of national theaters, museums, and libraries, and a number of annual folk festivals. The republic has seven Bashkir, four Russian, and two Tatar State Drama Theaters, a State Opera and Ballet Theater, a National Symphony Orchestra, "Bashkortostan" film studio, thirty philharmonic collectives, and the Bashkir State Folk Dance Ensemble.
The Bashkir School of Dance is well respected, with many students receiving international awards at competitions in Russia and other countries. World-renowned ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev
Rudolf Nureyev
Rudolf Khametovich Nureyev was a Russian dancer, considered one of the most celebrated ballet dancers of the 20th century. Nureyev's artistic skills explored expressive areas of the dance, providing a new role to the male ballet dancer who once served only as support to the women.In 1961 he...
, as a child, was encouraged to dance in Bashkir folk performances, and began his dancing career in Ufa.
See also
- PascatirPascatirPascatir is a historical land, corresponding to modern Bashkortostan. Pascatirs were the ancestors of Bashkirs....
- Music of BashkortostanMusic of BashkortostanThe first major study of the music of Bashkortostan appeared in 1897, when ethnographer Rybakov S.G. wrote Music and Songs of the Ural's Muslims and Studies of Their Way of Life. Later, Lebedinskiy L.N. collected numerous folk songs in Bashkortostan beginning in 1930...
- Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist RepublicBashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist RepublicThe Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was an Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in the former Soviet Union. Currently it is known as Bashkortostan....