Bashkortostan

Bashkortostan, officially the Republic of Bashkortostan, is a federal subject of Russia classified as a republic. It lies between the Volga River and the Ural Mountains in the eastern part of Europe and is part of the Volga Federal District. The capital and largest city is Ufa.

The republic covers about 143,600 square kilometers and has a population of roughly four million people. The population includes Bashkirs, Russians, Tatars and other groups. The official languages are Bashkir and Russian, with many residents also speaking Tatar and other languages.

Economy and geography are closely linked to natural resources. Bashkortostan is rich in oil and natural resources and is among Russia’s leading oil-producing regions, with refining and petrochemical industries. Other important sectors include machinery, chemical production, agriculture and forestry. The landscape features a mix of steppes, forests and the southern foothills of the Ural Mountains, with the Belaya and other rivers providing important transport and water resources.

History in brief: the area has long been inhabited by Bashkirs and other peoples. It was part of the Kazan Khanate before being conquered by Russia in 1552 and incorporated into the Russian Empire. In 1919 it became the Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic within the RSFSR. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, it was reestablished as the Republic of Bashkortostan within the Russian Federation.

Administration: Bashkortostan is governed by a Head of the Republic and a representative body known as the State Assembly (Kurultay). It retains the constitutional framework of a republic within the Russian Federation.