The Altai Republic, also known as the Gorno-Altai Republic, is a republic of Russia located in southern Siberia. The republic borders Kemerovo Oblast to the north, Khakassia to the northeast, Tuva to the east, Altai Krai to the west, as well as three countries: Mongolia (Bayan-Ölgii) to the southeast, China (Xinjiang) to the south and Kazakhstan (East Kazakhstan Region) to the southwest. It is a part of the Siberian Federal District, and covers an area of , with a population of 210,924 residents. It is the least-populous republic of Russia and least-populous federal subject in the Siberian Federal District. Gorno-Altaysk is the capital and the largest town of the republic with 65,342 inhabitants and in urban areas, making it the least urbanized federal subject.
The Altai Republic is one of Russia's ethnic republics, primarily representing the indigenous Altai people, a Turkic ethnic group that form 37% of the republic's population, while ethnic Russians form a majority at 54%. Other minority populations include Kazakhs, other Central Asian ethnicities, and Germans. The official languages of the Altai Republic are Russian and Altai. Kazakh is official in areas of compact settlement of its speakers.
History The Xiongnu Empire (209 BC – AD 93) governed the territory of the modern Altai Republic. The area was part of the First Turkic Khaganate, the Uyghur Empire, and the Yeniseian Kyrgyzs. It was during this time that the local population became fully Turkicized culturally and linguistically.
The southern part of the Altai Republic came under the Naiman Khanate. The territory of the modern Altai Republic has been ruled by the Mongolic Xianbei state (93–234), Rouran Khaganate (330–555), Mongol Empire (1206–1368), Golden Horde (1240–1502), Zunghar Khanate (1634–1758) and Qing Empire (1757–1864).
The Qing period is a semi-autonomous period with the supervision of two Altan Nuur Uriankhai Governor Banners and part of the seven Altai Uriankhai banners. During the Qing administration, the General of Siberia Fedor Ivanovich Soimonov launched a non-military expedition into the Altan Nuur region in 1760 and began fort building. This was subsequently removed by Heseri Jalafungga of the Qing. Since the 1820s, the routine border check was less frequent and the Chuy drainage basin has been occupied by Russians.
The entire Altan Nuur Uriankhai voluntarily became part of the Russian Empire in 1864-1865 by the Treaty of Tarbagatai.Самаев Г. П. «ГОРНЫЙ АЛТАЙ В XVII — СЕРЕДИНЕ XIX В.: ПРОБЛЕМЫ ПОЛИТИЧЕСКОЙ ИСТОРИИ И ПРИСОЕДИНЕНИЯ К РОССИИ». Page 171. During the Russian Civil War, the Confederated Republic of Altai (Karakorum-Altai Region) was established in 1918, and declared as the first step to rebuilding Genghis Khan's Mongol Empire. But it never became a competing force in the Russian Civil War, and stayed neutral from 1918 until January 1920, when it was annexed back into Russia. A second Altai Republic was formed in 1921 and lasted until 1922 when they were annexed by the Bolsheviks.
On June 1, 1922, the Altaians regained autonomy with the creation of the Oyrot Autonomous Oblast (), part of Altai Krai. The original name for this region was Bazla. On January 7, 1948, it was renamed Gorno-Altai Autonomous Oblast (). In 1991 it was reorganized into the Gorno-Altai Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (ASSR). In 1992 it was renamed as the Altai Republic.
Geography
The Altai Republic is situated in the Altai Mountains in the very center of Asia at the junction of the Siberian taiga, the steppes of Kazakhstan and the semi-deserts of Mongolia. Forests cover about 25% of the republic's territory.
Area: Borders: internal: Kemerovo Oblast (N), Republic of Khakassia (NE), Tuva Republic (E), and Altai Krai (W/NW). international: Mongolia (Bayan-Ölgii Province) (SE), China (Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang) (S), and Kazakhstan (East Kazakhstan Province) (S/SW) Highest point: Mount Belukha (4,506 m) Maximum N–S distance: 360 km Maximum E–W distance: 380 km
Rivers and lakes
More than 20,000 tributaries sprawl throughout the mountainous Republic, making for a total of more than worth of waterways. The republic's largest rivers are the Katun and the Biya, both of which originate in the mountains and flow northwards. The junction of the two rivers eventually forms the Ob River, one of the longest rivers in Siberia, which flows northward to the Arctic Ocean.
The source of the black Biya River is Lake Teletskoye, the region's largest lake located in an isolated area far south in the mountains. The emerald-colored Katun River has its source at the Gebler glacier, which is situated on the Republic's highest point, Mount Belukha. The Katun River, in particular, holds a religious significance for native Altaians, as well as for many Russians who live in the area, as Mount Belukha is known in Altai folklore to be the gateway to the mystical kingdom of Shambhala.
The hydrographic network of the Republic also includes approximately 7,000 lakes, adding up to a total area of more than . The largest lake is Lake Teletskoye, which is long and wide, has an area of , and has a maximum depth of . The mountain lakes of Altai contain enormous freshwater reserves of a very pure quality as a result of their distance from civilization. Lake Teletskoye alone contains more than of very clear water.
Potential groundwater storage is evaluated at per day, while the present use constitutes about per day.
Mountains The most striking geographical aspect of the Republic of Altai is its mountainous terrain. The Republic is situated within the Russian part of the Altai Mountains system, which covers a large part of the Republic and continues into neighboring Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China. The region continues to experience periodic notable seismic activity, which is visually made apparent through the mountains' characteristically high and rugged mountain ridges, separated by narrow and deep river valleys. The Republic's highest peak, Mount Belukha (4,506 m), is the highest point in Siberia.
Natural resources Various bodies of water are among the most important natural resources of the Republic. Mineral and hot springs are popular destinations for tourists and locals, sought for their therapeutic effects. Additionally, Altai glaciers contain a great amount of fresh water. The general volume of ice for registered Altai glaciers comes to a total of 57 km3, 52 km3 of which is water. The total water stock of the glaciers exceeds the average annual effluence of all Altai rivers, which are equal to 43 km3 per year. The largest glaciers are Bolshoy Taldurinsky (35 km2), Mensu (21 km2), Sofiysky (17 km2), and Bolshoy Maashey (16 km2).
Mineral resources in the region primarily include gold, silver, iron ores, and lithium, in addition to other smaller amounts of minerals. The large city of Barnaul in neighboring Altai Krai was founded as a processing center for minerals from the Altai region, although the mineral extraction industry today is much smaller than in the past.
Climate The republic has a temperate continental climate with relatively short and mild summers (June–August); and long, cold, and often quite frosty winters (November–March).
In general, the republic's climate of the southeastern areas, such as the (Ulagansky and Kosh-Agachsky Districts), is harsher than the climate of the less elevated northern areas. Average annual temperature: +1 °C to −6.7 °C. January temperature range: −9.2 °C to −31 °C. July temperature range: +11 °C to +19 °C.
Average annual precipitation: 100–1000 mm.
Administrative divisions
The Altai Republic is administratively divided into ten districts and Gorno-Altaysk Urban Okrug. The districts are further subdivided into ninety-two selsovets.
Demographics Population:
Vital statistics Source: Russian Federal State Statistics Service БГД . Gks.ru. Retrieved on August 20, 2013.Каталог публикаций::Федеральная служба государственной статистики . Gks.ru (May 8, 2010). Retrieved on August 20, 2013. Average population (× 1000)Live birthsDeathsNatural changeCrude birth rate (per 1000)Crude death rate (per 1000)Natural change (per 1000)Fertility rates 1970 168 3,236 1,486 1,750 19.3 8.8 10.4 1975 170 3,805 1,724 2,081 22.4 10.1 12.2 1980 175 3,841 2,082 1,759 21.9 11.9 10.1 1985 185 4,256 2,097 2,159 23.0 11.3 11.7 1990 194 3,753 2,126 1,627 19.3 10.9 8.4 2,52 1991 196 3,579 2,064 1,515 18.2 10.5 7.7 2,41 1992 197 3,263 2,271 992 16.6 11.5 5.0 2,25 1993 197 2,878 2,630 248 14.6 13.4 1.3 2,00 1994 198 2,931 2,875 56 14.8 14.5 0.3 2,03 1995 199 2,853 2,637 216 14.3 13.2 1.1 1,93 1996 200 2,704 2,567 137 13.5 12.8 0.7 1,80 1997 200 2,686 2,547 139 13.4 12.7 0.7 1,77 1998 201 2,923 2,367 556 14.5 11.8 2.8 1,89 1999 202 2,742 2,536 206 13.6 12.6 1.0 1,74 2000 203 2,907 2,645 262 14.3 13.0 1.3 1,82 2001 203 3,033 2,870 163 14.9 14.1 0.8 1,87 2002 203 3,252 3,061 191 16.0 15.1 0.9 1,98 2003 203 3,392 3,173 219 16.7 15.7 1.1 2,04 2004 202 3,513 3,015 498 17.4 14.9 2.5 2,08 2005 202 3,502 3,170 332 17.3 15.7 1.6 2,03 2006 202 3,395 2,837 558 16.8 14.1 2.8 1,93 2007 202 4,066 2,574 1,492 20.1 12.7 7.4 2,29 2008 203 4,442 2,549 1,893 21.9 12.5 9.3 2,48 2009 204 4,266 2,492 1,774 20.9 12.2 8.7 2,48 2010 206 4,224 2,508 1,716 20.6 12.2 8.3 2,48 2011 207 4,719 2,529 2,190 22.7 12.2 10.5 2,84 2012 209 4,693 2,416 2,277 22.4 11.5 10.9 2,91 2013 211 4,442 2,392 2,027 21.1 11.3 9.8 2,82 2014 213 4,404 2,365 2,039 20.7 11.1 9.6 2,88 2015 214 4,022 2,347 1,675 18.7 10.9 7.8 2,68 2016 216 3,911 2,151 1,760 18.1 10.0 8.1 2,63(e) 2017 217 3,443 2,099 1,344 15.8 9.6 6.2
Ethnic groups
As per the 2021 Census, ethnic Russians make up 53.7% of the republic's population, with the indigenous Altai people making up 37.0%. Other groups include people of Kazakh (6.4%), together with smaller groups, each accounting for less than 0.5% of the total population. Ethnicgroup 1926 Census 1939 Census 1959 Census 1970 Census 1979 Census 1989 Census 2002 Census 2010 Census 2021 Census Number % Number % Number % Number % Number % Number % Number % Number % Number % Altai 42,213142.4% 39,28524.2% 38,01924.2% 46,75027.8%50,20329.2% 59,13031.0% 68,027233.6% 69,963334.5% 73,24237.0% Russians 51,81352.0%114,20970.4% 109,66169.8% 110,44265.6%108,79563.2% 115,18860.4% 116,51057.5% 114,80256.6% 106,25853.7% Kazakhs 2,3262.3% 4,2802.6% 4,7453.0% 7,1704.3%8,6775.0% 10,6925.6% 12,1086.0% 12,5246.2% 12,6476.4% Others 3,3093.3% 4,4052.7% 4,7363.0%3,8992.3%4,3652.5%5,8213.1% 5,9142.9% 5,4472.7% 5,7412.9% including 3,414 Telengits, 1,384 Kumandins and 344 Teleuts including 2,368 Telengits, 1,533 Tubalars, 931 Kumandins, 830 Chelkans, 141 Shors and 32 Teleuts including 3,648 Telengits, 1,891 Tubalars, 1,062 Kumandins, 1,113 Chelkans and 87 Shors including 2,587 Telengits, 3,424 Tubalars, 1,037 Kumandins, 1,170 Chelkans and 91 Shors 3,432 people were registered from administrative databases, and could not declare an ethnicity. It is estimated that the proportion of ethnicities in this group is the same as that of the declared group.Перепись-2010: русских становится больше . Perepis-2010.ru (December 19, 2011). Retrieved on August 20, 2013.
Politics The head of government in the Altai Republic is the Head of the Republic, popularly elected for a four-year term. , the current Head of the Republic is Andrey Turchak, who succeeded Oleg Khorokhordin in this post. The supreme legislative body of the republic is the State Assembly—El Kurultai, with 41 deputies popularly elected every four years. Igor Yaimov is the current Chairman of the State Assembly-El Kurultai from January 2002.
The Republic's Constitution was adopted on June 7, 1997.
Economy