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{{Infobox Russian federal subject|EnglishName=Republic of Tatarstan|LocalName1=Татарстан Республикасы|LocalLangName1=Tatar|RussianName=Республика Татарстан|LocatorMap=RussiaTatarstan2007-07.png|LocatorMapLegend=Location of Tatarstan in Russia|CoatOfArms=Coat of Arms of Tatarstan.svg|CoatOfArmsLink=Coat of arms of Tatarstan|AnthemLink=[National Anthem of the Republic of Tatarstan|FoundationDate=[May 27,
1920|EconomicRegion=[Volga economic region|CodeNumber=16|Area=67836|AreaRank=44th|Population=3779265|PopulationRank=8th|UrbanPopulation=73.8%|RuralPopulation=26.2%|LangLangs=s|LangList=
Russian language,
Tatar language|HeadTitle=President of Tatarstan|HeadName=Mintimer Shaymiyev|PrimeName=[Rustam Minnikhanov|ConstitutionType=Constitution|ConstitutionName=[Constitution of the Republic of Tatarstan of the [Russian Federation (a
republics of Russia). The unofficial Tatarstan motto is:
Buldırabız! (
We can!) Президент Татарстанның милли идеясен - "Булдырабыз!" дип билгеләде.
Terminology
Another Tatar version of the name reads
Tatarstan Cömhüriäte/Татарстан Җөмһүрияте (
cömhüriät is another Tatar term for "republic"), but it is not official. The direct romanization of Russian of its name from Russian is
Respublika Tatarstan. Another (old) version of the Russian name is (
Tatariya), which was official along with
Tatar ASSR during Soviet rule.
Geography
The Republic is located in the center of the
East European Plain, approximately east of
Moscow. It lies between the
Volga River and the Kama River (a tributary of the Volga), and extends east to the Ural mountains.
- Borders:
- Highest point:
- Maximum N->S distance:
- Maximum E->W distance:
Time zone
Tatarstan is located in the
Moscow Time Zone (MSK/MSD).
Coordinated Universal Time offset is +0300 (MSK)/+0400 (MSD).
Rivers
Major rivers include (Tatar names are given in parentheses):
- Belaya River (Kama)
- Ik River
- Kama River
- Volga River
- Vyatka River
Lakes
Major reservoirs of the republic include (Tatar names are given in parentheses):
The biggest lake is Qaban.
Natural resources
Major natural resources of Tatarstan include
petroleum,
natural gas,
gypsum, and more. It is estimated that the Republic has over one billion metric ton of oil deposits.
Climate
- Average January temperature:
- Average July temperature:
- Average annual precipitation (meteorology): up to 500 mm
Administrative divisions
Main articles: Administrative divisions of Tatarstan (Russian form), Counties of Tatarstan (Tatar form).
Demographics
- Population: 3,779,265 (2002)
- Urban: 2,790,661 (73.8%)
- Rural: 988,604 (26.2%)
- Male: 1,749,050 (46.3%)
- Female: 2,030,215 (53.7%)
- Females per 1000 males: 1,161
- Average age: 36.5 years
- Urban: 35.7 years
- Rural: 38.7 years
- Male: 33.8 years
- Female: 38.8 years
- Number of households: 1,305,360 (with 3,747,267 people)
- Urban: 970,540 (with 2,762,818 people)
- Rural: 334,820 (with 984,449 people)
- Vital statistics (2005)
- Births: 36,967 (birth rate 9.8)
- Deaths: 51,841 (death rate 13.8)
Ethnic groups
There are about two million ethnic
Volga Tatars and over a million ethnic
Russians, along with significant numbers of
Chuvash, Mari, and
Udmurts, many of whom are
Tatar language-speaking. The Ukrainians,
Mordvins, and Bashkirs minorities are also significant. Most
Tatars have a Sunni Muslim background, but a small minority known as the
:tt:Keräşen Tatarlar have an Orthodox background and some of them still regard themselves as being different from other
Tatars even though most Keräşen dialects differ only slightly from the Central Dialect of the
Tatar language. There is a fair degree of speculation as to the early origins of the different groups of
Tatars, but most
Tatars no longer view religious identity as being as important as it once was, and the religious and linguistic subgroups have intermingled considerably. Nevertheless, despite many decades of assimilation and intermingling, some Keräşen demanded, and were awarded, the option of being specifically enumerated in 2002. This has provoked great controversy however, as many intellectuals have sought to portray the
Tatars as homogenous and indivisible. Although listed separately below, the Keräşen are still included in the grand total for the Tatars. Another unique ethnic group, living in Tatarstan only are the Qaratay
Mordvins.
According to the Russian Census (2002) the ‘national composition’ was • Tatars 52.92% • Russians 39.49% • Chuvash 3.35% •
Udmurts 0.64% •
Ukrainians 0.64% •
Mordvins 0.63% •
Mari 0.50% •
:tt:Keräşen Tatarlar 0.50% •
Bashkirs 0.39% •
Azeris in Russia 0.26% •
Belarusians 0.16% • Armenians 0.16% •
Uzbeks 0.13% • Tajiks 0.10% •
Jews 0.09% • Ethnic German 0.08% • Kazakhs 0.05% •
Georgians 0.05% • Moldovans 0.03% • roma people 0.02% •
Lezgins 0.02% • and various other groups of less than eight hundred persons each. • An additional 0.02% of residents declined to state their nationality or ethnocultural identity on the census questionnaire. Historical figures are shown below:
{| class="wikitable"|-!! census 1926! census 1939! census 1959! census 1970! census 1979! census 1989! census 2002|-| Tatars| 1,118,834 (43.1%)| 1,250,667 (42.9%)| 1,252,413 (43.9%)| 1,382,738 (42.4%)| 1,516,023 (44.0%)| 1,575,361 (43.3%)| 1,492,602 (39.5%)|-| [Chuvash and [Russian language. According to the 2002 Russian Federal Law (
On Languages of Peoples of the Russian Federation), the official script is
Cyrillic. Tatarstan's government as well as human rights groups and some Russian intellectuals are strongly opposed to this law. Strasbourg Court To Hear On Lawsuit Promoting Tatar Latin Alphabet Верховный суд РТ признал республиканский закон о латинице недействительным, но спикер татарстанского парламента Фарид Мухаметшин считает этот вопрос открытым
History
Middle Ages
of Bolghar is preserved since the Middle Ages.The earliest known organized state within the boundaries of Tatarstan was Volga Bulgaria (c. 700–1238 CE). The Volga Bulgars had an advanced mercantile state with trade contacts throughout Inner
Eurasia, the Middle East and the
Baltic region, which maintained its independence despite pressure by such nations as the Khazars, the Kievan Rus and the Kipchaks. Islam was introduced by missionaries from Baghdad around the time of
ibn Fadlan's journey in 922.
Volga Bulgaria finally fell to the armies of the Mongol prince
Batu Khan in the late 1230s (see
Mongol invasion of Volga Bulgaria.) The inhabitants, mixing with the
Golden Horde's Turco-Mongolian, Kypchak languages troops and settlers, became known as the "Volga Tatars." Another theory postulates that there were no ethnic changes in that period, and Bulgars simply switched to the Kipchak-based Tatar language. In the 1430s, the region again became independent as the base of the
Khanate of Kazan, a capital having been established in Kazan, 170 km up the Volga from the ruined capital of the Bulgars.
Tatarstan
Russo-Kazan Wars by the troops of Tsar
Ivan IV of Russia in the 1550s, with Kazan being taken in 1552. Some Tatars were forcibly converted to Christianity and cathedrals were built in Kazan; by 1593 all mosques in the area were destroyed. The Russian government forbade the construction of mosques, a prohibition that was not lifted until the 18th century by Catherine II of Russia. The first mosque to be rebuilt under Catherine's auspices was constructed in 1766-1770.
Modern times
In the 19th century Tatarstan became centers of
Jadidism, an Islamic sect that preached a tolerance to other religions. Under the influence of Tatarstan Jadidist theologians, the Tatars were renowned for their friendly relations with other peoples of the
Russian Empire. However, after the
October Revolution religion was largely outlawed and all theologians were repressed.
During the Russian Civil War of 1918-1920 Tatar nationalists attempted to establish an independent republic (the Idel-Ural State). They were, however, put down by the
Bolsheviks and the Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was established on
May 27 1920. The boundaries of the republic did not include the majority of the Volga Tatars.
Tatarstan today
Tatarstan declared independence on August 30, 1990 as a sovereign state and no longer a subject of
USSR or
Russian Federation.During 1991-1994 Tatarstan was de facto independent state (called in Russia
internal abroad like Chechnya). In 1992 Tatarstan held a referendum on independence from Russia. 62 percent of the those who took part voted in favor of independence. Subsequently, under Kremlin's pressure, Tatarstan's authorities decided not to pursue independence and instead settled on a greater degree of autonomy from Moscow.On February 15, 1994 the Treaty
On Delimitation of Jurisdictional Subjects and Mutual Delegation of Authority between the State Bodies of the Russian Federation and the State Bodies of the Republic of Tatarstan and Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan (
On Delimitation of Authority in the Sphere of Foreign Economic Relations) were signed. These agreements may be considered as temporary recognition of Tatarstan's independence by the Russian Federation, because it mentions the
Declaration on State Sovereignty of the Republic of Tatarstan.
Post-Soviet timeline
- 30 August 1990: Declaration of Sovereignty was proclaimed.
- 1991-1994: Tatarstan was de facto independent state.
- 12 June 1991: The first elections for President of Tatarstan. Mintimer Shaymiev was elected.
- 21 March 1992: Referendum held regarding Tatarstan's status. The majority of the population support Tatarstan's independence.
- November 1992: The Constitution of Tatarstan accepted by parliament.
- 15 February 1994: The Treaty On Delimitation of Jurisdictional Subjects and Mutual Delegation of Authority between the State Bodies of the Russian Federation and the State Bodies of the Republic of Tatarstan was signed.
- 1994-2000: Tatarstan was associated state with Russian Federation on confederation status.
- 1995 and 1999 elections held for the Parliament of Tatarstan.
- 2000 and then 2002: Numerous amendments to Tatarstan's Constitution.
- since 2000: Tatarstan is a subject of Russian Federation.
Politics
The head of the government in Tatarstan is the President.
As of 2006, the President is
Mintimer Shaeymiev (Tatar: Mintimer Şäymiev, Russian: Минтимер Шарипович Шаймиев). Tatarstan's unicameral National Parliament (Däwlät Sovetı, Государственный Совет) has 100 seats: 50 are for representatives of the parties, other 50 are for deputies from the republic's localities. The speaker of the National Parliament is
Farit Mukhametshin (Färit Möxämmätşin, Фарид Хайруллович Мухаметшин).
According to the Tatarstan Constitution, the President can be elected only by the people of Tatarstan, but due to Russian federal law this law was suspended for an indefinite term. The Russian law about election of governors says they should be elected by local parliaments and that the candidate can be presented only by the president.
On
March 25 2005 Shaymiev was re-elected for his fourth term by Parliament. This election was held after changes in electoral law and doesn't contradict the Tatarstan and Russian Constitutions.
Political status
The Republic of Tatarstan is a constituent republic of the Russian Federation. Most of the Russian federal subjects are tied with the Russian federal government by the uniform Federal Treaty, but relations between the government of Tatarstan and the Russian federal government are more complex, and are precisely defined in the
Tatarstan Constitution of 2000. The following passage from the Tatarstan Constitution defines the republic's status without contradicting the Constitution of the Russian Federation:
The Republic of Tatarstan is a democratic constitutional State associated with the Russian Federation by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the Constitution of the Republic of Tatarstan and the Treaty between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tatarstan On Delimitation of Jurisdictional Subjects and Mutual Delegation of Powers between the State Bodies of the Russian Federation and the State Bodies of the Republic of Tatarstan
, and a subject of the Russian Federation. The sovereignty of the Republic of Tatarstan shall consist in full possession of the State authority (legislative, executive and judicial) beyond the competence of the Russian Federation and powers of the Russian Federation in the sphere of shared competence of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tatarstan and shall be an inalienable qualitative status of the Republic of Tatarstan.
External links
- Сonstitution of the Republic of Tatarstan
- Treaty Between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tatarstan
- Declaration on the State Sovereignty of the Tatar Soviet Socialist Republic
- List of Intergovernmental Agreements Between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tatarstan
Economy
Tatarstan is one of the most economically developed regions of Russia; it is also the second most industrialized federal subject after
Samara Oblast. Industrial production constitutes 45% of the Republic's Gross domestic product. The most developed branches are chemical and oil processing, machine building, and wood processing industries. Tatarstan's GDP in 2006 was about 24 bln. USD, due mostly to its oil industry (in the 1970s Tatarstan was the major oil producing region of the
USSR) and machine building industry (
KamAZ is one of the biggest heavy truck manufacturers in the world).The Republic has a highly developed transport network. It mainly comprises highways, railway lines, four navigable rivers - Volga (İdel), Kama (Çulman), Vyatka (Noqrat) and Belaya (Ağidel), and oil pipelines and airlines. The territory of Tatarstan is crossed by the main gas pipelines carrying natural gas from Urengoy and Yamburg to the west and the major oil pipelines supplying oil to various cities in the European part of Russia.
Culture
Major libraries include the Science Library of Kazan State University and the National Library of the Republic of Tatarstan. There are two museums of republican significance, as well as 90 museums of local importance. In the past several years new museums appeared throughout the Republic.
There are 16 theaters in Tatarstan.
Education
The most important facilities of higher education include
Kazan State University,
Kazan State Medical University, Kazan State Technical University and Russian Islam University, all located in the capital Kazan.
Religion
The most common faiths include
Sunni Islam, variants of
Shi'a and Sufi belief and the
Russian Orthodox Church. As of 2004, there were 1,208 buildings used for religious purposes in Tatarstan; 1,014 of which were Islamic, and 176 Russian Orthodox.
Miscellaneous
The people of ethnic majority of Tatarstan are usually offended when called
Tartars. The preferred name is
Tatars. Inhabitants of Tatarstan regardless of ethnicity are usually called
Tatarstaners (, ).
The name
Tatarstan derives from the Tatar and
Persian language -stan (an ending common to many Muslim countries). Other variants of the republic's name are Russian
Tataria (former official Russian name) and Turkish
Tataristan.
Bulgarism wish for their state to be renamed
Bulgaristan (like
North Ossetia-Alania), claiming that the region was called
Bulgaristan by its inhabitants until 1922 in tribute to the early settlers.
See also
Further reading
- Lost Cosmonaut: Observations of an Anti-tourist Daniel Kalder
- The Model of Tatarstan: Under President Mintimer Shaimiev Ravil Bukharaev
- The Volga Tatars: A Profile in National Resilience Azadeayse Rorlich
References
External links
- Official website of Tatarstan.
- Cities of Tatarstan - Kazan.
- Cities of Tatarstan - Naberezhnye Chelny.
- Official website of Tatarstan
- Official website of Tatarstan
- Official website of Kazan State University.
- Official website of Kazan State University.
- Official website of Kazan State Medical University.
- Official website of Kazan State Medical University.
- Official website of Kazan State Technical University.
- Official website of Kazan State Technical University.
- Tatarstan on the Internet
- A text of the agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan "On Delimitation of Authority in the Sphere of Foreign Economic Relations".
- TB-Idel-Ural Weekly
- Tatars nation origin
{{Infobox Russian federal subject|EnglishName=Republic of Tatarstan|LocalName1=Татарстан Республикасы|LocalLangName1=Tatar|RussianName=Республика Татарстан|LocatorMap=RussiaTatarstan2007-07.png|LocatorMapLegend=Location of Tatarstan in Russia|CoatOfArms=Coat of Arms of Tatarstan.svg|CoatOfArmsLink=
Coat of arms of Tatarstan|AnthemLink=[National Anthem of the Republic of Tatarstan|FoundationDate=[May 27, 1920|EconomicRegion=[Volga economic region|CodeNumber=16|Area=67836|AreaRank=44th|Population=3779265|PopulationRank=8th|UrbanPopulation=73.8%|RuralPopulation=26.2%|LangLangs=s|LangList=
Russian language, Tatar language|HeadTitle=
President of Tatarstan|HeadName=Mintimer Shaymiyev|PrimeName=[Rustam Minnikhanov|ConstitutionType=Constitution|ConstitutionName=[Constitution of the Republic of Tatarstan of the [Russian Federation (a republics of Russia). The unofficial Tatarstan motto is:
Buldırabız! (
We can!) Президент Татарстанның милли идеясен - "Булдырабыз!" дип билгеләде.
Terminology
Another Tatar version of the name reads
Tatarstan Cömhüriäte/Татарстан Җөмһүрияте (
cömhüriät is another Tatar term for "republic"), but it is not official. The direct romanization of Russian of its name from Russian is
Respublika Tatarstan. Another (old) version of the Russian name is (
Tatariya), which was official along with
Tatar ASSR during Soviet rule.
Geography
The Republic is located in the center of the
East European Plain, approximately east of Moscow. It lies between the Volga River and the
Kama River (a tributary of the Volga), and extends east to the Ural mountains.
- Borders:
- Highest point:
- Maximum N->S distance:
- Maximum E->W distance:
Time zone
Tatarstan is located in the Moscow Time Zone (MSK/MSD). Coordinated Universal Time offset is +0300 (MSK)/+0400 (MSD).
Rivers
Major rivers include (Tatar names are given in parentheses):
Lakes
Major reservoirs of the republic include (Tatar names are given in parentheses):
- Kuybyshev Reservoir
- Lower Kama Reservoir
The biggest lake is Qaban.
Natural resources
Major natural resources of Tatarstan include petroleum,
natural gas, gypsum, and more. It is estimated that the Republic has over one billion metric ton of oil deposits.
Climate
Administrative divisions
Main articles: Administrative divisions of Tatarstan (Russian form), Counties of Tatarstan (Tatar form).
Demographics
- Population: 3,779,265 (2002)
- Urban: 2,790,661 (73.8%)
- Rural: 988,604 (26.2%)
- Male: 1,749,050 (46.3%)
- Female: 2,030,215 (53.7%)
- Females per 1000 males: 1,161
- Average age: 36.5 years
- Urban: 35.7 years
- Rural: 38.7 years
- Male: 33.8 years
- Female: 38.8 years
- Number of households: 1,305,360 (with 3,747,267 people)
- Urban: 970,540 (with 2,762,818 people)
- Rural: 334,820 (with 984,449 people)
- Vital statistics (2005)
- Births: 36,967 (birth rate 9.8)
- Deaths: 51,841 (death rate 13.8)
Ethnic groups
There are about two million ethnic Volga Tatars and over a million ethnic
Russians, along with significant numbers of Chuvash,
Mari, and
Udmurts, many of whom are Tatar language-speaking. The Ukrainians, Mordvins, and
Bashkirs minorities are also significant. Most Tatars have a
Sunni Muslim background, but a small minority known as the
:tt:Keräşen Tatarlar have an Orthodox background and some of them still regard themselves as being different from other Tatars even though most Keräşen dialects differ only slightly from the Central Dialect of the
Tatar language. There is a fair degree of speculation as to the early origins of the different groups of
Tatars, but most Tatars no longer view religious identity as being as important as it once was, and the religious and linguistic subgroups have intermingled considerably. Nevertheless, despite many decades of assimilation and intermingling, some Keräşen demanded, and were awarded, the option of being specifically enumerated in 2002. This has provoked great controversy however, as many intellectuals have sought to portray the Tatars as homogenous and indivisible. Although listed separately below, the Keräşen are still included in the grand total for the Tatars. Another unique ethnic group, living in Tatarstan only are the Qaratay
Mordvins.
According to the Russian Census (2002) the ‘national composition’ was • Tatars 52.92% • Russians 39.49% • Chuvash 3.35% •
Udmurts 0.64% • Ukrainians 0.64% •
Mordvins 0.63% • Mari 0.50% •
:tt:Keräşen Tatarlar 0.50% •
Bashkirs 0.39% •
Azeris in Russia 0.26% •
Belarusians 0.16% •
Armenians 0.16% • Uzbeks 0.13% •
Tajiks 0.10% •
Jews 0.09% •
Ethnic German 0.08% •
Kazakhs 0.05% •
Georgians 0.05% •
Moldovans 0.03% •
roma people 0.02% • Lezgins 0.02% • and various other groups of less than eight hundred persons each. • An additional 0.02% of residents declined to state their nationality or ethnocultural identity on the census questionnaire. Historical figures are shown below:
{| class="wikitable"|-!! census 1926! census 1939! census 1959! census 1970! census 1979! census 1989! census 2002|-| Tatars| 1,118,834 (43.1%)| 1,250,667 (42.9%)| 1,252,413 (43.9%)| 1,382,738 (42.4%)| 1,516,023 (44.0%)| 1,575,361 (43.3%)| 1,492,602 (39.5%)|-| [Chuvash and [Russian language. According to the 2002 Russian Federal Law (
On Languages of Peoples of the Russian Federation), the official script is
Cyrillic. Tatarstan's government as well as human rights groups and some Russian intellectuals are strongly opposed to this law. Strasbourg Court To Hear On Lawsuit Promoting Tatar Latin Alphabet Верховный суд РТ признал республиканский закон о латинице недействительным, но спикер татарстанского парламента Фарид Мухаметшин считает этот вопрос открытым
History
Middle Ages
of Bolghar is preserved since the Middle Ages.The earliest known organized state within the boundaries of Tatarstan was Volga Bulgaria (c. 700–1238 CE). The Volga Bulgars had an advanced mercantile state with trade contacts throughout Inner Eurasia, the Middle East and the Baltic region, which maintained its independence despite pressure by such nations as the
Khazars, the
Kievan Rus and the Kipchaks. Islam was introduced by missionaries from
Baghdad around the time of
ibn Fadlan's journey in 922.
Volga Bulgaria finally fell to the armies of the Mongol prince Batu Khan in the late 1230s (see
Mongol invasion of Volga Bulgaria.) The inhabitants, mixing with the
Golden Horde's Turco-Mongolian,
Kypchak languages troops and settlers, became known as the "Volga Tatars." Another theory postulates that there were no ethnic changes in that period, and Bulgars simply switched to the Kipchak-based Tatar language. In the 1430s, the region again became independent as the base of the Khanate of Kazan, a capital having been established in
Kazan, 170 km up the Volga from the ruined capital of the Bulgars.
Tatarstan
Russo-Kazan Wars by the troops of Tsar Ivan IV of Russia in the 1550s, with Kazan being taken in 1552. Some Tatars were forcibly converted to Christianity and cathedrals were built in Kazan; by 1593 all mosques in the area were destroyed. The Russian government forbade the construction of mosques, a prohibition that was not lifted until the 18th century by
Catherine II of Russia. The first mosque to be rebuilt under Catherine's auspices was constructed in 1766-1770.
Modern times
In the 19th century Tatarstan became centers of
Jadidism, an Islamic sect that preached a tolerance to other religions. Under the influence of Tatarstan Jadidist theologians, the Tatars were renowned for their friendly relations with other peoples of the
Russian Empire. However, after the October Revolution religion was largely outlawed and all theologians were repressed.
During the
Russian Civil War of 1918-1920 Tatar nationalists attempted to establish an independent republic (the Idel-Ural State). They were, however, put down by the
Bolsheviks and the
Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was established on
May 27 1920. The boundaries of the republic did not include the majority of the Volga Tatars.
Tatarstan today
Tatarstan declared independence on August 30, 1990 as a sovereign state and no longer a subject of USSR or Russian Federation.During 1991-1994 Tatarstan was de facto independent state (called in Russia
internal abroad like Chechnya). In 1992 Tatarstan held a referendum on independence from Russia. 62 percent of the those who took part voted in favor of independence. Subsequently, under Kremlin's pressure, Tatarstan's authorities decided not to pursue independence and instead settled on a greater degree of autonomy from Moscow.On
February 15, 1994 the Treaty
On Delimitation of Jurisdictional Subjects and Mutual Delegation of Authority between the State Bodies of the Russian Federation and the State Bodies of the Republic of Tatarstan and Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan (
On Delimitation of Authority in the Sphere of Foreign Economic Relations) were signed. These agreements may be considered as temporary recognition of Tatarstan's independence by the Russian Federation, because it mentions the
Declaration on State Sovereignty of the Republic of Tatarstan.
Post-Soviet timeline
- 30 August 1990: Declaration of Sovereignty was proclaimed.
- 1991-1994: Tatarstan was de facto independent state.
- 12 June 1991: The first elections for President of Tatarstan. Mintimer Shaymiev was elected.
- 21 March 1992: Referendum held regarding Tatarstan's status. The majority of the population support Tatarstan's independence.
- November 1992: The Constitution of Tatarstan accepted by parliament.
- 15 February 1994: The Treaty On Delimitation of Jurisdictional Subjects and Mutual Delegation of Authority between the State Bodies of the Russian Federation and the State Bodies of the Republic of Tatarstan was signed.
- 1994-2000: Tatarstan was associated state with Russian Federation on confederation status.
- 1995 and 1999 elections held for the Parliament of Tatarstan.
- 2000 and then 2002: Numerous amendments to Tatarstan's Constitution.
- since 2000: Tatarstan is a subject of Russian Federation.
Politics
The head of the government in Tatarstan is the President. As of 2006, the President is
Mintimer Shaeymiev (Tatar: Mintimer Şäymiev, Russian: Минтимер Шарипович Шаймиев). Tatarstan's unicameral National Parliament (Däwlät Sovetı, Государственный Совет) has 100 seats: 50 are for representatives of the parties, other 50 are for deputies from the republic's localities. The speaker of the National Parliament is
Farit Mukhametshin (Färit Möxämmätşin, Фарид Хайруллович Мухаметшин).
According to the Tatarstan Constitution, the President can be elected only by the people of Tatarstan, but due to Russian federal law this law was suspended for an indefinite term. The Russian law about election of governors says they should be elected by local parliaments and that the candidate can be presented only by the president.
On March 25 2005 Shaymiev was re-elected for his fourth term by Parliament. This election was held after changes in electoral law and doesn't contradict the Tatarstan and Russian Constitutions.
Political status
The Republic of Tatarstan is a constituent republic of the Russian Federation. Most of the Russian federal subjects are tied with the Russian federal government by the uniform Federal Treaty, but relations between the government of Tatarstan and the Russian federal government are more complex, and are precisely defined in the
Tatarstan Constitution of 2000. The following passage from the Tatarstan Constitution defines the republic's status without contradicting the Constitution of the Russian Federation:
The Republic of Tatarstan is a democratic constitutional State associated with the Russian Federation by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the Constitution of the Republic of Tatarstan and the Treaty between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tatarstan On Delimitation of Jurisdictional Subjects and Mutual Delegation of Powers between the State Bodies of the Russian Federation and the State Bodies of the Republic of Tatarstan
, and a subject of the Russian Federation. The sovereignty of the Republic of Tatarstan shall consist in full possession of the State authority (legislative, executive and judicial) beyond the competence of the Russian Federation and powers of the Russian Federation in the sphere of shared competence of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tatarstan and shall be an inalienable qualitative status of the Republic of Tatarstan.
External links
- Сonstitution of the Republic of Tatarstan
- Treaty Between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tatarstan
- Declaration on the State Sovereignty of the Tatar Soviet Socialist Republic
- List of Intergovernmental Agreements Between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tatarstan
Economy
Tatarstan is one of the most economically developed regions of Russia; it is also the second most industrialized federal subject after
Samara Oblast. Industrial production constitutes 45% of the Republic's Gross domestic product. The most developed branches are chemical and oil processing, machine building, and wood processing industries. Tatarstan's GDP in 2006 was about 24 bln. USD, due mostly to its oil industry (in the
1970s Tatarstan was the major oil producing region of the USSR) and machine building industry (KamAZ is one of the biggest heavy truck manufacturers in the world).The Republic has a highly developed transport network. It mainly comprises highways, railway lines, four navigable rivers - Volga (İdel), Kama (Çulman), Vyatka (Noqrat) and Belaya (Ağidel), and oil pipelines and airlines. The territory of Tatarstan is crossed by the main gas pipelines carrying natural gas from Urengoy and Yamburg to the west and the major oil pipelines supplying oil to various cities in the European part of Russia.
Culture
Major libraries include the Science Library of Kazan State University and the National Library of the Republic of Tatarstan. There are two museums of republican significance, as well as 90 museums of local importance. In the past several years new museums appeared throughout the Republic.
There are 16 theaters in Tatarstan.
Education
The most important facilities of higher education include
Kazan State University, Kazan State Medical University, Kazan State Technical University and Russian Islam University, all located in the capital Kazan.
Religion
The most common
faiths include
Sunni Islam, variants of Shi'a and
Sufi belief and the
Russian Orthodox Church. As of 2004, there were 1,208 buildings used for religious purposes in Tatarstan; 1,014 of which were Islamic, and 176 Russian Orthodox.
Miscellaneous
The people of ethnic majority of Tatarstan are usually offended when called
Tartars. The preferred name is
Tatars. Inhabitants of Tatarstan regardless of ethnicity are usually called
Tatarstaners (, ).
The name
Tatarstan derives from the Tatar and
Persian language -stan (an ending common to many Muslim countries). Other variants of the republic's name are Russian
Tataria (former official Russian name) and Turkish
Tataristan.
Bulgarism wish for their state to be renamed Bulgaristan (like
North Ossetia-Alania), claiming that the region was called
Bulgaristan by its inhabitants until 1922 in tribute to the early settlers.
See also
Further reading
- Lost Cosmonaut: Observations of an Anti-tourist Daniel Kalder
- The Model of Tatarstan: Under President Mintimer Shaimiev Ravil Bukharaev
- The Volga Tatars: A Profile in National Resilience Azadeayse Rorlich
References
External links
- Official website of Tatarstan.
- Cities of Tatarstan - Kazan.
- Cities of Tatarstan - Naberezhnye Chelny.
- Official website of Tatarstan
- Official website of Tatarstan
- Official website of Kazan State University.
- Official website of Kazan State University.
- Official website of Kazan State Medical University.
- Official website of Kazan State Medical University.
- Official website of Kazan State Technical University.
- Official website of Kazan State Technical University.
- Tatarstan on the Internet
- A text of the agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan "On Delimitation of Authority in the Sphere of Foreign Economic Relations".
- TB-Idel-Ural Weekly
- Tatars nation origin
Tatarstan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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