REPUBLICS OF RUSSIA

The Russian Federation is divided into 85 federal subjects (constituent units), 21 of which are 'republics'. The republics represent areas of non-Russian ethnicity. The indigenous ethnic group of the republic that gives the republic the name is known as the "titular nationality". Due to decades (in some cases centuries) of internal migration inside Russia, this nationality is not necessarily a majority of a republic's population.

Contents
Constitutional status
Former "Autonomous Republics" and "Autonomous Oblasts"
List of republics of Russia

Constitutional status


Republics differ from other federal subjects in that they have the right to establish their own official language (Article 68 of the Constitution of Russia) and have their own constitution. Other federal subjects, such as krais (territories) and oblasts (provinces), do not have this right. The chief executive of a republic has the title of president.
The level of actual autonomy granted to such political units varies but is generally quite extensive. The parliamentary assemblies of such republics have often enacted laws at odds with the federal constitution, and the republics' executives tend to be very powerful. However, this autonomy has been lessened considerably under Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, President of the Russian Federation since 2000, who seeks to impose supremacy of the federal constitution.
The establishment of seven large "federal districts" above the regions and republics of Russia, with presidentially appointed governors overseeing the republics' activities, has strengthened the rule of law, and respect for the constitution, in the republics. In addition, Putin has strengthened the position of the republics' legislatures and weakened the executives. The executive heads of republics are now appointed by the President of Russia himself, but the President's nomination must be accepted by the republic's parliament.
There is some sort of secessionist movement in most republics, but these are generally not very strong. However, there was considerable support for secession among Tatars, Bashkirs, Yakuts, and Chechnya after the break-up of Soviet Union, resulting in war in the case of Chechnya. The desire for secession in many republics is, however, greatly complicated by the extent to which other ethnic groups reside in their titular republics (Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Sakha). (As a result of the Chechen Wars, very few non-Chechens now reside in Chechnya).

Former "Autonomous Republics" and "Autonomous Oblasts"


The Russian SFSR of the former Soviet Union included three types of ethnic
constituent units, viz., in the order of decreasing "autonomy" level:
Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republics (or simply autonomous republics), autonomous oblasts, and autonomous okrugs.
After the dissolution of the USSR, each "autonomous republic" was succeeded
by a republic with a similar name (or, in the case of the Chechen-Ingush ASSR,
by two republics: Chechnya and Ingushetia). Several "autonomous oblasts" (Adygea, Altai, Karachay-Cherkessia, Khakassia) have become "republics" as well.
The expression, "autonomous republic", is still sometimes used for the republics of Russia.
Although they indeed are autonomous and are republics, the use of this term is not
technically correct, since their official names, as per 1993 Russian Constitution and their own constitutions, are simply "republic", rather than "autonomous republic".

List of republics of Russia


Republics of Russia.png
#Adygea#Altai#Bashkortostan#Buryatia#Dagestan#Ingushetia#Kabardino-Balkaria8. Kalmykia
9. Karachay-Cherkessia
10. Karelia
11. Komi
12. Mari El
13. Mordovia
14. Sakha (Yakutia)
15. North Ossetia-Alania
16. Tatarstan
17. Tuva
18. Udmurtia
19. Khakassia
20. Chechnya
21. Chuvashia


RepublicContinentTitular Nationality1Titular Nationality in Republic's Population (2002)Titular Nationality: Language GroupTitular Nationality: Main ReligionEthnic Russians in Republic's Population (2002)Population (2002)4
Adygea (Адыгея, Адыгэ)EuropeAdyghe24.2%CaucasianSunni Islam64.5%447,000
Altai (Алтай)AsiaAltay33.5%TurkicBurkhanism, Lamaism, Shamanism57.4%203,000
Bashkortostan (Башкортостан, Башҡортостан)EuropeBashkir29.8%TurkicSunni Islam36.3%4,104,000
Buryatia (Бурятия, Буряад)AsiaBuryat28.1%MongolicTibetan Buddhism ("Lamaism")67.8%981,000
Chechnya (Чеченская Республика, Нохчийчоь)EuropeChechen293.5%CaucasianSunni Islam3.7%1,104,000
Chuvashia (Чувашская Республика, Чăваш Республики)EuropeChuvash67.7%TurkicRussian Orthodoxy26.5%1,314,000
Dagestan (Дагестан)Europe10 indigenous nationalities386.6%Caucasian,Turkic5Sunni Islam4.7%2,577,000
Ingushetia (Ингушетия, ГӀалгӀай Мохк)EuropeIngush277.3%CaucasianSunni Islam1.2%467,000
Kabardino-Balkaria (Кабардино-Балкарская Республика, Къэбэрдей-Балъкъэр, Къабарты-Малкъар)EuropeKabard, Balkars67% (Kabardin 55.3%, Balkars 11.6%)Caucasian,TurkicSunni Islam, Russian Orthodoxy625.1%901,000
Kalmykia (Калмыкия, Хальмг Таңһч)EuropeKalmyk53.3%MongolicTibetan Buddhism ("Lamaism")33.6%292,000
Karachay-Cherkessia (Карачаево-Черкесская Республика)EuropeKarachai, Cherkess50% (Karachai 38.5%, Cherkess 11.3%)Turkic, CaucasianSunni Islam33.6%439,000
Karelia (Карелия, Karjala)EuropeKarelians (related to Finns)9.2%Finno-UgricRussian Orthodoxy76.6%716,000
Khakassia (Хакас(с)ия)AsiaKhakas12.0%TurkicRussian Orthodoxy80.3%546,000
Komi (Коми)EuropeKomi people25.2%Finno-UgricRussian Orthodoxy59.6%1,019,000
Mari El (Марий Эл)EuropeMari42.9%Finno-UgricRussian Orthodoxy47.5%728,000
Mordovia (Мордовия)EuropeMordvin31.9%Finno-UgricRussian Orthodoxy60.8%889,000
North Ossetia-Alania (Северная Осетия-Алания, Цӕгат Ирыстоны Аланийы)EuropeOssetian62.7%IranianRussian Orthodoxy, Sunni Islam23.2%710,000
Sakha (Yakutia) (Саха (Якутия))AsiaYakut45.5%TurkicRussian Orthodoxy, Shamanism41.2%949,000
Tatarstan (Татарстан) (''also called'' Tataria ''or'' Tartary)EuropeTatar52.9%TurkicSunni Islam39.5%3,779,000
Tyva (Тыва)AsiaTuvans77.0%TurkicTibetan Buddhism ("Lamaism"), Shamanism20.1%306,000
Udmurtia (Удмуртская Республика, Удмурт Элькун)EuropeUdmurts29.3%Finno-UgricRussian Orthodoxy60.1%1,570,000
'Notes:'#Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, and Dagestan have more than one titular nationality. #The former Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic had two titular nationalities until it was divided into the two Republics of Chechnya and Ingushetia in 1991.#The ten indigenous nationalities of Dagestan are: Aguls, Avars, Dargins, Kumyks, Laks, Lezgins, Nogais, Rutuls, Tabasarans, and Tsakhurs.#All population numbers in this table are to three significant figures. #Balkars, Karachai, Kumyks and Nogais are Turkic peoples and Aguls, Avars, Cherkess, Dargins, Laks, Lezgins, Rutuls, Tabasarans, and Tsakhurs are Caucasian#Kabardin and a majority of Balkars are Muslims, but some Balkars are Russian Orthodox





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