Buryatia


The Republic of Buryatia is a federal subject of Russia, located in Siberia in Asia. Formerly part of the Siberian Federal District, it has been a part of the Russian Far East since 2018. Its capital is the city of Ulan-Ude. Its area is with a population of 972,021.

Geography

The republic is located in the south-central region of Siberia along the eastern shore of Lake Baikal.
Major rivers include:
Over 80% of the republic's territory is located in the mountainous region, including the Baikal Mountains on the northern shores of Lake Baikal, the Ulan-Burgas east of the lake and the Selenga Highlands in the south near the Mongolia–Russia border.

Natural resources

The republic's natural resources include gold, tungsten, zinc, uranium, and more.

Climate

Demographics

Population:

Settlements

Census date19261939195919701979198920022010
Total population491,236545,766673,326812,251899,3981,038,252981,238972,021
Average annual population growth+1.7%+1.1%+1.5%−0.4%−0.1%
Males248,513467,984
Females242,723513,254
Females per 1000 males9771,097
Proportion urban9.3%59.6%
Territory 368,392351,334351,334351,334351,334351,334351,334351,334
Population density/km21.31.61.92.32.63.02.82.8

Vital statistics

YearAverage population Live birthsDeathsNatural changeCrude birth rate Crude death rate Natural change Fertility rates
197081614,7666,3018,46518.17.710.4
197586217,7517,58610,16520.68.811.8
198092119,8598,73411,12521.69.512.1
198599323,9759,52914,44624.19.614.5
19901,05019,1859,6029,58318.39.19.12.18
19911,05216,8689,7537,11516.09.36.82.03
19921,04913,94410,3473,59713.39.93.41.87
19931,04311,98112,388−40711.511.9−0.41.65
19941,03912,32713,650−1,32311.913.1−1.31.66
19951,03512,31112,588−27711.912.2−0.31.60
19961,03112,15912,441−28211.812.1−0.31.57
19971,02511,55512,111−55611.311.8−0.51.51
19981,01711,74611,48126511.611.30.31.53
19991,00911,46813,114−1,64611.413.0−1.61.42
20001,00111,65413,155−1,50111.613.1−1.51.42
200199211,67813,858−2,18011.814.0−2.21.44
200298312,83014,404−1,57413.114.7−1.61.52
200397713,17715,056−1,87913.515.4−1.91.51
200497313,39914,868−1,46913.815.3−1.51.49
200596913,55115,144−1,59314.015.6−1.61.41
200696614,19313,93026314.714.40.31.41
200796515,46012,8022,65816.013.32.81.60
200896616,37212,9483,42416.913.43.51.68
200996816,72912,4664,26317.312.94.42.03
201097216,53512,3864,14917.012.74.31.99
201197216,50712,2994,20817.012.74.32.03
201297217,00612,0644,94217.512.45.12.14
201397317,10811,4795,62917.611.85.82.21
201497617,09311,1825,91117.511.56.02.26
201598016,98111,1525,82917.311.45.92.28
201698316,12811,0475,08116.411.25.22.21
201798414,31510,4453,87014.510.63.9
201898413,89210,3473,54514.110.53.6

Demographics for 2007

Source:
DistrictBirthsDeathsGrowthPop BRDRNGR
The Republic of Buryatia12,3379,8332,504960,00017.1313.660.35%
Ulan-Ude4,2603,517743373,30015.2212.560.27%
Bichursky District3393182126,90016.8015.760.10%
Dzhidinsky District51230920330,80022.1613.380.88%
Yeravninsky District2441915318,60017.4913.690.38%
Zaigrayevsky District7146308448,70019.5517.250.23%
Zakamensky District49232217030,40021.5814.120.75%
Ivolginsky District49832017831,00021.4213.760.77%
Kabansky District702779−7764,40014.5316.13−0.16%
Kizhinginsky District30319211118,70021.6013.690.79%
Kyakhtinsky District62939323640,50020.7112.940.78%
Mukhorshibirsky District3383191928,00016.1015.190.09%
Pribaykalsky District4233576628,90019.5216.470.30%
Selenginsky District62852210647,50017.6314.650.30%
Tarbagataysky District205216−1116,90016.1717.04−0.09%
Tunkinsky District3042495523,00017.6214.430.32%
Khorinsky District3142229219,20021.8115.420.64%
Barguzinsky District3672729525,60019.1114.170.49%
Bauntovsky Evenkiysky District126923410,50016.0011.680.43%
Kurumkansky District23212910315,60019.8311.030.88%
Muysky District1791126715,60015.309.570.57%
Okinsky District7337365,10019.089.670.94%
Severo-Baykalsky District1961613515,20017.1914.120.31%
Severobaykalsk2591748525,60013.499.060.44%

Ethnic groups

According to the 2010 Census, ethnic Russians make up two-thirds of the republic's population, while the ethnic Buryats are only 30%. Other groups include Ukrainians, Tatars, and a host of smaller groups, each accounting for less than 0.5% of the total population.

History

Mongolic-related Slab Grave cultural monuments are found in Baikal territory. The territory of Buryatia has been governed by the Xiongnu Empire and Mongolian Xianbei state, Rouran Khaganate, Mongol Empire and Northern Yuan.
Medieval Mongol tribes like Merkit, Bayads, Barga Mongols and Tümeds inhabited in Buryatia. Today Buryat-Mongols populate the territory of Buryatia.
The area of the present-day Buryatia was first colonized in the 17th century by Russians in search of wealth, furs, and gold.
In 1923, the Buryat-Mongolian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was created as a result of the merger of State of Buryat-Mongolia and Mongol-Buryat Oblasts. In 1937, Aga Buryatia and Ust-Orda Buryatia were detached from the Buryat-Mongolian ASSR and merged with Chita and Irkutsk Oblasts, respectively. In 1958, the name "Mongol" was removed from the name of the republic. The Buryat ASSR declared its sovereignty in 1990 and adopted the name Republic of Buryatia in 1992. However, it remained an autonomous republic within the Russian Federation. On 11 July 1995 Buryatia signed a power-sharing agreement with the federal government, granting it autonomy. This agreement would be abolished on 15 February 2002.

Politics

The head of the Republic is the Head, who is elected by the voters of the republic for a four-year term. From 2004 to 2012 the head of Buryatia was nominated directly by the Russian President.
Between 1991–2007, the President was Leonid Vasilyevich Potapov, who was elected on July 1, 1994, re-elected in 1998, and then re-elected again on June 23, 2002. Prior to the elections, Potapov was the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the Republic—the highest post at that time.
The current Head of the Republic is Alexey Tsydenov, who was elected by popular vote on 10 September 2017. Prior to this he was acting Head, having been appointed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in February 2017.
The Republic's parliament is the People's Khural, popularly elected every five years. The People's Khural has 66 deputies and is currently dominated by the country's ruling party, United Russia, with 45 seats. Vladimir Anatolyevich Pavlov has been Chairman of the People's Khural since September 2019.
The Republic's Constitution was adopted on February 22, 1994.

Economy

The republic's economy is composed of agricultural and commercial products including wheat, vegetables, potatoes, timber, leather, graphite, and textiles. Fishing, hunting, fur farming, sheep and cattle farming, mining, stock raising, engineering, and food processing are also important economic generators.

Education

The higher education institutions of the republic include Buryat State University, Buryat State Academy of Agriculture, East Siberian State Academy of Arts and Culture, and East Siberia State University of Technology and Management.

Religion

Traditionally, Buryats adhered to belief systems which were based on the deification of nature, belief in spirits and the possibility of their magic influence on the surroundings. They were led by shamans, who systematized tribal beliefs and cults. From the second half of the 17th century, beliefs and cults in the shamanic form were displaced by Buddhism, which became widespread in ethnic Buryatia. By the end of the 19th century, the majority of Buryats were part of the Buddhist tradition. A synthesis of Buddhism and traditional beliefs that formed a system of ecological traditions has constituted a major attribute of Buryat culture.
As of a 2012 survey 27.4% of the population adheres to the Russian Orthodox Church, 19.8% to Buddhism, 2% to the Slavic Native Faith, Tengrism or Buryat shamanism, 4% declares to be unaffiliated Christian, 1% are Orthodox Christian believers without belonging to churches or are members of other Orthodox churches, 1% are members of Protestant churches. In addition, 25% of the population declares to be "spiritual but not religious", 13% to be atheist, and 10.8% follows another religion or did not give an answer to the survey.
Tibetan Buddhism and Orthodox Christianity are the most widespread religions in the republic. Many Slavs, who constitute around 67% of the population, are Russian Orthodox. Since the breakup of the USSR in 1991, a small number have converted to various Protestant denominations or to Rodnovery, Slavic native faith. There are also some Catholics among the Slavs. Most of the Germans are also Orthodox, so are some other non-European groups like Armenians, Georgians, and Soyot. Buryats constitute 30.04% of the total population.
Most urban Buryats are either Buddhist or Orthodox, while those in the rural areas often adhere to Yellow shamanism, a mixture of shamanism and Buddhism, or to Black shamanism. There are also Tengrist movements. Siberian Tatars are around 0.7% of the population. However, due to isolation from the main body of Tatars, many of them now are either non-religious or Orthodox. Islam is followed by immigrant groups like Azeris and Uzbeks, who constitute another 0.7% of the population.

Tourism

is a popular tourist destination, especially in summer.