The Tatar Republic is made up of Mongolians. The Mordivian Republic, the Mari Republic, and the Udmurt Republic are all Finns and Hungarians. Separate states in southern Russia also have specific ethnic groups. Chechenya, Dangestan, and N. Ossetia are mainly Muslim. Russian Orthodox is the major religion among Russian people although its practice was discouraged under Communism.
Agriculture is probably the most inefficient component of the Russian economy.
Food production has always been a problem and was worsened by collectivization. Permafrost, 120-150 short days, low elevations, and little water and precipitation make farming and agriculture very difficult. Forty-five percent of all agriculture came out of the Ukraine, which was the bread basket of the Soviet Union. Most of the economic development took place in the Central Industrial Region or Russian Core centralized around Moscow. Industrialization developed quickly in the 1920's and 1930's.