Scholars began to develop a written form of the Altay language in the mid-1800s, but their work was never completed. In the 1930s a new written language was established, based first on the Latin alphabet and then on the Cyrillic alphabet . Most Altay use both their native language and Russian. Institutions of higher education in Altay include a pedagogical institute, technical schools for engineering and veterinary medicine, and a medical school. The Research Institute of History and Altaic Language and Literature is located in Gorno-Altaysk.
Many people also hunt for fur-bearing animals.
Mineral products in Altay include gold and mercury. Roads and air transportation link Gorno-Altaysk to outlying areas. Altay is administered by an elected head of administration and an elected legislative assembly. Altay's two representatives to the Council of the Federation are the head of administration and the leader of the legislative assembly. The seat in the State Duma corresponds to an electoral district from which a representative is selected.