Ufa

Ufa (; ) is the largest city in and the capital of Bashkortostan, Russia. The city is located where the Belaya and Ufa rivers meet. This area is in the centre-north of Bashkortostan, on hills forming the Ufa Plateau. It is to the west of the southern Ural Mountains. Over 1.1 million people live in the city. As many as 1.4 million more people live in the area around the city. Ufa is the tenth-most populous city in Russia. It has the fourth largest population for a city in the Volga Federal District.

The city was founded in 1574. This is when a fortress was built on the site of the city by order of Ivan the Terrible. Ufa was made capital of Ufa Governorate in 1865 when the governorate split from Orenburg Governorate. 

Today, Ufa's economy is based mainly on the oil refining, chemistry and mechanical engineering industries. The petroleum company Bashneft and several of its subsidiaries have their headquarters in Ufa. People of many different ethnic groups live in Ufa. The city is home to a large number of ethnic Bashkirs and Tatars, Most of the population is ethnicly Russian. Several educational institutions are in Ufa. They include Bashkir State University, Ufa State Aviation Technical University, Ufa State Petroleum Technological University and Ural State Law University. 

References

Category:Capitals of republics of Russia
Category:Cities and towns in Bashkortostan