Altai Republic

The Altai Republic (; Altai: , Altay Respublika; , , ), also known as Gorno-Altai Republic, is a republic of Russia. It is in southern Siberia and is a part of the Siberian Federal District. It has an area of . It has a population of 210,924 people. It is the least-populous republic of Russia and least-populous federal subject in the Siberian Federal District. Gorno-Altaysk is the capital and the largest town of the republic.

The Altai Republic is one of Russia's ethnic republics. It mainly represents the indigenous Altai people. The Altai are a Turkic ethnic group that make up 37% of the republic's population, while ethnic Russians form a majority at 54%, and with minority populations of Kazakhs, other Central Asian ethnicities, and Germans. The official languages of the Altai Republic are Russian and Altai. Kazakh is official in areas where it is spoken more.

 History 
The Xiongnu Empire (209 BC – AD 93) owned the territory of the modern Altai Republic. The area was part of the First Turkic Khaganate, the Uyghur Empire, and the Yeniseian Kyrgyzs. This time was the time when Turkic cultures and languages became most common.

The southern part of the Altai Republic came under the Naiman Khanate. The territory of the modern Altai Republic has been ruled by the Mongolic Xianbei state (93–234), Rouran Khaganate (330–555), Mongol Empire (1206–1368), Golden Horde (1240–1502), Zunghar Khanate (1634–1758) and Qing Empire (1757–1864).

The entire Altan Nuur Uriankhai region was annexed into the Russian Empire in 1864–1867 by the Treaty of Tarbagatai. During the Russian Civil War, the Confederated Republic of Altai (Karakorum-Altai Region) was created in 1918. It claimed to be the first step to rebuilding Genghis Khan's Mongol Empire. But it never became a competing force in the Russian Civil War. It stayed neutral from 1918 until January 1920, when it was taken back by Russia. A second Altai Republic was formed in 1921 and lasted until 1922 when they were annexed by the Bolsheviks.

On June 1, 1922, the Oyrot Autonomous Oblast () was created in Altai Krai. This gave the Altai people more autonomy again. The original name for this region was Bazla. On January 7, 1948, it was renamed Gorno-Altai Autonomous Oblast (). In 1991 it was turned into the Gorno-Altai Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (ASSR). In 1992 it was renamed to the Altai Republic.

 Geography 
The Altai Republic is in the Altai Mountains. It is at the junction of the Siberian taiga, the Kazakh steppes, and the Mongolian semi-deserts. Forests cover about 25% of the republic. The highest point in the Altai Republic is Belukha Mountain, which stands at 4,506 m (14,783 ft) tall.

The Altai Republic borders Kemerovo Oblast to the north, Khakassia to the northeast, Tuva to the east, Altai Krai to the west/northwest, Mongolia (Bayan-Ölgii Province) to the southeast, China (Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang) to the south, and Kazakhstan (East Kazakhstan Region) to the south/southwest.

 Climate 
The republic has a temperate continental climate. It has short and mild summers (June–August) and long, cold, and often quite frosty winters (November–March).

In general, the republic's climate of the southeastern areas, such as the (Ulagansky and Kosh-Agachsky Districts), is harsher than the climate of the less elevated northern areas.

 Average annual temperature: +1 °C to −6.7 °C.
 January temperature range: -9.2 °C to −31 °C.
 July temperature range: +11 °C to +19 °C.
 Average annual precipitation: 100–1000 mm.

 Administrative divisions 

The Altai Republic is administratively divided into ten districts and Gorno-Altaysk Urban Okrug. The districts are further divided into ninety-two rural settlements.

 Demographics 
Population:

 Ethnic groups 
According to the 2021 Census, ethnic Russians make up 53.7% of the republic's population. The indigenous Altai people make up 37.0%. Other groups include Kazakhs (6.4%), and several smaller groups.
Ethnic
group1926 Census1939 Census1959 Census1970 Census1979 Census1989 Census2002 Census2010 Census2021 CensusNumber %Number %Number %Number %Number %Number %Number %Number %Number %Altai42,213142.4%39,28524.2%38,01924.2%46,75027.8%50,20329.2%59,13031.0%68,027233.6%69,963334.5%73,24237.0%4Russians51,81352.0%114,20970.4%109,66169.8%110,44265.6%108,79563.2%115,18860.4%116,51057.5%114,80256.6%106,25853.7%Kazakhs2,3262.3%4,2802.6%4,7453.0%7,1704.3%8,6775.0%10,6925.6%12,1086.0%12,5246.2%12,6476.4%Others3,3093.3%4,4052.7%4,7363.0%3,8992.3%4,3652.5%5,8213.1%5,9142.9%5,4472.7%5,7412.9%

 including 3,414 Telengits, 1,384 Kumandins and 344 Teleuts
 including 2,368 Telengits, 1,533 Tubalars, 931 Kumandins, 830 Chelkans, 141 Shors and 32 Teleuts
 including 3,648 Telengits, 1,891 Tubalars, 1,062 Kumandins, 1,113 Chelkans and 87 Shors
 including 2,587 Telengits, 3,424 Tubalars, 1,037 Kumandins, 1,170 Chelkans and 91 Shors

 Notable people 

 Alexander Berdnikov (born April 8, 1953), Chairman of the Government of the Altai Republic, and the head of the republic from January 20, 2006.
 Grigory Gurkin (January 24, 1870 – October 11, 1937), landscape painter.
 Mikhail Lapshin (September 1, 1934 – June 17, 2006),  President of the Altai Republic from January 19, 2002, to January 19, 2006.
 Sergey Mikayelyan (born April 27, 1992), cross-country skier.
 Viktor Shvaiko (b. 1965), painter.
 Semyon Zubakin (born May 4, 1952), Head of the Altai Republic in Russia from January 13, 1998, to January 19, 2002.

 References 

 Citations 

 Sources 



 Other websites 

 Official website of the Altai Republic
 United Nations University digital video (2009) "Rediscovering Altai's human-nature relationships – Russia": a Telengit community leader and shaman from the Russian Altai's high altitude Kosh Agach Raion traversing Altai's sacred lands Accessed 1 December 2009

Category:Republics of Russia
Category:Central Asia
Category:1922 establishments