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An autonomous republic of west-central Russia. The site of a powerful Bulgar state after the 8th century, the region was conquered by Mongols in the 13th century and by Moscow in 1552. The Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was established in 1920, and in 1991 it declared its independence. Along with Chechnya, the republic was not a signatory to the 1992 treaty that created the Russian Federation, but it did join later, in 1994.
Turko-Tatars make up around 50% of the population, and most live in rural areas. Russians, generally urban, constitute some 40%, and there are Chuvash, Udmurt, Mari, and Mordovian minorities. Sunni Islam is the chief religion.
Bulgars dominated the region from the 8th to 13th cent., when it was conquered by the Mongols of the Golden Horde; their Tatar descendants, in turn, gradually replaced or absorbed the Bulgar population. Russian colonization followed the capture (1552) by Czar Ivan IV of the khanate of Kazan, the most powerful of the Tatar states emerging from the empire of the Golden Horde. The Tatar ASSR was organized in 1920 as one of the first autonomous areas established by the Soviet government. In 1990 a declaration of sovereignty was adopted, and in 1991 the republic declared itself independent. This declaration was recognized by no other state. The republic was not a signatory to the Mar. 31, 1992, treaty that established the Russian Federation (see Russia), but it signed a power-sharing treaty with Russian government in 1994. Russian legislation (2003) forced a renegotiation of the treaty; a new treaty was finally ratified in 2007.
| Republic of
Tatarstan (English) Республика Татарстан (Russian) Татарстан Республикасы (Tatar) |
|
|---|---|
 Location of Tatarstan in Russia |
|
| Coat of Arms | Flag |
 Coat of arms of Tatarstan |
 Flag of Tatarstan |
| Anthem: National Anthem of the Republic of Tatarstan | |
| Capital | Kazan |
| Established | May 27, 1920 |
| Political status Federal district Economic region |
Republic Volga Volga |
| Code | 16 |
| Area | |
| Area - Rank |
km² 44th |
| Population (as of the 2002 Census) | |
| Population - Rank - Density - Urban - Rural |
inhabitants 8th inhab. / km² 73.8% 26.2% |
| Official languages | Russian, Tatar |
| Government | |
| President | Mintimer Shaymiyev |
| Prime Minister | Rustam Minnikhanov |
| Legislative body | State Council |
| Constitution | Constitution of the Republic of Tatarstan |
| Official website | |
| http://www.tatar.ru/ | |
Republic of Tatarstan (Russian: Респу́блика Татарста́н; Tatar Cyrillic: Татарстан Республикасы, Latin: Tatarstan Respublikası) is a federal subject of the Russian Federation (a republic). The unofficial Tatarstan motto is: Buldırabız! (We can!)[1].
Another Tatar version of the name reads Tatarstan Cömhüriäte/Татарстан Җөмһүрияте (cömhüriät is another Tatar term for "republic"), but it is not official. The direct romanization of its name from Russian is Respublika Tatarstan. Another (old) version of the Russian name is Тата́рия (Tatariya), which was official along with Tatar ASSR during Soviet rule.
The Republic is located in the center of the East European Plain, approximately kilometers ( mi) east of Moscow. It lies between the Volga River and the Kama River (a tributary of the Volga), and extends east to the Ural mountains.
Tatarstan is located in the Moscow Time Zone (MSK/MSD). UTC offset is +0300 (MSK)/+0400 (MSD).
Major rivers include (Tatar names are given in parentheses):
Major reservoirs of the republic include (Tatar names are given in parentheses):
The biggest lake is Qaban.
Major natural resources of Tatarstan include oil, natural gas, gypsum, and more. It is estimated that the Republic has over one billion tons of oil deposits.
There are about two million ethnic Tatars and over a million ethnic Russians, along with significant numbers of Chuvash, Mari, and Udmurts, many of whom are Tatar-speaking. The Ukrainian, Mordvin, and Bashkir minorities are also significant. Most
Tatars have a Sunni Muslim background, but a small minority
known as the Keräşen Tatars
have an Orthodox background and some of them still regard themselves as being different from
other Tatars even though most Keräşen dialects differ only slightly from the Central Dialect of
the Tatar language.[2] There is a fair degree of speculation as to the early origins of the different groups of
Tatars, but most Tatars no longer view religious identity as
being as important as it once was, and the religious and linguistic subgroups have intermingled considerably. Nevertheless,
despite many decades of assimilation and intermingling, some Keräşen demanded, and were awarded, the option of being specifically
enumerated in 2002. This has provoked great controversy however, as many intellectuals have sought to portray the
Tatars as homogenous and indivisible.[3] Although listed separately below, the Keräşen are still included in the grand total for the
Tatars. Another unique ethnic group, living in Tatarstan only are the Qaratay Mordvins.
According to the 2002 Census the ‘national composition’ was • Ethnic Tatar 52.92% • Ethnic Russian 39.49% • Chuvash 3.35% • Udmurt 0.64% • Ukrainian 0.64% • Mordvin 0.63% • Mari
0.50% • Keräşen Tatars 0.50% •
Bashkir 0.39% • Azeri 0.26% • Belarusians 0.16% • Armenian 0.16% • Uzbek 0.13% • Tajik 0.10% • Jewish 0.09% •
Ethnic German 0.08% •
| census 1926 | census 1939 | census 1959 | census 1970 | census 1979 | census 1989 | census 2002 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tatars | 1,263,383 (48.7%) | 1,421,514 (48.8%) | 1,345,195 (47.2%) | 1,536,430 (49.1%) | 1,641,603 (47.6%) | 1,765,404 (48.5%) | 2,000,116 (52.9%) |
| Russians | 1,118,834 (43.1%) | 1,250,667 (42.9%) | 1,252,413 (43.9%) | 1,382,738 (42.4%) | 1,516,023 (44.0%) | 1,575,361 (43.3%) | 1,492,602 (39.5%) |
| Chuvash | 127,330 (4.9%) | 138,935 (4.8%) | 143,552 (5.0%) | 153,496 (4.9%) | 147,088 (4.3%) | 134,221 (3.7%) | 126,532 (3.3%) |
| Others | 84,485 (3.3%) | 104,161 (3.6%) | 109,257 (3.8%) | 112,574 (3.6%) | 140,698 (4.1%) | 166,756 (4.6%) | 160,015 (4.2%) |
The official languages are Tatar and Russian. According to the 2002 Russian Federal Law (On Languages of Peoples of the Russian Federation), the official script is Cyrillic. Tatarstan's government as well as human rights groups and some Russian intellectuals are strongly opposed to this law. [5][6]
The earliest known organized state within the boundaries of Tatarstan was Volga Bulgaria (c. 700–1238 CE). The Volga Bulgars had an advanced mercantile state with trade contacts throughout Inner Eurasia, the Middle East and the Baltic, which maintained its independence despite pressure by such nations as the Khazars, the Kievan Rus and the Kipchaks. Islam was introduced by missionaries from Baghdad around the time of ibn Fadlan's journey in 922.
Volga Bulgaria finally fell to the armies of the Mongol prince Batu Khan in the late 1230s (see Mongol invasion of Volga Bulgaria.) The inhabitants, mixing with the Golden Horde's Turco-Mongolian, Kipchak-speaking troops and settlers, became known as the "Volga Tatars." Another theory postulates that there were no ethnic changes in that period, and Bulgars simply switched to the Kipchak-based Tatar language. In the 1430s, the region again became independent as the base of the Khanate of Kazan, a capital having been established in Kazan, 170 km up the Volga from the ruined capital of the Bulgars.
Tatarstan was conquered by the troops of Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible in the 1550s, with Kazan being taken in 1552. Some Tatars were forcibly converted to Christianity and cathedrals were built in Kazan; by 1593 all mosques in the area were destroyed. The Russian government forbade the construction of mosques, a prohibition that was not lifted until the 18th century by Catherine II. The first mosque to be rebuilt under Catherine's auspices was constructed in 1766-1770.
In the 19th century Tatarstan became centers of Jadidism, an Islamic sect that preached a tolerance to other religions. Under the influence of Tatarstan Jadidist theologians, the Tatars were renowned for their friendly relations with other peoples of the Russian Empire. However, after the October Revolution religion was largely outlawed and all theologians were repressed.
During the Civil War of 1918-1920 Tatar nationalists attempted to establish an independent republic (the Idel-Ural State). They were, however, put down by the Bolsheviks and the Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was established on May 27 1920. The boundaries of the republic did not include the majority of the Volga Tatars.
Tatarstan declared independence on August 30, 1990 as a sovereign state and no longer a subject of USSR or Russian Federation. During 1991-1994 Tatarstan was de facto independent state[citation needed] (called in Russia internal abroad like Chechnya). In 1992 Tatarstan held a referendum on independence from Russia. 62 percent of the those who took part voted in favor of independence. Subsequently, under Kremlin's pressure, Tatarstan's authorities decided not to pursue independence and instead settled on a greater degree of autonomy from Moscow. On February 15, 1994 the Treaty On Delimitation of Jurisdictional Subjects and Mutual Delegation of Authority between the State Bodies of the Russian Federation and the State Bodies of the Republic of Tatarstan and Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan (On Delimitation of Authority in the Sphere of Foreign Economic Relations) were signed. These agreements may be considered as temporary recognition of Tatarstan's independence by the Russian Federation, because it mentions the Declaration on State Sovereignty of the Republic of Tatarstan.
| History of Tatarstan |
|---|
| Great Bulgaria |
| Khazars |
| Volga Bulgaria |
| Kipchaks |
| Mongol invasion |
| Golden Horde |
| Khanate of Kazan |
| Muscovy |
| Kazan Governorate |
| Idel-Ural State |
| Tatar ASSR |
| Republic of Tatarstan |
The head of the government in Tatarstan is the President. As of 2006, the President is Mintimer Shaeymiev (Tatar: Mintimer Şäymiev, Russian: Минтимер Шарипович Шаймиев). Tatarstan's unicameral National Parliament (Däwlät Sovetı, Государственный Совет) has 100 seats: 50 are for representatives of the parties, other 50 are for deputies from the republic's localities. The speaker of the National Parliament is Farit Mukhametshin (Färit Möxämmätşin, Фарид Хайруллович Мухаметшин).
According to the Tatarstan Constitution, the President can be elected only by the people of Tatarstan, but due to Russian federal law this law was suspended for an indefinite term. The Russian law about election of governors says they should be elected by local parliaments and that the candidate can be presented only by the president.
On March 25 2005 Shaymiev was re-elected for his fourth term by Parliament. This election was held after changes in electoral law and doesn't contradict the Tatarstan and Russian Constitutions.
The Republic of Tatarstan is a constituent republic of the Russian Federation. Most of the Russian federal subjects are tied with the Russian federal government by the uniform Federal Treaty, but relations between the government of Tatarstan and the Russian federal government are more complex, and are precisely defined in the Tatarstan Constitution of 2000. The following passage from the Tatarstan Constitution defines the republic's status without contradicting the Constitution of the Russian Federation:
The Republic of Tatarstan is a democratic constitutional State associated with the Russian Federation by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the Constitution of the Republic of Tatarstan and the Treaty between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tatarstan On Delimitation of Jurisdictional Subjects and Mutual Delegation of Powers between the State Bodies of the Russian Federation and the State Bodies of the Republic of Tatarstan, and a subject of the Russian Federation. The sovereignty of the Republic of Tatarstan shall consist in full possession of the State authority (legislative, executive and judicial) beyond the competence of the Russian Federation and powers of the Russian Federation in the sphere of shared competence of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tatarstan and shall be an inalienable qualitative status of the Republic of Tatarstan.
Tatarstan is one of the most economically developed regions of Russia; it is also the second most industrialized federal subject after Samara Oblast. Industrial production constitutes 45% of the Republic's gross regional domestic product. The most developed branches are chemical and oil processing, machine building, and wood processing industries. Tatarstan's GDP in 2006 was about 24 bln. USD[1], due mostly to its oil industry (in the 1970s Tatarstan was the major oil producing region of the USSR) and machine building industry (KamAZ is one of the biggest heavy truck manufacturers in the world). The Republic has a highly developed transport network. It mainly comprises highways, railway lines, four navigable rivers - Volga (İdel), Kama (Çulman), Vyatka (Noqrat) and Belaya (Ağidel), and oil pipelines and airlines. The territory of Tatarstan is crossed by the main gas pipelines carrying natural gas from Urengoy and Yamburg to the west and the major oil pipelines supplying oil to various cities in the European part of Russia.
Major libraries include the Science Library of Kazan State University and the National Library of the Republic of Tatarstan. There are two museums of republican significance, as well as 90 museums of local importance. In the past several years new museums appeared throughout the Republic.
There are 16 theaters in Tatarstan.
The most important facilities of higher education include Kazan State University, Kazan State Medical University, Kazan State Technical University and Russian Islam University, all located in the capital Kazan.
The most common faiths include Sunni Islam, variants of Shi'a and Sufi belief and the Russian Orthodox Church. As of 2004, there were 1,208 buildings used for religious purposes in Tatarstan; 1,014 of which were Islamic, and 176 Russian Orthodox.
The people of ethnic majority of Tatarstan are usually offended when called Tartars. The preferred name is Tatars. Inhabitants of Tatarstan regardless of ethnicity are usually called Tatarstaners (Tatar Cyrillic: татарстанлы, Latin: Tatarstanlı, татарстанец).
The name Tatarstan derives from the Tatar and Persian -stan (an ending common to many Muslim countries). Other variants of the republic's name are Russian Tataria (former official Russian name) and Turkish Tataristan.
Some Tatarstaners wish for their state to be renamed Bulgaristan (like Alania), claiming that the region was called Bulgaristan by its inhabitants until 1922 in tribute to the early settlers.
| Turkic-speaking regions | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal subjects of Russia shown in italics | |||||
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| 1 Includes the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. 2 Recognized only by Turkey; see Cyprus dispute. |
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Copyrights:
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 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/ Read more |
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| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Tatarstan". Read more |
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