Udmurt Republic

Udmurt Republic (English) Удмуртская Республика (Russian) Удмурт Республика (Udmurt)
Coordinates: n/a
Coat of Arms	Flag
Coat of arms of Udmurtia	Flag of Udmurtia
Anthem: National Anthem of the Udmurt Republic
Capital	Izhevsk
Established	November 4, 1920
Political status	Republic
Federal District	Volga[1]
Economic region	Urals[2]
Area[3]	42,100 km2 (16,254.9 sq mi)
- Rank within Russia	57th
Code ISO 3166-2:RU	18 RU-UD
Population (as of the 2002 Census)
Population[4]	1,570,316 inhabitants
- Rank within Russia	29th
- Density	37.3 /km2 (96.6/sq mi)
- Urban[4]	69.7%
- Rural[4]	30.3%
Official language(s)	Russian, Udmurt[5]
Government (as of November 2008)
President[6]	Alexander Volkov[7]
Legislative body	State Council[6]
Constitution	Constitution of the Udmurt Republic
Official website
http://www.udmurt.ru/en/

Udmurt Republic (Russian: Удму́ртская Pеспу́блика; Udmurt: Удмурт Республика) or Udmurtia (Удму́ртия) is a federal subject of Russia (a republic). The direct romanization of the Republic's Russian name is Udmurtskaya Respublika or Udmurtiya; Udmurt name: Udmurt Respublika. Its size is almost 42,000 km² with a population of 1,600,000. Its capital is Izhevsk.

Geography

Udmurtia is located in the eastern portion of the Eastern European Plain, between the Kama and Vyatka Rivers.

• Highest point: 332 m (1,089 ft)
• Maximum N->S distance:320 km (200 mi)
• Maximum E->W distance: 200 km (120 mi)

Rivers

Major rivers include:

• Cheptsa River
• Izh River
• Kama River (navigable)
• Kilmez River
• Siva River

Lakes

While there are no large lakes in the Republic, Votkinskoye Reservoir is partially located on its territory.

Natural resources

Udmurtia's natural resources include oil, peat, mineral waters, and more. Oil reserves are estimated to be 820 million tons (as of 2002). Approximately 7–8 million tons are extracted annually. Most of the oil is exported.

Forests cover over 40% of the Republic's territory. Most of the forests are coniferous.

Climate

Udmurtia has moderate continental climate, with warm summers and cold winters with a lot of snow.

• Average annual precipitation: 400–600 mm

Administrative divisions

Demographics

Census 2002

• Population: 1,570,316
• Urban Pop: 1,094,338
• Urban percentage: 69.7%
• Rural Pop: 475,978
• ural percentage: 30.3%
• Male percentage: 46.2%
• Female percentage: 53.7%
• Females per 1000 males:1,160
• Average age: 35.8
• Average age, Urban: 35.6
• Average age, Rural: 36.1
• Average age, Male: 32.8
• Average age, Female: 38.4
• TFR: 1.613 children per women. (2008)
• Urban TFR: 1.395 children per women. (2008)
• Rural TFR: 2.214 children per women. (2008)
• Births: 17,190 (2005), 19,667 (2007) & 20,421 (2008)
• Birth rate: 11.1 (2005), 12.8 (2007) & 13.36 (2008). 13.9 for first half of 2009.
• Urban Birth Rate: 12.43 (2008)
• Rural Birth Rate: 15.32 (2008)
• Deaths: 24,006 (2005), 21,727 (2007) & 21,436 (2008)
• Death rate: 15.5 (2005), 14.1 (2007) & 14.02 (2008). 13.7 for first half of 2009.
• Urban Death Rate: 13.52 (2008)
• Rural Death Rate: 15.08 (2008)
• Net immigration: 2.1 per 1000 (2007)
• NGR per year percent: -0.07% (2008)
• NGR Urban: -0.11% (2008)
• NGR Rural: +0.02% (2008)

Ethnic groups

According to the 2002 Census, Russians make up 60.1% of the republic's population, while the ethnic Udmurts only make up 29.3%. Other groups include Tatars (7.0%), Ukrainians (11,527, or 0.7%), Mari (8,985, or 0.6%), and a host of smaller groups, each accounting for less than 0.5% of the republic's total population. 2,957 people (0.2%) did not indicate their nationalities during the Census.

Over two thirds of the world population of Udmurts live in Udmurtia.^[8]

Although as of 2007 population is declining, the decline is more pronounced in Urban areas. Out of the 19,667 births reported in 2007, 12,631 were in urban areas(11.86 per 1000) and 7,036 were in rural areas(14.88 per 1000). Birth rates for rural areas are 25% higher than that of urban areas. Of the total of 21,727 deaths, 14,366 were reported in urban areas(13.49 per 1000) and 7,361 were in rural areas(15.56 per 1000). Natural decline of population was measured at -0.16% for urban areas and an insignificant -0.07% for rural areas(Average for Russia is -0.33%). [1]

History

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Map of Udmurtia

Udmurt means literally "field people". The Udmurts are first mentioned in written history by Herodotos by the Greek name of "Budini" who lived around the Volga and Kama rivers. The name Budins is a variant of "Vodins" and is derived from place names. The Vodins never formed any state, only a loose league between the Udmurt tribes. The Udmurts lived close to the Scythians and even some Greeks, Gelons, had settled as fur traders among the Udmurts. There were many fortified wooden settlements along the Kama and Vitka (Viatka) rivers inhabited by Udmurts.

By the time of the Roman Empire, the Udmurts had settled in the Volga bend area and they are also mentioned by the Greek historian Strabo who mentions new settlers from east appearing in Bohemia called Zumis and Butonis.

During the time of Turkic - Mongol - Hun invasion of Europe some Udmurt tribes joined the Sarmatians in the great "Folk-Wandering" and settled in the Vistula basin c. 100-300 CE. They were mentioned by Ptolemy c. 150 CE.

Middle Ages

This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2007)

Udmurts are also mentioned by Arab historians Ibn Fadhlan (921) and Abu-Said al-Balchi (950) as neighbouring people of Idel river Bolgars. In 981, Prince Vladimir of Kiev started a war against the Vjatitsi (which literally means "Udmurts living in the Vitka river valley") tribes. Next year they rebelled again against Kievan Rus rule. Vladimir deported all the most powerful and richest tribal chiefs to southern area held by Kievan Rus. One of these tribal chiefs was Arbegs or Arpek. (The name itself means Ar = Udmurt in Old Tatar language. Finno-Ugrian names did not have soft b during that period. It came later from the Russian language. Pek is presumably place name.) From this started the ethnic cleansing of Finno-Ugric tribes in the Oka, Vitka (Viatka) and Kama rivers area. During the 1000–1200 the Udmurts rebelled continuously against the Kievan Russian rule. Prince Vladimir Monomak tried to crush the waves of rebellion, but had to fight a hard battle in 1200 against the Udmurt Vjatitsi chief Chodota. The first Orthodox missionary monk from Kiev was murdered. Many Udmurts avoided the Slav expansion and moved away to the Unsa, Vetluga, Suhona and Sheksna river valleys where they later were mixed with Komi-murts.

During the Mongol invasion of Volga Bulgaria of 1237 the Mongols also conquered land where most of the Udmurts lived. They had to pay annual taxes to the Khan of Kazan, who did not otherwise intervene in Udmurt tribal society. The Udmurts joined Tatars in the "Battle of Kulikovo" in 1380 and many thousands of Udmurts perished. The Khan of Kazan sent an army against the Udmurts in 1452 but the Tatars found it very difficult to conquer the Udmurts. Instead Khan of Kazan made an alliance with Udmurts.

In 1466 the Udmurts attacked the Russians in the Vitka river valley. In 1500 Russians called Udmurts "Arjaans". By this time some Udmurt tribes were mixed with Tatars and these people still using Udmurt language, were called Besermaans, in Udmurt Busurmans. The Mordvins called Udmurts "Odo". From this name the Russians derived their second alternative name for Udmurts, Otjans (Otjaki) or Otiny. This derived later to form Votjaki. The Udmurts fought with Tatars against the Muscovite Princes up to 1552 when the Khanate of Kazan was conquered and destroyed by the Russians. The territory of modern Udmurtia was divided after 1552 between the Kazan and Vyatka Governorates (guberniyas). In 1553–1557 Udmurts rebelled against the Russians. In 1582 a new rebellion took place. The Russians had to make from Moscow an armed venture against the Udmurt rebels. A new revolt started again in 1592 together with Maris. In 1609 Udmurts took part in a rebellion and conquered in 1612 for a short period Kazan together with Tatars. The next uprising took place when Udmurts joined the Stenka Razin rebellion in 1667–1671. However, the Russians still considered Udmurts dangerous enough that it was ordered in 1697 not to sell any iron which could be used to arm the Udmurt population. The last large scale uprising took place in 1773–1774 when Udmurts joined the Yemelyan Pugachyov's rebellion.

20th century

The first industrial enterprise in Udmurtia was the state owned Votkinsk Zavod founded as a weapons arsenal on the west bank of the river Kama. In 1917 Udmurts joined the short lived Idel-Ural League which was dissolved in December 1918. Since then a massive Russification took place. On November 4, 1920 Votsk Autonomous Oblast was formed. On January 1, 1932, Votsk Autonomous Oblast was renamed Udmurt Autonomous Oblast, which was then reorganized into the Udmurt ASSR on December 28, 1934. In Stalin's Great Purge of 1937–1938 the murder of most of Udmurt's intellectuals had its effects on Udmurt society. During the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945 many industrial factories were evacuated from Ukraine and western borderlands to Udmurtia, considerably increasing the ethnic Russian population in Udmurtia.

see* Labour camp Karkalai 1952

The Udmurt Republic in its present form has existed since September 20, 1990.

Politics

The head of government in Udmurtia is the President, who is elected for a five-year term. As of 2008, the president is Alexander Volkov, who assumed his post on November 3, 2000. Prior to the elections, Volkov was the Chairman of the Republic's Council—the highest post at that time.

The Republic's parliament is the State Council, popularly elected every five years. The State Council has 100 deputies.

The Republic's constitution was adopted on December 7, 1994.

Economy

Udmurtia is an industrialized republic. The most developed industries include machine building, chemical, and oil and gas industries. Udmurtia also benefited from the transfer of defense industry production during World War II. Izhevsk is the home to the Izhmash factory (AKA Izhmash Joint Stock Company) and Izhmech (AKA Izhevsky Mehanichesky Zavod); Izhmash being the primary manufacturer of Kalashnikov based weapon systems, and the 'home' of the AK-47 rifle. The Udmurt Republic is also home for other military technology factories, and also possesses a potential in electronics and nano technology industries.

Culture

In Udmurtia, there are eight professional theaters, the Philharmonic Society, and more than ten state and numerous public museums which tell about history and culture of Udmurtia and its people, like the Museum of history and culture in Sarapul, or the Tchaikovsky Museum in Votkinsk. One of the oldest arms museums is located in Izhevsk, as well as the newer Kalashnikov Museum (dedicated in November 2004), which has recently become a general small-arms museum. Since the breakup of the Soviet Union a new, pan-Finno-Ugric cultural movement has evolved called "Ethnofuturism". [2]

Education

The most important facilities of higher education include the Udmurt State University, Izhevsk State Technical University, and Izhevsk State Medical Academy, all located in the capital Izhevsk.

Religion

The majority of the Republic's population is atheist or Russian Orthodox. Shamanism is also practiced.

Notes

References

• №663-XII 7 декабря 1994 г. «Конституция Удмуртской Республики», в ред. Закона №62-РЗ от 22 ноября 2007 г. (#663-XII December 7, 1994 Constitution of the Udmurt Republic, as amended by the Law #62-RZ of November 22, 2007. ).

Further reading

• Kalder, Daniel. Lost Cosmonaut: Observations of an Anti-tourist. Scribner Book Company. ISBN 0-7432-8994-3.
• Shkliaev, Aleksandr; Eva Toulouze (March 2001). "The mass media and the national question in Udmurtia in the 1990s". Nationalities Papers 29 (1): 97–108. doi:10.1080/00905990120050811. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Category:Udmurtia

• (Russian) (English) Official website of the Udmurt Republic
• (English) (Russian) Official website of the Izhevsk State Medical Academy
• (Russian) Official website of the State Council of Udmurtia
• (Russian) Official website of the Izhevsk State Technical University
• Official website of the Udmurt State University
• (Russian) (Udmurt) (English) National Library of Udmurt Republic