According to the Constitution of Russia, the republics within the Russian Federation are state formations of one or another people, while having the same rights as other subjects of the Federation, but with some additions. For example, they can have their own constitutions that do not contradict Russian, and also establish state languages in addition to Russian. Most of the modern republics within the Russian Federation were created back in the days of the USSR and had the status of autonomous republics or regions. All republics differ in area and national history. The Russian Federation includes republics with very different histories and cultural traditions. However, despite all the differences, they are all equal in rights.
Republics within the Russian Federation
The national republics are located in the Southern, North Caucasian, Northwestern, Siberian and Far Eastern regions. The largest republic on the map of the Russian Federation is Yakutia, with an area of 3,083,523 square kilometers and a population of 959,875 people. Yakutia is located inFar Eastern Federal District.
The smallest republic within the Russian Federation is Ingushetia, located in the North Caucasus Federal District. The area of Ingushetia barely exceeds 3,628 square kilometers.
The northernmost is the Republic of Karelia, which belongs to the North-Western District. Despite the fact that the area of Yakutia is 18% of the territory of Russia, and the territory of Ingushetia is only 0.02%, their status in the legal system of the Russian Federation is absolutely the same, as it is established by the constitution, regardless of the area, population and economic size.
Republics of the North Caucasus
The North Caucasian Federal District is the undisputed leader in terms of the number of national republics on the map of the Russian Federation, national, cultural and linguistic diversity. In Soviet times, on the territory of the compact residence of some peoples, autonomous national regions were created, later transformed into Republics.
The history of the Caucasian republics is quite dramatic, as their borders and territory have repeatedly changed or completely eliminated autonomy, as happened after the Great Patriotic War with Ingushetia and Chechnya. Many peoples of the Caucasus became victims of deportation. However, during the time of Khrushchev, the autonomies were restored, and the deported peoples received the right to return to their historical homeland. Today, there are seven republics in the North Caucasus, which include: Adygea, Dagestan, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, North Ossetia-Alania,Chechen Republic.
The capitals of the republics in the Russian Federation
Each republic, according to its constitution, has a capital, which houses such state authorities as parliament, presidential administration, government and the Supreme Court of the republic.
There are twenty-two republics in Russia today. Having answered the question of how many republics are in the Russian Federation, it is worth listing them:
- Adygea (Maikop).
- Republic of Altai (Gorno-Altaisk).
- Bashkiria (Ufa).
- Buryatia (Ulan-Ude).
- Dagestan (Makhachkala).
- Ingushetia (Magas).
- Kabardino-Balkaria (Nalchik).
- Kalmykia (Elista).
- Karachay-Cherkessia (Cherkessk).
- Karelia (Petrozavodsk).
- Komi Republic (Syktyvkar).
- Republic of Mari El (Yoshkar-Ola).
- Mordovia (Saransk).
- Republic of Yakutia (Yakutsk).
- Republic of North Ossetia (Vladikavkaz).
- Tatarstan (Kazan).
- Republic of Tyva (Kyzyl).
- Udmurtia (Izhevsk).
- Khakass Republic (Abakan).
- Chechen Republic (Grozny).
- Republic of Chuvashia (Cheboksary).
- Republic of Crimea (Simferopol).
Legal status of the republics
Each republic must meet certain requirements in order to be considered a state entity. First of all, it has a territory, the boundaries of which are established by an internal treaty andcannot be changed without the consent of the republic itself. Any changes to the borders on the map of the Russian Federation are carried out with the mutual consent of the subjects of the federation and subject to the established procedure.
Each republic has its own state authorities such as the legislature, the government, the head of the republic, the Supreme Court and the Arbitration Court. All executive bodies of the republics are built into the system of state power of the Russian Federation, for example, the prosecutor general of the republic is subordinate to the prosecutor general of the Russian Federation. All republics have their representative offices under the President of Russia.
Republic of the Volga region
Another important region, in which a significant number of national republics are concentrated, is the Volga region. Most of the national autonomies were created in the early years of Soviet power with the direct participation of Lenin.
The most populous republic of the Volga Federal District is Bashkiria, with a population of over four million people. Next comes Tatarstan with a population of three million nine hundred thousand inhabitants. In addition to these republics, the district also includes Mari El, Chuvashia, Udmurtia and Mordovia.
The region's population speaks languages belonging to seven language families, creating significant linguistic diversity.
Asian part of Russia
The most sparsely populated republic in the Siberian District is Altai, with its capital in Gorno-Altaisk. The population of the entire region barely exceeded 218,000people, while the number of residents of the capital of the region is 63,000 people, that is, more than a quarter of the total number of residents of the republic.
In addition to borders with neighboring regions, the republic has common borders with Mongolia, China and Kazakhstan. Altai's economy is based on animal husbandry and tourism, which has become increasingly important in recent times.
The population of the Republic of Buryatia is 984,000 people. Like Altai, the republic also borders on Mongolia, but tourism is much less developed in it. The economy of the republic belongs to the agro-industrial type. Despite the fact that the republic cannot boast of a variety of minerals, up to 48% of Russia's explored zinc reserves are located on its territory, and in addition, there are several large deposits of alluvial gold.
The population of the Republic of Tyva barely exceeds 320,000 thousand people, while the population of Khakassia exceeds 537,000 people, but has been steadily declining in recent years.
Republic of Crimea
The youngest subject of the Russian Federation is the Republic of Crimea, which was formed on March 18, 2014. The republic was formed following a referendum, as a result of which the peninsula seceded from Ukraine and joined Russia.
The Crimean economy is relatively underdeveloped, but in recent years it has shown a slight but steady growth. It is also worth considering the fact that the Republic of Crimea became part of the Russian Federation only in 2014, which means that its economy is still being influencedprocesses and policies implemented during the period of control by Ukraine. However, the significant infrastructural changes that are being made on the peninsula give hope that the situation in the economy may radically change for the better in the near future.
State building in Russia
Relations between the subjects of the federation and the federal center, among other ways, are also regulated by bilateral federal treaties, under which the parties agree on the delimitation of powers and obligations.
In particular, the republics have the right to discuss in these documents the status of state languages and the number of hours they can be taught in schools as part of the compulsory program.
