Altai Republic
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Altai Republic (Russian: Респу́блика Алта́й; Altay: Алтай Республика) is a federal subject of Russia (a republic). The direct romanization of the republic's Russian name is Respublika Altay, and the romanization of the Altay name is Altay Respublika. Altai Republic should not be confused with the neighboring Altai Krai.
GeographyThe republic is situated in the very center of Asia at the junction of Siberian taiga, steppes of Kazakhstan and semi-deserts of Mongolia. Forests cover about 25% of the republic's territory.
Time zoneThe Altai Republic is located in the Novosibirsk Time Zone (NOVT/NOVST). UTC offset is +0600 (NOVT)/+0700 (NOVST). Rivers and lakesImage:Katun Chemal.jpg
Katun River in the northern Altai Republic
More than 20,000 tributaries sprawl throughout the mountainous Republic, making up for a total of more than 60,000 km worth of waterways. The Republic's largest rivers are the Katun and the Biya, both of which originate in the mountains and flow northwards. The junction of the two rivers eventually forms the Ob River, one of the longest rivers in Siberia, which flows northward to the Arctic Ocean. The source of the black Biya River is Lake Teletskoye, the region's largest lake located in an isolated area far south in the mountains. The emerald-colored Katun River has its source at the Gebler glacier, which is situated on the Republic's highest point, Mount Belukha. The Katun River in particular holds a religious significance for native Altaians, as well as for many Russians who live in the area, as Mount Belukha is known in Altai folklore to be the gateway to mystical Shambhala. [1] The hydrographic network of the Republic also includes approximately 7,000 lakes, adding up to a total area of more than 700 km². The largest lake is Lake Teletskoye, which is 80 km long and 5 km wide, has an area of 230.8 km², and has a maximum depth of 325 m. The mountain lakes of Altai contain enormous freshwater reserves of a very pure quality as a result of their distance from most human activity. [2] Lake Teletskoye alone contains more than 40 km³ of highly pure water. Potential ground water storage is evaluated at 22 million m³ per day, while the present use constitutes about 44,000 m³ per day. 
MountainsThe most striking geographical aspect of the Republic of Altai is its mountainous terrain. The Republic is situated within the Russian part of the Altay Mountains system, which covers a large part of the Republic and continues into neighboring Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China. The region continues to experience periodic notable seismic activity, which is visually made apparent through the mountains' characteristically high and rugged mountain ridges, separated by narrow and deep river valleys. The Republic's highest peak, Mount Belukha (4,506 m), is the highest point in Siberia. Natural resourcesWater resources are among the most important natural resources of the Republic. Mineral and hot springs are popular destinations for tourists and locals, sought for their therapeutic effects. Additionally, Altai glaciers contain a great amount of fresh water. The general volume of ice for registered Altai glaciers comes to a total of 57 km³, 52 km³ of which is water. The total water stock of the glaciers exceeds the average annual effluence of all Altai rivers, which are equal to 43 km³ per year. The largest glaciers are: Bolshoy Taldurinsky (35 km²), Mensu (21 km²), Sofiysky (17 km²), and Bolshoy Maashey (16 km²). Mineral resources in the region primarily include gold, silver, iron ores, and lithium, in addition to other smaller amounts of minerals. The large city of Barnaul in neighboring Altai Krai was originally founded as a processing center for minerals from the Altai region, although the mineral extraction industry today is much smaller than in the past. ClimateThe republic has a temperate continental climate with relatively short and hot summers (June-August); and long, cold, and often quite frosty winters (November-March). In general, the climate of the southeastern areas of the republic, such as the (Ulagansky and Kosh-Agachsky Districts), is harsher than the climate of the less elevated northern areas.
Administrative divisionsDemographics
Birth rate was 18.3 in the first half of 2007. [3]
As per the 2002 Census, ethnic Russians make up 57.4% of the republic's population, while the ethnic Altay people at 62,192 is only 30.6%. Other groups include Kazakhs (6.0%), Telengits (2,368, or 1.2%), Tubalars (1,533, or 0.8%), Ukrainians (1,437 or 0.7%), and a host of smaller groups, each accounting for less than 0.5% of the total population.
HistoryThe national autonomy for the Altai people was created on June 1, 1922 as Oyrot Autonomous Oblast (Ойро́тская автоно́мная о́бласть), part of Altai Krai. The original name for this region was Bazla. On January 7, 1948 it was renamed Gorno-Altai Autonomous Oblast (Го́рно-Алта́йская автоно́мная о́бласть). In 1991 it was reorganized into the Gorno-Altai Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (ASSR). In 1992 it was renamed as the Altai Republic. PoliticsThe head of government in Altai Republic is the Head of the Republic, popularly elected for a four-year term. As of 2006, the Head of the Republic is Alexander Vasilyevich Berdnikov, who succeeded Mikhail Lapshin in this post. The supreme legislative body of the republic is the State Assembly—El Kurultai, with 41 deputies popularly elected every four years. The Republic's Constitution was adopted on June 7, 1997. EconomyThe Altai Republic is a highly agricultural region. However, it does have some industry which includes foodstuffs, non-ferrous metallurgy, chemicals, gold mining, footwear, dairying and timber. Tourism has also begun to make its mark on the economy, and a large number of new hotels and resorts catering towards "New Russians" have begun to appear. TransportationDue to geographical peculiarities of the Republic, two means of transport—motor transport (over 90% of all kinds of traffic) and air transport (passenger traffic and transport of mail)—were developed. Motor transport is by far the prevailing one, and the vast majority of the Republic's inhabitants live along the main Chuiskiy highway. The extent of automobile roads is more than 3,500 km, 572 km of which is the Chuiskiy, the route of Federal importance Novosibirsk-Biysk-Tashanta. TourismImage:Hotspring altai.jpg
A lake thawed by geothermal heat in winter, northern Altai
With the Soviet Union's collapse, the Altai Republic's tourism industry has greatly expanded. Although wealthy Russians from neighboring Russian republics are the most common sort of tourist in Altai, foreign interest has also grown in the area, especially due to the area's spiritual significance to New Age believers and others. Popular tourist destinations tend to be concentrated in the north, where the roads are more accessible. They are also almost entirely located along the Chuiskiy highway, which is the main road from the north into the mountains (although it is currently only two lanes wide). The north is also significantly warmer than the elevated southern areas, which tend to be chilly even in the summer. Some of the more well-known tourist spots in the Altai region include Lake Aiya (a popular bathing spot), Belokurikha (known for its mineral water springs), and the picturesque Chemal region. More adventurous travelers may wish to visit the more remote Lake Teletskoye or Mount Belukha in the south. EducationThere is one university (Gorno-Altaysk State University), twelve colleges, and 205 secondary schools in the republic. ReligionThe traditional religion of the native Altaians is shamanism. Ethnic Russians primarily practice Orthodox Christianity. Tibetan Buddhism has also recently begun making some inroads by way of neighboring Mongolia and Tuva. From 1904 until the 1930s, a new religious movement called Burkhanism (or Ak Jang, the "white faith") was popularized amongst native Altaians. The religion originated in Altai, and emphasized the "white" aspect of shamanistic practice. Burkhanism remains an important component of Altaian national consciousness, and is currently being revived in several forms along with indigenous Altai culture in general. Russian New Age followers of Agni Yoga often go on pilgrimages to Mount Belukha, which is considered to be the location of Shambhala both by some New Agers and locals of Altai. One can often find manifestations of shamanistic spirituality in the region; for example, at points along the Katun River, local believers in shamanism are known to tie white ribbons to nearby trees and leave offerings of coins or food to the spirits. [4] Although shamanism is much less widely practiced today, it is regaining popularity as a result of new religious freedom following the collapse of the Soviet Union. See alsoExternal links
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