System: republic (subject of the Russian Federation).
Head of State: president.
Administrative structure: It is divided into 54 administrative districts.
Major cities: Ufa, Sterlitamak, Salavat, Neftekamsk.
Currency: Russian ruble.
Geographical location. Bashkortostan is bordered by Perm and Sverdlovsk Oblasts in the north, Chelyabinsk Oblast in the east, Orenburg Oblast in the southeast, south and southwest, the Republic of Tatarstan in the west, and the Republic of Udmurtia in the northwest. It is located on the slopes of the Southern Urals, Uraloldi and Uralorti, in an area bordering Asia and Europe. The country stretches 550 km from south to north and 430 km from west to east. The rivers Ak Idil, Dim, Nugush, Sim, Oshkadar and Sterlya flow through it. There are about 2700 large and small lakes in Bashkortostan. The largest are Aslikol (23,5 sq. Km.) And Kandrakol (16,5 sq. Km.). Forty percent of its territory is forested. There are 47 species of fish in rivers, lakes and other bodies of water, 13 of which are listed in the Red Data Book of Bashkortostan.
There are oil, natural gas, coal, zinc, copper, iron ore, gold, rock deposits and quality cement.
The climate is continental. The average temperature is -18 ° C in January and +18 ° C in June.
History. The region was called "Bashkortostan" after the local Bashkirs. The first written records of the tribes of the Bashkir people are found in the works of Herodotus (fifth century BC). Ptolemy's (second century) map shows the Daiks River. This is the present-day Ural River, which in Bashkir is called Yayik. In the works of Sallam Tarjeman (XNUMXth century), Ahmad ibn Fadlon (XNUMXth century), and Balkhi, the Bashkirs are divided into two groups, one living in the Southern Urals and the other on the Danube. The twelfth-century historian Idrisi testifies that the rulers were divided into "internal" and "external" groups, with cities such as Nimjan, Gurkhan, Karakiya, Kasra, and Masra.
In the 1219th and 1220th centuries, the Bashkir lands became part of Volga Bulgaria. In XNUMX-XNUMX, Genghis Khan's Mongol army attacked the summer pastures of the Bashkirs in the Irtysh. The war lasted fourteen years. Seeing the fighting of the Bashkirs, the Mongols made an impossible truce. Although the area inhabited by the Bashkirs came under the rule of the Genghis Khan dynasty, it gained the title of ruler, that is, gained de facto independence. The khan appointed the chiefs in charge of military service and tribal administration, and granted them a number of privileges. Thus, in the XII-XIV centuries, the territories inhabited by the Bashkirs were part of the Golden Mediterranean.
In 1391, when Amir Temur's army defeated the Tokhtamish army, the Golden Horde kingdom came to an end. After that, the Bashkirs joined the Nogai Horde, Kazan and Siberian khanates. In 1557, most of the Bashkir peoples became part of the Russian state. After the fall of the Siberian Khanate in the mid-1708th century, the territory of present-day Bashkortostan was annexed by Russia. In 1719, the Ufa principality of the Kazan province was established in this region, and in 1737 it was transformed into the Ufa region. In 1744, the Ural part of Bashkortostan was annexed to the Iset region. In 1865, the Orenburg province was formed, which included the former Orenburg, Ufa and Iset regions. In XNUMX, the Orenburg province was divided into Ufa and Orenburg regions.
In 1917, when power in the former Soviet Union fell to the Bolsheviks, the provinces of Orenburg, Perm, Samara, and Ufa were annexed to Bashkortostan. On March 1919, 20, the Autonomous Soviet Republic of Bashkortostan was established. In 1922, the territory was expanded and the capital was moved from Sterlitamak to Ufa.
On October 1990, 11, the Supreme Soviet of the country adopted the Declaration of Sovereignty of Bashkortostan. After the collapse of the former Soviet Union, Bashkortostan remained part of the Russian Federation.
Economy. Specializes in industry and agriculture. Production accounts for 49,6% of the gross regional product, and agriculture and forestry account for 8,2%. The main industry is oil extraction and refining. Oil accounts for 23% of oil production, oil refining for 20%, and the chemical and petrochemical industries for 16%.
Agriculture is focused on agriculture and animal husbandry. Wheat, rye, oats, barley, sugar beet and sunflower are grown. Livestock specializes in the production of meat and dairy products. Sheep, horses and poultry are fed. The preparation of koumiss and the feeding of bees are also common. Bashkir honey is popular. The country is a leader in Russia in beekeeping, honey collection and research.
Tourism is also quite developed. There are many beautiful places and beautiful nature. That is why it is called the "second Switzerland". Every year more than four hundred thousand people come here for recreation and medical treatment.
Population of. 60,4% of the population lives in cities and 39,6% in rural areas. Bashkortostan is home to more than 36,1 ethnic groups. Among them, Russians (29,5%), Bashkirs (25,4%) and Tatars (XNUMX%) are the majority.
Religion. The first Muslim traders came to Bashkortostan in the VII-VIII centuries. Later, various scholars and theologians came to this country. For example, the tenth-century historian Ahmad ibn Fadlan states that he taught the Bashkirs about religion. During the reign of Uzbekkhan (1312-1342), Islam became the official religion of the Golden Horde. At the same time, the Bashkir country, like many other countries, became Muslim.
Sixty-seven percent of religious institutions in Bashkortostan are now owned by Islamic institutions. Until 1990, there were only fifteen mosques in Bashkortostan. There are now more than XNUMX mosques in the country. Almost every village has its own mosque.
