History: Founded March 23,1919. Before 1990, the republic was called Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.

Location: Located in the Preduralye, on the Belaya River. Borders on Tatarstan and Udmurt Republics, Orenburg, Perm, Sverdlovsk and Chelyabinsk oblasts.

Area: 143,600 square km, the 24th largest area in Russia.

Administrative Divisions: 54 administrative rayons, 20 cities and towns, 41 urban-type settlements.

Administrative Center: Ufa, population 1,097,000. Founded in 1586.

Major Cities: Ufa, Sterlitamak (population 256,000), Salavat (155,000), Neftekamsk (116,000), Oktyabrskiy (108,000), Beloretsk (74,000), Ishimbay (71,000).

Climate: Continental climate. Average temperature in January is -16 C and in July is +18 C. Precipitation: from 300 mm in Zauralye to 600 mm in the mountains.

Terrain: Plains landscape in the west, mountain landscape in the east (the Urals). Upland-plains landscape in Zauralye. There is karst landscape in places. The highest mountain is Yamansu mountain (1640 m).

Bodies of Water: The territory belongs mainly to the Kama River basin. One fifth of the territory belongs to the Ural River basin. The main river is the Belaya river. It flows for 1,420 km across the republic except through the lower reaches of the Belaya River. The other large rivers are the Ural, Sakmara, Ufa, Dema, Nugush. Sections of the Nizhnekamskoye and Pavlovskoye artificial reservoirs are located in the republic. Numerous lakes are scattered in Zauralye.

Soils: Black and gray forest soils.

Flora: Forest-steppe and steppe vegetation on the plain. There are mixed forests in the north of the Preduralye. There is the altitudinal zonality in the mountains (oak-lime and fir-silver fir forests). Forests cover more than 35% of the territory.

Fauna: Squirrel, bear, fox, white and grey hare.

Ecological Issues: A high pollution level is caused by a concentration of oil extraction and petrochemical industries and trunk pipelines. Bashkirskiy, Shulgan-Tash, Yuzhno-Uralskiy forest reserves and "Bashkiriya" national park have been created in the republic (total area is 430,000 ha). There are plans to set up Iremel national park (200,000 ha).

Natural Resources: Represented by deposits of oil (400 million tons), natural gas (55 million tons), coal (250 million tons), iron ore (71 million tons), table salt (2,270 million tons), manganese ores (potential reserves are 100 million tons), copper ores, copper-zinc ores, gold, asbestos, gypsum, facing stone (granite, jasper), other building materials.

Population: 4,055,000, ranked 7th in Russia.

Urban Population: 2,618,000 (65%).

Rural Population: 1,437,000 (35%).

Administrative Center Population: 42% of the urban population.

Population Density: 28.2 persons per 1 square km.

Natality Rate: 11.6 per 1,000 persons.

Mortality Rate: 12.5 per 1,000 persons.

Growth Rate: -0.9 per 1,000 persons.

Migration Ratio: 4.1 per 1,000 persons (17,700 people).

Ethnic Composition: 22% Bashkirs, 39% Russians, 28% Tatars, 3% Chuvashes.

Health Services: 39.1 doctors and 130 beds per 10,000 persons.

Higher Education: 48,000 students enrolled in 9 colleges & universities of the republic and 61,000 students enrolled in 75 specialized schools.

Research Centers: The Bashkiriya branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Research Institute of Geology, Research Institute of Biology, Research Institute of Chemistry and Oil-processing Industry.

Ranked 8th in Russia in the per capita GDP (in 1995).

Industry: Ranked 6th in Russia in total industrial output. The main

industrial centers of the republic are Ufa, Sterlitamak, Salavat,

Nefetekamsk, Oktyabrskiy.

Fuel, Oil & Gas: The fuel industry (33% of total industrial output) is represented by oil extraction and oil processing (Ufa is the largest oil-processing center in Russia, Salavat), coal mining and coal briquette making (in Kumertau), natural gas extraction.

Chemical: The chemical and petrochemical industries (20%) produce synthetic rubber, ammonia, spirit, carbamide, catalysts, sulphur acid, rubber articles, mineral fertilizers, and household chemical goods. Large facilities are located in Ufa, Sterlitamak, Salavat, Meleuz. A plant to manufacture poly-ether fibers is currently under construction.

Machine-building: The machine-building industry (13%) produces aircraft engines, helicopters, machine tools, equipment for oil extracting and processing, agriculture machinery, electric articles, including telephones.

Food processing: The food industry (9%) produces meat and dairy products, including canned milk products and dry milk, canned fruit and vegetables, and honey.

Power & Energy: The power industry provides 9% of the total industrial output.

Steel & Metal: The ferrous metallurgy is represented by metallurgical works in Beloretsk, copper ore mining in Uchaly and Sibay.

Building industry is of local importance. Ranked 4th in Russia in capital investment.

Agriculture: Ranked 3rd in Russia in the total agriculture production.

Farming: Grain (58%), fodder grass (35%), potatoes and vegetables.

Animal Husbandry: Dairy and beef cattle-breeding. Bee-keeping.

Exports: Ranked 8th in Russian foreign trade sales in 1995. The republic exports mineral products (oil) (34%), chemicals (32%), transportation vehicles (9%).

Distance from Moscow: 726 miles

Rail: There are 3 main railroad lines, Ufa-Chelyabinsk, Ufa- Pokhvistnevo, Ufa-Orenburg.

Auto: There are 2 main highways, Samara-Chelyabinsk M5, Kazan-Ufa-Orenburg.

Pipeline: There are trunk pipelines in the republic.

River and Sea Ports: Navigation along the Belaya River.

By Rail: 1,503 km (30 hours), 4-5 trains per day, including 3 transit trains, from Kazanskiy railroad station.

By Air: 4-5 flights per day from Domodedovo airport. The flight takes 2 hours and 50 minutes. 12 flights per week from Bykovo airport. The flight takes 5 hours and 50 minutes.