Altai Republic

Altai Republic (Russian: Респу́блика Алта́й, Respublika Altay; Altay: Алтай Республика, Altay Respublika) is a federal subject of Russia (a republic). Its capital is the town of Gorno-Altaysk. The area of the republic is 92,600 square kilometers (35,800 sq mi). Population: 206,168 (2010 Census).

History

Xiongnu Empire (209 BC-93 CE) governed the territory of the modern Altai Republic. The ethnicity of this empire is unclear; proposals by scholars include Turkic, Mongolic, Yeniseian,Tocharian, Iranian, and Uralic. The southern part of the Altai Republic came under the Naiman Khanate. Territory of the modern Altai Republic has been ruled by the Mongolic Xianbei state (93-234), Rouran Khaganate (330-555), Mongol Empire (1206-1368), Golden Horde (1240-1502) and Zunghar Khanate (1634-1758).

The 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.