Buryatia

I

Introduction

Buryatia, autonomous republic, south-eastern Russia, located in eastern Siberia, bordering the eastern and southern shores of Lake Baikal, and extending west beyond the lake in a narrow strip bordering Mongolia to the south. The republic is also bordered on the east by Chita Oblast (province), on the north by Irkutsk Oblast, and on the west by the autonomous republic of Tuva. Buryatia has an area of 351,300 sq km (135,638 sq mi). Ulan-Ude is the capital and largest city.

II

Land and Resources

Buryatia is mostly mountainous, rising from about 400 m (1,312 ft) above sea level on the coast of Lake Baikal to mountain ranges averaging 1,200 to 1,700 m (3,937 to 5,577 ft) in height, and running parallel to each other from the north-east to the south-west. Munku-Sardyk (3,491 m/11,453 ft), on the Mongolian border in the south-west, is the highest point. Between the mountains are valleys and plateaux that comprise the main agricultural land. Almost 80 per cent of the republic is covered with the poorly drained soils and evergreen forest vegetation of the taiga. The centre and south comprise steppe and forests of birch, cedar, and pine. The valley bottoms are often swampy. The Tunkinskiy National Park occupies an area of 11,837 sq km (4,570 sq mi) in the Irkut valley in the extreme west of the republic. The park, which was created in 1991, is famous for its natural mineral springs. The Zabaikalskiy National Park covers an area of 2,693 sq km (1,040 sq mi) on the shore of Lake Baikal. The park was created in 1994 and is part of the Lake Baikal UNESCO World Heritage Site (inscribed in 1996). Baikal seals inhabit the lake’s waters, while the park’s land-based mammals include brown bears and red and musk deer.

The principal rivers include the Selenga, the Barguzin, and the Verkh Angara, which all flow into Lake Baikal. The Vitim, in the north, is a tributary of the River Lena; the Irkut in the south-west is part of the Angara system which is located mainly in Irkutsk Oblast. Important lakes include the Gusinoye, Yeravnoye, Baunt, and Barguzin.

The republic has a harsh continental climate, with short, warm summers and long, very cold winters. January temperatures average about -24.5º C (-12º F) and July temperatures about 17.5° C (63.5° F). Average precipitation in lowlands, such as the Selenga, Uda, and the Barguzin river valleys, is 250 to 300 mm (9.8 to 12 in) per year; in the mountains it rises to 300 to 500 mm (12 to 20 in).

III

Population

Buryatia has a population of about 1,019,400 (2002 estimate) of whom about 60 per cent live in urban areas. The overall population density of the republic is 2.8 people per sq km (7.3 per sq mi). Ulan-Ude, in the Selenga river basin, has a population of about 359,400 (2002). Other significant settlements include Gusinoozërsk, Khorinsk, and Sosnovo-Ozërskoye, all of which are located along the road that runs from Vladivostok to Beijing, China. Just over one-third of the population is Russian (2002 census). However, the Buryat, who make up about 28 per cent of the population, are considered the indigenous people and have cultural and political privileges. Buryats are Mongols, related to the peoples of Mongolia, and in the past lived as nomadic herders. Other minorities include Ukrainians (1 per cent) and Tatars (0.8 per cent).

Higher education institutions in the state include Buryatia State University, Buryat State Academy of Agriculture, East Siberian State Academy of Arts and Culture, and East Siberian State Technological Institute, all located in Ulan-Ude. Tibetan Buddhism, Shamanism, and Orthodox Christianity are the predominant religions in Buryatia. Ivolginsky Datsan, an important Buddhist monastery, is located at Verkhnyaya Ivolga. The monastery houses the preserved body of Dashi-Dorzho Itigilov, the 12th Khambo Lama (the head of Buddhism in Russia).

IV

Economy

Arable farming is restricted to only 9 per cent of the republic's territory, and animal husbandry dominates in the rural economy. Fishing for salmon in Lake Baikal, an important source of income, has been affected by the pollution of the lake. Brown coal (lignite), tungsten, molybdenum, and gold are mined and processed. Industries include electric power, machine-building, timber, woodworking, and food processing. Rail transport is highly developed, and the main Siberian line goes through Ulan-Ude. Roads and airlines connect the capital and other towns with major centres in Russia.