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The Russian Federation is divided into 85 federal subjects (constituent units), 21 of which are 'republics'. The republics represent areas of non-Russian ethnicity. The indigenous ethnic group of the republic that gives the republic the name is known as the "titular nationality". Due to decades (in some cases centuries) of internal migration inside Russia, this nationality is not necessarily a majority of a republic's population.

Contents

Constitutional status

Former "Autonomous Republics" and "Autonomous Oblasts"

List of republics of Russia

Constitutional status

Republics differ from other federal subjects in that they have the right to establish their own official language (Article 68 of the Constitution of Russia) and have their own constitution. Other federal subjects, such as krais (territories) and oblasts (provinces), do not have this right. The chief executive of a republic has the title of president.
The level of actual autonomy granted to such political units varies but is generally quite extensive. The parliamentary assemblies of such republics have often enacted laws at odds with the federal constitution, and the republics' executives tend to be very powerful. However, this autonomy has been lessened considerably under Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, President of the Russian Federation since 2000, who seeks to impose supremacy of the federal constitution.
The establishment of seven large "federal districts" above the regions and republics of Russia, with presidentially appointed governors overseeing the republics' activities, has strengthened the rule of law, and respect for the constitution, in the republics. In addition, Putin has strengthened the position of the republics' legislatures and weakened the executives. The executive heads of republics are now appointed by the President of Russia himself, but the President's nomination must be accepted by the republic's parliament.
There is some sort of secessionist movement in most republics, but these are generally not very strong. However, there was considerable support for secession among Tatars, Bashkirs, Yakuts, and Chechnya after the break-up of Soviet Union, resulting in war in the case of Chechnya. The desire for secession in many republics is, however, greatly complicated by the extent to which other ethnic groups reside in their titular republics (Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Sakha). (As a result of the Chechen Wars, very few non-Chechens now reside in Chechnya).

Former "Autonomous Republics" and "Autonomous Oblasts"

The Russian SFSR of the former Soviet Union included three types of ethnic
constituent units, viz., in the order of decreasing "autonomy" level:
Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republics (or simply autonomous republics), autonomous oblasts, and autonomous okrugs.
After the dissolution of the USSR, each "autonomous republic" was succeeded
by a republic with a similar name (or, in the case of the Chechen-Ingush ASSR,
by two republics: Chechnya and Ingushetia). Several "autonomous oblasts" (Adygea, Altai, Karachay-Cherkessia, Khakassia) have become "republics" as well.
The expression, "autonomous republic", is still sometimes used for the republics of Russia.
Although they indeed are autonomous and are republics, the use of this term is not
technically correct, since their official names, as per 1993 Russian Constitution and their own constitutions, are simply "republic", rather than "autonomous republic".

List of republics of Russia

Republics of Russia.png
#Adygea#Altai#Bashkortostan#Buryatia#Dagestan#Ingushetia#Kabardino-Balkaria	8. Kalmykia 9. Karachay-Cherkessia 10. Karelia 11. Komi 12. Mari El 13. Mordovia 14. Sakha (Yakutia)	15. North Ossetia-Alania 16. Tatarstan 17. Tuva 18. Udmurtia 19. Khakassia 20. Chechnya 21. Chuvashia

Republic	Continent	Titular Nationality1	Titular Nationality in Republic's Population (2002)	Titular Nationality: Language Group	Titular Nationality: Main Religion	Ethnic Russians in Republic's Population (2002)	Population (2002)4
Adygea (Адыгея, Адыгэ)	Europe	Adyghe	24.2%	Caucasian	Sunni Islam	64.5%	447,000
Altai (Алтай)	Asia	Altay	33.5%	Turkic	Burkhanism, Lamaism, Shamanism	57.4%	203,000
Bashkortostan (Башкортостан, Башҡортостан)	Europe	Bashkir	29.8%	Turkic	Sunni Islam	36.3%	4,104,000
Buryatia (Бурятия, Буряад)	Asia	Buryat	28.1%	Mongolic	Tibetan Buddhism ("Lamaism")	67.8%	981,000
Chechnya (Чеченская Республика, Нохчийчоь)	Europe	Chechen2	93.5%	Caucasian	Sunni Islam	3.7%	1,104,000
Chuvashia (Чувашская Республика, Чăваш Республики)	Europe	Chuvash	67.7%	Turkic	Russian Orthodoxy	26.5%	1,314,000
Dagestan (Дагестан)	Europe	10 indigenous nationalities3	86.6%	Caucasian,Turkic5	Sunni Islam	4.7%	2,577,000
Ingushetia (Ингушетия, ГӀалгӀай Мохк)	Europe	Ingush2	77.3%	Caucasian	Sunni Islam	1.2%	467,000
Kabardino-Balkaria (Кабардино-Балкарская Республика, Къэбэрдей-Балъкъэр, Къабарты-Малкъар)	Europe	Kabard, Balkars	67% (Kabardin 55.3%, Balkars 11.6%)	Caucasian,Turkic	Sunni Islam, Russian Orthodoxy6	25.1%	901,000
Kalmykia (Калмыкия, Хальмг Таңһч)	Europe	Kalmyk	53.3%	Mongolic	Tibetan Buddhism ("Lamaism")	33.6%	292,000
Karachay-Cherkessia (Карачаево-Черкесская Республика)	Europe	Karachai, Cherkess	50% (Karachai 38.5%, Cherkess 11.3%)	Turkic, Caucasian	Sunni Islam	33.6%	439,000
Karelia (Карелия, Karjala)	Europe	Karelians (related to Finns)	9.2%	Finno-Ugric	Russian Orthodoxy	76.6%	716,000
Khakassia (Хакас(с)ия)	Asia	Khakas	12.0%	Turkic	Russian Orthodoxy	80.3%	546,000
Komi (Коми)	Europe	Komi people	25.2%	Finno-Ugric	Russian Orthodoxy	59.6%	1,019,000
Mari El (Марий Эл)	Europe	Mari	42.9%	Finno-Ugric	Russian Orthodoxy	47.5%	728,000
Mordovia (Мордовия)	Europe	Mordvin	31.9%	Finno-Ugric	Russian Orthodoxy	60.8%	889,000
North Ossetia-Alania (Северная Осетия-Алания, Цӕгат Ирыстоны Аланийы)	Europe	Ossetian	62.7%	Iranian	Russian Orthodoxy, Sunni Islam	23.2%	710,000
Sakha (Yakutia) (Саха (Якутия))	Asia	Yakut	45.5%	Turkic	Russian Orthodoxy, Shamanism	41.2%	949,000
Tatarstan (Татарстан) (''also called'' Tataria ''or'' Tartary)	Europe	Tatar	52.9%	Turkic	Sunni Islam	39.5%	3,779,000
Tyva (Тыва)	Asia	Tuvans	77.0%	Turkic	Tibetan Buddhism ("Lamaism"), Shamanism	20.1%	306,000
Udmurtia (Удмуртская Республика, Удмурт Элькун)	Europe	Udmurts	29.3%	Finno-Ugric	Russian Orthodoxy	60.1%	1,570,000
'Notes:'#Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, and Dagestan have more than one titular nationality. #The former Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic had two titular nationalities until it was divided into the two Republics of Chechnya and Ingushetia in 1991.#The ten indigenous nationalities of Dagestan are: Aguls, Avars, Dargins, Kumyks, Laks, Lezgins, Nogais, Rutuls, Tabasarans, and Tsakhurs.#All population numbers in this table are to three significant figures. #Balkars, Karachai, Kumyks and Nogais are Turkic peoples and Aguls, Avars, Cherkess, Dargins, Laks, Lezgins, Rutuls, Tabasarans, and Tsakhurs are Caucasian#Kabardin and a majority of Balkars are Muslims, but some Balkars are Russian Orthodox