Udmurt Republic
// GENERAL INFORMATION
The Udmurt Republic (Udmurtia) was formed in 1993 and covers an area of 42 100 km2. Udmurtia is located in the western part of the Central Urals between the Kama and Vyatka rivers. The main rivers are the Kama and tributaries of the Vyatka, such as the Cheptsa and Kilmez. The Votkinskoe Reservoir is another important body of water. The republic has a developed railway system (total length of 877 km) connected with the main lines of the Northern and Gorki railways. Udmurtia is divided into 25 districts and includes 6 cities, 11 urban communities, and 310 rural administrations. It has a multinational population of more than 1.6 million; the main nationalities are Russians (58%), Udmurts (31%), and Tatars (7%). About 70% of the population is concentrated in the cities and urban communities.
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Udmurtia has a temperate continental climate with an average January temperature of around -14 °C and an average July (the warmest month) temperature of +19 °C. Average precipitation is from 400 to 600 mm. The vegetation season is about 150 days.
Ferrous metallurgy and the forest and woodworking, chemical, glass, and light industries are generally developed in the republic. The main industrial centers are the cities of Izhevsk, Sarapul, Votkinsk, and Glazov.
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The capital of the Udmurt Republic is Izhevsk, founded in 1760 as a village for Count Petr Shuvalov's ironworks. Today, more than 654 500 people live in Izhevsk. A large number of enterprises of the metallurgy, engineering, precision instrument, and other industries are located here. The city is also an important scientific and cultural center with strong intellectual potential.
The city of Votkinsk was founded in 1759 as an industrial community for the ironworks. The present-day population is more than 100 000; the city's leading enterprise is the Votkinsk Engineering Plant. (Votkinsky mashinostroitelny zavod).
The city of Glazov is situated in the northern part of Udmurtia on the left bank of the Cheptsa River. The village of Glazovo was granted urban status in 1780 and now has a population of more than 100 000. The city's main industry is the Cheptsa Mechanical Plant (Chepetsky mekhanichesky zavod).
The city of Sarapul was founded in 1780 on the site of the village of Voznesenskoe and developed as a trade center and port on the Kama River. The present-day population is about 110 000. The light and food industries are very important in Sarapul.
The city of Kambarka arose in 1761 as a village for G. Demidova's ironworks. It is situated on the left bank of the Kama River eight km from the port of the same name. Its current population is about 17 000 people. Not far from Kamabarka there are stockpiles of lewisite, a type of chemical weapon that is scheduled to be destroyed by the end of the first decade of the new century.
The city of Mozhga first appeared in 1835 as a village for the Syuginsky Glass Factory (Syuginsky ctekolny zavod). It has a population of about 50 000 and in the only industrial center in southwestern Udmurtia.
HISTORY
It is clear from Udmurtia's history that in ancient times the Udmurts lived in the territory of present-day Kirov Region and Tatarstan in order to avoid interethnic conflicts and the strong influence of Christianity, which increased after the conquest of Kazan. Improvisation played a very important role in their prayers and religious ceremonies. The Udmurts had no written language, so they could understand one another only through nonverbal means of communication. The Udmurts were known for their weaving and artistic woodworking, and they still create beautiful decorative articles today. In ancient times, these articles were used for ritual purposes and in everyday life. Russians had already settled in Udmurtia by the end of the 12th century. Many came from the Novogorod region, which explains certain distinctive features of Russian pronunciation and folklore in the Udmurt Republic. The capture of Kazan in 1552 cleared the way for the first large Russian settlements. The first grammatical dictionaries, translations of the Bible, and national Udmurt literary works began to appear starting in 1740. The first national intellectuals, i.e., the clergy, also appeared during this time. The first private factory was founded in 1756 to process copper, and private ironworks appeared later. In 1780, the district centers of Glazov and Sarapul became the first communities to acquire city status. The second half of the 19th century was a period of rapid industrial and cultural development in Udmurtia. Private factories, banks, gymnasia, industrial colleges, theaters, libraries were opened. Articles produced by regional enterprises were often displayed at the largest exhibitions in Russia and abroad. In 1899, the main Perm-Kotlas railway line passed through northern Udmurtia, further advancing the republic's economic development. The first Regional Communist Conference, held on February 27, 1921, declared the territory an Autonomous Region. It was renamed the Udmurt Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in 1934; then in 1990, it became known as the Udmurt Republic following a decision of the Supreme Soviet. The Udmurt Republic introduced its flag in 1993 and approved its emblem and anthem in 1994.
AUTHORITIES
The Udmurt Republic is a state within the Russian Federation. The President is elected every five years and is the head of the republic's executive authority.
According to the Constitution of Udmurtia, the State Council, Government, and courts exercise state authority in the Udmurt Republic. Udmurtia is a parliamentary republic. The State Council is the highest representative, legislative, and control body, while the Government of the Udmurt Republic, which is accountable to the State Council, is the highest executive and administrative body. The government is headed by the Chairman.
Local governments function at the city and district levels. The city government system includes the City Duma, the Mayor as head of the city government, and the city administration and its constituent administrative and municipal districts (executive bodies).
RESOURCES
Udmurtia with its rich and scenic natural environment belongs to the taiga zone. The soils are soddy-podzolic. The surface is a rolling plain cut by river valleys and ravines. In the north, the Verkhnekamsk Upland rises to heights of 330 m, while in the west, in the Kilmez River basin, there is a poorly drained, sometimes boggy, lowland. The Mozhga and Sarapul uplands occupy the southern part of the republic.
The Udmurt Republic has abundant mineral resources, including oil, coal, peat, and building materials. Oil is the most important resource, with total estimated reserves of 380 million tons. Deposits of hard and brown coal have been discovered; and the largest peat deposits are located in the Kilmez and Chepitsa river basins. Limestone, clay, sand, and gravel deposits are also widespread.
The Udmurt Republic has more than 1700 plant species. Forests cover about 44% of its territory. The most common trees are spruce, fir, larch, birch, linden pine, aspen, and occasional oaks. The forests are home to a wide variety of animal species, e.g., moose, wild boars, bears, foxes, hares, martens, stoats, badgers, wolves, rodents, and others. Many kinds of fish inhabit the rivers, including such valuable species as bream, roach, perch, ide, and burbot.
ECONOMY
Engineering and metalworking, ferrous metallurgy, forestry and woodworking, and the chemical, glass, and light industries all operate in Udmurtia, so the republic cannot be considered economically undeveloped.
There are more than 200 industrial enterprises here, most of them well equipped. The factories had to operate efficiently in order to fill military orders, and when they switched to civilian orders, they remained efficient.
The republic's largest companies are mainly located in the capital. These are companies like Izhmash, Izhevsk Mechanical Plant (Izhevsky mekhanichesky zavod), Izhevsk Motor Works (Izhevsky motozavod), Votkinsk Production Association (PO Votkinsky zavod), AO Electric Generator Plant (AO Elektrogeneratorny zavod), Izhstal Production Association (PO Izhstal), and Udmurt Oil Company (Udmurtneft). The factories produce cars and motorcycles, hunting rifles, rockets and space hardware, medical equipment, machinery for the paper industry, and consumer goods like clothing, cassette recorders, personal computers, and microwave ovens.
According to data from the republic's Ministry of International Relations, total export turnover of goods produced in Udmurtia in 2001 exceeded $1 billion US. Half of the republic's production is exported to 96 countries around the world. The Kupol Electromechanical Plant (EZ Kupol) of Izhevsk is regarded as the region's best exporter; the government has awarded it a first-degree diploma.
AO Izhstal was the winner in the category of "Best Exporter of New Products." The company has sold 32 new grades of metal. Other companies numbered among the best exporters include Cheptsa Mecahnical Plant and the Izhevsk-based Neftemash, Bummash, and Kez Cheese Factory (Kezsky cyrozavod). The following main lines of activity were defined in accordance with the Republic of Udmurtia's Economic and Social Development Program for 1995-1997: production of food commodities, a transformation from military to civilian production, natural resource use, fuel and energy, housing, transportation, communications, and information.
One of the main trends is towards increased oil production, primarily by developing new oil fields and improving the operation of existing ones. Foreign investments are necessary in order to achieve this.
The main elements of investment activity include
- abundant natural resources;
- a strong industrial base;
- strong scientific research potential;
- high regional export potential in the oil and engineering industries.
A total of 156 companies with foreign investments were registered by the end of 1995. Udmurtia's climate and natural resources allow the successful development of agriculture and production of raw materials and finished products. Livestock breeding primarily for the meat and dairy industries, is the republic's leading agricultural sector. Poultry and sheep are raised as well. Beekeeping and vegetable cultivation are also carried out.
Udmurtia is divided into 25 rural districts, where as of January 1, 1996, there were 169 collective farms, 22 state farms, 239 new farmers' cooperatives, and 3604 private farms. The food industry is represented by bakeries, pasta factories, 8 meat-packing plants, 10 dairies, and 15 plants producing liqueurs, light alcoholic beverages, beer, starch, and syrup.
Financial organizations operating in Udmurtia include 23 independent commercial banks with 24 branches; 30 insurance companies with 11 branches, including 7 medical companies; 30 investment institutions (investment, brokerage, and consulting companies); 3 investment funds; and 1 exchange office.
All forms of transport are available in Udmurtia (railway, highway, water, and air). Izhevsk airport is a first-category international airport. Altogether there are 878 km of railway lines, 4469 km of roads, and 178 km of navigable inland waterways.
The main docks are located in Sarapul and Kambarka. There is organized navigation for 162 km on the Kama River within the republic; the season lasts for 6.5 months a year. Two oil pipelines and 12 gas pipelines cross the republic. There are no nuclear power stations in the area.
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