Geographical position

The Republic of Tatarstan is located in the center of the East-European Plain where Europe meets Asia and two large rivers - the Volga and the Kama – carry their joint waters to the Caspian Sea. The Republic of Tatarstan covers the territory of 67,800 sq.km and stretches for 290 km from North to South and for 460 km from West to East. Climate in the Republic is moderate-continental with warm, sometimes hot summers and moderate cold winters.

The capital

The capital of the Republic is Kazan, its industrial, commercial and cultural center, a city of more than 1.1 mln people. There are 19 cities and towns and 3,100 settlements in the Republic. The total population of the republic is about 3.8 mln people. Peculiarity of the Republic of Tatarstan and its culture is in that they reflect two different civilizations: eastern and western, and two different religions: Moslem and Christian (Orthodox). Tatarstan is a multinational republic, as it is home to representatives of more than 100 nationalities: the Tatars (over 50%), the Russians (nearly 42%), the Chuvashes, the Mordvinians, the Mari, the Udmurts, etc.

The government

The head of the government in Tatarstan is the President. Tatarstan’s unicameral State Council is elected for 5 years as well and has 100 seats: 50 are for representatives of the parties, other 50 are for deputies from the republic’s localities. The official languages are Tatar and Russian. The state emblem represents a winged snow leopard with a round shield on his side. The national flag is a horizontal tricolor with stripes of green, white and red.