Buryatia, officially the Republic of Buryatia, is a republic of Russia located in the Russian Far East. Formerly part of the Siberian Federal District, it has been administered as part of the Far Eastern Federal District since 2018. To its north lie Irkutsk Oblast and Lake Baikal, the deepest lake in the world; Zabaykalsky Krai to the east; Tuva to the west and Mongolia to the south. Its capital is the city of Ulan-Ude. It has an area of with a population of 978,588 (2021 Census). It is home to the indigenous Buryats.
Geography
right|thumb|View of [[Lake Baikal in Buryatia]]
thumb|View of the valley of the Uda near the village of [[Khorinsk]]
right|thumb|Landscape of southern Buryatia
The republic is located in the south-central region of Siberia along the eastern shore of Lake Baikal.
- Area:
- Borders:
- Internal: Irkutsk Oblast (W/NW/N), Zabaykalsky Krai (NE/E/SE/S), Tuva (W)
- International: Mongolia (Bulgan Province, Khövsgöl Province and Selenge Province) (S/SE)
- Water: Lake Baikal (N)
- Highest point: Mount Munku-Sardyk ()
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- Maximum N->S distance: no data.
- Maximum E->W distance: no data.
- Average elevation: no data
-->
Rivers
Major rivers include:
- Barguzin River
- Irkut River
- Kitoy River
- Oka River
- Selenga River
- Uda River
- Upper Angara River
- Vitim River
Lakes
- Lake Baikal – 60% of the lake's shoreline is in Buryatia.
- Lake Gusinoye
- Baunt
- Busani
- Kapylyushi
- Yeravna-Khorga Lake System
Mountains
Over 80% of the republic's territory is located in the mountainous region, including the Baikal Mountains on the northern shores of Lake Baikal, the Ulan-Burgas east of the lake, and the Selenga Highlands in the south near the Mongolia–Russia border.
Natural resources
The republic's natural resources include gold, tungsten, zinc, uranium, and more.
Climate
- Average annual temperature:
- Average January temperature:
- Average July temperature:
- Average annual precipitation:
The climate varies, with the capital Ulan-Ude having a humid steppe climate and the north with a humid continental climate.
History
thumb|Unusual blue [[diopside|diopsidite skarn from the Dovyren Highlands, Buryatia]]
Mongolian people have lived in the area around Lake Baikal since the fifth century, with Mongolic-related Slab Grave cultural monuments found in the Baikal region. Over time, the Mongolic peoples of the region developed into distinct groups, one of which became the Buryats. Further divisions arose between those Buryats living on the western shore of Lake Baikal – which had better land for agriculture – and those in the east, who practised nomadism more regularly and continued to reside in moveable felt yurts. As a result of the superior farmland, the western side of Lake Baikal was settled by European peasants during the time of the Russian Empire; consequently, western Buryats were more exposed to, and influenced by, the culture, religions and economy of their European neighbours, whereas eastern Buryats maintained closer ties to other Mongolic peoples, Buddhism and Asian civilisations. Medieval Mongol tribes such as the Merkit, Bayads, Barga Mongols and Tümeds inhabited Buryatia.
From 1727, the town of Kyakhta served as the border crossing for the Kyakhta trade between Russia and China. Kyakhta's founder, the Serb Sava Vladislavich, established it as a trading post between Russia and the Qing Empire. The reforms of Mikhail Speransky in 1820 established indirect rule over Buryatia by codifying local clan leaders as official members of the "steppe duma", thereby incorporating them into the existing imperial government. The Buryat national leaders saw the Japanese as potential and critical allies in assisting the independence movement, but the cooperation ultimately failed due to the conflicting agendas. The Red Army advanced in Buryatia in 1920 and continued to Outer Mongolia in 1921. Attracted to the promises of self-determination and territorial autonomy by the Bolsheviks, and having lost the cooperation of the Japanese, the Buryat leaders embraced the idea of building a Buryat nation with the new Soviet state. In 1923, the Buryat Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (; ) was created as a result of the merger of State of Buryat and Buryat Oblast and promised territorial autonomy.
In 1929, a revolt was suppressed in Buryatia, caused by collectivisation and repression of Buddhism. In 1937, Aga Buryatia and Ust-Orda Buryatia were detached from the Buryat-Mongolian ASSR and merged with Chita and Irkutsk Oblasts, respectively. In 1958, the name "Mongol" was removed from the name of the republic and simply became the Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic of Buryatia within the vast multi-ethnic, diverse Soviet Union.
The Ivolginsky Datsan was opened in 1945 as the only Buddhist spiritual centre of the USSR, home to the Central Spiritual Board of Buddhists of the USSR, the state-controlled sangha.
The Buryat intelligentsia were active throughout Buryatia and beyond, into Tibet and Mongolia. At the turn of the 20th century, Buryats leaders, such as Batu-dalai Ochirov and Mikhail Bogdanov, began actively writing political articles about the threat to Buryatia and Buryat existence from Russia. Despite their noted influence from 1900 to 1930, most of them were purged, killed outright or sent to concentration camps, in the 1930s.
The leader of the Buryat ASSR from 1962 to 1984 was Andrei Urupkheevich Modogoev. In the 1970s, Soviet authorities began two major industrial projects in Buryatia: the Gusinoozerskii power station to the south of Ulan-Ude and the construction of the Baikal–Amur Mainline railway in northern Buryatia. The construction of both projects, particularly the railway, required recruiting campaigns to bring workers from other parts of the country to Buryatia. Towns developed along the railroad, and the urban population in northern Buryatia doubled between 1979 and 1989. This agreement was abolished on 15 February 2002.
Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, autonomous republics such as Buryatia did not have the right to secede. However they retained considerable autonomy, with a separate legislature and president. However this autonomy has been curtailed following the 2004 law passed by Vladimir Putin that decreed regional governors and presidents were to be appointed, rather than directly elected.
From 1991 to 2007, the post was held by Leonid Vasilyevich Potapov. He was first elected on 1 July 1994, re‑elected in 1998 with 63.25 per cent of the vote, and elected once more on 23 June 2002, securing over 67 per cent. Before the introduction of direct elections, Potapov served as Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the Republic, at that time the highest office in the region.
The present Head of the Republic is Alexey Tsydenov, who was elected by popular vote on 10 September 2017. He had been appointed acting Head in February 2017 by the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.
The republic's parliament is the People's Khural, whose 66 deputies are elected every five years. The assembly is currently controlled by the country's ruling party, United Russia, which holds 45 seats. Vladimir Anatolyevich Pavlov has served as Chairman of the People's Khural since September 2019.
The Republic's Constitution was adopted on 22 February 1994.
In the 2024 Russian presidential election, which independent observers and opposition figures described as rigged and fraudulent, President Vladimir Putin won 87.96 per cent of the vote in Buryatia.
Administrative divisions
As of 2013, Buryatia is divided into 21 districts, 6 cities or towns, 16 urban-type settlements and 238 selsoviets and somons.
Demographics
Population:
Settlements
right|thumb|Map of Buryatia.
{| class="wikitable"
! Census date
! 1926
! 1939
! 1959
! 1970
! 1979
! 1989
! 2002
! 2010
|-
| Total population
| align="right" | 491,236
| align="right" | 545,766
| align="right" | 673,326
| align="right" | 812,251
| align="right" | 899,398
| align="right" | 1,038,252
| align="right" | 981,238
| align="right" | 972,021
|-
| Average annual population growth
| align="right" |
| align="right" |
| align="right" |
| align="right" | +1.7%
| align="right" | +1.1%
| align="right" | +1.5%
| align="right" style="color: red" | −0.4%
| align="right" style="color: red" | −0.1%
|-
| Males
| align="right" | 248,513
| align="right" |
| align="right" |
| align="right" |
| align="right" |
| align="right" |
| align="right" | 467,984
| align="right" |
|-
| Females
| align="right" | 242,723
| align="right" |
| align="right" |
| align="right" |
| align="right" |
| align="right" |
| align="right" | 513,254
| align="right" |
|-
| Females per 1000 males
| align="right" | 977
| align="right" |
| align="right" |
| align="right" |
| align="right" |
| align="right" |
| align="right" | 1,097
| align="right" |
|-
| Proportion urban
| align="right" | 9.3%
| align="right" |
| align="right" |
| align="right" |
| align="right" |
| align="right" |
| align="right" | 59.6%
| align="right" |
|-
| Territory (km<sup>2</sup>)
| align="right" | 368,392
| align="right" | 351,334
| align="right" | 351,334
| align="right" | 351,334
| align="right" | 351,334
| align="right" | 351,334
| align="right" | 351,334
| align="right" | 351,334
|-
| Population density/km<sup>2</sup>
| align="right" | 1.3
| align="right" | 1.6
| align="right" | 1.9
| align="right" | 2.3
| align="right" | 2.6
| align="right" | 3.0
| align="right" | 2.8
| align="right" | 2.8
|}
Vital statistics
thumb|Dzharun Khashor, the largest [[stupa in the Republic of Buryatia.]]
thumb|Buddhist temple in [[Gegetuy.]]
:Source: Russian Federal State Statistics Service
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! width="70pt"|Average population (thousands)
! width="70pt"|Live births
! width="70pt"|Deaths
! width="70pt"|Natural change
! width="70pt"|Crude birth rate (per 1000)
! width="70pt"|Crude death rate (per 1000)
! width="70pt"|Natural change (per 1000)
! width="70pt"|Fertility rates
|-
| 1970
| align="right" | 816
| align="right" | 14,766
| align="right" | 6,301
| align="right" | 8,465
| align="right" | 18.1
| align="right" | 7.7
| align="right" | 10.4
| align="right" |
|-
| 1975
| align="right" | 862
| align="right" | 17,751
| align="right" | 7,586
| align="right" | 10,165
| align="right" | 20.6
| align="right" | 8.8
| align="right" | 11.8
| align="right" |
|-
| 1980
| align="right" | 921
| align="right" | 19,859
| align="right" | 8,734
| align="right" | 11,125
| align="right" | 21.6
| align="right" | 9.5
| align="right" | 12.1
| align="right" |
|-
| 1985
| align="right" | 993
| align="right" | 23,975
| align="right" | 9,529
| align="right" | 14,446
| align="right" | 24.1
| align="right" | 9.6
| align="right" | 14.5
| align="right" |
|-
| 1990
| align="right" | 1,050
| align="right" | 19,185
| align="right" | 9,602
| align="right" | 9,583
| align="right" | 18.3
| align="right" | 9.1
| align="right" | 9.1
| align="right" style="color: blue" | 2.18
|-
| 1991
| align="right" | 1,052
| align="right" | 16,868
| align="right" | 9,753
| align="right" | 7,115
| align="right" | 16.0
| align="right" | 9.3
| align="right" | 6.8
| align="right" | 2.03
|-
| 1992
| align="right" | 1,049
| align="right" | 13,944
| align="right" | 10,347
| align="right" | 3,597
| align="right" | 13.3
| align="right" | 9.9
| align="right" | 3.4
| align="right" | 1.87
|-
| 1993
| align="right" | 1,043
| align="right" | 11,981
| align="right" | 12,388
| align="right" style="color: red"|−407
| align="right" | 11.5
| align="right" | 11.9
| align="right" style="color: red"|−0.4
| align="right" | 1.65
|-
| 1994
| align="right" | 1,039
| align="right" | 12,327
| align="right" | 13,650
| align="right" style="color: red"|−1,323
| align="right" | 11.9
| align="right" | 13.1
| align="right" style="color: red"|−1.3
| align="right" | 1.66
|-
| 1995
| align="right" | 1,035
| align="right" | 12,311
| align="right" | 12,588
| align="right" style="color: red"|−277
| align="right" | 11.9
| align="right" | 12.2
| align="right" style="color: red"|−0.3
| align="right" | 1.60
|-
| 1996
| align="right" | 1,031
| align="right" | 12,159
| align="right" | 12,441
| align="right" style="color: red"|−282
| align="right" | 11.8
| align="right" | 12.1
| align="right" style="color: red"|−0.3
| align="right" | 1.57
|-
| 1997
| align="right" | 1,025
| align="right" | 11,555
| align="right" | 12,111
| align="right" style="color: red"|−556
| align="right" | 11.3
| align="right" | 11.8
| align="right" style="color: red"|−0.5
| align="right" | 1.51
|-
| 1998
| align="right" | 1,017
| align="right" | 11,746
| align="right" | 11,481
| align="right" | 265
| align="right" | 11.6
| align="right" | 11.3
| align="right" | 0.3
| align="right" | 1.53
|-
| 1999
| align="right" | 1,009
| align="right" | 11,468
| align="right" | 13,114
| align="right" style="color: red"|−1,646
| align="right" | 11.4
| align="right" | 13.0
| align="right" style="color: red"|−1.6
| align="right" | 1.42
|-
| 2000
| align="right" | 1,001
| align="right" | 11,654
| align="right" | 13,155
| align="right" style="color: red"|−1,501
| align="right" | 11.6
| align="right" | 13.1
| align="right" style="color: red"|−1.5
| align="right" | 1.42
|-
| 2001
| align="right" | 992
| align="right" | 11,678
| align="right" | 13,858
| align="right" style="color: red"|−2,180
| align="right" | 11.8
| align="right" | 14.0
| align="right" style="color: red"|−2.2
| align="right" | 1.44
|-
| 2002
| align="right" | 983
| align="right" | 12,830
| align="right" | 14,404
| align="right" style="color: red"|−1,574
| align="right" | 13.1
| align="right" | 14.7
| align="right" style="color: red"|−1.6
| align="right" | 1.52
|-
| 2003
| align="right" | 977
| align="right" | 13,177
| align="right" | 15,056
| align="right" style="color: red"|−1,879
| align="right" | 13.5
| align="right" | 15.4
| align="right" style="color: red"|−1.9
| align="right" | 1.51
|-
| 2004
| align="right" | 973
| align="right" | 13,399
| align="right" | 14,868
| align="right" style="color: red"|−1,469
| align="right" | 13.8
| align="right" | 15.3
| align="right" style="color: red"|−1.5
| align="right" | 1.49
|-
| 2005
| align="right" | 969
| align="right" | 13,551
| align="right" | 15,144
| align="right" style="color: red"|−1,593
| align="right" | 14.0
| align="right" | 15.6
| align="right" style="color: red"|−1.6
| align="right" style="color: red"| 1.41
|-
| 2006
| align="right" | 966
| align="right" | 14,193
| align="right" | 13,930
| align="right" | 263
| align="right" | 14.7
| align="right" | 14.4
| align="right" | 0.3
| align="right" | 1.41
|-
| 2007
| align="right" | 965
| align="right" | 15,460
| align="right" | 12,802
| align="right" | 2,658
| align="right" | 16.0
| align="right" | 13.3
| align="right" | 2.8
| align="right" | 1.60
|-
| 2008
| align="right" | 966
| align="right" | 16,372
| align="right" | 12,948
| align="right" | 3,424
| align="right" | 16.9
| align="right" | 13.4
| align="right" | 3.5
| align="right" | 1.68
|-
| 2009
| align="right" | 968
| align="right" | 16,729
| align="right" | 12,466
| align="right" | 4,263
| align="right" | 17.3
| align="right" | 12.9
| align="right" | 4.4
| align="right" | 2.03
|-
| 2010
| align="right" | 972
| align="right" | 16,535
| align="right" | 12,386
| align="right" | 4,149
| align="right" | 17.0
| align="right" | 12.7
| align="right" | 4.3
| align="right" | 1.99
|-
| 2011
| align="right" | 972
| align="right" | 16,507
| align="right" | 12,299
| align="right" | 4,208
| align="right" | 17.0
| align="right" | 12.7
| align="right" | 4.3
| align="right" | 2.03
|-
| 2012
| align="right" | 972
| align="right" | 17,006
| align="right" | 12,064
| align="right" | 4,942
| align="right" | 17.5
| align="right" | 12.4
| align="right" | 5.1
| align="right" style="color: blue"| 2.14
|-
| 2013
| align="right" | 973
| align="right" | 17,108
| align="right" | 11,479
| align="right" | 5,629
| align="right" | 17.6
| align="right" | 11.8
| align="right" | 5.8
| align="right" style="color: blue"| 2.21
|-
| 2014
| align="right" | 976
| align="right" | 17,093
| align="right" | 11,182
| align="right" | 5,911
| align="right" | 17.5
| align="right" | 11.5
| align="right" | 6.0
| align="right" style="color: blue"| 2.26
|-
| 2015
| align="right" | 980
| align="right" | 16,981
| align="right" | 11,152
| align="right" | 5,829
| align="right" | 17.3
| align="right" | 11.4
| align="right" | 5.9
| align="right" style="color: blue"| 2.28
|-
| 2016
| align="right" | 983
| align="right" | 16,128
| align="right" | 11,047
| align="right" | 5,081
| align="right" | 16.4
| align="right" | 11.2
| align="right" | 5.2
| align="right" style="color: blue"| 2.21(e)
|-
| 2017
| align="right" | 984
| align="right" | 14,315
| align="right" | 10,445
| align="right" | 3,870
| align="right" | 14.5
| align="right" | 10.6
| align="right" | 3.9
| align="right" style="color: blue"|
|-
| 2018
| align="right" | 984
| align="right" | 13,892
| align="right" | 10,347
| align="right" | 3,545
| align="right" | 14.1
| align="right" | 10.5
| align="right" | 3.6
| align="right" style="color: blue"|
|-
| 2019
| align="right" |
| align="right" | 12,471
| align="right" | 10,844
| align="right" | 1,627
| align="right" | 12.7
| align="right" | 11.0
| align="right" | 1.7
| align="right" style="color: blue"|
|-
| 2020
| align="right" |
| align="right" | 12,682
| align="right" | 11,786
| align="right" | 896
| align="right" | 12.9
| align="right" | 12.0
| align="right" | 0.9
| align="right" style="color: blue"|
|}
thumb|[[Ulan-Ude]]
thumb|The village of Baikalskoe on the northern shores of [[Lake Baikal]]
thumb|The peninsula of [[Svyatoy Nos Peninsula, Buryatia|Svyatoy Nos, Lake Baikal.]]
Demographics for 2007
Source:
{|class="wikitable sortable"
!District
!Births
!Deaths
!Growth
!Pop (2007)
!BR
!DR
!NGR
|----
|The Republic of Buryatia
|12,337
|9,833
|2,504
|960,000
|17.13
|13.66
|0.35%
|----
|Ulan-Ude
|4,260
|3,517
|743
|373,300
|15.22
|12.56
|0.27%
|----
|Bichursky District
|339
|318
|21
|26,900
|16.80
|15.76
|0.10%
|----
|Dzhidinsky District
|512
|309
|203
|30,800
|22.16
|13.38
|0.88%
|----
|Yeravninsky District
|244
|191
|53
|18,600
|17.49
|13.69
|0.38%
|----
|Zaigrayevsky District
|714
|630
|84
|48,700
|19.55
|17.25
|0.23%
|----
|Zakamensky District
|492
|322
|170
|30,400
|21.58
|14.12
|0.75%
|----
|Ivolginsky District
|498
|320
|178
|31,000
|21.42
|13.76
|0.77%
|----
|Kabansky District
|702
|779
| −77
|64,400
|14.53
|16.13
| −0.16%
|----
|Kizhinginsky District
|303
|192
|111
|18,700
|21.60
|13.69
|0.79%
|----
|Kyakhtinsky District
|629
|393
|236
|40,500
|20.71
|12.94
|0.78%
|----
|Mukhorshibirsky District
|338
|319
|19
|28,000
|16.10
|15.19
|0.09%
|----
|Pribaykalsky District
|423
|357
|66
|28,900
|19.52
|16.47
|0.30%
|----
|Selenginsky District
|628
|522
|106
|47,500
|17.63
|14.65
|0.30%
|----
|Tarbagataysky District
|205
|216
| −11
|16,900
|16.17
|17.04
| −0.09%
|----
|Tunkinsky District
|304
|249
|55
|23,000
|17.62
|14.43
|0.32%
|----
|Khorinsky District
|314
|222
|92
|19,200
|21.81
|15.42
|0.64%
|----
|Barguzinsky District
|367
|272
|95
|25,600
|19.11
|14.17
|0.49%
|----
|Bauntovsky Evenkiysky District
|126
|92
|34
|10,500
|16.00
|11.68
|0.43%
|----
|Kurumkansky District
|232
|129
|103
|15,600
|19.83
|11.03
|0.88%
|----
|Muysky District
|179
|112
|67
|15,600
|15.30
|9.57
|0.57%
|----
|Okinsky District
|73
|37
|36
|5,100
|19.08
|9.67
|0.94%
|----
|Severo-Baykalsky District
|196
|161
|35
|15,200
|17.19
|14.12
|0.31%
|----
|Severobaykalsk
|259
|174
|85
|25,600
|13.49
|9.06
|0.44%
|----
|}
Ethnic groups
According to the 2021 Census, ethnic Russians make up 64% of the republic's population, while the ethnic Buryats comprise 32.5% of the population. Other groups include Soyots (0.5%) and a host of smaller groups, each accounting for less than 0.5% of the total population.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: right;"
|-bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! rowspan="2" | Ethnic<br />group
! colspan="2" | 1926 Census<sup>1</sup>
! colspan="2" | 1939 Census
! colspan="2" | 1959 Census
! colspan="2" | 1970 Census
! colspan="2" | 1979 Census
! colspan="2" | 1989 Census
! colspan="2" | 2002 Census
! colspan="2" | 2010 Census
! colspan="2" | 2021 Census<sup>2</sup>
|-bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
|-
| align="left"| Buryats
| 214,957
|43.8%
| rowspan="2"| 116,382
|rowspan="2"| 21.3%
| rowspan="2"| 135,798
|rowspan="2"| 20.2%
| rowspan="2"| 178,660
|rowspan="2"| 22.0%
| rowspan="2"| 206,860
|rowspan="2"| 23.0%
| rowspan="2"| 249,525
|rowspan="2"| 24.0%
| 272,910
|27.8%
| 286,839
|30.0%
| 295,273
|32.5%
|-
| align="left"| Soyots
| 161
|0.0%
| 2,739
|0.3%
| 3,579
|0.4%
| 4,316
|0.5%
|-
| align="left"| Russians
| 258,796
|52.7%
| 393,057
|72.0%
| 502,568
|74.6%
| 596,960
|73.5%
| 647,785
|72.0%
| 726,165
|69.9%
| 665,512
|67.8%
| 630,783
|66.1%
| 581,764
|63.9%
|-
| align="left"| Tatars
| 3,092
|0.6%
| 3,840
|0.7%
| 8,058
|1.2%
| 9,991
|1.2%
| 10,290
|1.1%
| 10,496
|1.0%
| 8,189
|0.8%
| 6,813
|0.7%
| 4,035
|0.4%
|-
|align="left"| Evenks
| 2,808
|0.6%
| 1,818
|0.3%
| 1,335
|0.2%
| 1,685
|0.2%
| 1,543
|0.2%
| 1,679
|0.2%
| 2,334
|0.2%
| 2,974
|0.3%
| 2,995
|0.3%
|-
| align="left"| Ukrainians
| 1,982
|0.4%
| 13,392
|2.5%
| 10,183
|1.5%
| 10,769
|1.3%
| 15,290
|1.7%
| 22,868
|2.2%
| 9,585
|1.0%
| 5,654
|0.6%
| 2,007
|0.2%
|-
|align="left"| Others
| 9,440
|1.9%
| 17,277
|3.2%
| 15,384
|2.3%
| 14,186
|1.7%
| 17,630
|2.0%
| 27,519
|2.7%
| 19,969
|2.0%
| 18,360
|1.9%
| 19,325
|2.1%
|-
|align="left" colspan="19"| <sup>1</sup> <small>In 1926, the Buryat-Mongolian ASSR included Aga-Buryatia, Ust-Orda Buryatia, and Olkhonsky District. These territories were transferred to Chita and Irkutsk Oblasts in 1937. Consequently, the results of the 1926 census cannot be compared to the results of the censuses of 1939 and later.</small>
<sup>2</sup> <small>68,873 people were registered from administrative databases, and could not declare an ethnicity. It is estimated that the proportion of ethnicities in this group is the same as that of the declared group.</small>
|}
Religion
thumb|[[Dmitry Medvedev at a Buddhist temple in Buryatia]]
Traditionally, Buryats adhered to belief systems that were based on the deification of nature, belief in spirits, and the possibility of their magic influence on the surroundings. They were led by shamans, who systematized tribal beliefs and cults. From the second half of the 17th century, beliefs and cults in the shamanic form were displaced by Tibetan Buddhism, which became widespread in ethnic Buryatia. By the end of the 19th century, the majority of Buryats were part of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. A synthesis of Tibetan Buddhism and traditional beliefs that formed a system of ecological traditions has constituted a major attribute of Buryat culture. In 2003, the Local Religious Organization of Shamans, Tengeri was officially registered as a religious organization in Buryatia. There are also Tengrist movements. Siberian Tatars are around 0.7% of the population. However, due to isolation from the main body of Tatars, many of them now are either non-religious or Orthodox. Islam is followed by immigrant groups like Azeris and Uzbeks, who constitute another 0.7% of the population.
Education
The higher education institutions of the republic include Buryat State University, Buryat State Academy of Agriculture, East Siberian State Academy of Arts and Culture, and East Siberia State University of Technology and Management.
Economy
The republic's economy is composed of agricultural and commercial products including wheat, vegetables, potatoes, timber, leather, graphite, and textiles. Fishing, hunting, fur farming, sheep and cattle farming, mining, stock raising, engineering, and food processing are also important economic generators.
The unemployment rate of Buryatia was 11% in 2020.
GDP pro person nominal in 2018 was 3,650 USD and PPP in 2009 was 11,148 USD.
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Transportation
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Culture
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Tourism
Lake Baikal is a popular tourist destination, especially in summer.
See also
- Music of Buryatia
- Ust-Orda Buryat Autonomous Okrug
Notes
References
Sources
Further reading
- Anthology of Buryat folklore, Pushkinskiĭ dom, 2000 (CD)
External links
- Official website of the Republic of Buryatia
- Official website of the Republic of Buryatia
- Official website of the Republic of Buryatia (in Buryat)
- Buryatia.org, site about life in the Republic of Buryatia
- Article on Buddhism in Buryatia and Mongolia
- Informational website of Buryatia