Altai Krai

Altai Krai Алтайский край (Russian)
—  Krai  â€”
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: None[1]
Coordinates: 52°46′N 82°37′E / 52.767°N 82.617°ECoordinates: 52°46′N 82°37′E / 52.767°N 82.617°E
Political status
Country	Russia
Federal district	Siberian[2]
Economic region	West Siberian[3]
Established	September 28, 1937[4]
Administrative center	Barnaul
Government (as of October 2014)
• Governor[5]	Alexander Karlin[6]
• Legislature	Altai Krai Legislative Assembly[7]
Statistics
Area (as of the 2002 Census)[8]
• Total	169,100 km^2 (65,300 sq mi)
Area rank	22nd
Population (2010 Census)[9]
• Total	2,419,755
• Rank	21st
• Density[10]	14.31/km^2 (37.1/sq mi)
• Urban	54.7%
• Rural	45.3%
Population (January 2014 est.)
• Total	2,390,638[11]
Time zone(s)	OMST (UTC+06:00)[12]
ISO 3166-2	RU-ALT
License plates	22
Official languages	Russian[13]
Official website

Altai Krai (Russian: Алта́йский край, tr. Altaysky kray; IPA: [ɐlˈtajskʲɪj kraj]) is a federal subject of Russia (a krai). It borders with, clockwise from the west, Kazakhstan, Novosibirsk and Kemerovo Oblasts, and the Altai Republic. The krai's administrative center is the city of Barnaul. As of the 2010 Census, the population of the krai was 2,419,755.^[9]

Geography

Kulundra Steppes, Altai Krai. The east-west "spikes" are gentle folds in the surface rocks of the area; they lie slightly lower than the surrounding, lighter-toned agricultural lands. The dark zones are forested with pines and dotted with salt-rich lakes. The image shows a distance of a little more than 300 kilometers (200 miles) from left to right, and the forested spikes are nearly that length. Barnaul is at center right, on the Ob River.

Altai Krai has rolling foothills, grasslands, lakes, rivers, and mountains.^[14]

The climate is severe with long cold dry winters and hot, usually dry summers. The region's main waterway is the Ob River. The Biya and Katun Rivers are also important. The biggest lakes are Lake Kulundinskoye, Lake Kuchukskoye, and Lake Mikhaylovskoye.^[15]

Altai Krai has huge reserves of raw materials, especially materials used for building, as well as significant mineral reserves. These include nonferrous metals, lead and iron ores, manganese, tungsten, molybdenum, bauxite, and gold. Forests cover about 60,000 km² of the krai's land.^[15] See also Geography of South-Central Siberia.

This region of Siberia is extremely important due to its biodiversity, an area of over 1.6 million hectares is recognised by Unesco as a world heritage site and even the endangered snow leopard has made his home there.

This area is completely unpolluted - there is no pollution from vehicle exhaust pipes and is as yet unspoilt by man, and GMO is unheard of! The Altai bees (Apis mellifera) are hardy and healthy they are renowned for producing some of the world's finest organic honeys.

Historically honey was used by the peoples of Altai and Bashkiria as payment or Yasak (levy or tax) to the Russian Tsars.

History

This area is part of a great crossroads in the ancient world.^[16] Nomadic tribes crossed through the territory during periods of migration. The nomadic tribes were composed of different peoples. Archeological sites reveal that ancient humans lived in the area.^[15] The Altay people are a Turkic people, some of whom have settled here, who were originally nomadic and date back to the 2nd millennium BCE.^[17]

The Xiongnu Empire (209 BC-93 CE) governed the territory of modern Altai Krai. The identity of the ethnic core of Xiongnu has been a subject of varied hypotheses and proposals by scholars include Mongolic and Turkic. Altai Krai was part of the Mongolic Xianbei state (93-234), Rouran Khaganate (330-555), Mongol Empire (1206-1368), Golden Horde and Zunghar Khanate (1634-1758).^[18]

Administrative divisions

Heraldry

Flag

Flag of Altai Krai is red and blue with a yellow stripe on it as a symbol of agriculture. In the centre of the flag there is the Emblem of Altai Krai.

The Emblem

The Emblem of Altai Krai was established in 2000. It includes a shield of French heraldry form with a basement of 8/10th of its height and a sharp part in the middle of the bottom part. Bottom edges of the shield are rounded. The shield is divided with a horizontal stripe into two equal parts. In the upper part of the Emblem on blue background, which is a symbol of glory, is a steamy oven of the 18th century, which reflects a historical past of Altai Krai. In the bottom part on the red background, which is a symbol of dignity, braveness and courage, is an image of the Koluvan Queen of Vases mainly in green color, which is kept in Ermitage museum. The shield is framed with golden wheat ears which represent agriculture as a main industry of Altai Krai.

Krai Administration seat in the Soviets Square, Barnaul

During the Soviet period, the high authority in the Krai was shared between three persons: The first secretary of the Altai CPSU Committee (who in reality had the most authority), the chairman of the Krai Soviet (legislative power), and the Chairman of the Krai Executive Committee (executive power). Since 1991, CPSU lost all the power, and the head of the Krai administration, and eventually the governor was appointed/elected alongside elected regional parliament.

The Charter of Altai Krai is the fundamental law of the region. The Legislative Assembly of Altai Krai is the province's regional standing legislative (representative) body. The Legislative Assembly exercises its authority by passing laws, resolutions, and other legal acts and by supervising the implementation and observance of the laws and other legal acts passed by it. The highest executive body is the Krai Government, which includes territorial executive bodies such as district administrations, committees, and commissions that facilitate development and run the day to day matters of the province. The Krai administration supports the activities of the Governor who is the highest official and acts as guarantor of the observance of the krai Charter in accordance with the Constitution of Russia.

On August 7, 2005 the krai's then-head of administration Mikhail Yevdokimov died in a car crash.

Demographics

Population: 2,390,638 (2014 est.);^[11] 2,419,755 (2010 Census);^[9] 2,607,426 (2002 Census);^[19] 2,822,305 (1989 Census).^[20]

As of the 2010 Census,^[9] Russians form an overwhelming majority of the population, at 94%. Germans are the second-largest group, at about 2% (see Mennonite settlements of Altai). Other groups include Ukrainians (1.4%), Kazakhs (0.3%), Tatars (0.3%), Belarusians (0.2%), Armenians (0.3%), and people of other ethnicities. Additionally, 40,984 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.^[21]

• Births: 30,739 (2011) ^[22]
• Deaths: 35,114 (2011) ^[22]

Vital statistics for 2012

• Births: 32 695 (13.6 per 1000)
• Deaths: 35 030 (14.6 per 1000) ^[23]
• Total fertility rate:^[24]

2009 - 1.62 | 2010 - 1.63 | 2011 - 1.65 | 2012 - 1.81 | 2013 - 1.83 | 2014 - 1.84 | 2015 - 1.80(e)

Religion

Religion in Altay Krai (2012)^[25][26]

  Russian Orthodox (22.6%)

  Unaffiliated Christian (3%)

  Other Orthodox (1%)

  Muslim (1%)

  Spiritual but not religious (31%)

  Atheist (27%)

  Other or undeclared (14.4%)

According to a 2012 official survey^[25] 22.6% of the population of Altay Krai adheres to the Russian Orthodox Church, 3% are unaffiliated generic Christians, 1% are Orthodox Christian believers without belonging to any church or are adherents of other Orthodox churches, 1% are adherents of Islam. In addition, 31% of the population declares to be "spiritual but not religious", 27% is atheist, and 14.4% follows other religions or did not give an answer to the question.^[25]

Sister district

• Xinjiang, China^[27]

See also

• Altay Mountains
• Sayan Mountains
• Denisova Cave
• List of Chairmen of the Altai Krai Legislative Assembly

References

Notes

1. Article 6 of the Charter of Altai Krai states that the symbols of the krai include a flag and a coat of arm, but there is no provision for an anthem.
2. Президент Российской Федерации. Ð£ÐºÐ°Ð· â„–849 Ð¾Ñ‚ 13 мая 2000 г. «О полномочном представителе Президента Российской Федерации в федеральном округе». Вступил в силу 13 мая 2000 г. Опубликован: "Собрание законодательства РФ", â„–20, ст. 2112, 15 мая 2000 г. (President of the Russian Federation. Decree #849 of May 13, 2000 On the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in a Federal District. Effective as of May 13, 2000.).
3. Госстандарт Российской Федерации. â„–ОК 024-95 27 декабря 1995 г. «Общероссийский классификатор экономических регионов. 2. Ð­ÐºÐ¾Ð½Ð¾Ð¼Ð¸Ñ‡ÐµÑÐºÐ¸Ðµ районы», в ред. Изменения â„–5/2001 ОКЭР. (Gosstandart of the Russian Federation. #OK 024-95 December 27, 1995 Russian Classification of Economic Regions. 2. Economic Regions, as amended by the Amendment #5/2001 OKER. ).
4. Resolution of September 28, 1937
5. Charter of Altai Krai, Article 78-1
6. Official website of Altai Krai. Biography of Alexander Bogdanovich Karlin (Russian)
7. Charter of Altai Krai, Article 67
8. Федеральная служба государственной статистики (Federal State Statistics Service) (2004-05-21). "Территория, число районов, населённых пунктов и сельских администраций по субъектам Российской Федерации (Territory, Number of Districts, Inhabited Localities, and Rural Administration by Federal Subjects of the Russian Federation)". Всероссийская перепись населения 2002 года (All-Russia Population Census of 2002) (in Russian). Federal State Statistics Service. Retrieved 2011-11-01.
9. Russian Federal State Statistics Service (2011). "Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года. Том 1" [2010 All-Russian Population Census, vol. 1]. Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 Ð³Ð¾Ð´Ð° (2010 All-Russia Population Census) (in Russian). Federal State Statistics Service. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
10. The density value was calculated by dividing the population reported by the 2010 Census by the area shown in the "Area" field. Please note that this value may not be accurate as the area specified in the infobox is not necessarily reported for the same year as the population.
11. Altai Krai Territorial Branch of the Federal State Statistics Service. Оценка численности населения на 1 ÑÐ½Ð²Ð°Ñ€Ñ 2014 Ð³Ð¾Ð´Ð° и в среднем за 2013 Ð³Ð¾Ð´ (Russian)
12. Правительство Российской Федерации. Ð¤ÐµÐ´ÐµÑ€Ð°Ð»ÑŒÐ½Ñ‹Ð¹ закон â„–107-ФЗ Ð¾Ñ‚ 3 июня 2011 г. «Об исчислении времени», в ред. Федерального закона â„–248-ФЗ от 21 июля 2014 г. Â«Ðž внесении изменений в Федеральный закон "Об исчислении времени"». Вступил в силу Ð¿Ð¾ истечении шестидесяти дней после дня официального опубликования (6 августа 2011 г.). Опубликован: "Российская газета", â„–120, 6 июня 2011 г. (Government of the Russian Federation. Federal Law #107-FZ of June 31, 2011 On Calculating Time, as amended by the Federal Law #248-FZ of July 21, 2014 On Amending Federal Law "On Calculating Time". Effective as of after sixty days following the day of the official publication.).
13. Official on the whole territory of Russia according to Article 68.1 of the Constitution of Russia.
14. "Russian program â€” Altai". Archived from the original on March 22, 2007. Retrieved 2006-11-30.
15. "Altai Territory". Archived from the original on November 4, 2006. Retrieved 2006-11-29.
16. "Greater Altai â€“ Altai Krai, Republic of Altai, Tyva (Tuva), and Novosibirsk â€” Crossroads". Archived from the original on March 14, 2007. Retrieved November 30, 2006.
17. "Peoples from Russia â€” Alexey, guide in Altay region". Archived from the original on 30 December 2006. Retrieved 2006-11-30.
18. History of Mongolia, Volume II, 2003
19. Russian Federal State Statistics Service (May 21, 2004). "Численность населения России, субъектов Российской Федерации в составе федеральных округов, районов, городских поселений, сельских населённых пунктов â€“ районных центров и сельских населённых пунктов с населением 3 Ñ‚ысячи и более человек" [Population of Russia, Its Federal Districts, Federal Subjects, Districts, Urban Localities, Rural Localities—Administrative Centers, and Rural Localities with Population of Over 3,000] (XLS). Всероссийская перепись населения 2002 Ð³Ð¾Ð´Ð° [All-Russia Population Census of 2002] (in Russian). Retrieved August 9, 2014.
20. Demoscope Weekly (1989). "Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 Ð³. Численность наличного населения союзных и автономных республик, автономных областей и округов, краёв, областей, районов, городских поселений и сёл-райцентров" [All Union Population Census of 1989: Present Population of Union and Autonomous Republics, Autonomous Oblasts and Okrugs, Krais, Oblasts, Districts, Urban Settlements, and Villages Serving as District Administrative Centers]. Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 Ð³Ð¾Ð´Ð° [All-Union Population Census of 1989] (in Russian). Институт демографии Национального исследовательского университета: Высшая школа экономики [Institute of Demography at the National Research University: Higher School of Economics]. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
21. Перепись-2010: русских становится больше. Perepis-2010.ru (2011-12-19). Retrieved on 2013-08-20.
22. Естественное движение населения в разрезе субъектов Российской Федерации. Gks.ru. Retrieved on 2013-08-20.
23. Естественное движение населения в разрезе субъектов Российской Федерации. Gks.ru. Retrieved on 2013-08-20.
24. Каталог публикаций::Федеральная служба государственной статистики. Gks.ru (2010-05-08). Retrieved on 2013-08-20.
25. Arena - Atlas of Religions and Nationalities in Russia. Sreda.org
26. 2012 Survey Maps. "Ogonek", â„– 34 (5243), 27/08/2012. Retrieved 24-09-2012.
27. China and Russia sister cities

Sources

• Алтайское краевое Законодательное Собрание. â„–3-ЗС 5 июня 1995 г. «Устав (основной закон) Алтайского края», в ред. Закона â„–19-ЗС от 3 апреля 2015 г. Â«Ðž внесении изменений в Устав (Основной Закон) Алтайского края». Опубликован: "Алтайская правда", â„–100, 14 июня 1995 г. (Altai Krai Legislative Assembly. #3-ZS June 5, 1995 Charter (Basic Law) of Altai Krai, as amended by the Law #19-ZS of April 3, 2015 On Amending the Charter (Basic Law) of Altai Krai. ).
• Центральный исполнительный комитет СССР. ÐŸÐ¾ÑÑ‚ановление Ð¾Ñ‚ 28 сентября 1937 г. «О разделении Западно-Сибирского края на Новосибирскую область и Алтайский край». (Central Executive Committee of the USSR. Resolution of September 28, 1937 On Splitting West Siberian Krai into Novosibirsk Oblast and Altai Krai. ).

External links

• Official website of Altai Krai
• Official website of Altai Krai (Russian)
• Kommersant.com. Information about Altai Krai
• Library of Congress Russian (pdf)
• History of Altai Krai
• Altai: a living spirit