Administrative-territorial division

City municipalities - 2 (Kazan, Naberezhnye Chelny).

District municipalities - 43.

Towns of significance - 20.

Geography and natural resources

Tatarstan is situated in the center of the Russian Federation on the East European Plain at the confluence of two large rivers - the Volga and the Kama. Kazan, the republic's capital, lies 797 km east of Moscow. Historically, this place is considered to be the northernmost point where Western and Eastern civilizations, Christianity and Islam, meet, which may explain the unique socio-economic and cultural characteristics of the region.

The republic covers an area of 68,000 sq km and extends 290 km north to south and 460 km west to east.

Minerals

Oil is the republic's main mineral resource. Tatarstan produces 7% of all Russian oil. Along with crude oil, petroleum gas is extracted. The republic also has reserves of limestone, dolomite, building sand, brick-making clay, building stone, gypsum, sand gravel aggregate, and peat. Its subsoil contains petroleum bitumen, coal, oil shale, zeolite, copper and bauxite.

Forest resources

More than 16% of the republic is covered with forest, consisting mainly of deciduous species (oak, lime, birch and aspen). Among conifers, pine and spruce are the most widespread.

Water resources

The republic's network of rivers consists mainly of the Volga, Kama, their tributaries Vyatka, Belaya, Sviyaga, Ik, Izh, Mesha, Sheshma and other small and medium-sized streams. The total length of the rivers is 19,601 km. The total area of water reservoirs is 3.500 km2 (about 5.2% of the entire territory). The republic has 511 ponds, 71 of which contain more than 1 million m3. The republic's lakes are spread unevenly across the territory, covering a total area of over 1,500 hectares. The republic makes intensive use of underground water for industrial and domestic supplies. There are 4 underground fresh water aquifers and 4 sources of mineral water on the republic's territory.

Animal life

The fauna of the Rupublic of Tatarstan includes 73 species of mammals, 289 species of birds, 8 species of reptiles, 11 species of Amphibia, 52 fish species, and several thousand invertebrates, of which more than 5,000 are arthropoda, and 1610 higher vascular plants. Game and fish resources account for the bulk of the republic's biodiversity. The game species include: wolf, fox, corsac fox, racoon dog, lynx, badger, marten, weasel, polecat, mink, hare, beaver, ground squirrel, mole, squirrel, muskrat, water vole, wild boar, roe, and elk. Among the birds resident, nesting or migrating over the republic's territory the game species include: goose, brant goose, duck, wood grouse, black grouse, hazel-grouse, coot, sandpiper, and pigeon. Game fish include: sterlet, trout, zander, asp, carp, grass carp, silver carp, bighead, sheatfish, bream, pike, burbot, Volga zander, crucian, roach, chub, blue bream, silver bream, and sabrefish.

Social and Economic Policy of the Republic of Tatarstan

(Tatarstan's mid term development prospects)

Tatarstan is one of Russia's most economically advanced regions with great industrial potential and stable agriculture. Recent estimates in macro-aggregates from independent sources put Tatarstan second only to Moscow in economy and third in Russia in social standards. The distinctive features of Tatarstan, which determine its potential and further economic priorities, are described below.

Its powerful industrial sector includes the fuel, chemical and petrochemical industries, machine-building, power generation, food, pharmaceuticals, light industry, building materials, timber and wood processing industries.

In the last few years, Tatarstan has paid particular attention to its advanced agro-industrial sector. It has been building the world's biggest mega-farms, purchasing highly productive cattle, modern equipment and quality seeds, and mastering up to the minute technologies. Its national strategy to develop this sector provides for the building, re-construction and modernization of more than 200 facilities. Fitted with the latest equipment, they will house high-yielding cattle and poultry. The fodder industry will also be upgraded. In the near future Tatarstan will start attracting investment from different economic spheres in the republic, other Russian regions and foreign countries.

Integrated transport infrastructure includes highways and railroads, four navigable rivers, oil and gas pipelines, and air routes.

High scientific and technical potential is guaranteed by the world-renowned prestige of Kazan mathematicians, mechanical engineers, physicists, biologists and linguists. Today, Tatarstan has its own Academy of Sciences and a research center affiliated with the Russian Academy of Sciences. The republic has numerous branches of R&D and design institutes.

Tatarstan has high investment appeal.  During the last ten years it has been among the top ten regions with the lowest investment risk and the highest potential in the Expert-PA ratings - on a par with the cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg, and the Moscow, Leningrad and Tyumen regions. International agencies - Moody's, Standard & Poor's and Fitch - have also given Tatarstan stable credit ratings. Housing, especially in Kazan, is investment-attractive. The growth of real estate prices will enable Kazan to match other big cities in this respect in the next few years. The rapid development of other industrial cities in the republic (Nizhnekamsk, Yelabuga and Naberezhnyye Chelny) will also cause a housing construction boom, raising the demand for building materials, most of which Tatarstan has to import from other regions. Foreign investment in Tatarstan is guaranteed legal protection and compensation in some force majeure cases (such as nationalization and requisition of a foreign investor's property); there are also safeguards against unfavorable changes in regional legislation (if it worsens the position of foreign partners, the earlier agreements shall prevail). The republic compensates bank interest on loans taken by producers of goods for its priority projects. Investors qualify for tax breaks, generally given for seven years and extended to 13 years for machine building.

Social Policy

The republic's social and economic development has traditionally been aimed at improving living standards. Housing is crucial for the population's prosperity. In the next three years, Tatarstan will annually commission more than one million square meters of housing under the social mortgage program. This and the program to demolish derelict buildings are helping the republic resolve the housing issue. It is one of the best-prepared Russian regions for carrying out the national project "Affordable and Comfortable Housing for the Citizens of Russia." Tatarstan has been steadily increasing the scale of commissioned housing.

The President of Tatarstan has proclaimed 2007 the Year of Charity.  Experts are compiling a registry of public needs and putting them on a list of priorities to attract the attention of potential philanthropists to socially important problems.

Public health is the republic's second priority in improving living standards. Tatarstan has territorial divisions for carrying out a uniform government policy in public health. It has built a multi-level system of specialized medical care with 143 centers and departments. Tatarstan has introduced a management-by-objectives approach in public health. A program of government subsidies is a new instrument of providing the population with free medical care. Its adoption has made transparent the flow of funds and streamlined the planning of medical care. The republic's average per capita medical spending is one of the highest in Russia.

Priority directions for the system of public health:

Guaranteed free medical aid;

• An effective economic model of public health;
• Responsibility for healthcare and prevention of diseases;
• Guaranteed consumer rights;
• Development of first aid as GP's responsibility;
• Guaranteed provision of medicines;
• Childhood disease prevention.

Policy in education

Tatarstan has a historically shaped multi-level system of education. It is a major element of its socio-economic sphere, which has a considerable potential for the education of children and young people. The republic's education policy is based on a cluster system, which consolidates the potentialities of science, educational establishments of different levels, students (of vocational and specialized secondary schools, colleges and universities) and employers. The expected result is a highly qualified young worker who can compete on the world labor market. Educational clusters have been established on the basis of 11 major industrial enterprises. The idea of clusters was voiced during the discussion of the reform of the republic's vocational training system. The way it will work is that major companies will report on their personnel needs to a branch ministry; their application for a cluster will be processed through the state-guaranteed order system. In turn, industrial giants like Kamaz, Kazanorgsintez and Krasny Vostok Agro will guarantee paid practical training at a modern plant and future employment.  Thus, an educational cluster will include the head institute, medium and primary vocational schools and major companies.

Major goals of cultural policy:

• Preserve the republic's historical and cultural legacy;
• Develop the national cultural awareness of its residents;
• Consolidate inter-ethnic cultural ties;
• Support young talents by creating the best conditions for their development.
• Priority goals of the republic's youth policy:
• Support young families and resolve the housing problem;
• Promote a healthy lifestyle, prevent negative social phenomena and organize leisure activities;
• Teach young people to love their homeland, abide by the moral values, and develop their creative potentials;
• Receive government support for youth projects;
• Create equal conditions for the employment of young professionals; provide them with second jobs, if need be.

Ethnic Composition and Demographic Situation

By the start of 2007 the republic's permanent population was 3,758,800 people. In Russia, Tatarstan is the eighth most populous region after the cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg, the Krasnodar Territory, the Republic of Bashkortostan, and the Moscow, Sverdlovsk and Rostov regions. In the Volga Federal Region, only Bashkortostan has a bigger population.

Tatarstan is home to more ethnic groups than most Russia's regions. It is inhabited by 115 nationalities, including eight groups whose population exceeds 10,000 people - Tatars, Russians, Chuvashes, Udmurts, Ukrainians, Mordvins, Mari and Bashkirs. There are more than two million Tatars in the republic, or 52.9% of its total population. Russians account for about 1.5 million or 39.5% and Chuvashes come third with 126,500 or 3.4%. According to the 2002 census, 754,000 people are under working age and 753,100 are retired. Some 892,300 men and 897,500 women aged 16 and more are married. The level of education is high - out of 1,000 residents aged 15 years and more, 435 have secondary vocational training or higher education.  

Biography of Mintimer Shaimiev, President of the Republic of Tatarstan:

Mintimer Shaimiev was born on January 20, 1937, in the village of Anyakovo, Aktanysh region, Republic of Tatarstan, in the family of farmers.

In 1954, he graduated from school and enrolled at Kazan Institute of Agriculture. He graduated in 1959 with a degree in agricultural mechanization, and started work in this field. 1969-1953 - Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources of the Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (TASSR).
1983 - First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the TASSR.

1983-1985 - Secretary of the Tatarstan Region Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU).

1985-1989 - Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the TASSR.

1989-1990 - First Secretary of the Tatarstan Region CPSU Committee.
In 1990, Mintimer Shaimiev was elected Chairman of the Supreme Council of the TASSR.

On June 12, 1991, he was elected the first President of the Republic of Tatarstan.

The President's efforts to maintain peace and unity in the multinational republic of Tatarstan and to resolve complicated socio-economic problems were highly respected by the people. He was re-elected President of the Republic of Tatarstan twice (on March 24, 1996 and March 25, 2001).

On March 25, 2005, on proposal of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, the State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan conferred authority of the President of the Republic of Tatarstan on Mintimer Shaimiev.

1994-2001 - member of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.

Member of the State Council of the Russian Federation (member of the Presidium of the State Council of the Russian Federation in 2000-2001).

Since December 1, 2001 - Co-chairman of the Higher Council of the United Russia party.

State awards:

Order of Lenin (1966)

Order of the Red Banner of Labor (1971)

Order of the October Revolution (1976)

Order of Peoples' Friendship (1987)

Certificate of Honor of the Government of the Russian Federation (1997)

Order of Services to the Fatherland, 2nd class (1997)

Order of Services to the Fatherland, 1st class (2007)

Medals

Public awards and titles:

In June 2001, UNESCO Director General Koichiro Matsuura awarded Mintimer Shaimiev with a silver Avicenna Medal for his great contribution to the preservation of cultural and historic values.

In March 2005, he was awarded a diploma and a Russia-UNESCO commemorative medal for his personal contribution to cooperation between the Russian Federation and UNESCO.

June 2005, the President of Tatarstan received the Order of Honor Al-Fahr, 1st class.

September 1997 - the Order of St. Daniel, Prince of Moscow, of the Russian Orthodox Church, 1st class;

July 2005 - the Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh of the Russian Orthodox Church, 1st class.

August 2000 - the Peter the Great Golden Medal For Contribution to?) Russian Science and Economy.

In October 2005, Mintimer Shaimiyev was awarded the State Prize of Peace and Progress of the first president of Kazakhstan for his outstanding contribution to the consolidation of peace, friendship, and mutual trust between peoples and exceptional efforts aimed at the development of Russia-Kazakhstan relations.

In 2005, he was awarded the Order of Minin and Pozharsky Glorifying Russia, and the Ruby Cross Order of the International Charitable Foundation "The Centenary Patrons of Arts".

President Shaimiyev has a number of prestigious awards:

Prize of the Union of Journalists of the Russian Federation "For Openness in Communication with the Press" (1997 г.);

National "Silver Archer" prize in the field of developing links with the public, established by the Union of Journalists, RF Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Russian Association for Public Relations  (1997);

National theatrical "Golden Mask" prize of the RF in the nomination "For Support to Theater Art of Russia" (1998);

In 2001 and 2004, he was awarded the "Russian National Olympus" prize in the "President of the Year" nomination, and the order "For Honor and Valor" of the "Russian National Olympus" prize in 2004.

Winner of the International Public Award "Kind Angel of Peace" (2005);

The "Profession is Life" International Prize for his outstanding contribution to national healthcare (2005);

The King Faisal International Prize for a major contribution to promoting tolerance, spiritual renewal, and consolidation of national security of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tatarstan, and its national and religious regeneration (2007).

Titles:

Honorary Professor of Moscow State Institute of International Relations under RF Ministry of Foreign Affairs;

Member of the international and Russian Academy of Technological Sciences;

Honorary member of the International Informatization Academy;

Member of the International Academy of Regional Development and Cooperation;

Member of the International Academy of Patronage; etc.

Mintimer Shaimiev is married, and has two sons.