The Republic of Buryatia is democratic jural state, a constituent of the Russian Federation. It belongs to the Siberian Federal District. The capital of the Republic is the city of Ulan-Ude. The population of Buryatia is about 960 000 people of more than 100 different nationalities. 28% of the population are Buryats. The President is the head of the Republic and the government. The power is executed by the President as well as by the People’s Hural, the government and the court. Legislative power belongs to the parliament of the Republic, the People’s Hural. There are 6 cities, 29 urban villages and 614 settlements in the Republic.

History. In the period from 5 century B.C. to 4 c A.D. the territory of Buryatia was occupied by the tribes, which was called hunnu. At the end of 12 – beginning of 13 centuries Zabaikalye was turned out in the worldwide accidents, unification of Mongolian tribes and the formation of Mongolian Empire. The main role in the formation of the Mongolians was given to Temudzhin, which after take a title Kingiskhan. In 13 century the territory of Zabaikalye becomes a part of Mongolian Empire, which was split into the 3 parts in second century. Buryatia become a part of Halkha-Mongolia. In the territory of which was a lot of alienate groups of Mongolians, the tribes of Turkics and tunguss origins.

In the beginning of 17th century starts the developing of buryatian lands by Russians. One by one was built ostrogs: Barguzin, Nerchin and etc. In 1689 was signed Nerchin agreement btw Russia and Manchurian Empire about the borders btw Russia and China.

In 1703 Petr 1 signed agreement for making Buryatia the part of Moscow government. And creating the border btw Russia and China in 1727 further the Buryatian nation.

In 1851 Zabaikalye, which was consist from 2 regions – Verhneudinskiy and Nerchinskiy, become an independent Zabaikalye region, which become a part of a rised Priamurian general-government.

The Soviet power in the territory of Buryatia was accepted in 1918, and in the summer of 1918 was dethroned. In Zabaikalye with the help of Japanese army stand a military dictatorship of ataman Semenov. In august 1918Buryatia was occupied by Japanese soldiers, in April 1919 – The USA army.

The 2 of march 1920 The Red Army release Verhneudinsk, after this the West Buryatia become a part of Russian Soviet Federative Socialistic Republic, the east – become a part of eastern republic(ER). Verhneudinsk, in the period from april to October 1920 become a capital of ER. In 1921 was founded Buryat-Mongolian autonomous region, which was a part if ER. The 7 July of 1958by the decree of Presidium Supreme Soviet of the USSR it was renamed to Buryatian ASSR. And from 1992 Buryatia is the sovereign republic in the part of RF.

Geography. Buryatia is in the center of Asian mainland, in the mountain ridge of South Siberia. It cover the east range of Altay-Sayan mountain land and south part of North-Baikalyan and the great part of Stanovoe table-land.

From the north and west the territory of the republic is washed by Baikal, in the east is in the border with Chita region, west and north – Irkutsk region, in south-west with the republic Tiva, in the south border with Mongolia. Unique combination of the different landscape in the center of Asia – from mountain-tundra forests to steppes with the biggest in the world freshwater well – the Baikal lake, make a special importance of the region in the biosphere of the planet. In the territory of Buryatia there’s the biggest part of coastline of the lake (60%).

Republic Buryatia is the mountain land, which occupy the big part of the south in Eastern Siberia. It has a lot great mountain ranges and huge, deep intermountain troughs. Practically in the all territory of the republic there’re really braced mountains, and very little number of the plants. Few in number plants range above the level of a sea (near the 500-700m). The deepest place is the level of the Baikal lake – 456m in the pacific note, and the highest – covered by ice mountain Munku-Sardyk in Eastern Sayans (3491m above the sea level).

The south part of the republic, Selengin Mountains (среднегорье?), covers the biggest part of the Selenga river. Mountains in this part of the republic had a middle high 1000-1500m above the sea level. From north-west to south-east stretches the mountain range of Eastern Sayans, which in it’s central part get 2500-3000m. Also the mountains of Pribaikalye are Hamar-Daban, Ulan Burgasy, Barguzin, Ikat and Baikal range. The classical alpine forms introduced by watershed of Barguzin range. In all the North Pribaikalye there’re permafrost bedding in some places in the depth 0,5m and with output of 500-600m.

The Water storage. The water sources of the Republic Buryatia introduced by surface and bottom waters. In territory of it there’re more than 30000 rivers. And 99% of which – are small less than 200km in the length. Only 25 rivers can be thought big and middle. The biggest ones are Selenga, Turka, Hilok, Jeada, Uda, Barguzin, Up Angara. The monster river is Selenga, formed by the junction of Ider and Muren in Mongolia; it’s the main water-way of Baikal with all big tributaries. In the territory of Buryatia this river is flows to 409km. Btw the Barguzin and Ikat ranges flows the river Barguzin (400km), by which in fall  and spring chill air rush down by the dale. The wind speed could rich 25-35ms. The river Jeada (translation – copper) in the head create stormy stream in the canyon dale. It’s length 567km.

Also in the republic there’re a lot lakes (near the 35000), from which stand our biggest and the most attractive for tourists – Baunt, Kotokel,  Gusinoe, Shuchie, Frolikha. The most known lake in Buryatia is Baikal, stretched from south-west to north-east for 636 km. 52% of the territory of Buryatia situated in the basin of Baikal lake.

Climate. Climate of Buryatia is sharply-continental. Winter usually is really cold, with dry frost and a little number of grouts. The middle temperature is 22°С. Summer is very hot but short. Hot days are substitute by cold nights. If the day temperature reaches +25 then in the evening the number can be +10. Bountiful grout is usual for summer in july and august. Spring is windy with frosts and practically without grouts. Autumn comes insensibly nearly without the sudden change of weather.

The number of sunny days of a year in Buryatia sometimes surpasses the south regions of Russia.

Climate of the republic is under the great influence of a 3 components: cold climate of north steppes, humid pacific climate and dry climate of Mongolian steppes.

Economy. On the territory of Buryatia there’s a Transsibirskaya railroad, Baikalo-Amurskaya highway, and also some federal highways. The railroads length in the republic is – 2044km. And the length of using highways is near 10000 km.

By the way the main part of the territory in Buryatia characterized by underdeveloped internal communicate infrastructure, lack of railway service, pavement; air communication also problematic because of deterioration of regional aircraft fleet and infrastructure of the local airports.

There’s only one modern airport in Buryatia – International airport in the Ulan-Ude, but it has some limits in incoming airbuses.

The main factories is located in Ulan-Ude, which have a good transport and engineer communications, tie, and some other objects of infrastructure, which guarantee a possibilities of the economic progress.  Also it makes some advances for developing the freight service not just for regions of a country but also for European countries and for South-Eastern Asia.

The main sphere of the economy in the republic is industry, which gives 27% of regional produce. There’s 147 big or average enterprises, where works near 52000 people. The main industrial enterprises are engineering industry and metal working, power industry, timber, woodworking, pulp and paper industries, non-ferrous metallurgy, fuel industry, food and light industries. Buryatia produce and export aeronautical engineering, bridge metallic constructions, wood and cellulose, woolen clothes, building materials, electrical equipment, tinned meat, macaroni, alcoholic beverage products and etc.

For the biggest industries they deliver Ulan-Ude aircraft factory, Selengitsky pulp and paper mill, Ulan-Ude instrument making society and etc.

In 2007 by the Russian Government was accepted and regulated creation of the economic area in the territory of Pribaikalskiy region of the republic Buryatia which was called “Baikal”. This area will be created as a worldwide resort with a high level of infrastructure and become the touristic center in the east of the Russia.

Minerals. There’re more than 700 different mineral deposits (gold, tungsten, uranium, coal, tin, aluminum etc.)

The interiors of the Buryatia keeps:

48% - supplies of all zinc in Russia,

24% - lead,

37% - molybdenum,

27% - tungsten,

15% - chrysolite-asbestos.

Preserves. In the territory of Buryatia there’re branched structure of a conservation areas, the square of which – 3262,2 thousand hectare(t.h) (6% of the republican territory) including categories of conservation areas: state reserves, national parks, natural memorials, recovering places and resorts.

State reserves situated in 5 regions: Barguzin – in the North-Baikal region with a square 274,3 t.h, Dzerginskiy- in Kurumkan region – 238,1 t.h, Baikalskiy- in Selengski, Kabanskiy and Jeadinskiy regions – 165,7 t.h. In the republic Buryatia situated 2 national parks: Tunkinskiy area with 1088,2 t.h and Barguzinskiy – 230,2 t.h.

Flora and fauna. Buryatia characterized by unique and diversity flora and fauna: 7 types of reptile, 6 types of amphibious from 2classes, 348 types of birds and 85 types of mammals from 7 classes. About 2500 different types of animals and fish, 250 from which precinctive, dwell in the lake Baikal and the nearby territory.

The biggest part of the territory of Buryatia is covered by forests. Different sort of  the herbs, growth in the forests of Buryatia, successfully used in folk and Tibet medicine. In the taiga lives such animals as: sable, squirrel, fox, Siberian weasel, stoat, lynx, roe, elk, wild boar, and bear. A big number of fish, for example, baikalskiy sturgeon, Frolikh char, white umber, taimen and tench is registered in The Red Book of the Russia and Buryatia.

Religion. Buryatia – it’s also a territory where presented not just ancient pagan religion – shamanism, but also all the religions in the world.

As in all the world, religion in Buryatia is the important part of spiritual life of the population and the entire ethnic group. It’s directly influenced in all the parts of social life, traditions, customs and rites of the nations. At the period of cataclysms religion was the only hope and rock of the people.

In the beginning of 20th century in Buryatia were acted two worldwide religions – Buddhism and Christianity (orthodox). In amount of Christian church were Old Belief communes, which not accepted the Nikons reform. Majority of buryats was Buddhists. At the same time much of buryats and majority of evenks were baptized, turned to orthodox. But at the time of first revolution in Russia mos of orthodox buryats were deviate from orthodoxm and turned back to traditional believe – shamanism. Evenks, officially known as orthodox, practically continued live by shamanists’ traditions and customs.

Formed in October 1917 in Russia, soviet power starts a fight with religion and church, following a policy of overcoming the religion thoughts of people. At the end of 1930 in Buryatia all the Buddhist datsans and most of orthodox churches were closed, were ruined exist all the religion communes of the other belief.

At the end of Second World War 1941-1945 relation of the State to church was differentiated. In Buryatia start working the Buddhist religion, was opened Ivolgskiy datsan. Renewed work some orthodox churches. Situation with the religion and church in Russia and especially in Buryatia was radically changed in last decade. Today in the republic are: 16 datsans, 12 Buddhist communities, 17 orthodox churches, 7 old Belief orthodox churches, Roman-Catholic church.

Holidays. Among the Buryat national holidays could be noted two, which has a great meaning for buryats. The most important from them is Sagaalgan – holiday of a White moon, or New Year by the lunar calendar. Asian New Year among the Buryats starts at the end of winter – beginning of the spring at new moon. Celebration takes place not in the midnight, but early in the first New Year day morning. To make the family happy in the year by buryat tradition for a festal food they cook white products from milk. At the celebration of a New Year a lot people comes to datsans. By the tradition at the period of holiday they faggot old stuff, to make their last year sins perish there.

The Second national holiday is Surkhaban. It takes place at the first Sunday of june. Ath this time rural population of Buryatia have a rest. At the holiday happens: archery, horse races, wrestling and some more national types of sport. Also in the holiday certainly performs some folklore companies in the national buryat clothes and perform national dance ekhor.

Ones in four years conduct allburyat games. It happens at the territory of Holy mountain Ekhe-Erdoi. At the bottom of this mountain at age of kurykan was happened cult holiday, for the name of which was performed unique ceremonial round dance – ekhor, which draw out for many days and nights. It was need 700 people who hold their arms and make round dance around the mountain.

National clothing. National Buryat cloth is traditionally decorated by necklace and beads from coral, nephritis, uncut amber, malachite or set of silver coins. It has a cap, costume – degel and shoes – ermeg gutal. At the end of a cap is a brush, which is a symbol of a ray of the sun. Blue color of cloth of a hat, symbolize sky, and fur trim is the image of Baikal.

National dress – degel embroidered by gold pattern and consist the dress degel and ozha. On a dress the put white ornament which consist the sign sansara with a picture of a dragon Lo. At two or three rows it has a women ornament, assigned for caring of skin and nails.

The most interesting is hat – kokoshnik. The basis of which made from: elm and covered with velvet. The right side decorated by coral, nephritis and lapis lazuli. Some sewing of coral hang down from kokoshnik.

For prevalent type of a women breast ornament could be noted amulet place by the name Guu. In that stuff was a leaflet with Buddhist prayer, charm from disease and accidents.

Notes:

Jeada – the river in Zabaikalye, left tributary of Selenga 567km, the square of basin 23,5 thousand km2.

Ider – the river in the North of the Mongolian peoples republic, right tributary of Selenga. Length 452 km, the square of basin 24,6 thousand km2. Mostly flows in a big steppe dale of a Hangay mountains. Nutrition mostly is a rains. In the summer flooding, small spring flood, from November to May – mean water. Become frozen in November, revealed in april. Not allowed ships.

Muren – the river in Mongolian peoples republic, left tributary of Selenga. Length 445km, the square of basin 26,6 thousand km2. Take the beginning at the slope of Ulan-Taiga range, mostly flow in a deep (150-300m) dale. Become frozen for 4-5 month, used for water supply of Muren city.

Ekhe-Erdoi – is mountain in a 2 km from Baikal at the right river Anga, not far from a settlement Elantsi. Looks like dome. The high of a mountain is 40-42m. Built by a granite layer.