Territory and population of Chuvashia

Chuvashia is a republic within the Russian Federation, located 700 kilometers from Moscow. The population of Chuvashia is over 1.2 million people. The article will focus on who inhabits the republic, as well as demographic problems and the cities of the region.

Republic of Chuvashia: general information

Chuvashia is one of the republics within the Russian Federation. It is located in the center of the European part of the country. In the north of the republic, the Volga River flows. The distance from the "capital" of the region to the capital of Russia is 630 km.

The republic occupies a small (by Russian standards) area: about 18,000 square kilometers. The population of Chuvashia is 1.23 million people. The republic is well connected with other regions of Russia by road, rail, and also by water transport routes.

Most of Chuvashia is located in the interfluve of the Sura and Sviyaga, within the forest and forest-steppe natural zones. The terrain is flat, the climate is moderately continental. From the minerals in the region there are deposits of oil shale and phosphorite.

Chuvashia is a land with a rich culture and traditions. It is often called the "edge of one hundred thousand songs." Researchers emphasize the peculiarities of the local musical culture, which is expressed not only in a special manner of singing, but also in a set of instruments.

Dynamics and population of the republic

Chuvashia is one of the most populated subjects of the Russian Federation. As of 2016, 1 million 237 thousand people live here. At the same time, the average density of the population of Chuvashia is one of the highest in Russia (almost 68 people / sq. Km.).

Nevertheless, the demographic situation in the republic has been very difficult for twenty years now. Since 1994, the population of Chuvashia is gradually dying out. During this period the region lost almost 100 thousand of its inhabitants! However, by 2016 the rate of extinction of the population has stopped, primarily due to an increase in the birth rate.

Another serious demographic problem in the region is the "aging" of the population. The fact is that young people are actively leaving the republic. Accordingly, in the age structure of the population, the proportion of people of retirement age increases.

The level of urbanization in the province is relatively low - 61.3%. However, in recent years, the urban population of the Republic of Chuvashia is increasing every year.

Age, sex and migration

As already mentioned above, in Chuvashia, the percentage of pensioners increases every year. Accordingly, the proportion of persons under-age is decreasing. If in 1989 it was almost 27%, in 2002 it was only 19.9%.

If we talk about the sex structure of the population, then women predominate in Chuvashia (53.7%). However, in recent years there has been a tendency to equalize the overall ratio of men and women.

The population of Chuvashia is reduced not only due to natural demographic processes, but also due to active emigration. Over the past five years, negative migration patterns have been observed in the region. On average, every year Chuvashia leaves 2-5 thousand more people than it enters the republic. The main centers of attraction for migrants from this region are Moscow, Ulyanovsk region, Tatarstan and Moscow region.

Ethnic composition of the population. Who are the Chuvash?

The national composition of the republic is dominated by the Chuvash (67.7%). Next come the Russians (26.7%), Tatars (2.8%) and Mordva (about 1%). Also in the territory of Chuvashia are quite numerous diasporas of Ukrainians, Byelorussians and Armenians.

Chuvash is the indigenous population of the republic. This is a Turkic ethnos, the origin of which scientists associate with the Volga Bulgars. The total number of Chuvashes in the world is estimated at 1.5 million people. Half of them live within the Republic of Chuvashia. The rest of the representatives of this ethnos are spread across Russia, they also live in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine and some other countries.

Chuvash speak their own language - Chuvash, which has three dialects. In 65% of schools in the region, the teaching of children takes place in this language. Most of the Chuvashes are Orthodox Christians. However, there are among them adherents of traditional pagan beliefs.

According to ancient Chuvash myths, the Earth has the shape of a square. The heavenly firmament rests on four pillars (copper, stone, gold and silver). Each of the four corners of the Earth is safely guarded by the hero-defender.

The modern territorial structure of the republic. Population of Chuvashia by districts

The Republic of Chuvashia is now divided into 21 administrative districts. There are nine cities, eight cities and 1720 villages. The capital of the republic is the city of Cheboksary. According to the last census, every third inhabitant of Chuvashia lives in it.

The regions of the republic are different in size. The largest is Alatyr, and the smallest is Krasnoarmeisky. The table below shows all the regions of Chuvashia, indicating the population for each of them:

Cities of Chuvashia

The list of Chuvashia cities includes nine settlements. Two of them are among the largest cities. But in the smallest live only 8.5 thousand people.

The oldest city within the republic is Cheboksary (the first mention in written documents for 1469). In the 16th century three more cities appeared: Alatyr, Yadrin and Tsivilsk.

Below are listed all the cities of Chuvashia by population (from the largest - to the smallest):

• Cheboksary.
• Novocheboksarsk.
• Kanash.
• Alatyr.
• Shumerlya.
• Tsivilsk.
• Kozlovka.
• Mariinsky Posad.
• Yadrin.

The city of Cheboksary is the capital of the republic

Cheboksary is the largest city in Chuvashia. In addition to the capital status, it is also an important cultural, scientific and transport center of the region. In 2001, the city received the honorary title of "the most comfortable" in Russia.

Cheboksary is located on the Volga River. The transport gate of the city is the airport, the railway station and the river port.

The city originated in the middle of the XV century. By the beginning of the XVIII century, it is becoming a major center of trade in the Volga region. They actively trade in bread, furs, fish, honey and salt. Currently, more than a dozen large enterprises operate in Cheboksary. Industrial tractors, electronic devices and optical equipment, textiles, confectionery products are produced here. Two local factories produce a wide range of alcoholic beverages.

Cheboksary is also known as a recreational center of the region. So, on the left bank of the Volga is the sanatorium "Chuvashia", which provides health services, as well as services for the treatment and diagnosis of various diseases.

Cheboksary is an important educational and cultural center of Chuvashia. There are five universities functioning here, as well as a number of branches of non-resident higher educational institutions. The city has eight museums, five theaters and more than 30 public libraries. Annually in Cheboksary several major festivals are held.

Among the architectural monuments of the city is worth noting several beautiful ancient temple buildings and complexes. In particular, the Vvedensky Cathedral in 1651, Holy Trinity Monastery, founded in the XVII century, the Assumption Cathedral (1763). In the city at different times it was installed more than thirty monuments, sculptural compositions and monuments. The most beautiful and famous of them is the Mother's monument (which is considered the main tourist symbol of Cheboksary), the magnificent equestrian statue of Chapaev, the poet's bust of Nizami Ganjavi and others.

Finally

1 236 628 - this is the exact population of Chuvashia (for 2016). The main ethnic group within the republic are the Chuvash - the indigenous inhabitants of the region. Here they are about 68%. The city of Cheboksary is the largest city of Chuvashia and its capital.

Today, this republic is characterized by a number of acute demographic problems: the extinction and aging of the population, as well as the outflow of youth to other, more promising regions of the country.