BASHKORTOSTAN - Республика Башкортостан

The Republic of Bashkortostan ( Russian: Респу́блика Башкортоста́н, tr. Respublika Bashkortostan, Bashkir: Башҡортостан Республикаһы), also historically known as Bashkiria (Russian: Башки́рия, tr. Bashkiriya), is a federal subject of Russia. It is located between the Volga River and the Ural Mountains. Its capital is the city of Ufa. With a population of 4,072,292 as of the 2010 Census, Bashkortostan is the most populous republic in Russia. Bashkortostan, the first ethnic autonomy in Russia, was established on 28 November [O.S. 15 November] 1917. On 20 March 1919, it was transformed into the Bashkir ASSR, the first Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in RSFSR. In accordance with the Constitution of Bashkortostan and Russian Federation Constitution, Bashkortostan is a state, but has no sovereignty. On 11 October 1990 Bashkortostan adopted the Declaration of State Sovereignty, but subsequently abandoned it. 11 October is Republic Day in Bashkortostan.

The name "Bashkortostan" derives from the name of the Bashkir ethnic group, also known as Başqorts. While the root of the name is Turkic (being a combination of 'baş', which in Turkish can mean head, chief, main, principal and 'qort' meaning wolf, one of the animals regarded as sacred to Turkic peoples); the suffix -stan is Persian, common to many Asian country names. They speak the Bashkir language, which belongs to the Kypchak branch of the Turkic languages.

After the Russian Revolution of 1917 were All-Bashkir Qoroltays (conventions) on which a decision on the need to create a national federal republic within Russia. As a result, 28 November 1917 Bashkir Regional (central) Shuro (Council) proclaims the establishment in areas with a predominantly Bashkir population of Orenburg, Perm, Samara, Ufa provinces territorial and national autonomy. In December 1917, delegates to the All-Bashkir (constituent) Congress, representing the interests of the population edge of all nationalities, voted unanimously for the resolution (Farman #2) of the Bashkir regional Shuro the proclamation of national-territorial autonomy (of the Republic) Bashkurdistan. The congress formed the government of Bashkurdistan, the Pre-parliament—Kese-Qoroltay and other bodies of power and administration, and decisions were made on how to proceed.

In March 1919, based on the agreements of the Russian Government with the Bashkir Government was formed Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. During the Soviet period, Bashkiria was granted broad autonomous rights—the first among other Russian regions. The administrative structure of the Bashkir ASSR was based on principles similar to those of other autonomous republics of Russia. On 11 October 1990, the Supreme Soviet of the Republic adopted the declaration on state sovereignty of the Bashkir ASSR. On 25 February 1992, the Bashkir ASSR was renamed  the Republic of Bashkortostan. On 31 March 1992, a Federative Compact "On separation of authorities and powers among federal organs of power of the Russian Federation and the organs of power of the Republic of Bashkortostan" was signed. On 3 August 1994, a Compact "On separation of authorities and mutual delegating of powers among the organs of power of the Russian Federation and the organs of power of the Republic of Bashkortostan" was signed, granting the republic autonomy. This agreement would be abolished on 7 July 2005.

There are over 13,000 rivers and  2,700 lakes and reservoirs in the republic. Many rivers are part of the deepwater transportation system of European Russia; they provide access to ports of the Baltic and Black seas.

The covers posted on 24 October 2017 by Svetlana from Ufa, and I received on November 03, 2017.