Republic of Tuva
The Republic of Tuva, a constituent entity of the Russian Federation, is part the Siberian Federal District. It borders the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the Irkutsk Region, the republics of Buryatia, Khakassia, and Altai, and Mongolia.
Location
The republic is located in the extreme south of Siberia.
Area
170,500 square kilometres
Capital
Kyzyl, located 4,668 kilometres from Moscow
Main cities
Kyzyl, Ak-Dovurak, Shagonar, Chadan, Turan
Climate
The republic is located in a temperate climatic zone and has a sharply continental climate, with an average January temperature of -22° C and an average July temperature of 19° C.
Population
The Republic of Tuva's population is 307,700 people, with 143,200 males and 164,500 females. 51.9% of the population (159,600 people) is urban, while rural residents account for 48.1% (148,100 people). The working age population is 555,800 people, of whom 107,000 are employed in the economic sector. The unemployment rate, calculated using ILO methods, is 18.1%. Senior citizens and minors account for 9.1% and 30.9%, respectively. The rate of natural increase is positive and stands at 6.8 per 1,000. The immigration rate is negative and stands at -26.9 per 10,000.
Administration
Chairman of the Supreme Hural (Parliament) of the Republic of Tyva Davaa Kan-ool Timurovich
Chairman of the Government of the Republic of Tuva: Kara-ool Sholban.
Republic's issues and prospects
The republic is a power-hungry region and generates only 10% of its electricity needs itself. Tuva is a highly subsidised region, and does not have enough revenue to meet its expenses. Agriculture, mainly livestock-raising, which has low productivity compared with other regions, contributes half of the gross regional product. The transport network is undeveloped and the labour force is low-skilled, two factors that affect the economic situation in the republic.
Some of the republic's main economic priorities are to make structural changes to ensure employment, use local raw materials, and make the territory self-supporting. It is expected that the woodworking industry, now being geared towards producing export sawn goods, furniture, veneer, parquet, and tanning agents, will become the republic's flagship branch. In non-ferrous metallurgy, work has started on new alluvial gold deposits and there are plans to develop the Tardansky hard-rock gold deposit and extract silver from Tuvakobalt rejects. To increase heat and electricity supplies, it is planned to expand the Kyzyl heat and power plant, lay a new power transmission line from the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydro-electric power plant and build a series of smaller hydropower plants in hard-to-reach areas. The republic's tourism resources are another promising line of development.
