Altai Republic

The Altai Republic (/ˈæltaɪ/; Altay: Алтай Республика, romanized: Altay Respublika;; Russian: Респу́блика Алта́й, romanized: Respublika Altay, IPA: [rʲɪˈspublʲɪkə ɐlˈtaj]), also known as Gorno-Altai Republic, and colloquially, and primarily referred to in Russian to distinguish from the neighbouring Altai Krai as the Gornyi Altai (Russian: Горный Алтай, lit. 'the mountainous Altai'), is a republic of Russia located in southern Siberia. The republic borders the Russian federal subjects of Kemerovo Oblast to the north, Khakassia to the northeast, Tuva to the east, Altai Krai to the west, as well it borders three countries: Mongolia to the southeast, China to the south and Kazakhstan to the southwest. It is a part of the Siberian Federal District, and covers an area of 92,903 square kilometers (35,870 sq mi), with a population of 210,924 residents. It is the least-populous republic of Russia and least-populous federal subject in the Siberian Federal District. Gorno-Altaysk is the capital and the largest town of the republic.

The Altai Republic is one of Russia's ethnic republics, primarily representing the indigenous Altai people, a Turkic ethnic group that form 37% of the republic's population, while ethnic Russians form a majority at 54%. Other minority populations include Kazakhs, other Central Asian ethnicities, and Germans. The official languages of the Altai Republic are Russian and Altai. Kazakh is official in areas of compact settlement of its speakers.