The Komi Republic (Респу́блика Ко́ми, Respublika Komi; Коми Республика, Komi Respublika) is a republic and a federal subject of Russia, to the west of the Ural mountains, in the north-east of the East European Plain.

Geography

Forests cover over 70% of the territory of the republic and swamps cover approximately 15%.

• Area: 415,900 km².
• Borders:
• internal: Nenets Autonomous Okrug (NW/N), Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (NE/E), Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug (E), Sverdlovsk Oblast (SE), Perm Krai (S), Kirov Oblast (S/SW), Arkhangelsk Oblast (W).
• Highest point: Mount Narodnaya (1,894 m)
• Maximum N→S distance: 785 km
• Maximum E→W distance: 695 km

Time zone

The Komi Republic is located in the Moscow Time Zone (MSK/MSD). UTC offset is +0300 (MSK)/+0400 (MSD).

Rivers

Major rivers include:

• Izhma River
• Mezen River
• Pechora River
• Sysola River
• Usa River
• Vashka River
• Vychegda River
• Vym River

Lakes

There are many lakes in the republic. Major lakes include:

• Sindorskoye Lake
• Yam-Ozero Lake

Natural resources

The republic's natural resources include coal, oil, natural gas, gold, diamonds, and more.

Around 32,800 km² of mostly boreal forest (as well as some alpine tundra and meadows) in the Republic's Northern Ural Mountains have been recognized in 1995 as a UNESCO World Heritage site, Virgin Komi Forests. It is the first natural UNESCO World Heritage site in Russia and the largest expanse of virgin forests in Europe. The site includes two pre-exiting protected areas: Pechora-Ilych Nature Reserve (created in 1930) and Yugyd Va National Park (created in 1994).

Climate

Winters in the republic are long and cold, and the summers, while short, are quite warm. Average January temperature: −17°C (southern parts) to −20°C (northern parts) Average July temperature: +11°C (northern parts) to +15°C (southern parts) Average annual precipitation'': 625 mm

Administrative divisions

Demographics

• Population: 1,018,674 (2002)
• Urban: 766,587 (75.3%)
• Rural: 252,087 (24.7%)
• Male: 488,316 (47.9%)
• Female: 530,358 (52.1%)
• Females per 1000 males: 1,086
• Average age: 34.5 years
• Urban: 33.7 years
• Rural: 36.8 years
• Male: 32.3 years
• Female: 36.8 years
• Number of households: 381,626 (with 992,612 people)
• Urban: 289,854 (with 749,329 people)
• Rural: 91,772 (with 243,283 people)
• Vital statistics (2005)
• Births: 10,975 (birth rate 11.1)
• Deaths: 15,074 (death rate 15.2)

Ethnic groups

According to the 2002 Census, ethnic Russians make up 59.6% of the republic's population, while the ethnic Komi are only 25.2%. Other groups include Ukrainians (6.1%), Tatars (15,680 or 1.5%), Belarusians (15,212 or 1.5%), Ethnic Germans (9,246 or 0.9%), Chuvash (7,529 or 0.7%), Azeris (6,066 or 0.6%), and a host of smaller groups, each accounting for less than 0.5% of the total population. 5,700 people (0.6%) did not indicate their nationalities during the Census.

	census 1926	census 1939	census 1959	census 1970	census 1979	census 1989	census 2002
Komi	191,245 (92.2%)	231,301 (72.5%)	245,074 (30.4%)	276,178 (28.6%)	280,798 (25.3%)	291,542 (23.3%)	256,464 (25.2%)
Russians	13,731 (6.6%)	70,226 (22.0%)	389,995 (48.4%)	512,203 (53.1%)	629,523 (56.7%)	721,780 (57.7%)	607,021 (59.6%)
Ukrainians	34 (0.0%)	6,010 (1.9%)	80,132 (9.9%)	82,955 (8.6%)	94,154 (8.5%)	104,170 (8.3%)	62,115 (6.1%)
Others	2,304 (1.1%)	11,459 (3.6%)	90,998 (11.3%)	93,466 (9.7%)	105,886 (9.5%)	133,355 (10.7%)	93,074 (9.1%)

Vital Statistics for 2007: Source

Birth Rate: 11.76 per 1000

Death Rate: 12.56 per 1000

Net Immigration: -5.8 per 1000

NGR: -0.08% per Year

PGR: -0.66% per Year

History

A northernmost portion of European Russia, Komi was an unspoiled land throughout most of history, dwelt in only by nomadic native peoples.

The territory of the republic was most intensely settled in the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries. The Komi-Zyryan Autonomous Oblast was established on August 22, 1929, and on December 5 of the same year it was reorganized into an Komi-Zyryan ASSR.

Many of the "settlers" who came in the early 20th century were prisoners of the Gulag who were sent by the hundreds of thousands to perform forced labor in the Arctic regions of the USSR. Towns sprang up around labor-camp sites, which were initially carved out of the untouched tundra and taiga by gangs of prisoners.

The Komi Republic in its modern form was established on May 26, 1992.

Politics

The head of government in the Komi Republic is the Head of the Republic. As of 2004, the head of the republic is Vladimir Alexandrovich Torlopov, who was elected in December 2001.

Economy

The Komi Republic's major industries include oil processing, timber, woodworking, natural gas and electric power industries. Major industrial centers are Syktyvkar, Inta, Pechora, Sosnogorsk, Ukhta, and Vorkuta.

Transportation

Railroad transportation is very well developed. The most important railroad line is Kotlas–Vorkuta–Salekhard, which is used to ship most goods in and out of the republic. The rivers Vychegda and Pechora are navigable. There are airports in Syktyvkar, Ukhta, and Vorkuta.

In 1997, total railroad trackage was 1,708 km; automobile roads 4,677 km.

Education

There are over 450 secondary schools in the republic (with ~180,000 students). The most important higher education facilities include Syktyvkar State University and Ukhta State Technical University.

See also

• Music of the Komi Republic
• Komi-Permyak Okrug
• Udoria
• Extreme points of Europe

Pitirim Sorokin

External links

• Official site of the Republic of Komi
• Official site of the Syktyvkar State University)
• Official site of the Syktyvkar State University)
• Official site of the Ukhta State Technical University
• Snowboarding in Komi Republic
• Map of the Komi Republic
• Historic-demographic note on the Nenets of the Komi Republic
• Virgin Komi Forests at Natural Heritage Protection Fund

Literature

Pearson, M., Ojanen, P., Havimo, M., Kuuluvainen, T. & Vasander, H. (eds.) 2007. On the European Edge — Journey through Komi Nature and Culture. University of Helsinki Department of Forest Ecology Publications 36. 216 p. ISBN 978-952-10-3898-3.

Strogoff, M., Brochet, P. & Auzias, D. 2005. Guidebook Komi Republic. Avant-Garde Publishers, Moscow. 176. p. ISBN 5-86394-255-X.