The composition of the Russian Federation is huge and immense. We live in a really big country. In total, our state consists of 85 entities. Of these, 22 are republics. They occupy about 28.6% of the country. In general, this topic is very large, important and interesting, so you should talk about it in more detail.
Of the Republic
Begin with these entities. Republics are national-state formations, in contrast to regions or territories. That is, in other words, it is a form of statehood of a certain people within Russia. Republics have their own constitutions, as well as the right to establish other state languages (but Russian is required).
The vast majority of modern republics during the Soviet era were autonomous and socialist. They were considered as subjects of the state in the framework of the RSFSR. Adygea, Altai, Bashkortostan, Buryatia, Dagestan, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Kalmykia ... Even by their names you can understand that they live there not ordinary Russians, but those who have a special nationality. Crimeans, Chechens, Chuvashs, Ossetians, Adyghe, Kabardinians, Tatars, Udmurts - people living in the territory of these republics also have the names of their special citizenship. Well, something is clear about the republics within the Russian Federation , but now it is necessary to touch upon other, no less important issues.
Edges and Areas
These are also subjects that are part of the Russian Federation. I would also like to talk about them. So, the following territories are included in the Russian Federation: Altai, Transbaikal, Kamchatka, Krasnodar, Krasnoyarsk, Perm, Primorsky, Stavropol and Khabarovsk. It is worth noting one interesting fact. The edges are the fewest subjects of our state.
Areas are much larger. Amur, Arkhangelsk, Astrakhan, Belgorod, Bryansk, Vladimir, Tomsk, Tula, Tyumen, Ulyanovsk, Chelyabinsk, Yaroslavl - this is just a small list of them. The complete list does seem endless. However, this is not the whole list of entities located on the territory of our immense homeland. There are still areas and cities of federal significance (which all, incidentally, are holders of the status of “hero”). Well, they should be listed.
Autonomous regions and districts
These subjects are similar in their specificity to the republics. Because they also have a certain identity and national characteristics. This is even visible by name. Areas and counties that are autonomous, not as many as the above. Therefore, they definitely need to be noted with attention. So, the first is the Jewish Autonomous Region. Next is the Nenets okrug, Khanty-Mansiysk (Yugra), Chukchi and Yamalo-Nenets.
And finally, the notorious cities of federal significance. Moscow, the capital of the country, St. Petersburg (the so-called cultural capital) and Sevastopol.
On the unification of regions
So, as it was already possible to understand, the Russian Federation includes a large number of subjects. At one time there were more, once - less. Their number was minimized after the unification of the republics. So, for example, in 2003, on December 7, the Perm region was merged with the Komi-Permyak Autonomous Okrug. So the edge was formed, which today is at the hearing. Taimyr and Evenki Autonomous Okrug joined the Krasnoyarsk Territory in 2005, April 17. The Kamchatka region and the Koryak Autonomous Okrug formed a single Kamchatka Territory in 2005, on October 23.
In 2006, the Ust-Orda Buryat Autonomous Okrug became part of the Irkutsk Region. And in 2007, the Chita region was combined with the Aginsky Buryat Autonomous Okrug. So the Trans-Baikal Territory was formed. Such associations and formations were proposed and subsequently approved by the people due to the fact that it was necessary to make the management of regions more convenient from a geographical point of view.
The enlargement of regions in the future
Like the above processes, the composition of the government of the Russian Federation plans to make several more such decisions. They have already been mentioned about them, but ideas have not yet been translated into reality. So, for example, it was thought to merge the Nenets Autonomous Okrug with the Arkhangelsk region. They could form the Pomeranian region. The Leningrad region with St. Petersburg was planned to be merged into a single St. Petersburg province. The same is the case with the capital. Moscow and the Moscow region could become a single federal district. The unification of the Tver region and the Moscow region is also possible. They would become one - Central (or Podmoskovskaya). However, these plans have not yet been implemented. To date, they have been frozen. And this is understandable, because starting in 2014, the authorities had a lot of worries. And unfortunately, they continue to arise.
2014 Events: Prerequisites
Last year, 2014, became significant not only for Russia, but for the whole world. Although initially it did not seem so. It’s just that the consequences appeared louder and larger, about which no one (in any case, our people) could even think of.
The composition of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation has expanded. In the spring of 2014. Then our country became larger. Richer in one region. This is a republic that is famous for its resources. The peninsula on which the wonderful hero city of Sevastopol is located, where the authorities of the Russian Federation always had their own navy, their own base. Then Crimea entered our state. He was once a member of the Russian Federation. But the peninsula has belonged to Ukraine for the past twenty-odd years. But, engaging in Euromaidan, forgetting about people and regions, having actually begun the war, Ukraine lost Crimea.
More on Peninsula Returns
Then almost no one doubted that the composition of the Russian Federation in 2014 would already be expanded. Crimeans were infringed - they tried to prohibit talking in their native, Russian language. Numerous actions and oppositions have caused a wave of protests on the peninsula. The inhabitants of Crimea did not think to give up their own. And the consequences came quickly. In late February, when the Supreme Council of the republic was captured, a true rebellion began. The people elected new rulers and leaders of power. But the situation was heating up. So the decision of the Crimean and Russian authorities decided to organize a referendum. March 16, he passed. And the overwhelming majority of people - more than 95% - voted for Crimea to go to Russia. Everything was done quickly. And March 18 was a significant day for Crimeans. They became citizens of Russia. And then a new composition of the Russian Federation was formed. With the Republic of Crimea and the city of federal significance Sevastopol.
About the transition period
Of course, there were and are difficulties. Enemies and people who turned out to be opponents of the decision. Great objections, even riots, were organized by the Mejlis. Many still wish to return Crimea to Ukraine. Crimeans had a hard time in transition, but they say: “We at least survived and gained stability.”
But today, the transition period has been facilitated. The people of Crimea have been using rubles for a long time, and everyone has Russian passports, SNILS, certificates, driver's licenses. True, there are some difficulties. With electricity, for example. Today, the light is turned off on the peninsula (in connection with the undermined electricity supply poles in Kherson, from which energy went to the peninsula). And there should be a fan, hourly and street shutdown. In fact, the opposite is true: for 12 hours a day (at least) people sit without electricity. But the process is going on: already through the Kerch Strait, a cable is being laid that will provide electricity to Crimeans; a bridge is being built; new stores appear. In general, we can only wait, believe and endure.
On the potential expansion of the territory of the Russian Federation
Well, it is worthwhile to distract from the topic of Crimea and tell a little about the fact that the territory of our vast country can become even larger. This is real due to the inclusion of independent states in its structure by mutual agreement with the Russian Federation. But so far, Abkhazia and Belarus (adjacent) do not plan to join the Russian Federation.
Each subject of our state is special. Republics can establish their languages and adopt their own constitutions, appoint capitals, and holidays in honor of special holidays (religious, for example). Territories and regions may draw up internal agreements stating the delimitation of subjects of jurisdiction and powers (this is the case in the Irkutsk region, Khanty-Mansiysk and the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, for example).
In general, our country is powerful, unique and immense. You can talk endlessly about her and her subjects. Our territory extends from the sunny Krasnodar Territory to the distant Kamchatka. The state is washed by the Black and Barents Seas, on the shore of one of which tourists always rest, and the other occasionally is visited by risky extreme people. In general, it remains only to wish our state to develop and become better, so that we continue to be a great power.