ABSTRACT
This chapter presents all basic political, economic, and demographic data on a territorial unit of the Russian Federation. The Republic of Kalmykia lies in the southeast of European Russia in the North Caspian Depression and borders Volgograd, Astrakhan, and Rostov oblasts, Stavropol Krai, and the Republic of Dagestan. The economy is therefore dominated by the production and partial processing of wool, leather, and meat. However, the republic also houses some machine building, metal processing, and construction materials industries. The republic is one of the most heavily subsidized in the federation. In 1997, Kalmykia’s own revenues covered only 32.2 percent of its budget, according to a survey by Ekspert magazine. In March 1999 the Kalmykia legislature passed a law seeking to develop the regional gaming business. The law establishes easy licensing requirements to open casinos and eliminates regional taxes on the businesses.
