ABSTRACT
This chapter provides all basic political, economic, and demographic data on every territorial unit of the Russian Federation, its local government structure, regional politics and electoral history through the spring 2000 elections and the summer 2000 reorganization of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia). The Sakha Republic (Yakutia) is the largest region in the Russian Federation. Mikhail Nikolaev has ruled over the resource-rich Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) since he was first elected president of the republic in December 1991. Throughout his tenure, Nikolaev has succeeded in making Sakha one of the most autonomous of all the Russian regions. In his 1991 presidential campaign, Nikolaev spoke in favor of state sovereignty for Yakutia within the Russian Federation. Nikolaev’s platform has been greatly determined by his varying relationship with the federal government. Nikolaev’s autonomy began slowly crumbling as Moscow demanded control over much of the region’s resources and took back some of the rights it had granted to the republic.
