ABSTRACT
The wealthy republics of Sakha and Bashkortostan only signed the Federal Treaty after they were granted further concessions over foreign trade and mineral resources, while oil-rich Tatarstan held out until it was accorded special associate status within the federation. The new Russian Constitution was supposed to provide the country with an effective presidential system. The system of presidential representatives was set up after the August 1991 coup. The representatives were often referred to as Yeltsin's eyes and ears in the regions. Russia remains a huge, multiethnic state, with 172 different ethnic groups living on its territory, but the non Russian minority groups are small. The process of economic separatism has gone further in a number of cases with some republics and regions engaging directly in economic and diplomatic activity with foreign states. Many of the republics now have their own foreign consulates and many are independent members of international trade organisations.
