This chapter presents all basic political, economic, and demographic data on a territorial unit of the Russian Federation, Chuvashia, which is located in the eastern part of European Russia, occupying an area of 18,300 sq. km, most of which is located on the right bank of the middle Volga River and forms a slightly raised plateau. Chuvashia has trade relations with over 60 foreign countries, including China, Germany, the United States, the Netherlands, Italy, Syria, and Hungary. It exports chemicals, machines, consumer goods, secondary resources, and agricultural products. Fedorov was reelected president of the Republic of Chuvashia on 28 December 1997, commanding 57 percent of the vote. He defeated the Communist chairman of the republican parliament, Valentin Shurchanov, a long-standing rival, who pulled in 34 percent of the vote.