ABSTRACT
This chapter presents all basic political, economic, and demographic data on a territorial unit of the Russian Federation, Astrakhan Oblast. Astrakhan Kingdom was conquered by Ivan the Terrible and integrated into the Russian state in 1556. The region’s economy peaked during the first decade of the 20th century following the construction of the Trans-Caspian Railroad and the development of the Baku oil fields. Astrakhan Governor Anatolii Guzhvin is one of the few governors in power who were originally appointed to the post by President Boris Yeltsin in 1991 when the institution was created. Despite Guzhvin’s ties to Moscow, his loyalty to Astrakhan is greater than any sense of obligation he feels toward the federal government. Guzhvin is critical of the federal government’s fiscal policies toward the regions. Elections to the Astrakhan Oblast legislature were held in October 1997, yielding assembly dominated by independents with a small representation of Communists.
