ABSTRACT
This chapter provides all basic political, economic, and demographic data on a territorial unit of the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tyva. The Republic of Tyva is located in the middle of Asia, in the southern part of Eastern Siberia. By the beginning of the 1950s, the majority of the Tyvans’ cattle-breeding homesteads were collectivized, a step that destroyed the people’s traditional nomadic lifestyle. Tyva is one of the poorest regions in the country. It is able to cover a mere 18 percent of its expenses with its own budgetary revenues. Oorzhak, an ethnic Tyvan, feels strongly about protecting the equal rights of all nationalities. He encourages a revival of Tyvan history, customs, and traditions, but also considers it necessary to safeguard Russian culture.
