Tatarstan

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Autonomous republic in the eastern Russian Federation; area 68,000 sq km/26,255 sq mi; population (1990) 3,658,000 (48% Tatars, 43% Russian). The capital is Kazan. There are oil, natural gas, chemical, textile, and timber industries; and there is arable and dairy farming.

Geography
The region is in the basins of the Volga and Lower Kama rivers. It is mostly wooded steppe with podzol soil. Cities include Chistopol, Naberezhniye Chelny, and Bugulma.

History
A territory of the Volga-Kama Bulgar state from the 10th century, when Islam was introduced, Tatarstan was conquered by the Mongol Golden Horde in 1236. It was the capital of the powerful Khanate of Kazan until annexed by Russia in 1552, an autonomous republic from 1920, and an independent republic in the Russian Federation from 1992.

The crescent is a symbol of Islam and the green also denotes Islam. The four stars and the four stripes of colour represent the four islands in the group (including Mayotte, which is a French dependency). Effective date: 2002. >>