Akademik

   While lacking administrative legitimacy, the Volga-Ural region is a historical and cultural concept with the Russian Federation. Located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, the Volga River basin and the foothills of the Ural Mountains are home to a sizable percentage of Russia’s national minorities. During the Russian Civil War, a confederation of Tatars, Bashkirs, Mari, Udmurts, Mordvins, and Chuvash and other non-Russian groups was established known as the Idel-Ural State, using the Tatar name for the Volga. The region is rich in oil reserves and possesses a fairly well-developed industrial base. In 2001, the Russian military consolidated two of its districts to create the Volga-Ural Military District with its command at Yekaterinburg.