Altai Republic

Altai Republic (, Respublika Altay; Altay: , Altay Respublika) is a federal subject of Russia (a republic). Its area is with a population of 206,200 (preliminary 2010 Census results). Its capital is Gorno-Altaysk. It shares an international border with the neighboring Altay Prefecture, People's Republic of China.

Geography

The republic is situated in the very center of Asia at the junction of Siberian taiga, steppes of Kazakhstan and semi-deserts of Mongolia. Forests cover about 25% of the republic's territory.

• Area: 92,600 km²
• Borders:
• internal: Kemerovo Oblast (N), Republic of Khakassia (NE), Tuva Republic (E), and Altai Krai (W/NW).
• international: Mongolia (SE), China (S), and Kazakhstan (S/SW)
• Highest point: Mount Belukha (4,506 m)
• Maximum N->S distance: 360 km
• Maximum E->W distance: 380 km

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• Average elevation: no data

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Rivers and lakes

More than 20,000 tributaries sprawl throughout the mountainous Republic, making for a total of more than worth of waterways. The Republic's largest rivers are the Katun and the Biya, both of which originate in the mountains and flow northwards. The junction of the two rivers eventually forms the Ob River, one of the longest rivers in Siberia, which flows northward to the Arctic Ocean.

The source of the black Biya River is Lake Teletskoye, the region's largest lake located in an isolated area far south in the mountains. The...
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