Republic of Buryatia

Geography. In the west, north and south, the republic borders the regions of Russia such as the Republic of Tuva, the Irkutsk Region (with 500 km along the water area of Lake Baikal), and the Trans-Baikal Territory. The southern border of Buryatia (with Mongolia) is a state border of the Russian Federation. The relief is characterized by hefty mountain ridges and vast and deep intermountain basins. The area of mountains is more than four times bigger than the area occupied by the lowlands. The total area of Buryatia is 351,334 km².

Climate. The climate is severely continental, with cold winters, windy springs, and hot and short summers.

Average temperature

• -25°С in winter
• +26°С in summer

Population

Economy. The Republic of Buryatia is among Russia’s industrial and agrarian regions. The main industries are agriculture and forestry, civil engineering, and extraction of mineral resources.  

Logistics. The total length of highways in Buryatia is more than 14,000 km, 827 km of which are federal roads.

• The length of railway lines in Buryatia is 2,044 km. The main railway station is in Ulan-Ude.
• Baikal International Airport in Ulan-Ude is located 15 km to the west of the city center and 75 km to the southeast of Lake Baikal.

Tourist attractions

• Atsagatsky Datsan. One of the most important and oldest Buddhist temples in Buryatia was founded in 1825. Its architecture is square-based. According to the Buddhist tradition, the central entrance is south-facing.
• The Baikal Nature Reserve covers the territory of the Khamar-Daban mountain range. The borders of the nature reserve run along the Mishikha and Vydrinnaya Rivers. The nature reserve preserves a huge gene pool of wild plants and animals: a total of 2,000 known higher and lower plant species, more than 350 vertebrate animals, and more than 1,500 invertebrate animals.
• Barguzin Valley is an area where natural landmarks and plenty of cult (sacred) sites are located. They belong to various tribes and peoples. There is also one of the most important holy places of the northern Buddhist world – Mount Baraghan. The Buddhist datsans and Orthodox churches were traditionally built here.

The capital is the city of Ulan-Ude, founded in 1666.

Population