Zabaykalsky Krai

The krai is located within the historical region of Transbaikalia (Dauria) and has extensive international borders with China (Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang) (998 km) and Mongolia (Dornod Province, Khentii Province and Selenge Province) (868 km); its internal borders are with Irkutsk Oblast and Amur Oblast, as well as with Buryatia and the Sakha Republic. The Khentei-Daur Highlands are located at the southwestern end. The Ivan-Arakhley Lake System is a group of lakes lying west of Chita.

File:Верховья реки Средний Сакукан.jpg.]]

File:Kodar from charskie peski.jpg. The Kodar Mountains lie in the background.]]

{{See also|Transbaikal}}

The first traces of human presence in the area dates to 35 to 150 thousand years ago. Early evidence was found on the surface of ancient river gravels Gyrshelunki (tributary of the Khilok River) near the city of Chita, near Ust-Menza on the Chikoy River.

Based on toponyms, Zabaykalsky might have once been inhabited by a non documented, extinct Yeniseian language.{{cite book |author=Edward Wajda |editor1=Gary Holton |editor2=Thomas F. Thornton |title=Language and Toponymy in Alaska and Beyond: Papers in Honor of James Kari |year=2018 |publisher=University of Hawai‘i Press |location=Honolulu |isbn=9780997329544|pages=183–201|hdl=10125/24847|chapter-url=http://hdl.handle.net/10125/24847 |chapter=Yeniseian and Dene Hydronyms}}

Mongolic-related Slab Grave cultural monuments are found in Baikal territory.History of Mongolia, Volume I, 2003 The territory of Zabaykalsky Krai has been governed by the Xiongnu Empire (209 BC-93 CE) and Mongolian Xianbei state (93-234), Rouran Khaganate (330–555), Mongol Empire (1206–1368) and Northern Yuan (1368–1691).History of Mongolia, Volume II, 2003

Medieval Mongol tribes like Merkit, Tayichiud, Jalairs and Khamag Mongols inhabited in the krai. In the 17th century, some or all of Mongolic-speaking Daurs lived along the Shilka, upper Amur, and on the Bureya River. They thus gave their name to the region of Dauria, also called Transbaikal, now the area of Russia east of Lake Baikal. Today Buryat-Mongols remained in the territory of the krai.

Preliminary work on the unification of the Chita Oblast and Agin-Buryat Autonomous Okrug was started at the level of regional authorities in April 2006. The governor of Chita Oblast Ravil Geniatulin, mayor of the Agin-Buryat Autonomous Okrug Bair Zhamsuyev, head of the regional parliament Anatoly Romanov, and Dashi Dugarov sent a letter to the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, and on 17 November 2006, he supported the initiative.

A referendum on unification took place on 11 March 2007. In Chita Oblast, "yes" was the predominant answer to the following question:

{{blockquote|Do you agree that the Chita Oblast and Agin-Buryat Autonomous Okrug merged into a new entity of the Russian Federation - Zabaykalsky Krai, which included Agin-Buryat Autonomous Okrug will be an administrative-territorial unit with special status, defined by the charter of the province in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation?}}

In Chita Oblast, 90.29% (535,045 voters) of the voters voted for the union versus – 8.89% (52,698 voters) who voted against it. 72.82% of the electorate participated. In the Aga Buryat Autonomous Region 94% (38,814 voters) voted for the union versus – 5.16% (2129 voters). 82.95% of the electorate voters participated.

On 23 July 2007, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a federal constitutional law "On Establishment in the Russian Federation of a new subject of the Russian Federation in the merger of Chita Oblast and Agin-Buryat Autonomous Okrug", adopted by the State Duma on 5 July 2007. and approved by the Federation Council on 11 July 2007.

{{Main|Administrative divisions of Zabaykalsky Krai}}

Large companies in the region include the Priargunskoe Mining and Chemical Association, Territorial Generating Company №14, Novo-Shirokinsky mine, Kharanorskaya State District Power Plant, Kharanorskiy coal mine.{{cite web |title=Trans-Baikal Territory Industries |url=https://www.investinregions.ru/en/regions/zabaikalsky/industries/ |website=investinregions.ru |access-date=7 November 2018 |language=en |archive-date=7 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181107104007/https://www.investinregions.ru/en/regions/zabaikalsky/industries/ |url-status=dead }}

Ravil Geniatulin, the Governor of Chita Oblast, was elected Governor of Zabaykalsky Krai on 5 February 2008, by the majority of the deputies of both Chita Oblast Duma and Agin-Buryat Autonomous Okrug Duma. He assumed the post on 1 March 2008.[http://itar-tass.com/level2.html?NewsID=12429358&PageNum=0 На административной карте РФ появился новый субъект федерации - Забайкальский край]. (A new federal subject—Zabaykalsky Krai—appeared on the administrative map of the Russian Federation) Itar-Tass.com {{in lang|ru}} United Russia candidate Natalia Zhdanova was elected governor with 54% of the vote on 18 September 2016.{{Cite web|title=Siberia and Russian Far East vote decisively for United Russia in parliamentary elections|url=http://siberiantimes.com/other/others/news/n0737-siberia-and-russian-far-east-vote-decisively-for-united-russia-in-parliamentary-elections/|date=19 September 2016|access-date=29 December 2022|website=The Siberian Times|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160921005652/https://siberiantimes.com/other/others/news/n0737-siberia-and-russian-far-east-vote-decisively-for-united-russia-in-parliamentary-elections/ |archive-date=21 September 2016}}

{{Historical populations|5=1926|6=2934000|7=1959|8=1036387|9=1970|10=1144918|11=1979|12=1233435|13=1989|14=1377975|15=2002|16=1155346|17=2010|18=1107107|19=2021|20=1004125|type=|footnote=Source: Census data}}Population: {{ru-census|p2021=1,0041,25|p2010=1,107,107|p2002=1,155,346|p1989=1,377,975}}

According to the 2021 Census,{{cite web|title=Национальный состав населения|url=https://rosstat.gov.ru/storage/mediabank/Tom5_tab1_VPN-2020.xlsx|publisher=Federal State Statistics Service|accessdate=30 December 2022}} Russians made up 89.2% of the population while Buryats were 7.4%. Other significant groups were Armenians (0.3%), Tatars (0.3%), Ukrainians (0.2%), Kyrgyz (0.2%) and Uzbeks (0.2%). 118,477 people were registered from administrative databases, and could not declare an ethnicity. It is estimated that the proportion of ethnicities in this group is the same as that of the declared group.{{Cite web|url=http://www.perepis-2010.ru/news/detail.php?ID=6936|title=Впн-2010|access-date=December 22, 2011|archive-date=December 25, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225111852/http://www.gks.ru/free_doc/new_site/perepis2010/croc/perepis_itogi1612.htm|url-status=dead}}

{{Largest cities

| country = Zabaykalsky Krai

| stat_ref = 2010 Russian Census

| list_by_pop =

| div_name =

| div_link = Administrative divisions of Zabaykalsky Krai{{!}}Administrative Division

| city_1 = Chita, Zabaykalsky Krai{{!}}Chita

| div_1 = Chitinsky District

| pop_1 = 324,444

| img_1 = Площадь Ленина (2).JPG

| city_2 = Krasnokamensk, Zabaykalsky Krai{{!}}Krasnokamensk

| div_2 = Krasnokamensky District

| pop_2 = 55,666

| img_2 = Краснокаменск. Церковь Спаса Нерукотворного Образа.JPG

| city_3 = Borzya

| div_3 = Borzinsky District

| pop_3 = 31,379

| city_4 = Petrovsk-Zabaykalsky (town){{!}}Petrovsk-Zabaykalsky

| div_4 = Petrovsk-Zabaykalsky District

| pop_4 = 18,549

| city_5 = Nerchinsk

| div_5 = Nerchinsky District

| pop_5 = 14,959

| city_6 = Shilka (town){{!}}Shilka

| div_6 = Shilkinsky District

| pop_6 = 13,947

| city_7 = Chernyshevsk

| div_7 = Chernyshevsky District

| pop_7 = 13,359

| city_8 = Mogocha

| div_8 = Mogochinsky District

| pop_8 = 13,258

| city_9 = Karymskoye

| div_9 = Karymsky District

| pop_9 = 13,037

| city_10 = Baley, Russia{{!}}Baley

| div_10 = Baleysky District

| pop_10 = 12,533

}}

Vital statistics for 2024:{{Cite web |date=21 February 2025 |title=Естественное движение населения в разрезе субъектов российской федерации за декабрь 2024 года |url=https://rosstat.gov.ru/storage/mediabank/EDN_12-2024.htm |url-status=live |access-date=25 February 2025 |website=Rosstat}}

• Births: 9,972 (10.2 per 1,000)
• Deaths: 14,073 (14.3 per 1,000)

Total fertility rate (2024):{{Cite web |date=2025-02-25 |title=Рейтинг рождаемости в регионах: кто в лидерах, а кто в аутсайдерах {{!}} Москва |url=https://fedpress.ru/article/3365231 |access-date=2025-02-26 |website=ФедералПресс |language=ru-RU}}

1.58 children per woman

Life expectancy (2021):{{cite web|url=https://rosstat.gov.ru/folder/210/document/13207 |title=Демографический ежегодник России |publisher=Federal State Statistics Service of Russia (Rosstat) |access-date=2022-06-01 |language=ru |trans-title=The Demographic Yearbook of Russia}}

Total — 66.82 years (male — 62.28, female — 71.54)

{{Bar box

|title=Religion in Zabaykalsky Krai as of 2012 (Sreda Arena Atlas){{Cite web|title=Research service "Sreda" Arena Atlas of Religions and Nationalities of the Russian|url=https://sreda.org/en/arena|publisher=Sreda|date=2012|access-date=2022-12-29|language=en-US}}[http://c2.kommersant.ru/ISSUES.PHOTO/OGONIOK/2012/034/ogcyhjk2.jpg 2012 Arena Atlas Religion Maps]. "Ogonek", № 34 (5243), 27/08/2012. Retrieved 21/04/2017. [https://web.archive.org/web/20170421154615/http://c2.kommersant.ru/ISSUES.PHOTO/OGONIOK/2012/034/ogcyhjk2.jpg Archived].

|float=right

|bars=

{{Bar percent|Spiritual but not religious|DarkSlateGray|28}}

{{Bar percent|Russian Orthodoxy|DarkOrchid|24.6}}

{{Bar percent|Atheism and irreligion|Black|17.1}}

{{Bar percent|Other and undeclared|Gray|16.8}}

{{Bar percent|Buddhism|Yellow|6.3}}

{{Bar percent|Other Christians|DeepSkyBlue|5.6}}

{{Bar percent|Other Orthodox|MediumOrchid|1.6}}

}}

As of a 2012 survey, 25% of the population of Zabaykalsky Krai adheres to the Russian Orthodox Church, 6.25% to Buddhism, 6% declares to be generically unaffiliated Christian (excluding Protestant churches), 2% is an Orthodox Christian believer without belonging to any church or being member of other (non-Russian) Orthodox churches. In addition, 28% of the population declares to be "spiritual but not religious", 17% to be atheist, and 16.15% follows other religion or did not give an answer to the survey.

{{clear}}

• List of Chairmen of the Legislative Assembly of Zabaikalsky Krai
• Pallas Mountain

{{notelist}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{RussiaBasicLawRef|zab}}
• {{Cite Russian law

|ru_type=Федеральный конституционный закон

|ru_number=5-ФКЗ

|ru_date=21 июля 2007 г.

|ru_title=Об образовании в составе Российской Федерации нового субъекта Российской Федерации в результате объединения Читинской области и Агинского-Бурятского автономного округа

|en_type=Federal Constitutional Law

|en_number=5-FKZ

|en_date=July 21, 2007

|en_title=On the Establishment Within the Russian Federation of a New Federal Subject of the Russian Federation as a Result of the Merger of Chita Oblast and Agin-Buryat Autonomous Okrug

}}

• {{Commons category inline|Zabaykalsky Krai}}
• {{Wikivoyage inline}}

{{Subdivisions of Russia}}

{{Zabaykalsky Krai}}

{{Russian Far East}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2008 establishments in Russia

Category:Far Eastern Federal District

Category:Krais of Russia

Category:Russian Far East

Category:Countries and territories where Russian is an official language

Category:States and territories established in 2008