Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization

Status               : Occupied & unrecognized territory
Population        : 305,510 people
Areas                : 170,500 km2
Language         : Russian, Tuvan, Turkic
Religion            : Tibetan Buddhism
Ethnic Groups  : Tuvans, Uyghurs and Kyrgyzians

OVERVIEW
GEOGRAPHY
The republic of Tuva lies at the upper reaches of the Siberian Yenisey river.

POPULATION
Of the population of approximately 310,000 people 97% are Tuvans. Other Tuvans live in Mongolia and the Peoples Republic of China. Tuvans are one of the oldest peoples to inhabit Central Asia with a unique culture. The mixture of cultural roots of ancient Tuvans, Uigurs and Kyrgyzians formed the basis of the culture of the present-day.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
EARLY HISTORY
1207 Tuva was conquered by Gengis-Khan and came under the Yuan dynasty. The Mongol feudal system prevented the Tuvan culture from further development.

18th century Tuva was conquered by the Manchy Empire.

1914 Tuva became a Russian protectorate.

1921 The All Tuvan Gathering proclaimed the first sovereign Tighten Republic.

1920’s Political oppression of the Soviet Union made its entry.

1944 The Tie National Republic made the decision to ”voluntarily” join the Soviet Union. Tie became an autonomous province of the Russian Federation.

1961 The autonomous province received the status of Tuvan Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic.

1991 After the collapse of the Soviet Union the sovereign Republic Tuva within the Russian Federation was founded.

1996 Tuva became a member of UNPO.

Tuva continues to struggle to work on the appropriate way to safe-guard and develop its own identity and sovereignty going through the difficult changes from a command-orientated planned economy towards an open market economy.

The process of democratisation of government institutions and public life goes on at a steady pace. The original culture, traditions and religion are gaining more followers. Political influence and pressure from the Russian government is clearly felt in the republic where some members of parliament try to resist the dictates of Moscow in the interest of their people.

CULTURE AND LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
The Tuvan people speak a Turkic language.