The Russian Federation is divided into 89 federal subjects (administrative units), 21 of which are republics:
Constitutional Status
Republics differ from other federal subjects in that they have the right to establish their own official language (Article 68 of the Constitution of Russia). Other federal subjects, such as krais and oblasts, do not have this right. However, as with other federal subjects, governmental sovereignty in a republic is not recognized (Article 3).
Last updated: 10-17-2005 07:29:05