A remnant of the Golden Horde, the Mongol and Turkic groups who conquered Russia in the 13th century and were only themselves conquered in 1552, the Tatars are a Muslim group.

During the Soviet period they were an "autonomous republic" of the Russian Federation. One way of interpreting this state could be as a reservation or Bantustan. They had few real rights as the government was formed by the Communist party answerable to Moskva.

During the 1991 Presidential campaign Yeltsin offered the minorities "as much independence as they could handle" but backtracked when large numbers demanded independence. If all the autonomous groups got independence Russia would dissolve into a Swiss Cheese - full of holes. Most Russians are opposed to their independence.

Half the population of Tatarstan is Russian.

There are many other groups of the same kind: Chuvashia, Chechen, Ingush, (two Caucasian-speaking groups), Yakutia, federated in the Russian federation but wishing to achieve real autonomy. Chechens declared independence and are accused of being controlled by criminals. In Crimea (Ukraine) there is another group of Tatars.

Tatar, a Turkic language,
Russian

Federated by treaty to Russia. In November 1995 Russian elections took place there.

Oil and the largest Soviet truck building plant is at Kazan. The territory has a favorable trade balance with the rest of Russia. Food supply is better than elsewhere.