It is a part of the Volga Federal District; and its capital and largest city is Kazan, an important cultural centre in Russia.

[5] Tatarstan has strong cultural, linguistic and ethnic ties with its eastern neighbour, Bashkortostan, which is also a republic of Russia.

Oak is the dominant tree species on 87% of the total area, followed by aspen, linden, birch, and Scots pine.

The Volga Bulgars had an advanced mercantile state with trade contacts throughout Inner Eurasia, the Middle East, and the Baltic, which maintained its independence despite pressure by such nations as the Khazars, the Kievan Rus, and the Cuman-Kipchaks.

The inhabitants, a large amount of them killed and the rest mixing with the Golden Horde's Kipchaks, became known as the Volga Tatars.

Under the influence of local Jadidist theologians, the Bulgars were renowned for their friendly relations with other peoples of the Russian Empire.

[26] Starting in the 1960s, schools opened in Tatarstan that taught Russian as an official second language, as it was necessary in order to individually advance in the broader Soviet society.

[31] Articles 1 and 3 of the Constitution as introduced in 2002[29] define Tatarstan as a part of the Russian Federation, removing the "sovereignty" term.

On 15 February 1994, the Treaty On Delimitation of Jurisdictional Subjects and Mutual Delegation of Authority between the State Bodies of the Russian Federation and the State Bodies of the Republic of Tatarstan[32] and Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan (On Delimitation of Authority in the Sphere of Foreign Economic Relations) were signed.

[33] On 20 December 2008, in response to Russia recognising Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People organisation declared Tatarstan independent and asked for United Nations recognition.

On 24 July 2017, the autonomy agreement signed in 1994 between Moscow and Kazan expired, making Tatarstan the last republic of Russia to lose its special status.

Tatar and Udmurt Jews are special territorial groups of the Ashkenazi Jews, which started to be formed in the residential areas of mixed Turkic-speaking (Tatars, Kryashens, Bashkirs, Chuvash people), Finno-Ugric-speaking (Udmurts, Mari people) and Slavic-speaking (Russians) populations.

[50][48][49] Established in 922, the first Muslim state within the boundaries of modern Russia was Volga Bulgaria from which the Tatars inherited Islam.

[52] The Russian Orthodox Church is the second largest active religion in Tatarstan, and has been so for more than 150 years,[53] with an estimated 1.6 million followers made up of ethnic Russians, Mordvins, Armenians, Belarusians, Mari people, Georgians, Chuvash and a number of Orthodox Tatars which together constitute 38% of the 3.8 million population of Tatarstan.

In December 2022, regional lawmakers voted to change the title of the head of the republic from president to rais (an Arabic title for "leader"); lawmakers were expected to adopt new amendments to Tatarstan's constitution so that it would be in line with the 2020 amendments to the Constitution of Russia and a federal law in 2021 which abolished regional presidencies.

Due to the high development of agriculture in Tatarstan (it contributes 5.1% of the total revenue of the republic), forests occupy only 16% of its territory.

The agricultural sector of the economy is represented mostly by large companies as Ak Bars Holding and "Krasnyi Vostok Agro".

It mainly comprises highways, railway lines, four navigable rivers — Volga (İdel), Kama (Çulman), Vyatka (Noqrat) and Belaya (Ağidel), and oil pipelines and airlines.

There are three UNESCO world heritage sites in Tatarstan—Kazan Kremlin, Bulgarian State Museum-Reserve, and Assumption Cathedral and Monastery of the town-island of Sviyazhsk.

In 2016, special attention was paid to the development of tourist centres of the Republic of Tatarstan—Kazan, Bolghar, the town-island of Sviyazhsk, Yelabuga, Chistopol, and Tetyushi.

[70][71] Due to Islamic rules on artistic depictions,[72] Tatars developed a uniquely geometric artistry, of which the craft of leather mosaic is a staple.

[75] In 1996, the Tatar singer, Guzel Ahmetova, cooperated with the German Eurodance group named Snap!, when she sang the lyrics of the song "Rame".

Following studies in Nuremberg, Germany and Vienna, Austria, she has achieved fame as a lyric soprano, in high demand both on the international operatic stage and concert platform.

Also, Tatarstan has Unics Kazan which has gained a significant role in European basketball, playing in Euroleague and EuroCup for decades.

Victor Wild and Danil Sadreev are both Tatarstan Olympians, having won a bronze in parallel giant slalom and a silver in ski jumping, respectively.

[82] The programme covers a wide spectrum of projects, including streets, squares, parks, river banks, pavilions, and sports facilities.

[82] Since 2016[82] (and continuing until 2022), the Architecturny Desant Architectural Bureau in Kazan[83] has improved public spaces in each of Tatarstan's 45 municipal districts, from large cities to small villages.

[85] By creating and rehabilitating public spaces, the programme aims to be a catalyst for positive social, economic, and environmental change.

[86] This approach partners specialists with local residents at every stage of the project, from development, to implementation, to the ongoing use of the space.

[87][91] Each public space expresses the unique identity of that particular place,[86] tying in its history while incorporating traditional materials.