What is "tatarstan"

Tatarstan, officialy the Republic of Tatarstan (; , inofficial ) is a federal subject of Russia (a republic) located in the Volga Federal District. Its capital is the city of Kazan. The republic borders Kirov, Ulyanovsk, Samara, and Orenburg Oblasts, the Mari El, Udmurt, and Chuvash Republics, and the Republic of Bashkortostan. The area of the republic is . The unofficial Tatarstan motto is: Bez Buldırabız! (We can!). As of the 2010 Census the population of Tatarstan was 3,786,488.

The state has strong ties with its eastern neighbor the Republic of Bashkortostan.