▁an ▁estimated ▁quarter ▁of ▁a ▁million ▁Rus si ans ▁in ▁the ▁region . ▁These ▁were ▁followed ▁by ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁Vol ga ▁Germ ans ▁deport ed ▁in ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 9 ▁Census , ▁eth nic ▁Kh ak as ▁people ▁represented ▁little ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁population . ▁ ▁Until ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁Kh ak as ▁Aut onom ous ▁O blast ▁was ▁administr atively ▁sub ordin ated ▁to ▁K ras no yar sk ▁K rai . ▁In ▁July ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁it ▁was ▁elev ated ▁in ▁status ▁to ▁that ▁of ▁a ▁Soviet ▁social ist ▁republic , ▁and ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁it ▁became ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁Kh ak ass ia . ▁ ▁Administr ative ▁divisions ▁ ▁Dem ograph ics ▁ ▁Population : ▁ ▁V ital ▁statistics ▁▁ ▁Source : ▁Russian ▁Federal ▁State ▁Statistics ▁Service ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁the ▁republic ▁recorded ▁a ▁positive ▁natural ▁increase ▁of ▁population ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁in ▁many ▁years ▁( Al though ▁very ▁small , ▁less ▁than ▁+ 0 . 0 1 % ▁per ▁year ), ▁being ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 ▁Russian ▁regions ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁positive ▁natural ▁population ▁growth ▁rate . ▁ ▁Eth nic ▁groups ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁Russian ▁Census , ▁eth nic ▁Rus si ans ▁make ▁up ▁ 8 1 . 7 % ▁of ▁the ▁republic ' s