. 4 ▁million ▁acres ▁of ▁man - made ▁desert . ▁To ▁r amp ▁up ▁output , ▁econom ically ▁non vi able ▁industrial ▁plants ▁were ▁constructed . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁dissol ution ▁of ▁the ▁USS R , ▁Kal my k ia ▁kept ▁the ▁status ▁of ▁an ▁autonom ous ▁republic ▁within ▁the ▁newly ▁formed ▁Russian ▁Federation ▁( effect ive ▁March ▁ 3 1 , ▁ 1 9 9 2 ). ▁ ▁Administr ative ▁divisions ▁ ▁Dem ograph ics ▁Population : ▁ ▁V ital ▁statistics ▁Source : ▁Russian ▁Federal ▁State ▁Statistics ▁Service ▁ ▁Eth nic ▁groups ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁Census , ▁Kal my ks ▁make ▁up ▁ 5 7 . 4 % ▁of ▁the ▁republic ' s ▁population . ▁Other ▁groups ▁include ▁Rus si ans ▁( 3 0 . 2 % ), ▁D arg ins ▁( 2 . 7 % ), ▁Che ch ens ▁( 1 . 2 % ), ▁Kaz ak hs ▁( 1 . 7 % ), ▁Tur ks ▁( 1 . 3 % ), ▁Av ars ▁( 0 . 8 %) ▁Uk ra ini ans ▁( 0 . 5 % ), ▁eth nic ▁Germ ans ▁( 0 . 4 %). ▁ ▁This ▁statistics ▁is ▁about ▁the ▁dem ograph ics ▁of ▁the ▁Kal my ks ▁in ▁the ▁Russian ▁Empire , ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁and ▁Russian ▁Federation . ▁ ▁Religion ▁ ▁Tib et an ▁Buddh ism ▁is ▁the ▁traditional ▁and ▁most ▁popular ▁religion ▁among ▁the ▁Kal my ks , ▁while ▁Rus si ans ▁in ▁the ▁country ▁practice ▁pre domin antly