▁in ▁southern ▁Si ber ia . ▁The ▁republic ▁borders ▁the ▁Al ta i ▁Republic , ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁Kh ak ass ia , ▁K ras no yar sk ▁K rai , ▁Ir k ut sk ▁O blast , ▁and ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁B ury atia ▁in ▁Russia ▁and ▁Mong olia ▁to ▁the ▁south . ▁Its ▁capital ▁is ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Ky zy l . ▁It ▁has ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁ 3 0 7 , 9 3 0 ▁( 2 0 1 0 ▁census ). ▁ ▁From ▁ 1 9 2 1 ▁to ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁Tu va ▁constit uted ▁a ▁so ver eign , ▁independent ▁nation ▁under ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁T ann u ▁Tu va , ▁officially , ▁the ▁Tu van ▁People ' s ▁Republic , ▁or ▁the ▁People ' s ▁Republic ▁of ▁T ann u ▁Tu va . ▁The ▁independence ▁of ▁T ann u ▁Tu va , ▁however , ▁was ▁recognized ▁only ▁by ▁its ▁neighb ors : ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁and ▁Commun ist ▁Mong olia . ▁ ▁A ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁are ▁eth nic ▁T uv ans ▁who ▁speak ▁Tu van ▁as ▁their ▁native ▁tongue , ▁while ▁Russian ▁is ▁spoken ▁n atively ▁by ▁the ▁Russian ▁minor ity ; ▁both ▁are ▁official ▁and ▁widely ▁understood ▁in ▁the ▁republic . ▁Tu va ▁is ▁govern ed ▁by ▁the ▁Great ▁Kh ural , ▁which ▁elect s ▁a ▁chairman ▁for ▁a ▁four - year ▁term . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁The ▁territory ▁of ▁Tu va ▁has ▁been ▁controlled ▁by ▁the ▁X ion gnu ▁Empire