The first state appeared on the territory of the Southern Siberia in 4-3 century B.C. But in 201 year it was destroyed by Hun warriors. Then a tribe of kirghiz people moved to the Khakas-Minusinsk basin and established an ancient khakasian state, which existed until the 13^th century. In 1207 Mongolian tribes invaded this land. The Mongolian period in the history of Khakasia is characterized by a big people loss, culture decay and feudal disunity. After the Khakasian state was destroyed different feudal principalities did not manage to establish the one union due to various internal and external reasons. In the 12^th century the Siberian people saw 4 principalities on the territory of Khakasia: Altysar, Altyr, Ezersky and Tubinsky. The patrons of these principalities were the princes of a ruling Kirghiz dynasty.

In 1604 the Tomsky stockade town was founded. The first contacts of kirghiz people with Russians started exactly at that time. During the next century Khakasia was connected to the Russian territory. This connection was not an easy one.

In 1707 Khaksia finally joined Russia, when Russia and China signed Burinskiy treaty.

In the 18^th century the main agricultural occupation was cattle breeding. Such farms bred large quantities of cattle and did not cultivate plants. Agricultural farms cultivated both plants and cattle. Hunting farms were occupied by trapping.

By the year of 1822 there were 90 Russian villages on the territory of Khakas-Minusinsk region. This time the khakasian people began to lead a semi-settled way of life, changing the places only two times a year. In 1923 the territory of Khakasia was united into a district. On the 20^th of October in 1930 the Khakasian autonomous region appeared. The people were granted with independence in making decisions concerning their national peculiarities.

Gold mining played an important role in the development of Khakas-Minusinsk region. In the 30ies of the 19^thcentury there started a "gold-rush". By the year of 1860 there were 127 mines working on the territory of Minusinsk and Achinsk districts. The main regions of gold mining were the mines of Saral, Bogomdarovanniy (Kommunar) and Balahchino.

In 1991 the Khakasian autonomous region was turned into the Khakasian soviet socialistic republic. In 1992 it became a republic of the Russian Federation and in May 1995 Khakasia was given the constitution.

Nowadays Khakasia is the subject of the Russian Federation included in the Siberian Federal district. The administrative centre of the republic is Abakan city. Khakasia is an industrial and agricultural republic which possesses a powerful potential (energetic, mining, timber and woodworking branches, engineering, metallurgical, agricultural, food and light industries).

There is Sayan aluminum plant, Sorsk molybdenum complex, Abakan and Teisk iron mines, Abakan carriage plant built on the territory of Khakasia. The energetic centre of the republic is Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power station.