Ufa is the capital of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia. Population: 1,021,500 (2008 est.); 1,042,437 (2002 Census). The city began as a fortress built on the orders of Ivan IV in 1574, and originally bore the name of the hill it stood on, Tura-Tau. The city began to be called Ufa, meaning "small" in Turkic, by locals and the name stuck. In 1802, Ufa became the principal city of Bashkiria.
In 1918, Ufa was the residence of the Provisional All-Russian Government.