Chuvash

Chuvash is spoken in Russia's middle Volga region, especially in the Chuvash republic whose capital is Cheboksary. Though it is one of the Turkic languages, it differs markedly from the other members of this family, and the question of it's affiliation was long a matter of dispute. There are about 1½ million speakers.***

Chuvash speakers form over two -thirds of the population of Chuvashia, in the middle volga valley, with its capital at Cheboksary.

In Chuvashia itself two dialects are commonly recognised, Anatri or downstream and Viryal or upstream. Literally, Chuvash is based on Anatri.