Novosibirsk (meaning "New Siberia" in Russian) is a semi-presidential federal republic located in Northern Asia, and populated predominantly by ethnic Russians. The city of Novosibirsk was founded when the Russians moved east into sparsely-populated areas in Siberia. During colonization, Novosibirsk became more heavily populated by Russians than the other colonies. After colonization, the people of Novosibirsk voted to become separate from Russia, but with a special relationship to it.