Compared to other Russian economic and geographical regions, the Volga region EGP is distinguished by its particularly advantageous characteristics, which include its central position between the European and Asian parts of the country. Very often, in the context of an advantageous transit position, the Volga region is considered simultaneously with the Urals, through whose territory the border between Europe and Asia passes. In a large number of parameters, the EGP of the Urals and the Volga region are similar, but there are also significant differences. Both regions are important from the point of view of transport connections between parts of the country that are remote from each other.
Such a different Volga region: EGP, natural conditions and resources
The Volga region stretches from north to south for almost one and a half thousand kilometers, from the confluence of the Volga and Kama to the mouth in the Astrakhan region, where the great
Most of the region has a favorable climate for agriculture, with fertile or chernozem soils common. However, in its southern part the climate becomes noticeably drier, the soils become poorer, and farming takes on risky features. This is due to the fact that steppe winds reign in the southern reaches of the Volga, blowing from Central Asia, and summer dry winds that can destroy the entire crop.
EGP Volga region: minerals
The position of the Volga region is also advantageous due to the fact that on its territory there are numerous deposits of such minerals as oil, gas, sulfur, and saltpeter. Moreover, we can talk about their fairly uniform distribution along the entire course of the Volga. Oil fields are located on the territory of both Tatarstan and the Astrakhan region.
However, the oil-bearing layers of the region have been greatly depleted during production and occupy the second place in the country after the West Siberian oil-bearing province. In such conditions, newly discovered gas condensate deposits become of great importance.
To others important resource The Volga region is considered to be sulfur, large deposits of which are spread over the territory of the Samara, Saratov and Ulyanovsk regions, as well as the Republic of Tatarstan. It is mainly extracted from dolomites, marls and limestone clays, as well as limestones, which constitute one of the most common rocks in the Volga region.
Initially, sulfur mining was carried out mainly in the territory of Tatarstan. This was due to the shallow depths useful material, which often reveals itself directly on the surface or just under a small layer of alluvial rocks.
Population of the region
Although Russians make up the majority of the population in the vast region, it is historically multi-ethnic, multi-lingual and culturally diverse.
IN in a broad sense The Volga region includes such regions as the Republic of Mordovia, Tatarstan, Bashkiria, Perm region, Samara, Volgograd and Astrakhan region, which means that its population speaks dozens of languages, since numerous nationalities historically lived in the region. However, Russian is still the majority language.
Transport infrastructure
In itself, the EGP of the Volga region encourages its use for transit directed from south to north, and from west to east. On the territory of the Volga economic region there are such large cities as Astrakhan with its port and Kazan with a large railway station.
Also, numerous oil and gas pipelines pass through the territory of the region, delivering raw materials from Western Siberia to processing enterprises in Tatarstan and Bashkiria, which also produce their own.
Another important and long-used transport route is the Volga, a river that for many centuries provided a link between the northern East European Plain and the Caspian region. With the commissioning of numerous hydraulic structures and canals, transit from countries with access to the Caspian Sea became possible. Today, ports on the Caspian Sea provide access to the Baltic and North Seas using the transport systems of the Volga-Baltic and White Sea-Baltic river routes, as well as the network of canals around Moscow.
Environmental problems and ways to solve them
However, the active use of the profitable EGP of the Volga region has led to the fact that in the region they began to increasingly appear ecological problems caused by intense river traffic and a large number of industrial enterprises on the banks of the river.
Today, the issue of excessive regulation of the Volga flow, which resulted from the active construction of dams for hydroelectric power stations in the mid-20th century, is becoming increasingly pressing.
Thus, characterizing the EGP of the Volga region according to the plan, it is worth indicating its following features:
- diversity of natural resources;
- transit position at the crossroads of significant transport routes;
- favorable climate;
- high-quality transport infrastructure.
This region includes two economic regions: Ural and Volga.
Economic and geographical position of the region
These two areas are located at the junction of the Western and Eastern macroregions. By connecting them, they ensure uninterrupted internal connections of the country and its economic unity. The Ural-Volga region is remote from the seas, but is connected to them through the Volga-Don Canal.
Natural resource potential
a) The Volga region and the Southern Urals are mostly flat territory, while the central and northern part of the Ural region is mountainous. rich in table salt. The richness of the subsoil is attributed to intense magmatic activity in the geological past, as well as metamorphism. These processes contributed to the formation of ferrous ores (Kachkanar) and non-ferrous metals here. The Urals are very rich in copper deposits (Raiskoye, Sibaevskoye, Krasnouralskoye, etc.). Great importance They also have deposits of ores of titanium, tungsten, polymetals, mercury, manganese, nickel, chromium, and bauxite. There are known deposits of platinum and silver. The Ural Mountains are famous for their precious and ornamental stones. The Ural-Volga region is relatively poor in coal; coals from the South Ural basin are also being developed.
b) An important problem in the Ural-Volga region is the lack of water. The largest industrial hubs of the Urals and the Lower Volga region are the worst supplied with water.
c) The large extent of the Urals and Volga region from north to south determines the change natural areas from to zone . in the Urals have suffered significantly since the time when metallurgical plants worked on charcoal. In the Volga region, the forest zone extends to Kazan; in the region there is a border between steppes and semi-deserts. Previously, forests in the Volga region occupied up to 50% of the territory. Subsequently, they were consolidated, and agricultural land spread here.
d) The Volga region is characterized by generally favorable agro climatic conditions. The heat here is sufficient for growing a variety of crops. Conditions for agriculture are less favorable in the mountainous northern and central parts of the Urals.
Population
About 25% of all live in this zone. The Ural-Volga region is located within the main settlement zone. The population density here is higher than the Russian average. 74% of the population are city dwellers. Agglomerations formed around the largest cities: Perm, Samara, Kazan and others. They are, as it were, “strung” on the Volga and the Ural ridge, which makes the Ural-Volga region unlike other regions of the country. As for labor resources, the Volga region is provided with them, but in the Urals there is a lack of them. The Ural-Volga region, like , belongs to multinational regions.
Farm
In the Ural-Volga region we reached high level development all major intersectoral complexes. The convenient location of these areas relative to the Ural metallurgical base and related machine-building plants of Central Russia contributed to the development of industries here , which is the leading sector of the economy of the Ural and Volga regions. In terms of the level of development of mechanical engineering, the Ural region ranks second in Russia after the Central region. The Urals specializes in the production of metal-intensive mechanical engineering: energy (Ekaterinburg, Nizhny Tagil, Chelyabinsk), heavy (Magnitogorsk), railway (Nizhny Tagil), agricultural (Chelyabinsk) and in the production of products: tanks (Nizhny Tagil), self-propelled guns, anti-aircraft missile systems(Ekaterinburg), etc.
In the Volga region, on the contrary, less metal-intensive, highly skilled mechanical engineering has developed predominantly. The leading place in this industry belongs to the automotive industry. Today, 70% of passenger cars (Togliatti) and 10% of trucks (Naberezhnye Chelny) in Russia are produced here, some of which are exported to many countries. Centers have also developed in the Ural economic region: motorcycles (Izhevsk), trucks(Miass), buses (Kurgan), bicycles (Perm). A significant part of the country's enterprises producing machine tools, various instruments, and computer equipment is also concentrated in the Ural-Volga region.
In its development, the Ural-Volga region relies on a powerful metallurgical base, which was created in the Ural region. Currently, half of the ferrous metallurgy products are produced here (full cycle plants in Nizhny Tagil, Magnitogorsk, Chelyabinsk, Novotroitsk), 2/3 of copper (in the Urals there are five copper smelters producing blister copper and two copper electrolyte plants refining it), 1/5 nickel, a significant amount of aluminum (Kamensk-Uralsky, Krasnoturinsk), zinc and other metals.
The Volga region is the country's largest producer of petroleum products (gasoline for cars, fuel oil, diesel fuel, oils), synthetic resins, plastics. The region accounts for about 25% of their production in Russia. The largest centers in the Volga region are Nizhnekamsk, Saratov, Volgograd and others. By specific gravity Ural products are inferior. The Ural economic region specializes in chemical industry at the production of potash fertilizers (Solikamsk). The development of oil fields in the Urals and gas fields in the Orenburg region made it possible to develop the chemistry of organic synthesis in Bashkortostan and the Perm region.
The Ural-Volga region is a large producer of consumer goods in the country: televisions (Nizhny Tagil, Yekaterinburg), refrigerators and freezers (Yuryuzan), electric vacuum cleaners (Ufa), washing machines(Nizhny Tagil, Yekaterinburg, Kopeysk). However, it should be noted that in last years the production of consumer goods in the Ural-Volga region decreased noticeably.
The Urals is a logging center and a supplier of wood and wood processing industry products to European Russia. One of the main consumers of Ural forest products is the Volga region.
Agro-industrial complex The Ural-Volga region plays a big role for the whole of Russia, the Volga region is especially important, which is one of the country’s important grain granaries, the largest producer of meat, milk, wool, vegetables, fruits, oilseeds, and sugar beets. The scourge is droughts, which cause great damage, but artificial irrigation in combination with other reclamation measures makes it possible to grow grains, succulent feed, and vegetables here. In the North, flax, barley, and oats are grown, and in the South, sunflowers and sugar beets are grown.
The Ural-Volga region provides the country with 20% of the gross potato harvest, over 25% of the production of meat, milk, animal oil, and 30% of wool.
The structure of exports from the Ural-Volga region is dominated by oil and oil products, mechanical engineering products, cement, flour, vegetables and melons, wool, meat and fish products, metal, heavy equipment, potash fertilizers, forest and products of its processing. Coking coal, mineral raw materials for metallurgy, grain cargo, industrial and agricultural equipment, and food products are imported.
Very important issue the region remains polluted environment and complex processing industrial waste, since pollution has reached significant proportions.
Comparative characteristics of the economy of two large geographical areas Russia.
When comparing farms in two districts, it is not TOLR that is important. o highlight similarities and differences, but also explain their reasons. Let's look at this using the example of the Urals and the Volga region.
common feature The EGP of the Ural and Volga regions is an advantageous location on the border of two economic zones. Many transport routes and huge flows of cargo in both directions pass through them.
http://www.naexamen.ru/otvet/9/geografiya/205.shtml
Natural resources Both areas are rich, but very different. In the Volga region, the main wealth is oil and gas, water and fish resources of the Volga. In the Urals the main wealth is ores various metals, rock salts. In the Urals there is a severe shortage of water for industry.
It was the different natural conditions and resources that determined the differences in the economy. In the Volga region, the Volga River, and in the Ural region, the Ural Mountains had a great influence on the economy.
In the Volga region along the Volga, people settled and cities grew. Many sectors of the economy are connected with the river - river transport and shipbuilding, the fishing industry; woodworking and pulp and paper (for which timber was floated down the Volga); hydropower, land reclamation.
Before the revolution, the Volga region specialized in agricultural production and fish production. IN Soviet time after the construction of a cascade of hydroelectric power stations and the discovery of oil reserves in Tatarstan and Samara region The oil and gas industry and the electric power industry became the industries of specialization. Favorable transport position, proximity to the metallurgical base of the Urals, security labor resources made mechanical engineering an industry of specialization: precision, machine tool building, automobile manufacturing (VAZ, KamAZ), tractor manufacturing. Very favorable conditions have developed for the petrochemical industry. Specialization remained in the fishing and food industries, agriculture (cereals, melons, sheep breeding).
In the Urals, the position of the ridges determined the distribution of the population, and the metal ores, rock salt, and timber located in its depths determined the branches of its specialization - ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, chemical, forestry and pulp and paper industry. The most important region was formed on the basis of metallurgy heavy engineering. All these industries are developing in large industrial hubs: Sverdlovsk, Chelyabinsk, Nizhny Tagil.
The high concentration of production caused acute environmental problems in both the Urals and the Volga region. The main pollutants of the atmosphere and water are chemistry and metallurgy; hydroelectric dams have greatly changed nature. Pollution of rivers and depletion of their water resources have caused a deterioration in the environmental situation in the Caspian Sea.
Do you think the Urals separates or connects the European part of Russia and Siberia?
The Ural region is located at the junction of two parts of the world - Europe and Asia, the largest structures of the earth's crust, the largest river basins. It is one of the oldest mining areas on the planet; second district after Central in terms of population, number of cities and economic power.
What are the specifics of the geographic location of the Urals?
The Ural region has an advantageous geographical position, being located at the border of the European and Asian parts of the country between the western economically developed and eastern raw materials regions. Web of iron and highways, pipelines and power lines connect the Urals with its neighbors: the Volga-Vyatka, Volga and West Siberian regions of Russia, as well as with Kazakhstan.
Territories of the Ural region and Ural mountains don't quite match. The Ural region did not include the mountain ranges of the Polar and Subpolar Urals, but it was supplemented by the steppe foothill plains of the Cis-Urals (the eastern edge of the East European Plain) and the Trans-Urals (the western edge of the West Siberian Lowland).
Rice. 115. Foothills of the Urals
The Urals have always been a natural border for migration waves. Russian explorers, moving east, looked for convenient passages in the lower areas of the “Stone Belt”. The steppe peoples, rushing to the west, most often skirted it from the south. However, many peoples settled along the way, which explains the ethnic diversity of the region. The Urals were the cradle of many peoples. From here, the peoples of the Ural-Yukaghir language family dispersed throughout Northern Eurasia. Now the population of the region is dominated by Russians - 80% of the population; Tatars, Bashkirs, Udmurts, Chuvashs, Maris, Mordovians, Komi-Permyaks and other peoples also live here.
How were the Ural Mountains and their mineral wealth formed?
The Ural Mountains, which form the core of the region, stretch along the meridian of the 60th century. more than 2 thousand km from the shores of the Kara Sea to the Ural River. The orographic and geological continuation of the Ural Mountains in the north are the islands New Earth and Vaygach, and in the south - the Mugodzhary mountains in neighboring Kazakhstan. It is often said about the Ural Mountains that these are old, heavily destroyed mountains. In fact, this is not entirely true. The rocks that make up the mountains are old; most of them are Paleozoic or older. The mountainous terrain itself is the result of recent tectonic uplifts.
Rice. 116. Ilmensky Reserve
The most intense uplifts were in the North and South. The Urals, where the heights reach 1500 m. In the region of the Southern Urals, mountain ranges diverge like a fan. The absolute height of the rounded peaks of the Middle Urals does not exceed 600-800 m. During uplifts along faults in the earth's crust, magma flows rushed to the surface, accompanied by the metamorphization of rocks, the formation of ores and numerous minerals. And even before that, in the Mesozoic, the first Ural Mountains were destroyed, eroded, and fabulous riches of ore minerals and precious minerals appeared on the surface.
Rice. 117. Kungur cave
Therefore, it is no coincidence that the Urals are famous for precious and semi-precious, as well as ornamental stones: aquamarines and alexandrites, garnets and sapphires, emeralds and rubies, topazes and rock crystal, malachite and jasper. The eastern slopes of the Ural Mountains, composed of igneous rocks, are especially rich in ore minerals. The industry of the Urals was founded and developed on the deposits of ferrous and non-ferrous metal ores discovered here. Iron, copper, chrome, nickel, zinc, cobalt, aluminum ores, gold, platinum - these are far from full list"storehouse" of the Eastern Urals.
Rice. 118. Orographic diagram of the Ural Mountains
- Determine the boundaries of individual parts of the Urals. How do they differ in height and location of mountain ranges?
- Find the highest relief points in the Northern, Southern and Middle Urals. What height difference is there between them?
- How were the relief features of various parts of the Urals used in the construction of railways and roads? Match with physical card
Rice. 119. Climate of the Urals
- Compare the climatic conditions of the northern and southern regions of the Urals, Cis-Urals and Trans-Urals. How can we explain the difference in temperatures between July and January and the amount of precipitation?
- How do the density of the river network and the water content of rivers on the western and eastern slopes of the Ural Mountains differ? Name and show on the map the rivers of the Urals.
- Which areas of the Urals have the most favorable climatic conditions for agriculture?4. Using maps (Fig. 13, 14), identify the agricultural crops common in the area.
Rice. 120. Altitudinal zone of the Ural Mountains
- How can we explain that the tundra and taiga regions of the mountainous Urals extend much further south than on the neighboring plains?
- Explain the difference in the number and composition of altitudinal zones different parts Ural.
- Why are broad-leaved species, with the exception of linden, not common on the eastern slopes of the Urals?
The geological structure determined the features of the distribution of minerals in the western foothills of the Urals. Here the earth's crust subsided for a long time. The accumulated thickness of sedimentary rocks contains minerals of sedimentary origin: potassium and table salts, limestones, refractory clays, sands, coals. Oil and gas fields are also exploited there, which, together with the fields of the Volga region, form the Volga-Ural oil region.
What is the reason for the extraordinary natural diversity of the Urals?
The Ural Mountains are distinguished by significant differences in climate between the northern and southern, western and eastern regions (Fig. 119). In the Cis-Ural region, the climatic conditions are milder compared to the climate of the Trans-Ural region, which in winter falls under the influence of cold Siberian air. Therefore, in the northern part of the Cis-Urals, broad-leaved-spruce forests grow, and in the Trans-Urals, at the same latitudes, there are larch and small-leaved forests. Large forest areas of the Middle Urals are replaced by Southern Urals and in southern regions foothill plains forest-steppe and steppe. Fertile chernozem soils are common in this part of the Urals. These are the main agricultural lands of the region.
Since the western slope of the Urals receives more precipitation, the density and water content of the rivers on it are much higher than on the eastern slope.
The Urals have significant forest resources; forests occupy almost half of the region's territory. The main forest areas are located in the northern part, within the Sverdlovsk and Perm regions. Of particular industrial value are conifers: fir, larch, spruce and pine. In the taiga zone, already in the distant past, the first metallurgical plants arose, which widely used wood as fuel. Nowadays, the timber and pulp and paper industries have become widespread in the Urals.
conclusions
The Urals occupies a favorable geographical position at the border of the European and Asian parts of the country. Features of the geological history of the Ural Mountains affected their exceptional wealth mineral resources. The large extent, the difference between the western and eastern parts of the Urals, the altitudinal zones, and the different directions of economic development of the territory determined the extreme diversity of the natural and economic landscapes of the region.
Questions and tasks
- What are the differences in nature in the Urals and how are they explained?
- Highlight the features of the geographical location of the Urals. Compare the economic and geographical position of the Urals and the Volga region. What are their similarities and differences?
- Compose geographical description Middle (Southern, Northern) Urals. Determine the features of its geographical location, natural conditions and resources, location of protected areas.
- Imagine that for guests, business people, tourists visiting the Urals, you were asked to create a list of memorable places that reflect the uniqueness of the area, with the aim of producing postcards, badges and other souvenirs. What objects would you include on such a list?
Composition of the Volga economic region.
The Volga economic region is one of 11 economic regions:
Russian Federation, consists of 8 federal subjects:
1. Republic of Kalmykia
2. Republic of Tatarstan
3. Astrakhan region
4. Volgograd region
5. Penza region
6. Samara region
7. Saratov region
8. Ulyanovsk region
Area and population of the Volga economic region.
The Volga region is a multinational, densely populated region of the country. Russians, Tatars, Mordovians, Chuvashs, Ukrainians, Kazakhs, Maris, Udmurts, and Kalmyks live here. Russians make up the majority of the population in all constituent entities of the Russian Federation included in the region, except for the Republic of Tatarstan. It is possible to identify several features of the distribution of the population across the territory of the region, which are determined natural conditions and the nature of historical development.
The northern part of the region (Middle Volga region) has always been more densely populated than others. It also stood out for its significantly larger number of cities. And currently here is the highest population density in the area: in the Samara region. – 60.5, in Tatarstan – 55.3, in the Ulyanovsk region – 38.2, in the Penza region – 34.5 people per 1 km 2. In the Lower Volga region the population density is much less: in the Saratov region. - 26.5, in Volgograd - 23.0, in Astrakhan - 22.8, in Kalmykia - 3.9 people per 1 km 2.
The Volga region is a highly urbanized region: 73% of its residents are city dwellers. The most urbanized regions are Samara (80.6% of the urban population) and Volgograd (75.2); they are slightly inferior to the Republic of Tatarstan (73.8), Saratov (73.5), Ulyanovsk (72.4), Astrakhan (67.9) and Penza (65.0%) regions. The least “urban” is the Republic of Kalmykia (44.3%). Among urban settlements, millionaire cities stand out, which have become centers for the formation of large urban agglomerations: Samara (1158.1 thousand people), Kazan (1105.3 thousand); Volgograd (1012.8 thousand). The population of Saratov is approaching a million (873.5 thousand people). A group of new cities grew up in oil production areas, especially in the southeast of Tatarstan and in the east of the Samara region. Formation and fast growth new cities are also associated with the construction of large industrial complexes(Novokuibyshevsk, Volzhsky, Nizhnekamsk, etc.).
Currently, the Volga region is characterized by a process of natural population decline. This is due to a sharp deterioration in the economic and social situation, low level medical care, aggravation of the environmental situation. As can be seen from the data given in Table 1, in all subjects of the Russian Federation included in the Volga region, except for the Republic of Kalmykia, mortality exceeds the birth rate.
The territory area is 537.4 thousand km. ²
Economic and geographical position of the Volga economic region.
Geographical position Volga region, located on transit routes between the north, south and east of the European part of Russia, as well as between foreign Europe(Ukraine) and Asia (Kazakhstan and the Caspian countries - Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Iran) is of geopolitical importance for Russia, since it allows, with great economic and political benefit, to regulate intercontinental strategic oil and gas flows from Baku and the Central Asian states. The shortest routes pass through the Volga region: from Siberia through the Urals, Central Russia to the countries of the East, Western Europe and from the Middle East (Iran and India) along the Volga-Caspian axis and further in the same direction, with direct access to the Baltic Sea.
The EGP of the region is favorable from the point of view of the provision of water, fuel and biological resources, based on the use of which one of the most powerful and effective industrial, agricultural and fishery potentials in Russia has been accumulated.
Developed in the Volga region transport infrastructure, including all types of ground and water transport, is widely used both for the transportation of transit cargo and for trade with neighboring regions.
The Volga region ranks fourth in Russia (after the Urals, Center and Western Siberia) in terms of industrial output and second in oil production and engineering production according to 2009 data.
Favorable natural and climatic conditions of the region made it possible to establish here highly commercial grain growing, production of vegetables, melons and other crops, meat and dairy and beef cattle breeding, as well as fish farming, which places the region among the main food bases of Russia with great prospects for the development of food exports.
Overall balanced economic development The region is currently limited by the gradual depletion of hydrocarbon reserves - oil and gas, the excessively high metal and energy intensity of the economy, especially mechanical engineering, as well as the unfavorable environmental situation in large cities and industrial zones.
The natural resource potential of the Volga region is diverse. The northern part of the region is located within the forest zone, and the southeastern part is in the semi-desert subzone. Most of the territory is located in the steppe zone. A significant area is occupied by the Volga Valley, which passes into the Caspian Lowland in the south. A special place is occupied by the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain, composed of river sediments and very favorable for agriculture.
The Volga has a huge influence on the territorial structure of the economy of the Volga region and on settlement; it is the most important transport artery and settlement axis. Almost all big cities The Volga region is a river port.
The creation of a large industry in the Volga basin that pollutes its waters, the intensive development of river transport, Agriculture, used in large volumes mineral fertilizers, a significant part of which is washed into the Volga, ill-conceived construction of hydroelectric power stations has a detrimental effect on the Volga. Currently, the task is to save the Volga, bring it out of the state of environmental disaster, return Russia great river. The decisions made and projects developed to protect the Volga from pollution create the basis for its recovery.
The Volga region is rich in oil shale, the extraction and processing of which is carried out at the Kashpirovskoye field near Syzran (production is 14% of Russian indicators, about 3 million tons are mined in Russia annually). In the Caspian lowland in lakes Baskunchak and Elton there are resources of table salt (2 million tons, which is 80% of all production in Russia). These lakes are also rich in bromine, iodine, and magnesium salts. There are resources of table salt in the Volgograd and Samara regions. In the Samara region there are deposits of native sulfur. The region has significant resources for the production of a variety of building materials. Large deposit high-quality cement marls - Volskoe in the Saratov region (production is 143 million tons, 30% of production in Russia). Tashlinskoe glass sand deposit - in the Ulyanovsk region (1043 thousand tons, 38.5% in Russia). There are gypsum, chalk and others in the Volga region.
Related information.