The population of the Southern Federal District. Southern Federal District (SFD)

The Southern Federal District is one of the components Russian Federation, if I may say so. It is interesting that for some time (to be more precise, from 05/13/2000 to 06/21/2000) it was called the North Caucasian Federal District. But, as you can see, it did not last long - a little more than a month. Then, however, on January 19, 2010, the North Caucasian Federal District was separated from the Southern Federal District. But this is a slightly different topic.

general information

The Southern Federal District is the smallest in all of Russia. Its area is 447,821 sq.m. - this is only 2.61% of less than the notorious North Caucasian Federal District (170,439 km²). For comparison, the Siberian Federal District has an area of ​​5,145,000 km². Although it consists of only 12 entities. But only one Krasnoyarsk region occupies 2,366,797 km².

So, the Southern Federal District includes 8 subjects. And its population is 16,367,949 people, according to the latest statistics. This is about 11.17%. The average density is low - 36.5 people per square kilometer. The center of the Federal District, by the way, is the city of Rostov-on-Don.

Composition

What cities the SFD includes should be noted with special attention. The Southern Federal District has a small composition. As mentioned above, only 8 subjects.

The smallest in terms of area is the Hero City of Sevastopol. Total 864 km². It is home to about 420,000 people. This city is good for many, but the most important thing is that it is in it that the main naval base of Cherno is located. navy Russian Navy.

The Republic of Adygea, supposedly located inside the Krasnodar Territory, has an area of ​​7,800 km². The peculiarity of this region is its forest resources. They occupy more than 1/3 of the entire republic. Also, there are a lot of minerals here.

Is not different large sizes and Crimea - about 27,000 km². But here it is more than twice as superior. Its area is 49,024 km². rich in deserts used as pastures. serves as a spawning ground for beluga, stellate sturgeon and sturgeon.

The next in area is the republic of which Elista is. Interestingly, in this region official language is not only Russian. But also Kalmyk (at the legislative level).

And the largest three regions are the Krasnodar Territory, the Rostov Region and the Volgograd Region.

Economy

The Southern Federal District annually attracts tens of thousands of tourists. Because it includes the Krasnodar Territory and the Crimea. And these are regions rich in resorts. Sochi, Tuapse, Gelendzhik, Anapa, Sevastopol, Yalta - for the economy of these cities (and, accordingly, the entire district), the most profitable time is the end of spring, summer and the beginning of autumn. Such is the specificity of the climate, it was at this time in the resort areas of the Southern Federal District that there was no end to visitors.

But, in addition to the tourism industry, the agro-industrial and transport complexes, as well as trade, are still well developed here. True, this is not the case in the entire region. Transport complexes of interregional and international importance, for example, are concentrated in the Astrakhan region and the notorious Krasnodar Territory.

Percentage of production

But these are not all industries that the Southern Federal District can boast of. The cities of this federal district are good objects for the development of light industry. It really is here, and it is oriented towards the supply of products to other federal districts of Russia. It is on the territory of this district that 1/10 of all knitwear in our country and about 28% of shoes are produced.

But that's not all. Also, the Southern Federal District, the map of which is provided above, is the region of the country that produces about 21% of the total Russian volume of steel pipes, 13% of metal-cutting machines, about 19% of tractors, 7% of cars and 9% of excavators.

In addition, the Southern Federal District produces approximately 18% of cement, 10% of prefabricated reinforced concrete structures and 15% of building bricks.

Addition

If you look at the Southern Federal District (map provided above), you can see that it also includes the Republic of Crimea and the hero city of Sevastopol. Back in March 2014, these subjects returned to the Russian Federation. But their territorial status was approved quite recently - in the middle of the summer of the current 2016.

After the inclusion of Crimea in the Southern Federal District, the district increased by 27,000 km². The population also increased - approximately 2,300,000 people. By the way, it is precisely because of the situation that occurred in November 2015, associated with the explosions of power transmission lines in Kherson, that the Southern Federal District is called an energy-deficient region. Since this incident deprived the entire Crimea (a large part of the district) of electricity completely. But, as you know, if everything is bad in one place, and good in another, then all the same, the indicators are summed up. That's why the Southern Federal District is now scarce and is considered.

Agro-industrial complex

South Center federal district, like all its other areas, boasts favorable natural and climatic conditions. In other federal districts, they are different, and are not so conducive to the development of the agricultural industry. And this is the main significance of the South for our entire vast country. It is the Southern Federal District, whose composition is not very large, that provides Russia with food security. It is here that almost 1/6 of the sown area of ​​the whole country is concentrated. And they grow more than a quarter (!) of the total Russian volume of grain crops, 50% of sunflower seeds, and about 1/5 of vegetables.

On average, 1/7 of all agricultural products are produced in the Southern Federal District. And this is a lot. This also includes 33% sugar, 46% vegetable oil, about 11% dairy products and eggs, about 12.5% ​​meat products. In general, the list can be long, but the fact that the Southern Federal District is very important for Russia is unambiguous and undeniable.

The Southern Federal District is an administrative formation in the south of the European part of Russia. It was formed by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of May 13, 2000. In the west, the district has land and water borders with Ukraine, in the east - with Kazakhstan. In the south it borders on Abkhazia and the North Caucasian Federal District. In the north - with the Central and Volga federal districts. In the east, the federal district is bounded by the Caspian Sea, in the west - by the Sea of ​​Azov and the Black Sea. The Southern Federal District occupies 2.4% of the territory of Russia. The center of the Southern Federal District is the city of Rostov-on-Don. There are 79 cities on the territory of the Southern Federal District. The largest cities are represented: Rostov-on-Don, Volgograd, Krasnodar, Astrakhan, Sochi, Volzhsky, Taganrog, Mines, Novorossiysk.

Rostov-on-Don

Archaeological studies date the first settlements on the territory of modern Rostov-on-Don to the third millennium BC. The first written references to this area, the tract and the Bogatyi Kolodez spring, date back to the time of the Azov campaign (1695-1696) of Peter I. The city of Rostov-on-Don is a large industrial center in southern Russia. Main industries: mechanical engineering, food industry, production of electrical equipment, electronic and optical equipment, vehicles, textile and clothing production. The Rostov-on-Don City Duma consists of 35 deputies, whose term of office is 5 years. The City Duma is chaired by the Chairman. The city administration is headed by the highest official municipality Mayor of the city of Rostov-on-Don.

Volgograd

The Rostov-on-Don City Duma consists of 35 deputies, whose term of office is 5 years. The City Duma is chaired by the Chairman. The city administration is headed by the highest official of the municipality - the mayor of the city of Rostov-on-Don. The city of Volgograd is the administrative center of the urban district "Hero City Volgograd". The city of Volgograd is a large industrial center. Leading industries: mechanical engineering and metalworking, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, fuel, chemical and petrochemical industries, military-industrial complex.

Population of the Southern Federal District

The total population of the Southern Federal District is about 14 million people, which is 9.7% of the population of Russia. Population density - 33.37 people / km 2. The urban population is 63% of people. Unfortunately, the county is dominated by such an indicator as mortality. Average duration life is 70 years.

National composition of the district:

• Russians 11,602,458 people (83.75%)
• · Armenians 442 505 people. (3.19%)
• · Persons who did not indicate their nationality 240,609 people. (1.74%)
• Ukrainians 212,674 people (1.53%)
• Kazakhs 205,364 people (1.48%)
• Kalmyks 172,242 people (1.24%)
• Tatars 127,455 people (0.92%)
• Circassians 121,461 people (0.87%)
• · Representatives of other nationalities 729,572 people. (5.26%)

In total, the population density in the district is 33.37 people / km 2. The most densely populated administrative unit is the Rostov region. This is due to the fact that every year the migration increase increases. Less densely populated is the Republic of Kalmykia. Kalmykia occupies a very large area with a small population, which is why the density indicators are so low.

Natural resources

Significant reserves of thermal and mineral waters, tungsten, coal, oil on the shelf of the Caspian Sea are concentrated on the territory of the Southern Federal District and in its subsoil. The climate is sharply continental - summers are hot and very dry, winters have little snow, sometimes with great cold. The continentality of the climate increases significantly from west to east. The average January temperatures throughout the country are negative: from -7°C/-9°C in the southern and southwestern parts of it to -10°C/-12°C in the north, the minimum January temperature is -37°C. The lowest temperatures sometimes reach -35°C and below in the northern regions. A feature of the climate is a significant duration of solar activity; sunny days in the district 182--186 a year. The duration of the warm period is 240-275 days. Average July temperatures are +23.5°C / +25.5°C. The absolute maximum temperature in hot years reaches +45°C.

The water resources of the Southern District are the waters of the rivers of the basins of the Black, Azov and Caspian Seas and groundwater. In the east flows the largest river in Europe - the Volga. From others major rivers It should be noted Don, Kuban, Terek, Sulak. Although water resources are significant, they are unevenly distributed over the territory. The foothills and the Azov-Black Sea plain have a dense river network, and the southeastern and Caspian regions are poor in water. Particularly noteworthy are the largest salt deposits in the Russian Federation in the lakes Baskunchak (Astrakhan region) and Elton (Volgograd region).

Minerals. The bowels of the Southern Federal District have been studied quite well. About 73% of all-Russian reserves of thermal waters (carriers of deep, "natural" heat), almost 41% of tungsten reserves and about 30% of mineral water reserves are concentrated here. There are reserves of coal, gas, oil (Volgograd and Astrakhan regions), sulfur, cement raw materials, copper, zinc, gold, silver and lead, mercury (Krasnodar Territory). Today, the region ranks first in Russia in the production of mineral waters, second and third in the production of tungsten and cement raw materials. In terms of coal production (Donbass), the district is in third place after the Siberian and Far Eastern regions. But the main prospects for the economic development of the region are connected precisely with the extraction and production of "black gold". Oil reserves lying at depths of 5 to 6 kilometers are estimated at 5 billion tons of reference fuel. The drilling of the first exploratory well on the Caspian shelf immediately confirmed the serious "fuel" potential of this area. However, all projects require a lot of money: about 15-20 billion dollars.

Industry

One of the main prospects for the development of the region is the fuel and energy resources of the Southern Federal District (oil, natural gas, coal). The Volgograd and Astrakhan regions, the Krasnodar Territory, Ingushetia and the Chechen Republic have a great potential for hydrocarbon raw materials. largest gas field located in the Astrakhan region. Almost all coal resources are located in the Rostov region (eastern part of Donbass).

But, despite the presence of large oil refineries, the share of the Southern Federal District in the volume of oil refining is low - 7.6%. Light industry is widely developed, represented by clothing, knitwear and textile factories. Enterprises of agricultural, construction, railway engineering work in the Southern Federal District.

There is aircraft and shipbuilding, the automotive industry, machine tool building and electronics production. Basically, engineering enterprises are concentrated in Krasnodar, Rostov, Astrakhan and Volgograd.

According to experts, the enterprises of these cities have a high potential for the development and production of high quality products. The industrial enterprises of the Southern Federal District also produce products of the military-industrial complex. The military-industrial complex of the Southern Federal District consists of 90 enterprises that produce amphibious aircraft and basic helicopters for the army, repair various types of aircraft and armored vehicles. It should be noted that the development of production in the defense industry stimulates the development of metallurgy, transport, and civil engineering in the Southern Federal District.

Agriculture

The economy of the Southern Federal District plays its role in Russia. The share of the Southern Federal District in the all-Russian production of agricultural products is high. There are quite objective economic reasons for this - good climatic conditions for the development of agriculture. For several years in a row, a high grain harvest has been harvested in the Okrug, the production of meat, milk, eggs has increased, a positive trend is visible in the production of sunflower seeds and sugar beets. Productive Agriculture, which specializes in the cultivation of grain and industrial crops, sheep breeding and meat and dairy farming.

In terms of the share of the rural population, the Southern Federal District occupies a leading position in Russia. The Southern Federal District is the most important supplier of grain, mainly wheat. Crops of corn and rice are also widespread. The importance of the region as a producer of industrial crops - sunflower, sugar beet, mustard, tobacco is great. On the territory of the south of Russia there is more than a third of all fruit and berry plantations and all the vineyards of the Russian Federation are located. Subtropical crops are also grown in the region: tea, citrus fruits, persimmons, figs (on the Black Sea coast of the Krasnodar Territory).

On the territory of the Okrug, such industries as the production of flax, rapeseed, and hops are actively developing. Traditional rural crafts and crafts for the manufacture of products from wool and down are being revived, the production of new crops is mastered: soybeans, triticale, fodder beans.

A distinctive feature of agriculture is its seasonality, which makes it dependent on natural conditions, leads to an uneven use of labor during the year and an uneven flow of products and cash income.

Power industry

There are more than 10 large power plants in the Southern Federal District. But we will talk about the Rostov NPP. Rostov (Volgodonsk) nuclear power plant - located in the Rostov region of Russia, 12 km from the city of Volgodonsk on the banks of the Tsimlyansk reservoir. The electric capacity of the two operating power units is 2000 MW. From 2001 to 2010, the station was called "Volgodonsk NPP", with the launch of the second power unit, the station was again renamed "Rostov NPP"

Rostov NPP is one of the largest energy enterprises in the South of Russia, providing about 15% of the annual electricity generation in this region. Electricity from the Rostov NPP is transmitted to consumers via five 500 kV transmission lines to Shakhty (Rostov Region), Tikhoretsk (Krasnodar Territory), Nevinnomyssk, Budennovsk (Stavropol Territory) and Yuzhnaya (Volgograd Region).

Prospects for the development of the Southern Federal District

Prospects for the economic development of the Southern Federal District are determined by the following factors:

• Realization of competitive advantages in the agrarian sector of the Southern Federal District, formation of a powerful agro-industrial cluster in the district, attraction of large producers, development of technologies, genetics and selection, which will allow the Southern Federal District to become the main supplier in the Russian Federation to the domestic and foreign markets of a wide range of agricultural products (plant growing, livestock, fisheries and fish farming);
• · Gradual development of tourism and recreation: stimulation of the most famous brands of health, ski and seaside resorts, followed by the expansion of state infrastructure investments in new resort centers; increasing the capacity of transport communications to ensure passenger flows to tourism development zones; the formation of new special tourist zones in the regions of the Southern Federal District;
• · Modernization of production and technological breakthrough in mechanical engineering and metallurgy of the Southern Federal District: development of clusters of agricultural, energy, transport engineering; implementation of a number of innovative projects, including the creation of an integrated production of technological components for solar energy in the Rostov region and other regions;
• · Diversification of the Okrug's economy through the development of high-tech processing industries in the chemical complex, including petrochemicals, construction materials, pharmaceuticals and biotechnologies;
• · Implementation of projects for the development of oil and gas production on the Caspian shelf; development of Black Sea hydrocarbon resources; construction of the export gas pipeline "South Stream" through the territory and water area of ​​the Southern Federal District;
• Creation of an effective regional innovation system, including a scientific and innovative complex, federal university, a number of innovation zones and clusters; the transformation of an outsider macro-region, in terms of innovation, into a base area for Russia of a technical and technological breakthrough in the field of agro-industrial complex, energy, recreation, and logistics;
• · Implementation of the transport and transit advantages of the Southern Federal District through the formation of a number of transport and logistics complexes of international and interregional significance;
• · Intensive growth of the district's service sector, based on the development of modern high-tech types of services, as well as the development of financial and insurance services; creating conditions for the development of clusters of financial, business and educational services, scientific developments and applied research, high-tech industries, including information technologies in interconnected agglomerations of Rostov-on-Don, Krasnodar, Volgograd;
• · Implementation of a system of high-tech projects for the development of transport routes and transport hubs (clusters-multimodal centers) in the Volgograd, Astrakhan and Rostov regions; the development of transshipment port complexes that are part of the system of international transport corridors of the Azov-Black Sea and Caspian basins;
• · Formation on the basis of large agglomerations of the Southern Federal District (Rostov, Volgograd and Krasnodar) of trade, transport, logistics and financial centers of national and interregional significance.

After analyzing the main branches of economic development, we can safely say that the Southern Federal District is one of the leaders among other districts that are part of the Russian Federation. A huge amount of natural resources allows not only to develop the district itself, but also the state as a whole. The presence of rich lands and a favorable climate makes it possible to provide excellent agricultural products. It is hard not to notice the growth potential of the economy and economy of the Southern Federal District.

The Southern Federal District was formed in accordance with the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated May 13, 2000 No. 849.

The Southern Federal District includes 13 constituent entities of the Russian Federation: the Republic of Adygea (Adygea), the Republic of Dagestan, the Republic of Ingushetia, the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, the Republic of Kalmykia, the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, the Republic of North Ossetia - Alania, Chechen Republic, Krasnodar Territory, Stavropol Territory, Astrakhan, Volgograd, Rostov Regions. The center of the Southern Federal District is the city of Rostov-on-Don (population as of 01.01.2007 - 1.1 million people).

The area of ​​the Southern Federal District is 591.3 thousand km2 (3.5% of the area of ​​the territory of Russia), the population is 22.8 million people. (15.8% of the country's population). The share of the urban population is only 57.5%. In terms of the share of the rural population, the Southern Federal District occupies a leading position in Russia. The district ranks second among the federal districts - 36.4 people. per km2.

The largest cities of the Southern Federal District are Rostov-on-Don, Krasnodar, Astrakhan, Stavropol, Sochi, Makhachkala, Vladikavkaz. The number of other cities does not exceed 300,000 people. In total, there are 132 cities in the district.

The possibility of discovering large reserves of oil and gas is available in the Caspian Sea.

The Southern Federal District is the most important supplier of agricultural products to Russia. Grain, sugar beets, fruits, vegetables, grapes, gourds, fish, products are exported outside the district.

The electric power industry plays a primary role in the economy of the Southern Federal District. Thermal (Krasnodar, Grozny, Novocherkassk, Nevinnomyssk) and hydroelectric power stations (Tsimlyanskaya, Gizeldonskaya, Baksanskaya, Chirkeyskaya, Irganaiskaya, etc.) have been built in many districts. The Southern Federal District has a developed oil and gas industry. At the same time, the oil industry is the oldest in the region. On its basis develops chemical industry. Branches of specialization are also ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, agricultural engineering and production of drilling equipment. The resort industry also belongs to the branches of specialization of the Southern Federal District. North Caucasus.

The main industrial potential of the Southern Federal District is concentrated in the Rostov and Volgograd regions and in the Krasnodar Territory. The specialization of the Rostov region is heavy industry: ferrous (metal powder, steel pipes) and non-ferrous metallurgy, mechanical engineering (grain harvesters, electric locomotives, steam boilers, equipment for nuclear power plants, forging machines), coal mining industry. Important role plays the food industry (meat and dairy, oil and fat, confectionery, tobacco, fruit and vegetable canning). In the Volgograd region, the electric power industry, ferrous metallurgy (steel, rolled metal, steel pipes), mechanical engineering, including shipbuilding, chemical and other industries, are developed. The basis of the industry of the Krasnodar Territory is the food industry (wine-making, fruit and vegetable canning, oil milling, meat), mechanical engineering (instrument making, machine tool building, agricultural engineering), oil refining and.

The tense social situation in the Okrug is emphasized by the country's lowest level of monetary income of the population and the most high level unemployment. Thanks to the agricultural specialization of the district, the cost of the food part of the consumer basket is the lowest in Russia and the consumer price index is the lowest in Russia, although the growth rate of producer prices exceeded the average Russian level.

Administrative-territorial composition of the Southern Federal District: republics of Adygea, Kalmykia. Krasnodar region. Astrakhan, Volgograd, Rostov regions. The administrative center is the city of Rostov-on-Don.

Administrative-territorial structure of the North Caucasian Federal District Republics: Karachay-Cherkess, Kabardino-Balkaria, North Ossetia-Mania, Ingushetia, Dagestan, Chechen. Stavropol region.

Territory- 589.2 thousand km 2

Population— 22.9 million people

Administrative center- Pyatigorsk.

The North Caucasian Federal District (NCFD) is a new district of the Russian Federation, created on January 19, 2010 by a special Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 82 of January 19, 2010 “On Amending the List of Federal Districts approved by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of May 13, 2000 No. 849, and in the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated May 12, 2008 No. 724 “Issues of the system and structure of federal executive bodies”.

In fact, the North Caucasian was separated from the Southern Federal District. The creation of the North Caucasian Federal District should contribute to the accelerated development of the southern territories of Russia and the solution of economic and ethno-political problems.

It should be noted that when it was formed by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 849 dated May 13, 2000, the district was named North Caucasian, but already on June 21 of the same year, by decree No. 1149, it was renamed Yuzhny. The motives for the renaming were geographical reasons: the Volgograd and Astrakhan regions and Kalmykia do not belong to the North Caucasus. The Rostov region belongs conditionally.

Currently, the Southern Federal District includes the subjects of the Federation belonging to the North Caucasian economic region, as well as the territory of the Lower Volga region (Republic of Kalmykia, Astrakhan and Volgograd regions), which, but the current zoning grid, belongs to the Volga economic region.

The territory of the North Caucasus Federal District is included in the grid of economic zoning in the North Caucasus economic region.

Let us characterize the features of the distribution and development of the productive forces of these districts in certain territories: the North Caucasian economic region and the Lower Volga region.

Southern Federal District

Southern Federal District (center — Rostov-on-Don) occupies the south of the East European Plain, Ciscaucasia and the northern slopes of the Greater Caucasus, accounting for approximately 3.5% of the country's territory. The landscapes of the territory are diverse - semi-desert and steppe plains, mountain ranges, stormy mountain (Terek) and calm lowland (Don, Kuban) rivers, subtropical oases, snow-capped peaks of the Caucasus Mountains.

The Southern Federal District is one of the most densely populated in Russia. It concentrates 15% of the country's population. The county is one of the most multinational. More than 40 peoples live here, belonging mainly to the Slavic, Nakh-Dagestan and Turkic groups. The clash of dissimilar cultures belonging to different civilizations, the implementation of the administrative-territorial division of the republics, deportation(forced resettlement) of many North Caucasian peoples, hostilities in the region for two centuries - all this, of course, influenced the severity of interethnic conflicts in the region.

According to natural features, the territory of the district can be divided into four parts: flat steppe, foothill, mountain and lower Volga.

flat steppe territory extends from the Don River to the valleys of the Kuban and Terek rivers. This is the main agricultural region, the main breadbasket of Russia. In this area, almost no natural landscapes. Everywhere there are natural and anthropogenic agricultural landscapes, in which natural vegetation has largely been replaced by crops.

The plowed land of steppe landscapes reaches 90%. Mostly cereals and industrial crops are grown here.

Due to the fact that the forest cover of agricultural land is a little more than 3% instead of 5-6% according to the accepted norms, the agrolandscapes of the steppe zone of the district have become very unstable, i.e. subject to active erosion (destruction) of soils, silting of small rivers, pollution of water bodies.

The agro-industrial complex of the Southern District occupies a leading role in the country's economy, determines the specialization of mechanical engineering - the production of agricultural machinery (Rostov-on-Don, Taganrog, Millerovo, Krasnodar), technological equipment for the agro-industrial complex (Krasnodar, Stavropol), as well as the chemical industry - production nitrogen and phosphate fertilizers and pesticides (Nevinnomyssk, Belorechensk).

food industry also developed everywhere and specializes in the processing of various agricultural raw materials, vegetables and fruits, the production of meat, butter, flour, cereals (Krasnodar, Rostov-on-Don, Stavropol, Novocherkassk, etc.).

Shipbuilding development in the Okrug is connected with the implementation of the program "Revival of the Russian Fleet", which provides for the construction of river-sea vessels, tankers, dry cargo ships (Astrakhan, Volgograd).

Fuel and energy complex specializes in oil (Dagestan, Groznenskoye, Stavropol, Krasnodar fields), gas (Kubano-Priazovskoye, Stavropol fields, as well as fields in the Volgograd and Astrakhan regions) and coal industry(eastern ring of Donbass in the Rostov region) (see map of the atlas).

Oil refineries are located in Krasnodar, Maikop, Tuapse.

Transport engineering(Novocherkassk) specializes in the production of electric locomotives.

Despite the construction of powerful thermal power plants and the presence of hydroelectric power plants, the region is experiencing a constant shortage of electricity.

Recreational complex North Caucasus uses unique natural conditions and resources of the region.

On the Black Sea coast famous resorts are located: Anapa, Gelendzhik, Tuapse, Sochi. The subtropical climate, abundance of sun, sea bathing, mud and hydrotherapy, vegetation brought here from all over the world attract many tourists and vacationers.

Caucasian [Mineralnye Vody] region unites the balneological resorts of Essentuki, Kislovodsk, Pyatigorsk, Zheleznovodsk and is famous for such sights as the "Castle of deceit and love", "Temple of the Air", "Blue Lakes", "Dombay", "Blue Stones", the State Museum-Reserve M. Yu. Lermontov.

Ecological problems of the lower Volga. The Volga is the longest river in Europe. Its length from the source to the Caspian Sea is 3530 km.

The modern Volga is actually a chain of huge reservoirs, passing one into another. It is regulated by cascades of eight HPPs. Only from Volgograd to the Caspian Sea, the Volga retained its natural course.

The construction of a hydroelectric power station and the creation of reservoirs made it difficult for the natural processes of self-purification of water in the river. It can detect oil products, lead salts, sulfur compounds. The way out of this situation - the limitation of industrial effluents, the installation of filters, the construction of treatment facilities - has not yet yielded the desired results. This problem is especially acute in the lower reaches of the Volga.

Ecological situation in Volga delta assessed by experts as catastrophic. In its lower reaches, harmful substances accumulate from the entire drainage basin of the river. 8-9 km 3 of untreated industrial and domestic wastewater is annually discharged into the Volga, which is almost equivalent to the volume of the Tsimlyansk reservoir.

Of all the HPPs, only Volgogradskaya and Saratovskaya have devices for passing fish. However, they are weak and require reconstruction. Cascades of hydroelectric power plants reduce the flow of water, which leads to the death of fish. IN last years control over enterprises that discharge harmful substances into the river has been tightened. However, the content of heavy metals, oil products, pesticides, detergents in the Volga water still exceeds the maximum permissible concentration (MAC). This is especially alarming because the waters of the lower reaches of the Volga are rich in fish (sturgeon, perch, herring, smelt, carp, pike).

Caspian Sea- the largest lake in the world (368 thousand km 2). Own modern name it received in honor of the ancient tribes of the Caspians (horse breeders), who lived in the 1st century. BC e. on its coast. The lowest level of the Caspian Sea (-29 m) was registered by scientists in 1997. Since 1998, the water level has begun to rise, at present it has reached -27 m.

Many scientists are engaged in the problem of water level fluctuations in the Caspian Sea. According to some experts, the main reason is climatic, and it is associated with a decrease in solar activity and, as a result, a decrease in water evaporation from the surface of the lake. The average salinity of the water in the lake is 11‰, i.e., each liter of water contains 11 g of salt (in the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov - 10-12 g, in the Black Sea - from 17 to 22 g).

The flora of the lake is represented by more than 700 species of algae, including green and blue-green. The wealth of the Caspian Sea is sturgeon and salmon species of fish.

To restore stocks of especially valuable sturgeon fish in the lower reaches of the Volga, eight sturgeon hatcheries were built, where sturgeon fry are grown from eggs (Alexandrovsky, Volgogradsky, Lebyazhy).

North Caucasian economic region

Composition of the district(ten subjects of the federation) - the republics: Adygea, Karachay-Cherkess, Kabardino-Balkaria, North Ossetia - Alania, Ingushetia, Chechen, Dagestan; Krasnodar, Stavropol Territories; Rostov region.

The region stands out among others by the presence of the maximum number of republics in its composition (seven republics).

conditions for a developed economy. The main wealth area is its agro-climatic potential. There are optimal combinations of climatic and soil conditions for growing most cultivated plants temperate zone, as well as for the development of almost all branches of animal husbandry.

The region provides itself with coal at the expense of the deposits of the eastern wing of Donbass. There are reserves of good quality oil, gas, non-ferrous metal ores (lead, zinc, tungsten and molybdenum, copper, mercury). There are also significant resources of non-metallic raw materials (barite, rock salt, gypsum, marls, dolomites).

The combination of climatic resources with mountainous relief, warm sea creates conditions for the development of resorts and various types of tourism.

Population. This is the only region of the country where the population tends to stabilize. In many republics of the region, a fairly high natural increase has been preserved, and the territories of the Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories, the Rostov Region are the main regions for receiving migrants not only from the national republics of the region, but from the entire post-Soviet space. The average population density is relatively high - 50 people / km 2.

The ethnic composition is very diverse, for example, it is believed that more than 130 nationalities live in Dagestan. Representatives of the North Caucasian language family(Circassians, Circassians, Kabardians, Ingush, Chechens, Avars, Laks, Dargins, Lezgins, etc.). Representatives of the Turkic group of the Altaic language family (Karachays, Balkars, Nogais, Kumyks) also live in the republics. Ossetians belong to the Iranian group of the Indo-European language family. Russians prevail in the region as a whole (62%), but their share in the national republics decreases from the west (Adygea - 68%) to the east (Dagestan - 9%). Among Slavic peoples high percentage of Ukrainians.

The urban population is approaching 10 million people, or more than 55% of the total (the lowest in the Russian Federation). Largest cities: Rostov-on-Don (1 million people), Krasnodar (640 thousand people). Rural settlements numerous. The flat territories are characterized by very large villages (more than 25-30 thousand people).

The North Caucasian region as a whole is provided with labor resources.

Economy. The role of the North Caucasian region in the economic complex of the country is determined by the agro-industrial complex and the recreational complex.

Agro-industrial complex. The region occupies a leading position in the country as the largest producer of rice, sunflower, corn, grapes, tea, fruits and berries, and wool. It stands out for the production of grain crops (Krasnodar Territory provides more than 10% of Russian grain) and sugar beet (2nd place in the country), vegetables (4th place), milk (5th place), meat (4th place) . Almost all agricultural products are processed locally. In some cases, the capacity of enterprises Food Industry so large that they allow the use of not only local raw materials (for example, the sugar industry processes imported raw sugar).

Industry. IN Soviet time area was one of the largest in the country agricultural engineering(Rostov, Taganrog, Krasnodar), but the economic crisis has sharply reduced the performance of this industry. Other areas of mechanical engineering include the production of electric locomotives (Novocherkassk), nuclear reactors (Volgodonsk), and steam boilers (Taganrog). The equipment for the food and chemical industries is produced in small numbers.

Now the leading position is chemistry(fertilizers - Nevinnomyssk, Belorechensk, organic chemistry - Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, Budennovsk, Volgodonsk).

The electric power industry is mainly represented by large thermal power plants. In connection with the commissioning of the Rostov NPP in 2001, the importance of nuclear power increased sharply.

Transport. The transit position of the region determines the development of almost all types of transport. The largest oil loading port in Russia, Novorossiysk, is located in the region. Automobile and railway routes pass through the region, connecting the country with the south of Ukraine, Georgia, through the ferry with Turkey.

Main problems and development prospects. An analysis of the current economic situation in Russia shows a clearly expressed trend towards a decrease in production volumes in most sectors of the economy. In the North Caucasus, this trend, common to all regions, is exacerbated by the difficult political situation and armed conflicts. The cessation of hostilities in the region, the establishment of peace and stability in the region is the main task of further economic and social development of the North Caucasian economic region.

Development prospects include the most effective use favorable natural and climatic factors of the balneological resources of the region for the development of resort areas and their transformation into world-class resorts, zones of domestic and foreign tourism.

Lower Volga

This one is the northern part of the Southern Federal District, covering the territory of the Republic of Kalmykia, Astrakhan and Volgograd regions. The region has access to the Caspian Sea. The main branches of specialization are the oil and gas industry. In addition, the Volga region is the main area for catching valuable sturgeon fish, one of the most important areas for growing grain crops, sunflower, mustard, vegetables and melons, and a major supplier of wool, meat, and fish.

. The natural resource potential is diverse. A significant area is occupied by the Volga valley, which passes in the south into the Caspian lowland. A special place is occupied by the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain, composed of river sediments, favorable for agriculture.

The creation of a large-scale industry in the Volga basin that pollutes its waters, the intensive development of river transport, agriculture, which uses large amounts of mineral fertilizers, a significant part of which is washed into the Volga, the construction of hydroelectric power plants has a negative impact on the river and creates an ecological disaster zone in this area. The region's water resources are significant, but unevenly distributed. As a result, there is a shortage water resources in the interior, especially in Kalmykia. On the territory of the region there are oil and gas resources in the Volgograd region - Zhirnovskoye, Korobkovskoye, the largest gas condensate field is located in the Astrakhan region, on the basis of which the gas industrial complex is being formed.

In the Caspian lowland, in the lakes Baskunchak and Elton, there are resources of table salt; these lakes are also rich in bromine, iodine, and magnesium salts.

Population. The population of the Volga region is distinguished by the diversity of the national composition. A significant share in the structure of the population in the Republic of Kalmykia is occupied by Kalmyks - 45.4%. In the Astrakhan and Volgograd regions, with the predominance of the Russian population, Kazakhs, Tatars, and Ukrainians live. The population of the Volga region is characterized by its high concentration in the regional centers and the capital of the republic. The population of Volgograd exceeds one million inhabitants. The lowest population density in Kalmykia, here is the smallest share of the urban population.

Economy of the region. The region produces oil and gas. The largest is the Astrakhan gas condensate field, where natural gas is extracted and processed.

Oil refineries and petrochemical plants are located in the Volgograd and Astrakhan regions. The largest enterprise is the Volgograd Oil Refinery. Significant prospects for the development of the petrochemical industry has the Astrakhan region based on the use of hydrocarbon fractions of the Astrakhan field.

The electric power industry of the region is represented by the Volgograd hydroelectric power station and thermal power plants.

The region has a developed machine-building complex: shipbuilding centers - Astrakhan, Volgograd; agricultural engineering is represented by a large tractor plant in Volgograd; chemical and oil engineering is developed in the Astrakhan region.

Ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy is developed in Volgograd, the largest enterprises are OJSC Volzhsky Pipe Plant, an aluminum plant. The vast resources of the salt lakes have led to the development of the salt industry, which provides 25% of the country's need for food grade salt and other valuable chemical products.

The fishing industry is developed in the Lower Volga region, the main enterprise of the industry is the Kaspryba fishery concern, which includes a caviar and balyk association, a number of large fish processing plants, a marine fleet base, a fishing fleet (Kasprybholod-flot), leading expeditionary fishing in the Caspian Sea. The concern also includes a fish breeding plant for the production of sturgeon fry and a net knitting factory. In agricultural production, the branches of specialization are the cultivation of vegetable and gourd crops, sunflower; in animal husbandry - sheep breeding.

Transport and economic relations. The Volga region exports crude oil and oil products, gas, tractors, fish, grain, vegetables and gourds, etc. It imports timber, mineral fertilizers, machinery and equipment, light industry products. The Volga region has a developed transport network, which provides high-capacity cargo flows.

River, railway and pipeline transport is developed in the region.

Intra-districtdifferences. The Lower Volga region includes the Astrakhan, Volgograd regions and Kalmykia. The Lower Volga region is a sub-region of developed industry - mechanical engineering, chemical, food. At the same time, this is the most important agricultural region with a developed grain economy, beef cattle breeding and sheep breeding, as well as the production of rice, vegetables and gourds and fisheries.

The main centers of the Lower Volga region are Volgograd (engineering, chemical industry are developed), Astrakhan (shipbuilding, the fishing industry, the production of containers, a diverse food industry), Elista (building materials industry, mechanical engineering and metalworking).

The most industrially developed is the Volgograd region, where machine building, ferrous metallurgy, chemical and petrochemical, food and light industries have the largest share in the diversified complex.

Main problems and development prospects. The degradation of natural forage lands, especially in Kalmykia with its system of transhumant pastoralism, is one of the main environmental issues region. Environmental damage is caused by industrial emissions and transport to the water and fish resources of the region. The solution to the problem is possible on the basis of the implementation of the targeted federal program "Caspian", the main task of which is to clean up the Volga-Caspian water basin and increase the number of valuable fish species.

One of the main tasks is to equalize the levels of socio-economic development of the most backward regions of the Volga region and, first of all, Kalmykia, which has been granted a number of benefits in taxation and financing. The prospects for the development of this republic are connected with the expansion of oil and gas production, in particular, on the shelf of the Caspian Sea. The Caspian Oil Company (CPC) has been set up to engage in exploration and development of oil fields in a number of promising areas of the sea shelf.