The Greater Caucasus is a subject of the Russian Federation. Population of the North Caucasus
The ancient Greek geographer Strabo spoke in his writings about the Scythians - the tribes that lived in the Northern Black Sea region. This is one of the many peoples associated with the North Caucasus. Turbulent historical events forced people to move from the plains to the depths of the mountainous country, whether they were the indigenous inhabitants of the region or people from other places. As a result, a unique mosaic of nationalities and dialects has developed here.
The hospitality of the hosts is sometimes combined with customs and customs that are incomprehensible to a European, and adherence to traditions is combined with the desire to keep up with the times.
Agriculture, industrial production, mining and servicing vacationers are the main areas of activity for the population of the North Caucasus. It is difficult to find a person in our country who has never rested in the Caucasus. The metals mined there are used in the production of many objects around us - this is a tungsten filament in an electric light bulb, and stainless steel utensils, and galvanized iron roofs, and much more. Jewelry and hard alloys, woolen clothes and carpets made by the inhabitants of the North Caucasus can be found in all corners of Russia and beyond.
The population of the North Caucasus is more than 16 million people, or 11.3% of the population of the whole of Russia, while the area of the region is less than 1% of the country's territory. According to demographers, this is the only region of Russia today where the population is increasing. There are about a hundred nationalities and nationalities in Russia, and more than half of them are in the densely populated North Caucasus! Residents of one valley, and sometimes even one aul (mountain village) often do not understand the language of neighbors from nearby villages.
Some Caucasian peoples number only a few hundred people, some - hundreds of thousands.
The borders of the North Caucasian region were formed at the end of the 19th century, when the region was also called the Ciscaucasian belt. Now seven national republics are located on this territory: Adygea, Karachay-Cherkessia, Kabardino-Balkaria, North Ossetia-Alania, Ingushetia, the Chechen Republic, Dagestan.
ADYGEA
The Adygei Autonomous Region (area - 7.6 thousand km 2) was formed in 1922 and was part of the Krasnodar Territory. Since 1992, Adygea has become an independent subject of the Russian Federation. More than 450 thousand people live in the republic. Approximately half of the territory of Adygea falls on the plain, and half - on the mountains in the basins of the Belaya and Fars rivers.
The climate of the plain is mild and, in combination with black soil, makes it possible to obtain rich harvests of many agricultural crops - from wheat and rice to sugar beets and grapes. Mountains reaching 2 thousand meters are covered with forests. At an altitude of up to 1.2 thousand m, broad-leaved trees predominate - beech, oak, hornbeam; above - Nordmann fir; then comes the undergrowth of birch, mountain ash and maple. Closer to the top, subalpine and alpine meadows spread. The fauna of the mountain forests is very rich: bison, roe deer, chamois, mountain goats, wild boars, wolves, lynxes, bears, many birds live in them.
The Caucasus State Reserve is located in the highland regions of the republic. Once it was a place of royal hunting, which is reminiscent of many names: Panter-ny and Solontsovy ridges, the Prince's Bridge tract, Zubrovaya Polyana, the Kholodnaya, Sad, Turovaya rivers. In the reserve, you can find fir trees that are over 500 years old. In height, they reach 60 m with a trunk thickness of two or three girths. The combination of snow-white peaks, blue sky and huge green trees creates that unique landscape that attracts tourists here.
In the early 60s. 20th century an attempt was made to build a highway Stavropol - Sochi through the central city of Adygea - Maikop. On this wide paved road, there are still signs with the inscriptions: "To Sochi ... km." But in Sochi, you can’t drive along the highway: it reaches almost to the border of the reserve and suddenly ends. Common sense prevailed in time: a unique piece of territory was protected from a powerful flow of cars.
In addition to the beauties of nature, tourists are attracted to Adygea by ancient historical monuments - dolmens and burial mounds. An obelisk was erected in memory of the excavations of mounds in Maykop. Many works of art found by archaeologists are exhibited in the Hermitage.
Adyghes are one of the peoples united by a common name - Ady-gi. They also include Circassians and Kabardians. The ancestors of modern Adyghes at different times were called Meots, Sinds, Kerkets. Over a long history, they mixed with the Sarmatians and Scythians, were under the rule of Byzantium, the Golden Horde, the Crimean Tatars, etc. In the XVIII century. the Turks spread Islam in the North Caucasus, which is now practiced by the majority of believing Adyghes.
Adygea has a diverse ethnic composition, but the majority are Russians (67%) and Adyghes (22%). The influence of Russian and European culture on the Circassians is great: almost everyone knows Russian. At the same time, the Circassians preserved the language of their ancestors, religion, the nature of relations within the family and community, national crafts, including jewelry. They observe the rites associated with birth, death, coming of age, marriage; revere monuments of nature and history, whether it be ancient dolmens or Christian churches and chapels. The settlements of the Adyghes, both in the mountains and on the plains - immersed in gardens, picturesque and neat - are usually large in size. The inhabitants of Adygea are not only excellent farmers and shepherds, but also instructors in tourism and mountaineering, scientists, engineers.
KARACHAYEV-CHERKESIAN
Karachay-Cherkessia received the status of a republic within Russia in 1991. In terms of area, it is almost twice as large as Adygea (14.1 thousand km 2), but in terms of population it is inferior to it (434 thousand people). Mostly Russians (42.4%), Karachays (31.2%) and Circassians (9.7%) live here. The Karachays settled in the highlands, where they have long been engaged in cattle breeding. This people speaks the Karachai language, which is related to the languages of the Turkic group. Some researchers consider the Karachays to be the descendants of the Polovtsy, who once roamed the southern steppes and mixed with the indigenous Caucasian population. Modern Karachays prefer to live in the mountains, and high-mountain meadows serve as pastures. Circassians are mainly engaged in agriculture and settle in the valleys.
The bowels of the republic are rich in minerals. The Urup deposit of copper pyrite has long been known. Since pre-revolutionary times, lead-zinc ore has been mined in the upper reaches of the Kuban at the Elbrus mine. But the mining industry is not the basis of the economy for Karacha-evo-Cherkessia.
The multinational composition of the population is manifested in the diversified development of the economy of the republic. If the Circassians are skilled gardeners and farmers, then the Karachais are famous as excellent livestock breeders. The Karachay breed of sheep with a wonderful black fleece is well known. The Karachay breed of horses is valued far beyond the Caucasus. Kefir, ayran - a drink made from sour milk, cheese and other dairy products are of high quality. Wherever there are tourists, there is a trade in handmade woolen products.
Although the area of arable land in the republic is small, they grow a lot of potatoes, sugar beets and corn. In the north of Karacha-evo-Cherkessia, in Erken-Shakhar, in the 60s. 20th century The largest sugar factory in Russia was built. The economy of the republic is focused on agriculture: its main sectors include animal husbandry and agriculture, production and repair of agricultural machinery, equipment for food storage. This direction of the economy is very favorable for the development of tourism and resort services.
Mountain lakes and waterfalls of Karachay-Cherkessia are accessible to an ordinary pedestrian, glaciers and the most difficult routes are designed for climbers. There are many sources of mineral water on the territory of the republic. The mild, healing climate of mountain resorts also attracts. Teberda, located at an altitude of 1.3 thousand meters, is not much inferior to Kislovodsk, famous for its springs and air. In the upper reaches of the Teberda River, in a mountain basin, lies the world-famous Dombay glade - a favorite place for climbers, tourists and skiers. From here, even inexperienced tourists easily climb to the Alibek glacier, follow the route to the Klukhor pass (2782 m) and to the blue Klukhor lake - small but deep, with floating ice floes in the hottest time of summer. On the pass during the Great Patriotic War there were stubborn battles with the German troops.
KABARDINO-BALKARIA
The northern slope of the Greater Caucasus and part of the foothill plain are occupied by Kabardino-Balkaria. In terms of area (12.5 thousand km 2), it is slightly inferior to its western neighbor - Karachay-Cherkessia, and in terms of population it is almost twice as large (790 thousand people). Approximately half of the inhabitants are Kabardians, about a third are Russians, and a tenth are Balkars. Kabardians belong to the group of Circassians. In certain periods of history, they were very numerous and influential and even subjugated other peoples of the Caucasus. The Balkars are a Turkic-speaking people related to the Karachays; earlier they were called mountain Tatars. Relations between Kabardians and Bal-Kars with Russia have deep historical roots. In 1561, Ivan the Terrible married the daughter of the Kabardian prince Temryuk Aidarovich, who counted on Moscow's support in defense against the Crimea and Turkey. Then, during the period of weakening of Russia, Kabarda fell under the rule of Turkey. In the 19th century Kabardians and Balkars resisted the Russian Empire, but the bloodshed soon ended, replaced by an alliance. The religious beliefs of the Kabardians have also changed many times over the centuries. From ancient beliefs, the population first switched to Christianity under the influence of Byzantium and Georgia, but starting from the 15th century. Islam spread here. Part of the Kabardians (Mozdok) later converted to Orthodoxy again.
It is in Kabardino-Balkaria that the Greater Caucasus reaches its maximum height and is called here the Central. In the Main and Side Ranges, the peaks rise to more than 5,000 m; many glaciers, including more than 12 km long. All major valleys are paved with motor roads, which sometimes go straight to the glaciers. However, none of them rises to the Main Range, all the passes through which are very difficult to access. To the north of the Glavny are the Rocky Range (3646 m - Mount Karakaya), the Pasture Range and the Black Mountains, beyond which the Kabardian Plain begins with heights of about 150 m.
In the upper reaches of the Baksan River, from the Azau glade at an altitude of 2.8 thousand m, on a cable car (funicular) you can climb (up to a height of 3.5 thousand m) to the slopes of the Elbrus volcanic cone, from where a magnificent panorama opens - peaks covered with snow and glaciers, green valleys. From here, climbing to the top of the highest mountain in Russia (5642 m) begins.
The bowels of Kabardino-Balkaria contain a variety of minerals. They have long been mined by local residents, using for the manufacture of household products, jewelry and weapons. Modern industry is also based on underground riches. The most famous is the Tyrnyauz deposit of wolf-ram-molybdenum ores; significant reserves of lead-zinc, lead-antimony ores, iron. Coal is being mined. Mineral springs, which are numerous in the republic, also serve various economic purposes, and hot mineral waters are used to heat greenhouses.
Forests occupy more than 15% of the republic's area, mainly in mountainous areas. The foothill plain within Kabardino-Balkaria is almost completely plowed up. An irrigation (irrigation) system has been created here for centuries.
There are many interesting objects in the republic, and tourists willingly visit it all year round. In the mountains, the ruins of ancient villages have been preserved, climbing steep slopes in cascades. Defensive towers rise above them. One of the deepest lakes in Russia, the Blue Lake (Tserikel), is located in Kabardino-Balkaria. Its depth is 268 m, and this is with small dimensions (width is about 200 m).
The Narzanov Valley is the traditional name for a section of the Khasaut River valley, where there are more than 20 large and many small springs on one kilometer of the way. On the Small Larkhan River you can admire a 20-meter waterfall. The resort conditions of the Narzanov Valley are not inferior to the famous Kislovodsk. This mineral water is probably the most popular in the European part of Russia.
NORTH OSSETIA ALANIA
The Republic of North Ossetia-Alania covers an area of 8 thousand km2. Its population is about 650 thousand people, of which 53% are Ossetians, 30% are Russians. In terms of population density (more than 80 people per 1 km 2) and the degree of urbanization (70% live in cities), North Ossetia ranks first in the North Caucasus.
Ossetians are an ancient people. Among their ancestors there are indigenous Caucasians and representatives of Iranian-speaking tribes - Scythians and Sarmatians (Alans). Once the Ossetians occupied vast areas in the region. Tatar invasion of the 13th century. pushed them deep into the mountains beyond the Main Range, to the southern slope of the Greater Caucasus. Most Ossetians profess Orthodoxy, which they adopted back in the 6th-7th centuries. under the influence of Byzantium and Georgia. There are also Muslims among the population; penetration of Islam in the XVII-XVIII centuries. contributed Kabardians. In 1774, Ossetia became part of Russia, after which its inhabitants began to move to the foothill plain.
The North Ossetian Autonomous Region was formed as part of the RSFSR in 1924; since 1936 it has become an autonomous republic.
North Ossetia is located on the Ossetian Plain and occupies part of the northern slope of the Greater Caucasus. On the mountainous territory of the republic there are the Lateral and Main ridges, and in the north there is a low (926 m) Sunzhensky ridge. The highest mountain - Kazbek (on the border with Georgia) - reaches a height of 5033 m. Other peaks are also high, from the slopes of which many glaciers descend, including the longest in the North Caucasus - Karaugom: its length reaches 14 km.
The climate of the Ossetian Plain is favorable for growing corn, wheat, sunflower; Sugar beet also grows here, but it needs additional watering. The average monthly temperature in January is -4°C, and in July +20-22°C; precipitation per year falls 500-800 mm. As you go up into the mountains, it becomes cooler and the humidity increases. Mountain slopes up to a height of 2 thousand meters are covered with forests, which occupy a quarter of the republic's area. Bear, lynx, marten, fox can be found in these thickets. Above the forests is a belt of tall-grass subalpine meadows. At an altitude of more than 4 thousand meters, the temperature does not rise above zero all year round. In winter, snow with a layer of 50-75 cm covers all mountain slopes, except for rocky cliffs.
North Ossetia is the only republic in the North Caucasus through which highways pass in Transcaucasia. One of them - the Military Ossetian - rises along the Ardon River valley to the Mamison Pass (2819 m), the other - the Georgian Military - passes through the Cross Pass (2379 m).
North Ossetia is famous for its fertile arable land, lush gardens, high mountain pastures, virgin forests, mineral waters, and minerals. Already at the beginning of the XX century. several dozen deposits of copper, silver-zinc and iron ores were known. The land of North Ossetia is also rich in manganese, molybdenum, arsenic, sulfur pyrite, jet (a valuable black ornamental stone used for jewelry). In the vicinity of Vladikavkaz, interlayers of sand impregnated with oil were found.
In the largest Sadonsky silver-lead-zinc deposit, located 60 km west of Vladikavkaz, ore has been mined since ancient times. In the 19th century the military department of Russia attracted the Ural peasants for its development. In 1896, the deposit was bought by the Belgians, who organized the Alagir joint-stock company, which equipped the mines, built an enrichment factory next to them, a small hydroelectric power station on the Sadon River, and an ore-smelting plant in Vladikavkaz. Before the First World War, thousands of tons of zinc and lead, hundreds of kilograms of silver were smelted here every year.
In the modern economy of North Ossetia, non-ferrous metallurgy is the leading industry. The richest deposits (Sadonskoye, Fiagdonskoye, Zgidskoye, etc.) supply ore to enrichment plants located nearby. Concentrates are processed in Vladikavkaz.
In agriculture, grain production and horticulture are developed, small areas are occupied by vineyards. About half of the farmland is set aside for sowing corn, a traditional crop in Ossetia. The republic has a large number of cattle and developed pig breeding.
The industry and agriculture of North Ossetia are so developed that tourism is less important here than in other republics of the North Caucasus. Tourists visit the Tsey glacier, not far from which is the ancient Ossetian sanctuary Rekom.
Near the village of Darvas, several dozen burial grounds (family crypts) with burials of the 14th-19th centuries, known under the common name "City of the Dead", have been preserved. In the mountainous regions of Ossetia, there are ancient houses and tower-fortresses - witnesses of ancient customs and events.
INGUSHETIA
In 1924, the Ingush Autonomous Region was formed. In 1934, it merged with the Chechen Autonomous Region into the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Region, which in 1936 was transformed into the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic within the RSFSR. In 1992, after the separation of Chechnya, the Ingush Republic was proclaimed as part of the Russian Federation. This is the smallest Russian republic in terms of area (19.3 thousand km 2) and population (about 300 thousand people). Its people are one of the most ancient in the North Caucasus.
Ingushetia is located east of Ossetia and occupies mainly the basin of the Assa River, a tributary of the Terek. Natural conditions in the republic are the same as in Ossetia. To the east of Vladikavkaz, the dry heat of the deserts is already slightly felt. The forests here slightly change their shade (hornbeam and oak predominate in the foothills and hollows) and retreat a little into the mountains.
The capital of Ingushetia - Nazran, with a population of 23 thousand people (1994), became a city in 1967. It is located on the railway line Rostov-on-Don - Baku. There are few industrial enterprises in Nazran: a power tool factory, a knitwear factory, and a flour mill.
The sight of Ingushetia is its old architectural ensembles. First of all, these are the ruins of villages with battle towers of the 14th-18th centuries. from gray raw stone. Some of them can be approached from the side of the Georgian Military Highway. On the southern slope of the Rocky Ridge, above the buildings destroyed by time, slender silhouettes of the surviving five-six-story towers with narrow loopholes rise. Each tower gradually narrows and ends with a pyramid-shaped stone roof. At the level of the second floor there is a door from which a ladder was once lowered. Near the village of Khairakh in the valley of the Assa River, the temple of Tkhiba Yerdy of the 11th-13th centuries has been preserved. - evidence of the spread of Christian teaching among the Ingush.
CHECHEN REPUBLIC
In recent years, the Chechen Republic has become known throughout the world. The fighting on its territory, including in the capital - Grozny, the bombing of this largest and richest city in the North Caucasus and its significant destruction, the death of thousands of people, refugees, hostages, abductions of residents - all these phenomena, wild even for the Middle Ages, attracted everyone's attention (see article "The War in Chechnya" in the volume "History of Russia", part three, "Encyclopedia for Children").
The Chechen Autonomous Region was formed in 1922 and then merged with the Ingush Autonomous Region to form the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1991, Chechen leaders announced the creation of a sovereign and independent Chechen Republic - Ichkeria, separated from Ingushetia and Russia in general.
Nevertheless, according to the Constitution in force in Russia, Chechnya is a subject of the Russian Federation. By agreement of the parties, the final decision on the status of the republic was postponed until the beginning of the 21st century.
In terms of population and area, the Chechen Republic is approximately 2.5-3 times smaller than Dagestan located to the east and much larger than Ingushetia. The total number of Chechens within Russia is almost 900 thousand people (according to 1989 data); Of these, approximately 400,000 live in Chechnya itself.
Chechens and Ingush are close in language, origin, customs and way of life. Chechens quite late (although much earlier than the Ingush) converted to Islam: in the XVIII-XIX centuries. The nature of the two republics is very similar. However, only in the bowels of Chechnya there are oil reserves, which largely determined its development in the 20th century.
The Chechen Republic is located on the northern slope of the Greater Caucasus and on the adjacent Tersko-Sunzhenskaya Plain. The highest point in Chechnya is Mount Tebulosmta (4493 m). The plain is covered with fertile chernozems; the mountains are covered with forests, 80% of which are tall beeches. Minerals have been discovered in the southern part of Chechnya: near the village of Evdokimova - copper, near the village of Kei - silver-lead ores, near the village of Shatoy - sulfur. There are also antimony, gypsum and other minerals. At the beginning of the XX century. The population was mainly engaged in agriculture. Wheat, corn, and millet were sown on the plains; sheep and racehorses were bred in the mountains. Beekeeping was quite widespread. Cloth was made in the northern regions, and cloaks were made in the southern regions. Blacksmithing and jewelry were developed.
The modern economy includes traditional occupations, to which were added irrigated agriculture on the plain and a powerful industry associated with the exploration, extraction and processing of oil. In the landscape of Chechnya, weaves of pipes, oil rigs and tanks occupy a prominent place. The republic's oil fields are not gigantic, like those in Siberia or the Middle East, but they are convenient for development.
On the southern slope of the Sunzha Ridge, about 40 kilometers west of Grozny, there is a large resort called Sernovodsk with healing mineral springs. On the whole, in terms of the richness and diversity of natural resources, Chechnya is not much inferior to other North Caucasian republics, and in terms of oil reserves it surpasses them all.
DAGESTAN
The largest of the North Caucasian republics, both in terms of area (50.3 thousand km 2) and population (almost 2 million people) is Dagestan. In addition, it is the most energy-saturated, the driest, the warmest and the most treeless republic of the region. Dagestan also set several all-Russian records. Here, the population continues to grow most rapidly (against the background of its decrease in the whole country). More than 30 nationalities inhabiting Dagestan speak 29 languages and 70 dialects; according to these indicators, the republic can even claim the world championship.
Islam penetrated Dagestan earlier than other North Caucasian republics; For this reason, the inhabitants of the republic are most committed to Islam. 57% of the population of Dagestan lives in villages; At the same time, nowhere in the North Caucasus are cities as ancient as in Dagestan: Derbent, for example, is more than 5 thousand years old - this is the oldest city in Russia. Even the nature of the republic is unique: here is the lowest mark in Russia and Europe - 26 m below sea level.
Dagestan is located at the Caspian Gates - where the path from Transcaucasia to the northern plains begins. The peoples of the republic often suffered from the raids of the conquerors. The inhabitants took refuge in the mountains, behind narrow gorges, on impregnable plateaus. Plains from the VIII to the end of the X century. occupied the Khazar Khaganate, the Caspian Sea in those days was called the Khazar. The capital of the kaganate was then located on the site of the modern village of Tarki not far from Makhachkala.
The largest indigenous peoples of Dagestan are Avars (27%), Dargins (15%), Kumyks (13%), Lezgins (11%), Laks, as well as Tabasarans, Nogais, Tats, Aguls, Rutuls, Tsakhurs. There are very small ethnic groups. So, the village of Ginuh, with several dozen houses, has its own language, its own customs.
The variety of natural conditions and the richness of national traditions determined the features of numerous folk crafts. Almost everywhere there are masters. Goldsmiths and jewelers work in the famous village of Kubachi, ceramics are produced in Gotsatl, carpets are produced in Untsukul, etc.
Despite the mixture of peoples and languages, Dagestan has been perceived as an integral country for hundreds of years. In 1921, the Dagestan ASSR was created, and in 1991, the Republic of Dagestan was proclaimed as part of Russia.
Translated from Turkic, Dagestan means "country of mountains". However, it occupies not only the mountains of the eastern part of the North Caucasus, but also the adjacent plains of the Caspian Sea. Steppe and semi-desert lowlands extend to the north from the ridges for almost 200 km, and mountains continue to the south, also for almost 200 km. The Caspian coast is the warmest corner of the North Caucasus. The average monthly temperature in January is above zero here, as on the Black Sea coast, and in July it is even hotter - up to +24 °C. However, in these places the mountains no longer protect from the northern winds, so in winter there are severe frosts - in the north of the republic up to -40 ° C.
The mountains of Dagestan are high, with steep slopes. The height of the peak of Bazar-duzu on the border with Azerbaijan is 4466 m. The climate in the mountains is quite dry, so there are few glaciers. Vast areas are occupied by high (2.3-2.7 thousand m) plateaus, the most famous of which are Khunzakh and Gunib.
The mountains of Dagestan are cut by the deepest canyons of the rivers (Sulak, Samur) and their tributaries. The Sulak Gorge between the Gimrinsky Range and Sulak-tau was once the site of fierce battles between Shamil's rebels and the troops of the Russian Tsar (1832).
Now the highest (231 m) mud dam has been built here on other rivers of Dagestan. They not only provide the republic with electricity, but also irrigate the lands in the mountains and on the plains. Valuable fish are found in the mouths of the rivers, including sturgeon, beluga, stellate sturgeon, Caspian salmon, white salmon. Red deer, wild boar, and many birds live in the reed beds covering the coastal floodplains (shores flooded in spring).
In the forests - they occupy only 7% of the area of \u200b\u200bthe mountains - wolves, bears and lynxes are found. In the foothills you can see a large (25-30 cm) turtle, a snake - a huge brown viper sleeping on stones, a bright green snake. On the plains, in the steppes and semi-deserts, the animal world is different in nature: birds, various rodents, in the very north - saigas, the steppe fox - corsac.
The mountains of Dagestan are a kind of fortress that protects the population of the interior. From the side of the plains, one can penetrate here, as a rule, passing through narrow, difficult to overcome gorges. At the same time, in the mountains themselves there are many wide, convenient valleys where you can farm and build housing. The mountain slopes scorched by the sun are densely populated: tens of thousands of people live in some villages.
Mountain villages are interconnected by highways, winding serpentine. Gray cubes of houses are molded one to one and one above the other, hanging over the slopes of the mountains, like swallows' nests. There is neither a green lawn nor a tree here. In the mountains, they do not build houses on lands suitable for cultivation, saving them for arable land. To expand the fields, artificial terraces were created on steep slopes and soil was brought here. Now these plots amaze with grooming. However, with the advent of cheaper grain produced on the plains, the terraces began to be used mainly as meadows. Breeding sheep and horses is an important branch of the economy of Dagestan. In summer, animals are grazed in alpine meadows, and in winter - in the steppe, on the plain. Sheep are sometimes transported by car, reducing losses from long hauls. In the mountain valleys and foothills there are many orchards and vineyards, the fruits of which are used in large quantities for the production of canned food and wine.
The flat part of Dagestan is located on the territory of the Caspian lowland. Within the republic, it bears the names Tersko-Kumskaya (to the north of the Terek) and Tersko-Sulakskaya or Kumykskaya (to the south). Flat near the coast, the Tersko-Kuma lowland gradually rises as it moves away from the Caspian Sea, and irregularities appear on it - sand dunes and ridges fixed by vegetation. This part is called the Nogai steppe. The landscapes here are mostly steppe and semi-desert, there are solonchaks. Sparse bushes grow wormwood, saltwort, cereals and herbs. The main wealth of the Nogai steppe is pastures where fine-fleeced and coarse-wooled sheep are bred. Agriculture is subsidiary. Most of the indigenous population are Nogais, descendants of the once numerous and formidable horde that roamed the plains of the North Caucasus. This is a Turkic-speaking people with a long history. The traditional occupation of the Nogais is cattle breeding, but among them, like hundreds of years ago, today there are representatives of various professions. Modern Nogais lead a largely sedentary lifestyle. Their settlements are located near irrigation canals and many windmills (wind power plants) resemble Dutch villages. However, if in Holland the land is drained with the help of windmills, then in Dagestan they serve for watering gardens and orchards.
The Kumyk plain, like the Nogai steppe, was named after the people inhabiting it - the Kumyks. The land located between the foot of the mountains and the Terek is convenient for cultivation: there are many vineyards and orchards, especially near Makhachkala. Kumyk settlements usually represent a large garden in which houses turn white.
In the bowels of Dagestan, large deposits of mineral raw materials have not yet been discovered, but there are many small ones. Literally "from under Makhachkala" for two decades, starting from 1942, oil was produced. In 1972, the development of the Shamkhal-Bulak gas field began, from which gas pipelines stretched to all parts of the republic. Deposits of iron ore, gypsum, alabaster, building stone, glass sands, mineral and thermal (warm) waters provide a variety of needs for the modern economy of Dagestan.
The Caspian Sea is rich in various fish. The most valuable are sturgeons, whose caviar is worth almost its weight in gold. The beaches of Dagestan are wonderful, vast and sandy, with sloping shores. This is an ideal place for children's recreation. However, there are still no traditions of tourist services here, and resort resources have been developed very poorly.
The nature of Dagestan is not only generous, but also harsh in the manifestation of its elements. In 1970, the strongest earthquake in the North Caucasus occurred here, from which several cities and villages suffered. Large landslides and landslides descended in the mountains at that time. The storms of the Caspian Sea are also very cruel. Previously, fishermen used to say: "He who has not been to the sea has never seen grief." Since 1978, the level of the Caspian began to rise rapidly. Farmlands are flooded, homes and roads are destroyed, so it is necessary to build dams or move buildings further from the sea.
The capital of Dagestan - Makhachkala is located on the shores of the Caspian Sea, at the foot of Mount Tarkitau. It was founded as a military fortification in 1844 near the place where the camp of Peter I was in 1722. The Highlanders called the fortification Anji-Kala - the Flour Fortress. In 1857 the fortress received the status of a city and the name of Petrovsk-Port. Soon the port itself was built, and in 1896 a railway was brought to it. The city was renamed Makhachkala - in honor of the active participant in the civil war, Makhach Dakhadayev. The population of the city is 395 thousand people. A beautiful center built in the late 19th - early 20th centuries. surrounded by modern quarters and factories. The city is home to the Dagestan Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, theaters and museums.
Machines, instruments, building materials are produced in Makhachkala, the food industry is developed. The city itself is a balneological and seaside climatic resort: its mineral waters, therapeutic mud, extensive sandy beaches and warm sea are widely used.
The small (44 thousand people) city of Kizlyar is located on a plain in the Terek delta. It was first mentioned in 1652. In 1735, the first Russian fortress in the Caucasus was founded in this place. In the second half of the XVIII century. Kizlyar was the administrative and commercial center of the North Caucasus; not only Persian, but also Indian merchants traded in its bazaars. The city has traditionally been famous for its vineyards and winemaking. This is due to the fact that at the beginning of the XVIII century. many Armenians and Georgians moved here. Despite its small size, Kizlyar is the cultural center of Dagestan. The city has several museums and many historical monuments.
The North Caucasian Federal District (NCFD) was separated from the Southern Federal District in 2010 into an independent administrative unit. The territory of the region occupies the eastern and central part of the North Caucasus and the southern European part of the country.
The formation of the North Caucasus Federal District is the first stage of the program to change the federal districts, launched in 2000. In that year, the NCFD was called
General characteristics of the region
The occupied area of the district is about 1% of the entire territory of the Russian Federation. The central city of the North Caucasus Federal District is Pyatigorsk. This is the only settlement in the Russian Federation that has not been assigned the status of an administrative center. Its area is not even the largest in comparison with other cities of the district.
The administrative unit borders the Caspian Sea. Azerbaijan and Georgia can be seen in the south of the district. Also, the borders run along the Rostov region, Kalmykia and the Krasnodar Territory.
The composition of the North Caucasian Federal District consists of 7 republics.
Dagestan
This is the southernmost part of Russia and is located in the east of the North Caucasus, and on the eastern side it is washed by the Caspian Sea. In the west, the territory borders on the Stavropol Territory and Chechnya. In the north with Kalmykia, and in the southwest with Georgia. The southern part is in contact with Azerbaijan. The capital of the administrative unit is Makhachkala. The republic occupies about 50.27 thousand m 2. The date of formation is 1921. The population of the region is about 3 million inhabitants.
The composition of the citizens of the North Caucasian Federal District is multinational. The same can be said about Dagestan. There are few Russians in the republic - 3.6%, which is approximately 104 thousand. Avars are the most - 850 thousand, which is 29.4 percent. Next come the Dargins, who are 17%, the Kumyks - 14.9%, the Lezgins - 13.3%, the Laks - 5.6%, and so on. Least of all in the republic are Archins and Armenians, there are only 5 thousand of them each.
Ingushetia
The youngest republic in the North Caucasian Federal District is Ingushetia. Year of creation - 1992.
The republic borders on North Ossetia, Georgia. The climate here is continental, and in winter the temperature does not drop below -5 degrees.
The population is 480 thousand people. The Republic is dominated by the Ingush, about 94%. About 4.6% are Chechens, and only 0.8% of the population are Russians. The remaining percentages are made up of other ethnic groups.
Chechens live quite compactly, mainly in the Nazran region. Other nationalities do not have a specific territory of residence.
Only 42.5% of all residents of the republic live in cities. The population mainly lives in the Suzhenskaya and Alkhanchurskaya valleys, Achaluka, and this is only 25% of the entire territory. Only 5% of all residents live on the remaining 85% of the republic's lands.
Kabardino-Balkaria
The North Caucasian Federal District includes the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, founded in 1921, with the capital city of Nalchik.
The territory is located mainly in the mountains of the North Caucasus. It is in Kabardino-Balkaria that the stratovolcano of Mount Elbrus is located, with the highest mountain peak in Europe and the Russian Federation. This figure is 5642 meters above sea level.
Despite the predominantly mountain range, 864 thousand people live on 12.5 km 2 on the territory of the administrative unit.
The climate of the republic is quite diverse: in the area of the plains there is a humid and continental climate, and higher in the mountains the climate is similar to the Alpine one.
The national composition of the republic:
There are even Finno-Ugric and Kurds in the republic, although in a very small proportion in relation to the total population - no more than 0.03%.
Karachay-Cherkess Republic
Since 1957, the territory received the status of an autonomous region, and since 1992 - a republic with Cherkessk as its capital. It borders on the Stavropol and Krasnodar Territories, Abkhazia and Georgia.
466 thousand people live in the republic. The titular nationalities are Karachays (40.67%) and Russians (31.40%). There are only 11.82% of Circassians, and even fewer Abazins - 7.73%, about 3.28% of Nogais. The remaining nationalities are represented by less than 1%.
The national composition of the North Caucasian Federal District in the context of the cities of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic:
Nationality | City, district, % of population |
|||
Cherkessk | Karachaevsk | Abaza district | Adyge-Khablsky district |
|
Karachays | ||||
North Ossetia Alania
The territory of the republic spread out on the northern slope of the Greater Caucasus Range. The mountain strip accounts for 48% of the entire territory. The capital is Vladikavkaz. The total area of the administrative unit is 8 thousand m 2 . The area was recognized as a republic in 1936. North Ossetia occupies 4121 km2. The climate is almost everywhere continental, and on the plains it is predominantly arid.
The republic has 1 urban district and 8 municipal districts. To get to Moscow, you will need to overcome 2 thousand km, and to Pyatigorsk only 200 km.
The climate of the republic is classified as subtropical. There are 130-140 summer days in a year. These factors have a beneficial effect on the development of resorts and tourist routes.
According to rough estimates, 706 thousand people live in the republic. Most of the citizens are in the city. This is approximately 451 thousand, the rest - in rural areas.
Composition The North Caucasian Federal District in part of North Ossetia is one of the most multinational territories. In terms of population density, the republic ranks after Moscow, St. Petersburg and Ingushetia.
About 100 national minorities live here, but Ossetians account for more than 65%. Russians are in second place. There are 21% of them. The third place in the list was taken by the Ingush - 4%.
List of national composition, the number of persons exceeding 1 thousand:
Stavropol region
When it comes to this region, the balneological resorts with which the territory is saturated immediately come to mind. There are many health resorts located in different cities: Essentuki, Kislovodsk and Zheleznovodsk.
Conditionally divided into two climatic zones:
- the northeast resembles semi-deserts and desert;
- the northwest is plains with fertile lands.
In general, the climate of the region can be characterized as temperate continental.
The administrative center of the region is Stavropol, and there are 19 cities in total.
The total area of the administrative unit is 40.9 thousand km2. The total number of residents is 2.7 million people. The city dwellers account for 8.9%.
The territory is predominantly inhabited by Russians - there are about 2.2 million of them. The second in the list are Armenians. There are 161.3 thousand of them on the territory of the Stavropol Territory, which is 5.9%. The third place is occupied by the Dargins (as of 2015), previously this position was occupied by the Ukrainians. There are 49.3 thousand Dargins in the region. The fourth in terms of the number of national minorities are the Greeks. They are about 1.5% here.
Chechnya
It is hard to imagine the composition of the North Caucasian Federal District of Russia without it. It left the Russian Federation several times and last signed an agreement on joining Russia in 2003.
Mostly Chechens live in the republic. There are 1.2 million of them, which is 95.3 as a percentage of the total population. According to Rosstat, the total population of the republic in 2017 is 1,414,865 people.
The remaining nationalities are represented in a fairly small number:
Southern and North Caucasian Federal Districts
These districts until 2010 were a single territorial unit. According to the government, the allocation of the North Caucasus will allow the new federal district to accelerate the development of the southern regions. This makes it possible to solve economic and ethno-political problematic issues.
If we consider the national composition of the Southern and North Caucasian Federal Districts, then it is quite motley. In Dagestan alone, there are about 130 nationalities. In the region you can meet the most unique nationalities and quite small, even within Russia. These are Avars, Dargins, Kabardians and Lezgins, Circassians and Adygs, that is, representatives of the North Caucasian language group. In the republics of these federal districts there are representatives of the Altai people. These are Nogais, Karachays and Balkars. But if we take general data, then Russians still prevail in two regions. There are about 62% of them here. This number also includes Ukrainians.
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 of 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 South. 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. There are practically no natural landscapes preserved in this territory. 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 the oil (Dagestan, Groznenskoye, Stavropol, Krasnodar deposits), gas (Kubano-Priazovskoye, Stavropol deposits, as well as deposits in the Volgograd and Astrakhan regions) and coal industry (the 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 The North Caucasus uses the 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", "Dombai", "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 recent years, control over enterprises that discharge harmful substances into the river has become tougher. 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). It received its modern name in honor of the ancient tribes of the Caspians (horse breeders), who lived in the 1st century BC. 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 of the region is its agro-climatic potential. There are optimal combinations of climatic and soil conditions for the cultivation of most cultivated plants of the 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 stand out (Adygs, 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 the Slavic peoples, the percentage of Ukrainians is high.
The urban population is approaching 10 million people, or more than 55% of the total (the lowest in the Russian Federation). The largest cities: Rostov-on-Don (1 million people), Krasnodar (640 thousand people). Rural settlements are 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 times, the district was one of the largest in the country in terms of agricultural engineering(Rostov, Taganrog, Krasnodar), but the economic crisis has sharply reduced the performance of this industry. Among other areas of mechanical engineering, one should single out 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.
The development prospects include the most effective use of 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. In this regard, there is a shortage of water resources in inland areas, 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 a 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 packaging, 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. Degradation of natural forage lands, especially in Kalmykia with its transhumant pasture system, is one of the main environmental problems in the 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.
The geographical position of the Caucasus is still controversial among scientists. After all, it is the border between Europe and Asia. But where exactly does this cordon lie? If we assume that along the southern foothills, then the highest point in Europe is Elbrus. But if the border runs along the Main, then Mont Blanc. This mountainous country is very long. Different parts of the Caucasus have developed their own climate. These zones differ in relief and nature. In this article, we will talk in detail about the many-sided mountain system of the Caucasus.
Location on the geographical map of the world
This region is located in Eurasia, between the Black and Azov Seas in the west and the Caspian in the east. To the north of the Caucasus stretches the vast East European Plain. This large mountainous country has its own distinct natural boundaries. The geographical position of the Caucasus between the two seas of the Atlantic Ocean and the world's largest drainless lake, the Caspian, determines that the western and eastern boundaries of the mountain system are clearly visible. But as for the north and, especially, the south, everything is not so simple. The Kumo-Manych depression lies on the territory from the Caspian Sea to the Azov and the Kerch Strait. It is considered the northern border of the Caucasus. In the south, this system smoothly passes into the mountains of Turkey and Iran. The border can be conditionally drawn along the former state cordon of the USSR in this region. Now these are the borders of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. The southern border runs along the Armenian volcanic highlands, the Araks river and comes to the Talysh mountains.
On the geotectonics map
The geographical position of the Caucasus eloquently indicates that this mountain system is part of the Alpine-Himalayan belt. Tectonic activity still continues here, although there are no active active volcanoes. Geomorphologically, the Caucasus is divided into four orographic regions. Let's look at them one by one.
In the very north is the Ciscaucasian Plain, which stretches in a wide strip from the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov to the Caspian Sea. Further south, low hills give way to mountains. The main peaks of the system - Elbrus and Kazbek - are located on the Greater Caucasus Range. This vast region also has its own characteristics. To the south of it is the Transcaucasian depression. It includes the Kura-Araks and Colchis lowlands. They also alternate with the Transcaucasian Highlands. It, in turn, is divided into two parts. This is the mountain system of the Lesser Caucasus and
On the political map of the world
South of the Main Caucasian Range are the independent and sovereign states of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. The north of the mountain system is occupied by the Russian Federation. There is also the Caucasus here: South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Their future, like the current political status, is very vague. The Russian Federation has several territorial entities in the region. In the northwest, these are the Stavropol and Krasnodar Territories. They are generally recognized resort regions of Russia. In the northeast, there are such autonomous republics of the Caucasus as part of the Russian Federation, such as Adygea, Ingushetia, Dagestan, Kabardino-Balkaria, Chechnya, North Ossetia and Karachay-Cherkessia. The national composition of the population in these countries is quite motley. This serves as a pretext for various interethnic conflicts. The hot spots of the Caucasus were Chechnya, South Ossetia, Dagestan, Ingushetia. Nagorno-Karabakh is still a disputed territory between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Regions of the Caucasian mountain system
The huge length of the ranges also led to the fact that each part of them has its own geographical features. Thus, the mountainous country can be divided not only into northern, central and southern, but also into the Eastern and Western Caucasus. If we consider the Main Range, then here we can isolate the part that starts on and rises to Kazbek. This is the Eastern Caucasus. The central zone of this massif is highly compressed, the Dividing Range (Main) and the Lateral Range separate the northern and southern parts of the country. And the Western Caucasus begins on the Taman Peninsula and gradually rises to Elbrus (5642 m above sea level). In a small central part, between the two highest peaks of the mountain system, all the other five-thousanders are concentrated: Dykhtau, Mizhirgi, Dzhangi-tau, Pushkin, Koshtantau, Shkhara. Each of them is higher than Mont Blanc in the Alps (4807 m).
Lesser Caucasus
To the south of the Main (Dividing) Range, a significant relief depression runs from sea to sea. Here such regions of the Caucasus stand out as the humid Colchis lowland in the west and the arid Alazani and Kura-Araks plains in the east. But south of these troughs mountains rise again. Only the submeridional Likhi Range connects the Greater Caucasus with the Lesser. The name of the latter should not mislead anyone. Of course, the peaks of the Lesser Caucasus are inferior to Kazbek and Elbrus. But here is Mount Ararat (5165 m). It is the highest point in Asia Minor. There are many peaks in this region higher than the Alpine Mont Blanc. The Lesser Caucasus curved in a 600-kilometer arc. Many of its ridges have a height of 2-3 kilometers. They are separated by deep intermountain basins. To the south of these ranges stretches the vast Javakheti-Armenian Highlands. It consists of volcanic ridges and plateaus cut by deep canyons. The highest point of this region is Aragats (4090 m).
Where the mountain system ends in the south
The geographical position of the Caucasus is such that it is rather difficult to determine its border. In the southeast, the ridges gradually pass into the Talysh mountains, ending with the Lankaran lowland near the Caspian Sea (28 m below the level of the World Ocean). In the south and southwest, the Lesser Caucasus passes into the Elburs Range. This chain in northern Iran is part of the Pontic Mountains in Asia Minor. Thus, we can say that the southernmost border of the mountain system is the Lankaran lowland, the Talysh mountains and the Elburs range.
Peoples of the Caucasus
This region is inhabited by about fifty ethnic groups. And each of them has created its own distinctive culture. Particularly heterogeneous in terms of ethnic composition is the North Caucasus (Russia). This region is inhabited by Kabardians, Adyghes, Circassians, Shapsugs, Chechens, Ingush, Batsbi, Tsakhurs, Tabasarans, Rutuls, Lezgins, Laks, Dargins, Aguls, Avars. There are also peoples here who speak the dialects of the Altaic language family. These are Nogais, Trukhmens, Kumyks, Karachays, Balkars, Meskhetian Turks. Transcaucasia is inhabited by Georgians, Armenians, Azerbaijanis. But the national composition of these republics is also heterogeneous. Among the representatives of the titular nations of the listed countries there are Abkhazians, Ossetians, Tats, Talyshs, Yezidis, Kurds, Assyrians. And finally, alien peoples who settled in this mountainous region over a long history. These are Russians, Ukrainians, Greeks, Jews, Tatars and others. The main religions are Islam (both Shia and Sunni branches) and Orthodox Christianity.
seismic environment
The territory of the Caucasus lies entirely in the Alpine-Himalayan belt. This area is very mobile. Therefore, earthquakes are frequent in the Caucasus. The increased seismicity of the region is also due to the fact that the mountains, due to the convergence of tectonic plates, grow by one and a half centimeters per year. At the same time, the lowlands descend even more. This process is not so fast - from two to six millimeters per year. Earthquakes are most frequent in Transcaucasia, and more precisely in the north-west of the Armenian Highlands. The last such natural disaster that claimed thousands of lives occurred in 1988. The mountainous Caucasus, due to its increased seismicity, is subject to frequent avalanches, glaciers and mudflows. Small earthquakes cause rockfalls and landslides. Soft sedimentary rocks are washed away by flows and other erosion processes. This is how karst caves are formed. They are especially numerous in the northern part of the Greater Caucasus. Suffice it to recall at least the Vorontsov cave system, the New Athos, Snowy Abyss (its depth is 1370 m), the Lago-Naki plateau.
Climate of the Caucasus
This mountainous country lies on the borders of the subtropical and temperate natural zones. One can also say this: the high wall, which is the Caucasus, in itself serves as a climate-forming factor. Five-thousander peaks reliably cover the southern slopes from cold winds. At the same time, the northern foothills of the Caucasus take on the entire impact of low temperatures. A particularly striking difference in climatic characteristics is observed in winter. When heavy snowfalls fall in the Russian part of the mountainous country, clear, dry and warm weather reigns in the republics of Transcaucasia. Of course, in such huge mountains there is also altitudinal zonality. The peaks are covered with snow all year round. Below, the zone of lichens and mosses is replaced by alpine meadows, coniferous and broad-leaved forests. And in the valleys, lush evergreen subtropical vegetation pleases the eye.
The water arteries of the region have a mountainous nature of flow, and therefore play an important role in the energy sector. It should be said that to the north the slopes of the Caucasus are gentle, elongated, while the southern slopes are steep and steep. This relief affects the rivers. In the northern part of the mountainous country, they acquire a flat character. Don is an example. The Kuban is the largest river in the North Caucasus. But there are fast and turbulent water flows in this region of the mountainous country. This is primarily Kura and Terek. The rivers of the Caucasus belong to the basins of the three seas that wash the mountainous country. Terek, Araks, Kura, Kuma and Sulak flow into the Caspian. Such water arteries as Bzyb, Kodori, Inguri, Rioni belong to the Black Sea basin. Azov is fed by Don, Kuban. The largest lake in the region is Sevan.
Nature of the Caucasus
The mountainous country surprises with a variety of landscapes. There are low-lying subtropical swamps, dense fir forests, boxwood groves, and alpine meadows here. At a considerable height of more than three thousand meters, lichens and mosses predominate. Permafrost begins at 3,500 meters above sea level. The northern foothills of the Caucasus are cooler. The vertical zonality on these slopes is characterized by a sharp change of zones. The border of snow in the North Caucasus lies lower than in the south - at around 2800 meters above sea level. The mountain fauna of the region needs protection. Lynx and Caucasian leopard are on the verge of extinction. And the local species of bison, elk and tigers have completely disappeared. But bears, wild boars, chamois and argali are still found in mountain gorges. As for the flora, the Caucasus is known as the birthplace of the giant hogweed. In 1890, it was taken to Europe as an ornamental plant. Since then, he has been considered an extremely dangerous and aggressive neophyte.
Recreational opportunities of the Caucasus
The region is located between the three southern seas. A mild climate has been established here, transitional from temperate to subtropical. High mountains create a wide variety of landscapes. The fast-flowing rivers seem to invite you to go rafting. All this turns the Caucasus into a recreational region. But here you can not only relax, but also heal. This is facilitated by a large amount of mineral waters that are formed in the rocks. The whole world knows the Borjomi brand, which is exported by Georgia. But it does not lack in the North Caucasus. Kislovodsk, Mineralnye Vody, Georgievsk, Zheleznovodsk, Pyatigorsk, Essentuki, Lermontov - all these resort towns are located in the Stavropol Territory. The Zolsky district (Kabardino-Balkaria) is famous for the Narzans Valley and the therapeutic mud of Lake Tambukan.
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FEDERAL RAILWAY TRANSPORT AGENCY
MOSCOW STATE UNIVERSITY OF TRANSPORTATION
POVOLZHSK BRANCH OF MIIT
FACULTY OF ECONOMICS
CHAIR OF ECONOMIC THEORY AND MANAGEMENT
COURSE WORK
ON ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY OF TRANSPORT
Completed:
3rd year student 1130-c/EKb-3639
Kislova E.V.
Checked:
Art. pr. Dagaeva I.A.
SARATOV 2014
3.1 Industry
3.2 Agriculture
3.3 Recreational complex
3.4 Transport characteristics of the region
CONCLUSION
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INTRODUCTION
Composition of the North Caucasian economic region: Rostov Region, Krasnodar Territory, Stavropol Territory; Republics: Adygea, Dagestan, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkarian, Karachay-Cherkess, North Ossetia (Alania) and Chechen (Ichkeria). Occupying only 2% of the country's area, which is home to 12% of the population, the North Caucasus Economic Region (NERC) produces 4.6% of the industrial output of the Russian Federation. In the all-Russian territorial division of labor, he specializes in large-scale production of products from various sectors of the agro-industrial complex, as well as in the extraction of coal, oil, natural gas, the smelting of non-ferrous and ferrous metals, and in the development of energy, transport and agricultural engineering. The North Caucasus is an area of highly developed agriculture. Its share in Russia's gross agricultural output is 11.6%. This is the main granary of the country, a major producer of grain, industrial and fodder crops, southern fruits and vegetables, tobacco, tea, and various livestock products. The region accounts for more than 1/3 of the all-Russian production of granulated sugar, 1/7 of meat, more than 1/10 of animal and 1/2 of vegetable oil, 1/3 of canned fruits and vegetables. At the same time, the North Caucasus plays the role of the main recreational economy of Russia, where several million people rest annually in the resort area. The regional economic complex of the North Caucasus is developing under the influence of natural, economic, national, social and political factors that determine the local features of the territorial structure and the location of its productive forces.
The relevance of the chosen topic is explained by the fact that the North Caucasian economic region is a very important region for the Russian Federation both in terms of production and even in strategic terms, because this region has access to three seas and is the most southern one. It allows for trade exchange and is a kind of "breadbasket" of Russia. However, the area is not in the best condition: the crises of the 90s and the recent crisis of 2008-2009 made themselves felt.
The purpose of this work is to study the characteristics of the region, its condition, problems and prospects for its development.
To achieve this goal, it is necessary to solve a number of tasks:
Give a general description of the economic and geographical position of the region;
Explore natural and climatic conditions;
Track the development trend of the population and labor resources;
Identify the main problems and prospects of the region;
The object of study is the North Caucasus region.
In this paper, various theoretical material is presented and various statistical data are processed, as a result of which it is possible to give a modern economic and geographical description.
The work consists of an introduction, four chapters, indicating the most important points in the characteristics of the North Caucasian economic region, a conclusion and a list of references.
CHAPTER 1. FEATURES OF THE NORTH CAUCASIAN REGION
1.1 Area, composition, features of the economic and geographical position of the economic region
The area of the North Caucasian economic region is 355 thousand km² (about 2% of the country's area). This figure is much smaller than the area of such large regions as the Far East or East Siberian, but is commensurate with the areas of most economic regions of the European part of Russia.
The population of this economic region as of January 1, 2011 is 19,014 thousand people, i.e. exceeds the population of the same East Siberian ER by more than 2 times. Thus, we can talk about a fairly high population density indicator (about 53.6 people per 1 km), which is closer than all economic regions in its value to the most densely populated Central Economic Region and ranks 3rd among all regions.
The North Caucasian economic region includes 10 subjects of the Federation. Among them
7 republics:
Adygea (443 thousand people)
Dagestan (2712 thousand people)
Ingushetia (508 thousand people)
Kabardino-Balkaria (892 thousand people)
Karachay-Cherkessia (427 thousand people)
North Ossetia - Alania (702 thousand people)
Chechnya (1239 thousand people)
Krasnodar (5142 thousand people)
Stavropol (2707 thousand people)
and Rostov region (4242 thousand people)
Number of cities in the economic region: 107, number of urban-type settlements: 63, number of rural areas: 201, number of rural administrations: 2354, number of rural settlements: 7385.
The region is located at the crossroads from the northern, central and eastern regions of Russia to the republics of Transcaucasia, borders on the diversified Donetsk-Pridneprovsky (Ukraine), Volga and Central Black Earth regions, has access to the Black, Azov and Caspian Seas. The seas are highly accessible for maritime navigation, which allows the region to carry out active foreign economic activity with other regions and states.
Based on this, we can conclude about the favorable economic and geographical position of the North Caucasian economic region.
1.2 Natural and climatic conditions and natural resources
The climate of the North Caucasian economic region is quite diverse. The diversity of natural conditions is explained by the geographical location and features of the relief, which, in turn, affects the resettlement of people and their economic activities. The highest point in Russia, Elbrus, is located in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. According to natural conditions, the region is divided into three zones: flat, foothill and mountainous. Plain (steppe) occupies most of the territory and extends from the Don River to the valleys of the Kuban and Terek rivers. The foothill zone is located to the south and stretches in a small strip from the northwest to the southeast. The foothills gradually pass into the system of mountain spurs of the Caucasus (mountainous part).
The area is washed by the waters of three seas: the Caspian, Azov and Black. Mountain rivers have great hydropower potential, and the waters of lowland rivers are used for irrigation. However, the main drawback of natural conditions is the uneven supply of water resources. The western part is better provided with moisture, especially the Black Sea coast (for example, the average annual precipitation in Sochi is 1410 mm) and the slopes of the mountains. The north-east and east of the region are waterless and arid.
The flat and foothill parts, occupying 4–5 territories, are characterized by a temperate continental climate with hot summers and unstable mild winters. The average July temperature ranges from +20°С to +24°С. The growing season with temperatures above 10°C lasts here for 170-190 days, and the annual amount of solar radiation in the steppe and foothill zones is 1.5 times greater than in the Moscow region. Average January temperatures range from +2°С in Sochi and Novorossiysk to -9°С, -12°С in the steppes of the Rostov region.
Vegetation in most of the territory of the North Caucasus is typical for the steppe zone, and the Caspian region is occupied by semi-deserts. In the foothills of the Caucasus, the steppes with their grassy cover and stunted shrubs are gradually replaced by a strip of broad-leaved forests, then coniferous, and even higher - alpine meadows adjacent to the zone of snow and glaciers covering the high mountain ranges.
In terms of the size of arable land, the district accounts for 15% of the entire arable land of the Russian Federation (the district is inferior in the European part only to the Volga and Ural economic regions).
In general, natural conditions are very favorable for the population and agriculture.
The North Caucasian economic region has significant soil resources. The soils of the region are highly fertile: chernozems (47%) and alluvial soils (6%) occupy almost half of the region. The east of the region is characterized by brown soils with the inclusion of large massifs of solonetzes and solonchaks, on the mountain slopes - mountain-forest and mountain-meadow soils. Carbonate chernozems occupy a significant part of the Rostov region, the Krasnodar Territory, the western part of the Stavropol plateau and the foothills of the Central Caucasus. Dark chestnut soils - in the east of the Rostov region, in the extreme north of the Stavropol Territory, on the Terek-Kuma Plain and on the right bank of the Terek. However, in the 1980s and 1990s, many steppe territories were subjected to significant erosion processes: soil compaction, desertification, and erosion.
About 2.5 million hectares in the region are covered by forests. Deciduous species predominate: beech, hornbeam, birch, maple, aspen. The main forest areas are located in the upper reaches of the rivers of the Kuban and Terek basins, on the slopes of the mountains facing the Black Sea. Only about 30% of forests are located in relatively favorable conditions for their economic use. The highest forest cover (over 20%) is typical for the republics of Adygea, Chechnya, Karachay-Cherkessia and the Krasnodar Territory. But in general, in comparison with other regions of Russia, the North Caucasian economic region is poorly provided with forest resources.
Water resources occupy a special place in the economic life of the region. The territory is washed by three seas. The river network of the region also belongs to the basins of these seas. The most significant are the basins of the Azov (the rivers Don, Kuban, Mius, Kagalnik, Eya, Chelbas, Belsug, etc.) and the Caspian (Terek, Kuma, Sulak, Samur, Kalaus, etc.) seas. There are especially many small rivers in the republics. Most of the rivers originate in the glaciers of the highland zone. There are large reserves of groundwater (total operational reserves of 906.5 thousand m3 per day), mineral and geothermal waters (Kislovodsk, Yessentuki, Zheleznovodsk, Makhachkala, etc.), therapeutic mud (the coasts of the Azov and Caspian Seas). Significant reserves of fresh water are concentrated in glacial systems. In the economic region, water resources are used very actively, they are also located unevenly, there are large losses in irrigation systems, therefore, in some areas there is a shortage of water.
1.3 Main types of minerals
Due to the diverse and rather complex geological structure, the territory of the economic region is exceptionally rich in minerals. First of all, significant reserves of oil and natural gas are located here. The fields of Chechnya and Dagestan, Maikop and others are especially rich in oil, and the Severo-Stavropol, Anastasievsko-Troitskoye, Kanevskoye, Yeyskoye, Sengileevskoye and other deposits are especially rich in natural gas. The Chechen Republic is one of the oldest areas of oil production (has been carried out since the end of the 18th century). Grozny oil is characterized by high quality (18.5% gasoline, 19.2% kerosene, 9% legroin, 53% fuel oil). The Dagestan fields are a continuation of the Baku oil-bearing region, and the oil in them is also of high quality. A strip of oil fields stretches along the northern slope of the Caucasus from Taman to the borders with the Stavropol Territory.
Coal reserves are estimated at 44 billion tons, concentrated mainly in the Rostov region, in the eastern part of Donbass. There are also coals in Karachay-Cherkessia, Dagestan, Kabardino-Balkaria, in the Krasnodar Territory, but these reserves are not large and are of local importance. Coals belong to energy and coking grades. But the most valuable are anthracites, which occur at a depth of about 600 m in the area of the city of Shakhty.
The North Caucasian economic region has significant reserves of non-ferrous and rare metal ores. There are valuable deposits of tungsten-molybdenum ores - Tyrnyauz (Kabardino-Balkaria) and Ktiteberda (Karachay-Cherkessia). The Sadonskoye (North Ossetia-Alania) deposit of lead-zinc ores is of all-Russian importance. The Sadonsky ore-bearing region includes over 10 explored deposits with reserves of industrial categories. There are reserves of copper ores in Karachay-Cherkessia (Urupskoye deposit) and in Dagestan (Khudesskoye and Kizil-Dere). Krasnodar Territory and North Ossetia-Alania have large reserves of mercury. The subsoil of Dagestan is promising for mercury. It is planned to develop gold and bismuth in Kabardino-Balkaria.
Of non-metallic minerals, rock salts (Krasnodar Territory), barite, magnesia-phosphate ores (Adygea), phosphorites (Rostov Region), gypsum (Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories, Rostov Region, Chechnya, Dagestan) can be noted. Russia's largest deposits of dolomites are located in North Ossetia (about 10% of Russian reserves), which are used in the metallurgical and chemical industries, in glass production as a refractory material.
The North Caucasian economic region is one of the richest building materials in terms of resources. Cement raw materials - in the Novorossiysk region, marble - in the Teberda region. Marls stretch in an almost continuous strip from Verkhne-Bakanskaya through Gaiduk, Novorossiysk and further almost to Sochi.
CHAPTER 2. POPULATION OF THE NORTH CAUCASUS REGION
2.1 Population dynamics and labor force
Caucasian region population economic
As already noted, in terms of population, the North Caucasian economic region ranks third in the Russian Federation. Within the district, the leader in terms of population is the Krasnodar Territory. Among the regions of Russia, the North Caucasus is distinguished by the fact that its population is not just growing, but growing due to natural growth. Positive natural population growth here is more characteristic of the republics - Chechnya, Ingushetia and Dagestan (leaders in Russia).
In the Chechen Republic, the natural increase per 1000 people. amounted to 24.8 people, in Ingushetia - 15.2, in Dagestan - 12.4.
The lowest mortality rate is in Ingushetia (3.1 per thousand people),
The highest mortality rate is in the Rostov region (15 per thousand people, population decline has been noted here since 1990).
Also, the territory of the region has become one of the main centers of forced migrants, a significant part of which are fleeing ethnic conflicts. Here are the Meskhetian Turks, Armenians and Azerbaijanis - victims of the Karabakh conflict, refugees from South Ossetia after the Ossetian-Georgian conflict and others. Almost a quarter of the refugees came from the republics of Transcaucasia - Georgia and Azerbaijan, neighbors of the Russian Federation. But as for the Russian population, there has been an irrevocable departure from the Caucasian republics since about 1989. For example, an active departure was observed after the armed resolution of the crisis in Chechnya.
As for the sex structure of the population, the number of women here exceeds the number of men, as in Russia as a whole.
Labor resources - the part of the country's population that has physical development, mental abilities and knowledge necessary for work. The size of labor resources depends on the size of the population, the mode of its reproduction, composition by sex and age. The main part of the labor resources of the region is its population of working age, as well as adolescents and persons of retirement age who are able to work.
The number of labor resources is directly related to the age structure of the population: pre-working, working and retirement age. The proportion of people of pre-working age in the district varies from 14% in the Rostov region to 33% in the Chechen Republic. The proportion of people of working age does not have such a big jump, it ranges from 60.7 to 64.4%. In general, the population of the North Caucasus region can be assessed as young. The highest number of the population of retirement age in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania - 289.3 per thousand people, in the Rostov region is about the same - 287.6. The lowest share of pensioners is in Ingushetia - 129.9.
Thus, the share of the economically active population of the region was formed (9341 thousand people at the end of 2011). In general, it is growing in the region. However, the unemployment rate in the subjects fluctuates, which is caused by a number of factors (mostly economic and political instability), and it exceeds the national average. Also, the seasonality of agriculture leads to uneven use of labor resources throughout the year.
At the end of 2011, the official unemployment rate in the country was 6.3%. And in the regions of the North Caucasus region, it took the values of 7.7% (Adygea - a decrease in the level compared to previous years), 6.6% (Rostov region, also a decrease), 7.8% (Stavropol Territory), 4.8 % (Krasnodar Territory - the lowest rate in the region), 10.1% (North Ossetia-Alania), 16% (Karachay-Cherkessia), 13.4% (Dagestan, a rather large decrease even compared to 2009), 18 .3% (Kabardino-Balkaria). But in the Chechen and Ingush republics, the unemployment rate is very high - 35.5 and 55%, respectively. During the crisis, these data changed significantly in a negative direction, which probably further aggravated the already difficult situation in some subjects of the North Caucasus region.
2.2 National composition of the population
The ethnic composition of the population is exceptionally diverse. There are several dozen nationalities and ethnic groups of the indigenous population here, belonging not only to different language groups, but also to different language families. The North Caucasian economic region is the most multinational region of Russia. In total, more than 40 nationalities live here: Russians, Ukrainians, Chechens, Ingush, Ossetians, Avars, Lezgins, Balkars, Adyghes, Karachays and others.
Firstly, the peoples of the Indo-European family live here, in which the most significant is the Slavic group, represented mainly by Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians. Since ancient times, the Slavs participated in the settlement of the North Caucasian and Caspian plains. The main part of Russians lives in the Rostov region and the Krasnodar and Stavropol territories, the main part of Ukrainians and Belarusians falls on the share of these regions. Of the national republics, the largest Russian population is in Adygea (about 60%). The smallest weight in Dagestan, Ingushetia and Chechnya. Of the other Slavic peoples, Bulgarians and Poles live in small numbers and mainly in cities. The Indo-European family includes both Armenians who appeared as emigrants from Turkey, and Crimean Armenians who moved to the Don in the era of Catherine II. Their greatest number is observed in the Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories, the Rostov Region, Adygea and North Ossetia-Alania.
From other peoples of the Indo-European family, but already from the German group, Germans, Greeks, Jews, Gypsies can be noted, but there are relatively few of them. In the 90s, a significant part of the German population emigrated to Germany.
The second largest is the Caucasian language family, which is divided into three groups: Nakh-Dagestan, Adyghe-Abkhaz and Kartvelian (Georgian). Nakh-Dagestan is divided into Chechen-Ingush and Dagestan. Chechens are the largest aboriginal people of the North Caucasus. It was formed in the mountains (like most other Caucasian peoples), and then began to move to the plain. The Ingush mainly live in Ingushetia (after the Ingush-Ossetian conflict, their number in North Ossetia has noticeably decreased).
The Dagestan subgroup is the most diverse, it includes about 30 nationalities - Avars, Dargins, Lezgins, Rutuls, Aguls, Tsakhurs and others. Besides, they live not only in Dagestan. Dargins, for example, are also in the Rostov region, the Stavropol Territory.
The Adyghe-Abkhazian group includes the Adyghe subgroup, which includes three closely related peoples - Kabardians, Circassians and Adyghes, living mainly in the respective republics. The Adyghe-Abkhazian group also includes Abaza living in Karachay-Cherkessia.
Also on the territory of the district live representatives of the Turkic-speaking group of peoples of the Altai family - Karachays, Balkars, Kumyks, Nogais, Tatars, Azerbaijanis. The bulk of the Karachays live in Karachay-Cherkessia and the Stavropol Territory, the Balkars live in Kabardino-Balkaria, but for example, the Nogais have a wider geography - they live in Chechnya, Dagestan, Ingushetia, Karachay-Cherkessia, Stavropol Territory. After the collapse of the USSR, the number of Azerbaijanis in the region increased significantly.
In addition to the above, Koreans, Mordvins, Chuvashs, Moldavians, Uzbeks and representatives of other nationalities live in the region.
The most common religion in the North Caucasus Economic Region is Islam, followed by Christianity (Orthodoxy)
CHAPTER 3. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ECONOMIC SPECIALIZATION OF THE NORTH CAUCASIAN ECONOMIC REGION
3.1 Industry
A large role in the economy of the North Caucasus is played by fuel and energy, metallurgical, chemical complexes, resort, production of building materials, and agricultural sectors.
Its industry relies heavily on rich natural resource potential:
First, significant reserves of mineral raw materials, allowing the development of industries such as oil and gas, coal, building materials;
Secondly, the use of local agricultural raw materials - as a result of which there is a powerful food industry and a fairly good level of light industry;
Thirdly, specialization in certain engineering industries (for example, agricultural engineering, shipbuilding), which is facilitated by a favorable geographical position, natural resources, and a well-developed transport system;
Fourth, a prominent place in the fishing industry, the production of resort-tourist specific goods.
The largest number of industrial enterprises is located in the Rostov region, the Stavropol Territory and the Republic of Dagestan. Industrial enterprises are localized across the territory of the economic region based on both the availability of a raw material base and the factor of the recreational zone, since it hinders the development of industrial enterprises that negatively affect the environment. And the industries by their share in the region are presented in Table 1:
Table No. 1 "Industries of specialization of the subjects of the federation that are part of the North Caucasus Economic Region"
|
District subject |
Branches of specialization |
|
|
Republic of Adygea |
food; mechanical engineering and metalworking; forestry, woodworking and pulp and paper industry |
|
|
The Republic of Dagestan |
food; fuel; electric power industry |
|
|
Kabardino-Balkarian Republic |
food; mechanical engineering and metalworking; electric power industry |
|
|
Karachay-Cherkess Republic |
food; building materials; electric power industry. |
|
|
Republic of North Ossetia-Alania |
food; non-ferrous metallurgy; electric power industry |
|
|
The Republic of Ingushetia |
fuel; electric power industry; building materials. |
|
|
Chechen Republic |
fuel; building materials; food. |
|
|
Krasnodar region |
food; electric power industry; mechanical engineering and metalworking |
|
|
Stavropol region |
food; electric power industry; chemical |
|
|
Rostov region |
mechanical engineering and metalworking; food; electric power industry. |
Thus, the food industry is clearly in the lead, then the fuel and energy complex, then mechanical engineering and metalworking.
Speaking separately about the industries of the region, the following should be noted.
The fuel and energy industry is one of the main ones, as it is old and at the same time quite promising. On the other hand, in many regions, with the further growth of industrial and agricultural production, the fuel and energy balance may be deficient, but the severity of the problem can be smoothed out, firstly, by the launch of all power units of the Rostov nuclear power plant. What are the prospects? This includes the development of oil and gas on the continental shelf of the Caspian Sea, the intensification of geological exploration and the development of new deposits in the Chechen Republic, Dagestan, the construction of plants in Ingushetia, North Ossetia-Alania. For example, in 2000 A special resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation "On priority measures to restore the oil and gas complex in the Chechen Republic" was adopted. A number of oil and gas fields have been discovered in the Rostov region, but for the most part they are not of industrial importance, but the coal industry has a significant decline in dynamics. The electric power industry of the region is connected with the Volga region and is represented mainly by thermal and hydraulic power plants. The largest volume of electricity generation falls on the Rostov Region, Stavropol and Krasnodar Territories. The largest thermal power plants have been created in Krasnodar, Grozny, Novocherkassk, Nevinnomyssk, and among the hydroelectric power stations the following stand out: Tsimlyanskaya, Gizeldonskaya, Baksanskaya, Belorechenskaya. Repeatedly, attempts were made in the region to use non-traditional energy sources - wind, solar, biomass (for example, in 1995-1996, a Russian-German project of a wind power station was implemented in the Tsimlyansky district of the Rostov region).
Non-ferrous and ferrous metallurgy is represented in the region. An electrozinc plant operates in Vladikavkaz, the Sadonsky lead-zinc plant in the Alagir region, the Urupsky mining and processing plant - in Karachay-Cherkessia, in Tyrnyauz - a tungsten-molybdenum plant, the Nalchik mining and smelting plant, "Kubantsvetmet" in the village of Kholmskaya, etc. Metallurgical plants specialize in the production of steel, pipes, and steel castings.
The machine-building complex is represented by more than 30 industries. In the 90s, the complex, as in all of Russia, was in a rather critical state. When leaving it, a number of enterprises changed their specialization (for example, assembly of cars began at a number of agricultural engineering enterprises). Traditionally, the main branch of engineering has been agricultural engineering. Only the Rostov Region produces more than half of all grain harvesters (Rostselmash, Krasny Gidropress, etc.). Of the enterprises of transport engineering, one can note the Novocherskassk Electric Locomotive Plant, several enterprises carry out repairs of railway transport (Rostov-on-Don, Tikhoretsk, Armavir, Novorossiysk, Vladikavkaz), the Rostov Helicopter Production Association, the Taganrog Enterprise named after. Beriev (seaplanes). The automotive industry has not received much development, mainly enterprises with foreign capital operate (for example, Renault in Taganrog), auto repair of spare parts. Naturally, a significant role belongs to shipbuilding and ship repair - Novorossiysk, Yeysk, Rostov-on-Don, Taganrog, Tuapse, Akhtubinsk, Krasnodar, Makhachkala and other cities. There are large power engineering enterprises (Krasny Kotelshchik in Taganrog, Atommash in Volgodonsk). The district also has a significant network of instrument-making, electronics, opto-mechanical products, many of which are associated with the military-industrial complex.
The chemical complex develops mainly on local raw materials and produces various types of products - phosphate and nitrogen fertilizers, varnishes and paints, synthetic detergents, plastics and artificial fibers. Chemical industry enterprises are located mainly in the Rostov Region and the Stavropol Territory. The largest centers of chemical production: Kamensk (chemical fiber, varnishes, plastics, acids), Rostov-on-Don (varnishes, paints, plastics), Volgodonsk (synthetic detergents), Nevinnomyssk (mineral fertilizers) and others.
The building materials industry is represented by the production of cement. The North Caucasus is considered among the leaders in the production of cement and its export to other regions. The remaining branches of the building materials industry are of local importance. In total, about 300 enterprises of the building materials industry operate here.
One of the leading industries is the food industry. In terms of its diversity, the economic region noticeably stands out from other regions. The first place is occupied by the Krasnodar Territory, it provides about 40% of the products of this industry, more than 400 enterprises and about a thousand small workshops operate here. Wine-making enterprises (Abrau-Dyurso, Tsimlyansk sparkling wine factory), mineral water factories (Aqua-Don), tobacco products (JSC Donskoy Tabak), oil mills (Millerovsky and Rostov oil extraction plants), sugar factories (OJSC "Erken-Shahar Sugar Plant", OJSC "Sakharny Zavod" in the village of Shaginskaya) and many other flour-grinding enterprises of the cereal, tea, baking, confectionery, fruit and vegetable canning, fish processing industries.
The light industry of the North Caucasian economic region is not an industry of all-Russian specialization, but several dozens of textile, leather and footwear, fur, knitwear enterprises operate here, such as Donetsk Manufactory OJSC in Donetsk, Rostov Region, Don-Teks CJSC in Shakhty, knitwear association "Iris" in Nalchik and others.
The timber, woodworking and pulp and paper industries do not play a big role in the economic region. A significant number of these enterprises are relatively small in terms of their production, and in the 1990s, many enterprises completely changed their profile. The main products of production are furniture (Nalchik, Makhachkala, Vladikavkaz, Stavropol, Sochi, Elista), chipboard, containers for the food industry (primarily for the fish industry). The Krasnodar Territory is the leader in terms of the number of enterprises.
Artistic crafts are also developed in the North Caucasian economic region (Balkhar, Big Gotsatl, Botlik, Kubachi, etc.)
3.2 General characteristics of agriculture
The North Caucasian economic region is an important food base of Russia, a supplier of grain, sunflower, sugar beet (in terms of its production it is second only to the Central Black Earth economic region), vegetables and fruits, grapes, and livestock products. The North Caucasus is the only region of subtropical agriculture in Russia.
The largest areas of land used in agricultural production are located in the Rostov Region, Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories, and among the republics - Dagestan.
In the structure of the sown areas of the region, the leading place belongs to grain crops: wheat, rye, corn, barley, rice. Cereal crops are grown everywhere, but the main areas of their cultivation are the Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories and the Rostov Region, where about 90% of the total amount of grain is produced. The crops are dominated by winter wheat, which occupies about half of the total area of grain crops. The North Caucasus is the main producer of corn in the Russian Federation. Rice sowing is also an industry of specialization. Rice systems have been created in the Rostov Region, Krasnodar Territory, Dagestan, its largest producer is the Kuban. The region is of great importance in the production of important industrial crops: sunflower, sugar beet, and tobacco. The North Caucasus is a large region of horticulture and viticulture. About a third of all fruit and berry plantations and almost all vineyards of the Russian Federation are located here. The North Caucasus is the only region in Russia where subtropical crops are grown - tea, citrus fruits, persimmons, figs.
Harvested areas of grain and industrial crops in the North Caucasus economic region in 2009 amounted to 2682.4 hectares and these figures are less than the data for the previous year, which is most likely due to the general economic crisis.
The share of the North Caucasus is also large in the production of vegetables. Fruit growing, especially viticulture, is of national importance. Vineyards are located in the Kuban-Chernomorsky region, mainly around Anapa, Gelendzhik and Temryuk. It is no coincidence that the North Caucasus holds a leading position in Russia in the production of table and dry wines, champagne and cognacs.
The share of the economic region in the total production of major agricultural crops (namely cereals, sunflower, sugar beets, potatoes and vegetables) in the country in 2009. amounted to 24%.
The entire sown area in the North Caucasus economic region in 2011. amounted to 12,474 thousand hectares, which is a percentage of 2010. is about the same volume (about 99%).
Animal husbandry is an important branch of agriculture in the North Caucasus. The most significant number of cattle is concentrated in the Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories, the Rostov Region and the Republic of Dagestan. Dairy and meat animal husbandry is developed in the foothills and in the Kuban. Total number of cattle as of January 1, 2009 in the households of the population amounted to 2300.7 thousand heads.
On the Lower Don and in the Kuban, pig breeding is developed, where it is favorably combined with grain farming and beet sowing. The large white breed of pigs prevails, which is characterized by high productivity. Pig breeding is poorly developed in Dagestan, Ingushetia and Karachay-Cherkessia, which is associated with a religious factor.
Sheep breeding is distributed mainly in the Stavropol Territory, the Rostov Region and in Dagestan. Fine-wool sheep breeding is of great importance here. The North Caucasus occupies a leading place in Russia in terms of wool shearing. Goat breeding is well developed in the mountainous regions.
Poultry farming is also developed in the North Caucasus. Known in the country are the Adler poultry farm, the Labinsk poultry joint-stock company, and other enterprises.
The main producers of meat are the main agricultural regions - Don, Kuban, Stavropol. The Krasnodar Territory is a leader in the production of milk and eggs. The main part of livestock production (meat and poultry in live weight) is produced by private households, followed by agricultural organizations and only then by farms and individual entrepreneurs (respectively 60, 34 and 6%). The dynamics of livestock production in recent years can be judged from the data in Table 2.
Table No. 2 "Production of certain types of livestock products in the North Caucasus Economic Region"
Despite the fact that from 2002 to 20011 there were positive changes in the production of livestock products, but the level of 1990. has not yet been reached (only honey production is growing). The economic crisis of 2008-2009 inevitably slowed down these rates of development again, but, judging by the words of the President of the Russian Federation D.A. development slowed down a bit, but this is not a catastrophe, in any case we were able to add something. Some sectors of the economy developed, perhaps even better than before. We have now discussed the development of the agricultural sector: both on a national scale and in Kabardino-Balkaria, this is exactly the area that showed its competitiveness during the crisis. And due to this, it is possible, without a doubt, to create jobs and create new facilities that will bring profit, solve a variety of problems.”
The agro-industrial complex provides more than half of the total product of the region. On a per capita basis, the North Caucasian region produces twice as much agricultural products as the Russian average.
3.3 Recreational complex of the district
It is well known that the North Caucasian economic region has the most significant recreational resources compared to other economic regions, including cultural and historical heritage, so the recreational economy can rightfully be considered a branch of specialization of the entire region. The abundance of mineral springs, therapeutic mud, wonderful climate, picturesque nature led to the creation of a wide network of sanatoriums, boarding houses, tourist and climbing bases, rest houses.
Particularly distinguished are such health-improving, tourist-climbing, natural landscape zones and centers as Caucasian Mineralnye Vody, Bolshoi Sochi, Anapa, Teberda, Tambay Valley, Talgi, Arkhyz, Elbrus, Nalchik, Goryachiy Klyuch, Yeysk, Taman Peninsula, Krasnaya Glade, Narzanov Valley and many others.
The Black Sea coast is world famous. Between Anapa and Adler, small resorts and numerous healing areas stretch in a chain. Most of this territory is included in the Bolshie Sochi system, which extends along the sea coast for 140 km and occupies an area of over 350,000 hectares. The ski complex Krasnaya Polyana is undergoing a full-scale reconstruction in connection with the 2014 Olympics. in Sochi. The well-known children's resort complex Anapa, which has high-quality therapeutic mud. The Caucasian Mineralnye Vody resort group is one of the oldest resort areas in Russia (over two hundred years old). Kabardino-Balkaria (Nalchik, Dolinsk, Elbrus region) and Karachay-Cherkessia (Cherkessk, Teberda valley, Dombayskaya Polyana) have great opportunities for using recreational resources. In North Ossetia-Alania there is a balneological resort Tamisku, Tsey. Dagestan (Talgi) is also rich in mineral springs.
It is very important to comprehensively and rationally use the recreational resources of the regions of the North Caucasian economic region, but there are a number of problems on the way to this. These include high environmental pollution, hotbeds of ethno-political conflicts, remoteness of resorts from the main centers of solvent demand, low level of service, and a slow flow of investments. These problems need to be addressed, but actions for this are sometimes taken not entirely rational.
Further development of the resort and recreational complex seems to be the most effective and expedient direction in the development of the entire economy of the North Caucasian economic region.
3.4 General characteristics of transport
The North Caucasian economic region is distinguished by a wide and diversified transport infrastructure, which plays an important role not only in the South of Russia, but also in the system of the all-Russian and international division of labor. There are large ice-free ports, and transit roads, railways, oil and gas pipelines of international importance, and a wide network of airlines.
The main place in the development of interregional exchange of the economic region is occupied by the Rostov Region and the Krasnodar Territory.
The main mode of transport is rail. Today, among the most important highways of the region, one can name the Moscow-Rostov-Derbent-Baku highway, with lines branching off from it to Ukraine, Novorossiysk, Tuapse - Adler, Mineralnye Vody - Kislovodsk, Krasnodar - Elista, etc. end of 2010 amounted to 81.6 million tons, and the departure of passengers by public rail at the end of 2008. amounted to 47880 thousand people. (leader - Krasnodar Territory).
In terms of road density, all regions exceed the average for Russia, especially for the flat regions (Rostov Region and Krasnodar Territory), as well as Adygea and North Ossetia-Alania. A number of national highways pass through the territory of the district: Rostov-Baku, Military-Georgian and Military-Sukhumi, Rostov-Volgograd, Rostov-Odessa. Transportation of goods by road transport organizations of all types of activities at the end of 2010. amounted to 280.2 million tons. From year to year, the number of vehicles in the personal use of the population is growing.
Traditionally, water transport plays an important role in the North Caucasian economic region, and this is quite natural. The port of Novorossiysk has no equal in the basin of the Black and Azov Seas in terms of technical equipment and cargo turnover, and the port of Tuapse can also be noted. The most important ports of the Sea of Azov are Taganrog, Azov, Yeisk, Temryuk. Makhachkala stands out among the ports of the Caspian Sea. After the construction of the Volga-Don shipping canal, the role of river transport increased significantly. The concept of the development of the ports of the Krasnodar Territory in the period up to 2020. the expansion of existing ports, primarily Novorossiysk and Tuapse, as well as the construction of new port complexes in Sochi, Gelendzhik and the Taman Peninsula.
Air transport in the 90s has undergone a significant crisis, so the transportation of passengers and goods has decreased several times. Now the situation is changing for the better, but it is not possible to reach the pre-crisis level. The most important airports of the economic region are located in Rostov-on-Don, Mineralnye Vody, Krasnodar, Adler, Makhachkala.
In recent years, the development of pipeline transport in the region has gone at a rapid pace. Among the existing pipelines are: Baku - Novorossiysk, Makhachkala - Grozny - Tuapse, North Caucasus - Center, Grozny - Baku, Tengiz - Novorossiysk. The construction of a powerful gas pipeline Izobilnoye (Stavropol Territory) - Dzhugba (Krasnodar Territory) - Samsun - Ankara (Turkey) was completed.
One of the promising branches of transport is electronic, including power lines and other types of communication. A new fiber-optic backbone is being built by Rostelecom.
CHAPTER 4. PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NORTH CAUCASIAN ECONOMIC REGION
Like any economic region, the North Caucasian region is characterized by various problems and prospects in its development. To begin with, I would like to dwell on the problems in more detail. The main ones at the moment are the following:
Political and ethnic instability;
High level of population migration;
Unemployment;
Instability in agricultural production;
Reducing demand for agro-industrial products (Rostselmash cannot sell its products);
A large gap in the level of development of territories (the difference between steppe and mountainous);
Low GDP per capita;
other.
Ethnic conflicts in the area occur quite often, so I decided to consider this aspect. It is important to note here that national and interethnic conflicts that arise on an emotional level and do not contain rational principles are considered the most difficult in science. Racial and ethnic groups experience feelings of deep alienation and hostility towards those peoples who, from their point of view, are the "culprits" of their lack of "necessary conditions for development" and the satisfaction of vital needs. Other researchers in this complex controversial problem see the cause of interethnic conflicts in the targeted actions of some politicians to foment them. A variant of inertial actions in interethnic conflicts can be independent operations of individual local groups, their decisions on unauthorized military actions. For example, in the Karabakh conflict more than once there was talk about the unauthorized action of field commanders, the same thing happened in South Ossetia, Abkhazia, and Chechnya. There is also such a type of conflict as a “conflict of ideas”: in the scientific literature and the media, the “historical right” of an ethnic group to its ethnic territory (Armenia, Azerbaijan, North Ossetia, Ingushetia) is substantiated. Movements for the creation of their autonomous formations, for example, Nogais and Lezgins in Dagestan, Abazins in Karachay-Cherkessia, can also be attributed to this type of conflict. In the period 1989-2005. (the coming to power of D. Dudayev, the hostilities of 1994-1996, Maskhadov’s rule of 1996-1999, military operations or the “counter-terrorist operation” of 1999-2010, post-conflict reconstruction) a radical transformation took place, and more than once, all lifestyle of the population of the Chechen Republic.
Also, hotbeds of terrorist activity often break out in the North Caucasian economic region, as a result of which many civilians and security personnel die.
In terms of the level of economic development, the North Caucasus ranks last, however, according to some socio-economic indicators, the region is among the leaders of Russia. Table 3 presents the main economic indicators of the region
Table No. 3 "Main social and economic indicators of the North Caucasian economic region for 2008-2011"
Despite many serious problems, the North Caucasian economic region is one of the most promising. According to the level of development of market infrastructure, the district is one of the most prosperous. Almost 1/8 of Russian commercial banks are located here. There are also good conditions for highly profitable state entrepreneurship.
The main directions and problems of the prospective development of the North Caucasus, in my opinion, are:
Preferential development of consumer market sectors - agro-industrial and resort and recreational complexes;
Restoration, reconstruction and growth of mechanical engineering and chemical industries of Russian importance;
The rise of the oil and oil refining industry and infrastructure;
Intensive deployment of a particularly effective agro-industrial complex;
Formation of the region as a center of world tourism and sports in connection with the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi 2014;
Expansion and strengthening of the infrastructure of a unique resort and recreational complex;
Reconstruction and development of the transport complex as Russia's "southern gate" to the West.
As is known, all regions of the North Caucasian economic region are part of the Southern Federal District, but at the beginning of the year a new North Caucasian Federal District was created. Alexander Khloponin was appointed as the President's representative. According to D. A. Medvedev, this step will help to manage the district more effectively.
Alexander Khloponin singled out "four clusters of economic development of the North Caucasus" in which major projects are possible: energy, tourism, agro-industrial complex and innovation. In particular, he believes that the Caucasus region has a huge potential for the development of hydropower, promising the construction of small cascade hydroelectric power plants and the development of alternative energy sources such as solar and wind. "The potential of the tourist and recreational cluster in the regions of the North Caucasus is incomparable with any other on the territory of Russia," the plenipotentiary said. At the same time, according to him, we are talking not only about the creation of ski resorts, but also about the "development of health resorts and sanatoriums", which "in Soviet times were the most in demand in the country." Speaking about the development of the agro-industrial complex of the North Caucasus Federal District, Mr. Khloponin complained that Russian consumers hear "only Ossetian vodka and Dagestan cognac", although the resources for the production of agricultural goods are large. But in order to bring these goods to the Russian buyer, comprehensive measures are needed, in particular, assistance to small farms in the collection, storage and sale of products. This, according to the plenipotentiary, will allow not only to meet the needs of the Caucasian regions, but also to supply agricultural products to other regions of Russia. In the tourist complex, the plenipotentiary suggested "creating a modern infrastructure, starting with the airport and ending with the roads."
It should also be noted the Federal Target Program "South of Russia" 2008-2012. The total amount of expenses for 2008-2012 financing of the Program is 146,379.4 million rubles (in the prices of the corresponding years), including: 52,100 million rubles from the federal budget, of which: capital investments - 52,100 million rubles; funds from the budgets of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation - 11,876 million rubles; non-budgetary sources - 82403.4 million rubles The main goal of the Program is to improve the welfare and quality of life of the population of the republics that are part of the Southern Federal District, ensuring the reduction of their lag behind the average Russian level. Expectations from the program and its results have been calculated, but time will tell how effective this program will be.
CONCLUSION
The North Caucasian economic region is not only the southernmost territory in the European part of Russia, which has an advantageous economic and geographical position, favorable soil and climatic conditions, the richest mineral and recreational resources, a developed industrial, transport and agricultural potential, a wide network of scientific institutions, but also the most multinational region, which requires special attention from the state and its governing structures.
Despite the significant natural and socio-economic resources, rich history, the presence of all-Russian and international industries, in the last decade the North Caucasian economic region has found itself in a rather difficult situation, clearly not corresponding to its potential. This is evidenced by the very low level of gross regional product per capita, as well as low per capita incomes. Although the population of the economic region accounts for 16% of the population of the entire country, its share in industrial production is only about 6%. In addition, the unemployment rate is high.
At present, the North Caucasian economic region, like other regions of Russia, is experiencing a severe crisis, a decline in production in all sectors of the economy, which is aggravated by national conflicts and interethnic problems. Therefore, the main task of the long-term development of this most complex region is the stabilization of the political and economic situation, the implementation of economic market reforms, the development of the diversity of all forms of ownership, entrepreneurship, and especially the priority solution of social problems.
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