The topic of this article is the population of Orel and the Oryol region. How many residents live in this region of Russia, and what are its main demographic indicators? What nationalities live in Orel, and what is its total population?
Oryol is a small and beautiful city 350 kilometers from the Russian capital. It is the center of the region of the same name - Oryol.
Oryol - a city on the Oka
The city is located on both banks of the Oka River. To many Russians, he is known for the huge figure of an eagle installed on one of the central squares.
The unusual name of this settlement is associated with one interesting legend, according to which the city was so named by John the Terrible. In 1566, the king ordered the construction of a powerful fortress on this site, which would protect the state from periodic attacks of the Crimean Tatars from the south. When the builders began to harvest wood in the local forest, a huge and magnificent eagle flew from one of the old oaks. "And here is the master of the city!" - said one of the men. Hearing a replica, Ivan the Terrible ordered to call the future city - Oryol.
In the same article, we will pay attention to the demographic issues of the settlement and the region.
Eagle Population: Latest Census
The results of the last census in Orel reflected the entire instability of the demographic situation in this city. So, for the period from 2002 to 2010, the total population of the city of Orel decreased by almost 18 thousand people. For a 300-thousandth person, this is a lot.
The reason for urban depopulation is typical for most of the regions of modern Russia - mortality far exceeds birth rates. The average life expectancy of Orlovsk citizens is 70 years. Moreover, between the female and male half of the city in this indicator there is a significant advantage in favor of women (76 and 64, respectively).
The only positive trend that is observed today in the demography of the city is a slight positive migration growth in its population.
If we consider the population of Orel from the point of view of territorial distribution, then most of all people live in the Zavodsky district of the city (every third Oryol resident lives here). The smallest number of residents was recorded in the Zheleznodorozhny district (only 20%).
The ethnic structure of this city is rather monolithic: about 97% of the total population are Russians. In addition to them, Oryol also became the homeland for Ukrainians (1.1%), Armenians (0.4%), Belarusians (0.3%) and some other nationalities.
Eagle population and its dynamics by years
As of the beginning of 2015, 317 thousand inhabitants live in the city. Exactly one hundred years ago, the Orlovites were three times less. Until the beginning of the 90s, the population of the city was characterized by stable growth. However, then demographers began to record its annual decline.
The historical maximum population of Orel was recorded in 1995 (344 thousand people). But for the period from 2000 to 2014, the number of city residents decreased by exactly 25 thousand.
The main demographic problems of Orel
The population of the Eagle, alas, is declining. And this is doubly insulting, if we take into account the practically ideal natural and climatic conditions for life and the clean ecology of this settlement. Winter here is quite mild (by Russian standards, of course), summer is not very hot. The surrounding area has beautiful nature. It would seem that the city should attract a huge number of people wishing to settle in it. But there is one big "but."
In Soviet times, a number of industrial enterprises were created in Orel. Among them - rolling, glass, as well as factories for the production of machine tools and devices. However, today all these enterprises are at the closing stage. Therefore, the prospects for life in this city are still very vague.
Orel is characterized by a high unemployment rate of 2.2 percent. In addition, in the near future several hundred people working at one of the enterprises will remain without work. The city authorities, of course, are trying to somehow solve this problem. In particular, the mayor's office, in turn, strongly promotes the development of private entrepreneurship in the city.
In addition to depopulation and unemployment, another acute demographic problem is characteristic of this subject of the Russian Federation. This is the general “aging” of Orlovites. Every year in Orel, less and less babies are born, so the age pyramid in the city is shifting more and more towards the elderly. However, this problem is typical of most modern Russian (and European in general) settlements.
The population of the Oryol region
765,231 - this is precisely the population of the Oryol region recorded at the beginning of 2015. The average population density for this region is low and amounts to 31 people per square meter of area.
The demographic situation in the region as a whole is similar to the situation in the city of Orel. The processes of population depopulation began in the region in the early 1990s and continue today.
The ethnic structure of the region’s inhabitants is dominated by Russians (about 96 percent). Next come the Ukrainians (1%), Armenians (0.5%), Azerbaijanis (0.28%) and Belarusians (0.24%).
Orlovsk citizens speak the southern dialect of the Russian language, one of the special features of which is the so-called "Akane".
Finally...
The population of Oryol continues to decline. If in the early 1990s, approximately 340 thousand people lived here, today it is only 317 thousand. In addition to depopulation, this city is also characterized by other acute social problems - the "aging" of Orlovites, as well as a large shortage of jobs.