In the Russian Federation, there are 12 economic regions that are defined as territorial units of the country: Central, Central Black Earth, Far East, East Siberian, North Caucasus, Northwest, Server, Volga, Ural, Volga-Vyatka, Kaliningrad, West Siberian .
The economy of the region is influenced by many factors: territory, climate and social specifics.
Consider the North Caucasus Economic Region of Russia. This subject is of great importance in the economic and financial activities of the country. This is due to its geographical location and natural features.
General information
The territory of the North Caucasus makes up 2% of the total area of the country, and the area of the entire North Caucasus economic region is 380 thousand km 2 .
The population is about 22 451 100 people. This is approximately 15% of the total population of the country.
The structure includes the subjects of the North Caucasus Economic Region: Rostov Region, Stavropol Territory, Krasnodar Territory, the Republic of Adygea, Chechen, Ingush, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkess, Dagestan, North Ossetia.
Natural conditions
The natural reliefs of the North Caucasus are very diverse: the natural composition of the North Caucasus Economic Region includes mountainous areas with ridges and steppe, boiling fast mountain rivers and sometimes drying out lakes, subtropical vegetation of the Black Sea coast and snow-capped mountain peaks.
Here is the highest mountain peak in the Russian Federation - the city of Elbrus. According to the natural environment, the district is divided into three parts:
Plain part | Foothill part | Mountain part |
It occupies a vast territory from the Don river to the Terek and Kuban rivers | It is located south and stretches from the northwest to the southeast. In this part, fertile land on the plain and large areas of pasture in the foothills. The foothill part passes into the mountain system of the Caucasus | The mountainous part is the ridges of the Caucasus Mountains. Mountain area equipped for mining |
The mountain rivers of the region are used in hydropower, and the flat rivers for irrigation. The area is unevenly provided with water resources. In the western part of the water is much more, especially on the mountain slopes and on the Black Sea coast. The northeastern part is arid. There is catastrophic little water.
Geographical position
The North Caucasus Economic Region is very favorably located. There are 3 main factors of a successful geographical location:
- There is access to three water basins - the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea and the Sea of Azov. The access of the North Caucasus to three seas affects the economic relations and the specifics of the region’s economy. A plus is the developed economic ties with the countries of the Middle East and the Middle East. Sea transportations pass through the ports of Tuapse, Makhachkala, Novorossiysk and Taganrog.
- The North Caucasian economic region borders on Georgia, Ukraine and Azerbaijan, and this contributes to the strengthening of economic and economic ties between the countries. The downside is that in these neighboring countries, internal political conflicts have not stopped lately.
- On the territory of the North Caucasus there are important highways: rail, pipeline and automobile, which connect Russia with other countries.
Due to its good geographical location, the North Caucasus Economic Region is stable in terms of marketing of finished products. In internal exchange, the North Caucasus is a supplier of agricultural products, petrochemicals, textile and food industries.
Climate
The climate of the North Caucasus is as diverse as its natural topography. The North Caucasus is characterized by a temperate continental climate, and on the Black Sea coast the climate is subtropical.
Part of the flat terrain is a steppe zone with fertile chernozem soils, but to the east the steppe becomes a semi-desert.
From Novorossiysk to Batumi, broad-leaved forests grow on red soil and black soil. The mountain slopes of the Caucasus ranges reach a height of more than 2000 meters. They are covered by forests on forest soils, and above - alpine meadows. Mountain peaks are covered with glaciers and snow.
Labor and population
The growth rates of the population of the North Caucasus Economic Region are much higher than the indicators in the country - the natural growth is quite high.
There is an excess of labor resources in the district, and the population is unevenly distributed throughout the territory. The population density is 48 people per 1 km 2 .
3/5 of the district’s population are concentrated in the Rostov Region and Krasnodar Territory. The highest population density indicators are observed in the foothills, as they are intensively engaged in agriculture and need labor.
In the arid regions of Dagestan and Stavropol Territory, the population is small, as the climate is difficult and people do not go there for permanent residence, but instead move to other regions.
District Economy
The North Caucasus Economic Region is a strong industrial and agricultural activity. Intersectoral complexes form the basis of the region’s economic well-being. In a market economy, the promotion and development of the agro-industrial, machine-building and fuel sectors is carried out most reasonably and productively.
The food industry of the North Caucasus accounts for about 29% of the total production of the region, 2% - for light industry.
Agro-industrial complex
Thanks to good climatic conditions, the economy of the North Caucasus Economic Region is well developed. Agricultural sectors are crucial in the division of labor. The North Caucasus accounts for 14% of the total cultivated area of the country. Almost 75% of all land in the region is used for agricultural purposes.
The North Caucasus ranks first in grain collection in Russia - 20% of the gross harvest, as well as 25% of the gross harvest of beets, 50% - sunflower seeds, 30% - berries and fruit crops.
However, the numbers that we see now are slightly less than what they were in the 90s of the 20th century. Now production volumes have decreased slightly, because there was a big restructuring of the economy in the agricultural sector. There are not so many farms and cooperatives that are created instead of collective farms.
Agriculture
In the North Caucasus, agriculture occupies one of the main positions in agriculture. Good chernozem soil and favorable climate conditions allow you to grow more than 90 crops. The area is a leader in the sowing of wheat and corn, rice and sugar beets. The most common crop is wheat, since the largest areas for sowing are allocated for it in the Krasnodar Territory and Stavropol Territory. In the North Caucasus, the lowest cost of grains of this crop in the country.
Corn is grown here for fodder grain - it is in the climate of the North Caucasus that it ripens to maximum ripeness. Also for fodder needs use legumes - barley, buckwheat.
As for sugar beets, here its cultivation is not as effective as in other regions due to the fact that it has a low sugar content. This is explained by the fact that in the North Caucasus there is a short period during which the process of accumulation of sugars in sugar beets takes place.
Industry
The base of the North Caucasus economy is electric power. In many areas, thermal and hydraulic power plants have been erected. The largest thermal power plants are located in Krasnodar, Novocherkassk, Grozny. The most significant: Tsimlyanskaya (on the Don river), Baksanskaya (on the Terek river), Belorechenskaya (on the Belaya river).
The largest hydroelectric power station was built on the Sulak- Chirkey hydroelectric station. The power supply system is connected to the Volga region.
Minerals
The resources of the North Caucasus Economic Region occupy the decisive position of the country as a whole. Most of the mining is carried out in the oil and gas industry. In the Krasnodar Territory, natural gas is being extracted, and associated gas in Chechnya. Most of the balance of gas resources found in the Stavropol Territory. Gas pipelines connect the extraction site with processing enterprises and supply gas outside the borders of the North Caucasus Economic Region:
- Stavropol - Moscow;
- Stavropol - Grozny - Vladikavkaz;
- Kuban - Rostov-on-Don - St. Petersburg.
It also produces very valuable raw materials for the chemical industry - gas condensate.
In the Rostov region there are places of coal mining: Belaya Kalitva and Novoshakhtinsk. In small quantities, coal is mined in the Stavropol Territory and in Kabardino-Balkaria.
They are engaged in ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy in the region: a tungsten-molybdenum plant was built in the city of Tyrnyauz .
Metallurgical plants in Taganrog and Krasnosulinsk produce steel and pipes.
It can also be noted the extraction of rock salts, phosphate ores, gypsum and phosphorites. North Ossetia has the largest dolomite deposits in the country, used in metallurgy and the chemical industry
The North Caucasus Economic Region is a luxury region for the choice of building materials. The cement raw material base is located near the Novorossiysk region, and marble raw materials are in the Teberda region.
To grow and strengthen the raw material base of the region and to solve the problems of the North Caucasus economic region, it is necessary to develop new deposits and introduce the latest methods of resource extraction.
Ski tourism
In the Caucasus, there are huge opportunities for recreation: magnificent landscapes and different landscapes, slopes for lovers of winter sports, healing mineral springs, which are famous all over the world.
Ski resorts in the North Caucasus Economic Region are a budget option for fans of this sport. The most popular resorts are Elbrus and Krasnaya Polyana. All resorts have routes of varying difficulty, equipped in accordance with safety regulations.
The Western Caucasus is the most interesting part for tourists. The landscape is made up of forests and mountains with peaks covered in snow and ice. This area is popular in winter among skiers and snowboarders, and in summer lovers of mountain tourism, hiking and just outdoor activities come here from all over Russia.
Climbers come to conquer the Central Caucasus year-round - the height of the mountain peaks is more than 4000 m, and the most famous mountain in Europe, Elbrus, is located here.
The East Caucasus is a series of deep gorges and mountain labyrinths. Climbers also come here.
Summer rest
For summer holidays there are two coasts - the Caspian and the Black Sea. On the Black Sea, mostly sandy beaches, during the holiday season there are very crowded. The Caspian Sea is rich in rocky beaches. However, there is sand too.
Treatment
The most common treatment region is the Caucasian Mineral Waters (Essentuki, Kislovodsk). Since the 19th century people from the highest nobility from all over the Russian state came here to improve their health. Nowadays, such a vacation is available to anyone, the choice of health facilities is great.
Mineral waters treat a huge list of diseases. Water removes toxins from the body, improves digestion, positively affects the work of the kidneys and liver. They take water inside, bathe in it, make a shower massage and much more.
Conclusion
In general, the characteristic of the North Caucasian economic region is positive: the region is very successful in geographical location and climate, washed by three seas, containing several climatic zones. Due to the warm climate and mild, short winters, it is possible to grow the main grain and fruit crops that are delivered to many regions of Russia. The restructuring of the 90s had a great influence on the agro-industrial complex - a significant decline in production was observed. But now it is safe to say that the North Caucasus is growing and flourishing in the economic sphere.
One cannot but mention developed tourism: people from all over Russia come here. In summer, to relax and restore the body to the sea, and in winter, to enjoy plenty of skiing or snowboarding. Also, many wellness pensions have been erected and equipped here.
So we evaluated the EGP of the North Caucasus Economic Region. Of course, there are problems in the region, for example, borders with countries in which political or national conflicts arise. But this does not affect the economic well-being of the region. The North Caucasus Economic Region includes areas rich in natural resources. Do not forget about the good climate.