Siberia occupies a vast geographical area of Russia. Once, it included such neighboring states as Mongolia, Kazakhstan and part of China. Today this territory belongs to the purely Russian Federation. Despite the huge area, there are relatively few settlements in Siberia. Most of the region is occupied by the tundra and the steppe.
Description of Siberia
The entire territory is divided into Eastern and Western regions. In rare cases, theologians also determine the Southern region, which is the highlands of Altai. The area of Siberia is about 12.6 million square meters. km This is approximately 73.5% of the total territory of the Russian Federation. Interestingly, Siberia is larger in area than Canada.
From the main natural zones, in addition to the Eastern and Western regions, the Baikal region and the Altai mountains are distinguished . The largest rivers are the Yenisei, Irtysh, Angara, Ob, Amur and Lena. The most significant lake areas are Taimyr, Baikal and Ubsu-Nur.
From an economic point of view, the centers of the region can be called cities such as Novosibirsk, Tyumen, Omsk, Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, Ulan-Ude, Tomsk, etc.
The highest point in Siberia is Mount Belukha - over 4.5 thousand meters.
Population history
The first inhabitants of the region, historians call the tribes of Samoyeds. This people lived in the northern part. Due to the harsh climate, the only occupation was reindeer herding. They ate mainly fish from adjacent lakes and rivers. In the southern part of Siberia, the Mansi people lived. Their favorite thing was hunting. Mansi traded in fur, which was highly valued by Western merchants.
Türks are another significant population of Siberia. Inhabited the upper river Ob. They were engaged in blacksmithing and cattle breeding. Many tribes of the Türks were nomadic. A little west of the mouth of the Ob lived the Buryats. They became famous for the mining and processing of iron.
The largest ancient population of Siberia was represented by the Tungus tribes. They settled in the territory from the Sea of Okhotsk to the Yenisei. They earned their living from reindeer husbandry, hunting and fishing. The more prosperous were engaged in craft.
Thousands of Eskimos were located on the coast of the Chukchi Sea. These tribes have long had the slowest cultural and social development. Their only tools are a stone ax and a spear. Mainly engaged in hunting and gathering.
In the 17th century there was a sharp jump in the development of the Yakuts and Buryats, as well as the northern Tatars.
Native people
The population of Siberia today is made up of dozens of peoples. Each of them, according to the Constitution of Russia, has its own right to national identification. Many peoples of the Northern region even received autonomy within the Russian Federation with all the ensuing branches of self-government. This contributed not only to the lightning-fast development of the culture and economy of the region, but also to the preservation of local traditions and customs.
The indigenous population of Siberia is largely composed of Yakuts. Their number varies within 480 thousand people. Most of the population is concentrated in the city of Yakutsk - the capital of Yakutia.
The next largest people are the Buryats. There are more than 460 thousand people. The capital of Buryatia is the city of Ulan-Ude. The main asset of the republic is Lake Baikal. It is interesting that this particular region is recognized as one of the main Buddhist centers of Russia.
Tuvans - the population of Siberia, which according to the latest census totals about 264 thousand people. In the Republic of Tuva, shamans are still revered.
Almost equally the population of such peoples as Altai and Khakasses: 72 thousand people each. The indigenous inhabitants of the districts are adherents of Buddhism.
The Nenets population is only 45 thousand people. They live on the
Kola Peninsula. Throughout their history, the Nenets were famous nomads. Today, their priority income is reindeer husbandry.
Also on the territory of Siberia there live such peoples as Evenks, Chukchi, Khanty, Shors, Mansi, Koryak, Selkups, Nanai, Tatars, Chuvans, Teleuts, Kets, Aleuts and many others. Each of them has its own centuries-old traditions and legends.
Population size
The dynamics of the demographic component of the region varies significantly every few years. This is due to the massive relocation of young people to the southern cities of Russia and the sharp jumps in fertility and mortality. There are relatively few immigrants in Siberia. The reason for this is the harsh climate and the specific conditions for life in the villages.
According to the latest data, the population of Siberia is about 40 million people. This is more than 27% of the total number of people living in Russia. By region, the population is evenly distributed. In the northern part of Siberia, large settlements are absent due to poor living conditions. On average, 0.5 square meters per person here. km of land.
The most densely populated cities are Novosibirsk and Omsk - 1.57 and 1.05 million inhabitants, respectively. Further, Krasnoyarsk, Tyumen and Barnaul are located by this criterion.
The peoples of Western Siberia
Cities account for about 71% of the total region. Most of the population is concentrated in the Kemerovo and Khanty-Mansiysk districts. Nevertheless, the Altai Republic is considered the agricultural center of the Western region. It is noteworthy that the Kemerovo district ranks first in terms of population density - 32 people / sq. km
The population of Western Siberia is 50% composed of able-bodied residents. Most of the employment is in industry and agriculture.
The region has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, with the exception of Tomsk Oblast and Khanty-Mansiysk.
Today, the population of Western Siberia is Russians, Khanty, Nenets, Turki. By religion, there are Orthodox Christians, Muslims, and Buddhists.
The population of Eastern Siberia
The proportion of urban residents varies within 72%. The most economically developed are the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Irkutsk Region. From the point of view of agriculture, the Buryat district is considered the most important point in the region.
Every year the population of Eastern Siberia is becoming smaller. Recently, there has been a sharp negative dynamics in migration and fertility. It also has the lowest
population density in the country. In some areas, it is 33 square meters. km per person. The unemployment rate is high.
The ethnic composition includes such peoples as the Mongols, Turks, Russians, Buryats, Evenks, Dolgans, Kets, etc. Most of the population are Orthodox and Buddhists.