The North-West region is considered the main in mechanical engineering and the production of lumber. It contributes to the active movement of scientific and technological progress of the Russian Federation.
The North-West region is an important historical and cultural center of Russia, a forge of professional personnel in various fields of production. It is he who is of significant importance in the country's foreign trade, has a modern port economy, and carries out import and export functions in the Baltic Sea.
Natural resource potential
The Northwest region is not particularly diverse and rich in minerals. The main fuel resources located on its territory are possessed by the northwestern part of the Leningrad Region. Large deposits of natural bauxite were found in the area of Tikhvin. They are considered the optimal raw material for the manufacture of aluminum metal.
We also note the resources of the North-Western region - phosphorites discovered in the amount of more than 200 million tons in the Leningrad region.
Almost throughout the region, glass sands, refractory clays, and limestones are found.
The North-West region is famous for its granites, the deposits of which are in Karelia. Special attention should be paid to forest resources, which are in the Arkhangelsk, Novgorod regions, as well as in the Republic of Karelia.
The northwestern region of Russia is rich in water resources. The largest rivers are located on its territory: Neva, Svir, Northern Dvina. It is in the European North that there are lakes: Ilmen, Onega, Ladoga, Pskov.
Labor resources
The population density is quite high, most of it is located in the Leningrad, Novgorod region, in the Republic of Karelia.
Recently, there has been a tendency towards a decrease in the population in the Murmansk and Arkhangelsk regions.
The composition of the Northwest region is quite diverse. About 5.6% of the total population of the Russian Federation lives on its territory, which occupies about 1% of the total area of the country. The area is characterized by a high urbanization rate. It is in this region that the highest percentage of urban population - 87%. Within the region, the St. Petersburg city agglomeration was formed, in which 80% of the urban population lives.
In the region there are enough highly qualified workforce, there are many centers that train professionals.
Industries
The North-West Economic Region is a diversified region that provides production with important types of products for the national economy of the Russian Federation. Note the most important manufacturing industries:
- chemical production;
- timber industry;
- engineering;
- construction;
- light industry.
In excellent condition at the moment is the fuel and energy and engineering complex. The leading place in the structure of the economy of this region is the engineering complex. The priority role in it belongs to shipbuilding. For example, in Severodvinsk, located on the territory of the Arkhangelsk region, the Zvyozdochka plant operates, where ships for the Russian Federation and other countries are produced annually.
In addition to shipbuilding, in the North-West region there are enterprises associated with energy, electrical, and agricultural engineering. The main enterprises of instrument making, machine tool building, and electronic industry are located in the Leningrad Region and St. Petersburg. For example, among the giants of the machine-building complex located in this region, one can list:
- Kirov Plant, specializing in the production of powerful tractors.
- The Electrosila plant, which produces generators for hydraulic and thermal power plants.
- Nevsky Metallurgical Plant.
- Vyborg shipyard producing bulk carriers, tankers, research and fishing vessels.
- Severodvinsk plant engaged in the creation of nuclear submarines.
Chemical production
The characteristic of the North-Western region involves an assessment of the development of this industry. Of particular importance is the production of synthetic resins, rubber products, plastics, reagents, coatings, pharmaceuticals, acids, mineral fertilizers.
For example, in St. Petersburg and Volkhov, the production of phosphorus compounds in demand in agriculture has been established.
Novgorod plant is based on the manufacture of nitrogen fertilizers. In the North-West region is a large enterprise GSK "Red Triangle", known far beyond the borders of our country.
Forest resources
We noted what is characterized by its geography. The North-Western region is rightly called the forest land. It is in this region that the largest enterprises of the woodworking, pulp and paper industry are concentrated. For example, there are such plants in the territory of Karelia, the Arkhangelsk region.
The largest plants in this industry are:
- Priozersky;
- Svetogorsk;
- Soviet.
Light industry
Here, the main segment belongs to the textile, porcelain and faience, leather and footwear industry. The center of such production is St. Petersburg. Flax production is developed in Pskov, and enterprises specializing in the production of porcelain and faience ware are located in the Novgorod region.
Recently, there has been a large-scale development of the industrial-building complex in the NWFD, which is represented by the glass industry, the manufacture of reinforced concrete structures, and building materials.
Fuel and energy base
It is poorly expressed in the analyzed region. An insufficient number of enterprises engaged in the extraction of peat and oil shale are concentrated on its territory. An oil refinery located in the Leningrad Region stands out among the enterprises. But its functioning is carried out on raw materials.
The Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant operates in the region, with a capacity of 4 million kW. The Leningrad Accumulating Station (LenGAES) is the pride of the NWFD.
The metallurgical complex operating on the territory of the NWFD only partially meets the territory’s needs for metal, steel and cast iron products, rolled products, fasteners, hardware, wire, structural casting.
Due to the scarcity of the raw material base, development in the region of non-ferrous metallurgy is proceeding at a slower pace.
The central place in the agricultural sector is agriculture. The meat, dairy, and flax growing prevail here. Not far from large cities are concentrated pig, dairy, vegetable, poultry farms. In the Pskov region, livestock breeding and grain farming are well developed.
Economic relations and transport
In the North-West Federal District, a developed transport system is concentrated, focused on solving several problems:
- exit through Moscow to the southeastern and southern parts of the Russian Federation and the CIS countries to the Baltic Sea;
- communication of the northern regions of the Russian Federation with the Scandinavian countries;
- communication of the Black Sea and Baltic basins.
There are different directions of railways from St. Petersburg:
- to the Urals (via Vologda and Cherepovets);
- Ukraine and Belarus (via Orsha, Vitebsk, Kharkov);
- to Moscow.
By rail, the Northwest is connected with the North, the Baltic countries. At the St. Petersburg port, the capacity is 25-30 million tons per year. Currently, there is a large-scale construction of new transport systems, a high-speed communication line of Scandinavia and Moscow is functioning.
Conclusion
At the moment, the North-West region is one of the most promising in the Russian Federation. It is here that excellent research bases are formed. For example, in Arkhangelsk on the basis of NArFU them. MV Lomonosov operates a research laboratory that deals with the problems of the Arctic zone.