Russia is a northern country (62% of the territory). The economy of the Russian Federation, strategic goals and currency resources are largely determined by the resource wealth of the northern regions. And the largest economic region of the European part of Russia is the European North, which accounts for 9% of the entire country.
The economy and specialization industries of the European North are based mainly on “primary” activities (natural resources extraction, logging, fishing) and metallurgy, wood processing. In many respects determines the specialization and coastal position of the region. Let's look at the European North. Natural resources, specialization industries, centers - this will be discussed later.
Economic and geographical position
The European North of the Russian Federation includes the Murmansk Region, the Republic of Karelia, the Arkhangelsk Region, the Vologda Region, the Republic of Komi and the Nenets Autonomous District. The population of the region is more than six million people (4% of the number of Russian citizens). Moreover, in the North the lowest population density is only 4 people per square kilometer.
The economic and geographical position is advantageous:
- it is washed by three seas: the Barents, Bely and Kara (two ports are extremely important : non-freezing Murmansk and Arkhangelsk);
- has foreign trade opportunities, as the region borders on Finland and Norway;
- It borders on the economically developed regions of Russia, which concentrate half of the country's population (the Urals, the north-west of the Russian Federation and the Central European part of Russia).
The region is distinguished by difficult natural conditions close to Siberian. Part of the European North is located beyond the Arctic Circle. The region is characterized by permafrost, marshland, strong winds and low temperatures, most of the territory is occupied by tundra, taiga, forest-tundra. In Karelia and the Vologda Oblast, the climate is much milder than in the rest of the European North.
Colonization
The first Slavic settlements appeared in the North a long time ago: the territory attracted people with fur, salt and fish. In the sixteenth century, the development of the North passed through this territory, the first settlements were founded, trade was conducted through the northern ports.
The specialization industries of the European North practically did not develop until the end of the nineteenth century, when foreign capital began to be actively introduced into the forest industry of the region. A new port, a railway, pulp and paper mills and sawmills are under construction. Hundreds of thousands of repressed are exiled to the North and forced labor is used.
In the postwar years, the specialization industries of the European North were replenished with the fuel industry in connection with the discovery of oil, coal and gas fields. And in the southern part of the economic region, a metallurgical plant is being built - one of the largest plants of this type in the country. A few years later, non-ferrous metallurgy is added to the areas of specialization of the European North of Russia.
In the fifties, construction of atomic submarines began in Severodvinsk - it was here that every fourth atomic submarine in the world was launched. At the same time, nuclear weapons are being tested here - first under water and in the atmosphere, and after the conclusion of an international agreement - underground.
Specialization Industries
Today, the main industries of the European North are:
- Metallurgy (both black and non-ferrous).
- Oil industry, coal and gas mining.
- Pulp and paper and forestry, logging.
- Fishing.
- Hydroelectricity
In addition, a cosmodrome is located in Plesetsk, and a submarine production plant in Severodvinsk, as well as the Russian Navy base.
Fuel and energy complex
In the North there is a large number of natural resources available, the development of which is not only technically possible at the present stage, but also economically feasible. The main motive for the development of the region for a long time was the country's need for coal, oil, gas, wood, so the manufacturing industry in the North is poorly developed.
The Komi Republic is rich in coal mainly, the largest deposits of the Pechora basin are concentrated here. Potential resources - more than two hundred billion tons, almost nine billion tons have now been taken into balance. Coal is of high quality, and the cost of production is one and a half times higher than in the Donbass, although the seams are closer to the surface.
Significant oil reserves are concentrated in the Timan-Pechersk TPK - more than eleven million tons. The oil industry of the region today seeks to reduce the cost of transportation and production of resources, initiate exploration in the northern seas and develop promising fields, as well as carry out reconstruction of production facilities.
The gas industry in the region’s economy is the youngest and most promising. But the main feature of such a resource is that it must be supplied to the consumer immediately after production, so that production, transportation and gas consumption are closely related links. Today, the region is betting on the construction of a gas transmission system and the development of promising fields, since most production sites now have only local significance.
Metallurgical complex
Specializations in the European North include non-ferrous and ferrous metallurgy. More than 15% of pig iron and almost 13% of steel in Russia are smelted in this economic region. In the sectoral structure of the region, ferrous metallurgy is 18%.
Non-ferrous metallurgy in the European North specializes mainly in nickel and aluminum. Enterprises are distinguished by complex processing of raw materials, so that in the process of recycling production waste it is also possible to obtain sulfuric acid, heat-insulating boards and mineral wool.
Agriculture of the region
The characteristics of the specialization industry in the European North are the most insignificant. The agricultural complex is very poorly developed, dairy cattle breeding (south of the region), hunting and reindeer husbandry (along the coast) predominate. In the river valleys, mostly unpretentious crops are grown: potatoes, rye, barley, oats, some vegetables, flax and fodder crops. The fishing industry stands out .
The importance of the region in the Russian economy
The European North (industries of industrial specialization) today already seems inexhaustible in terms of quantity and quality of resources. The development of the region’s resources has already been going on for about 50-60 years, while the average development period for one medium-sized field is 30-40 years, while small fields die out after 5-15 years of active development.
According to experts, today about 30% of gas reserves have been explored, and more than 22% has already been developed. As for oil, more than 50% of deposits have been explored, more than 30% have been developed.
Since the beginning of the nineties, the rate of oil and gas production in the North has been declining. Some regions are characterized by a shortage of electric energy, an underdeveloped transport network, and environmental problems. The main tasks are:
- Transition to energy-saving technologies.
- Infrastructure development (including transport).
- Transition to the use of ecologically safe energy sources.
- The population is in dire need of better housing conditions.
The importance of the North for the Russian economy is extremely great, but if you turn a blind eye to the existing problems, then in a few decades this region will not only not be suitable for life at all, but will lose its economic attractiveness. The prospects of the Russian Federation to a large extent depend precisely on the fact how comprehensively, efficiently and safely the potentials of the northern territories of the country will be used.