The resources of Eastern Siberia are briefly the most important. Natural resources of Eastern Siberia

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Natural conditions and resources of Eastern Siberia

Bibliography

1. Natural resource potential of Eastern Siberia

East Siberian economic region.

The East Siberian region includes the Krasnoyarsk Territory with the Taimyr (Dolgano-Nenets) and Evenki Autonomous Okrugs, the Irkutsk Region with the Ust-Orda Buryat Autonomous Okrug, Chita region with the Aginsky Buryat Autonomous Okrug, the Republics of Khakassia, Tyva, Buryatia. Area 4.1 million sq. km., population 9 million people. The economic and geographical position of the region is unfavorable:

It is remote from the developed economic regions of the country and centers of export-import operations;

Most of its territory belongs to the regions of the Far North, as a result of which it is poorly populated and infrastructurally developed; transport routes pass in the far south of the region;

A significant part of the region is mountainous, limiting the economic use of the territory.

Natural conditions and resources.

Thousands of kilometers of high-water rivers, endless taiga, mountains and plateaus, low-lying tundra plains - this is the diverse nature of Eastern Siberia. The territory of the region is 4.1 million km. sq.

The climate is sharply continental, with large amplitudes of temperature fluctuations (very Cold winter and hot summer).

The peculiarity of Eastern Siberia is exclusively wide use throughout the permafrost area. Almost a quarter of the territory lies beyond the Arctic Circle. Natural areas are replaced in the latitudinal direction sequentially: arctic deserts, tundra, forest-tundra, taiga (most of the territory), in the south there are areas of forest-steppe and steppe. In terms of forest reserves, the region ranks first in the country (surplus forest). Most of the territory is occupied by the East Siberian Plateau. Lowland areas Eastern Siberia in the south and east is bordered by mountains (Yenisei Ridge, Sayan Mountains, Baikal Mountain country). Peculiarities geological structure(a combination of ancient and younger rocks) determine the diversity of minerals. The upper tier of the Siberian Platform located here is represented by sedimentary rocks. The formation of the largest coal basin in Siberia, the Tunguska, is associated with them.

Brown coal reserves of the Kansk-Achinsk and Lena basins are confined to the sedimentary rocks of the troughs on the outskirts of the Siberian platform. And the formation of the Angaro-Ilimsk and other large deposits of iron ore and gold is associated with the Precambrian rocks of the lower layer of the Siberian Platform. A large oil field was discovered in the middle reaches of the Podkamennaya Tungussk (Evenkia) River.

The natural resource potential of Eastern Siberia is second in scale only to the neighboring West Siberian region.

The complex geological structure of the region's territory has determined the presence of rich and varied mineral resources, however, it should be noted that the level of geological knowledge of Eastern Siberia remains quite low.

Combustible minerals.

Western Siberia is one of the regions with a high supply of natural resources. Leading place Fuel and energy resources occupy the mineral resource base of Siberia. In terms of oil reserves and natural gas Western Siberia is in first place in the country, providing the bulk of the production of these types of resources. Oil reserves Western Siberia amount to 13.8 billion tons, which is comparable to the reserves of Iraq (13.2), Kuwait (13.1), United United Arab Emirates(12.6) and Iran (12.1 billion tons). The region produces 3/4 of Russian oil and 9/10 of gas. On the territory of Western Siberia there are the largest oil fields: Samotlorskoye, Mamontovskoye, Fedorovskoye, Priobskoye. In total, about 400 oil, over 30 gas, oil and gas, and about 80 oil and gas condensate fields have been discovered in Western Siberia. Among combustible minerals, hard and brown coals stand out for their enormous reserves.

One of the largest coal basins world is the Tunguska, but difficult natural conditions and poor economic development of the territory do not currently allow the development of most deposits.

Main gas resource area Western Siberia (and all of Russia) is located in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug.

According to RAO Gazprom, the region has almost 21 trillion. m? gas, including at the largest Urengoy field - 6.7 trillion. m?. Most of the fields in the Nadym-Pur-Tazovsky region have entered the stage of declining production (except for the Yamburgskoye field). An increase in gas production volumes in Western Siberia is possible due to the commissioning of new fields on the Yamal Peninsula and those located on the shelf Kara Sea. Eastern Siberia ranks second in Russia after Western Siberia in terms of predicted resources of oil, natural gas and condensate. Its territory contains half of the hydrocarbon resources of the eastern part of the country. The largest oil reserves were discovered by geologists within the south of the Evenki Autonomous Okrug (Yurubcheno-Tokhomsky district). Potential production here can reach 60 million tons per year (1/5 of modern all-Russian oil production).

The largest explored gas fields in the region are Sobinskoye (Evenki Autonomous Okrug) and Kovyktinskoye (Irkutsk region). Confirmed gas reserves of the southern and central parts Eastern Siberia make it possible to ensure its production in the amount of 60 billion m? per year, sufficient for gasification of the entire south of Eastern Siberia and the planned gas export in the amount of about 30 billion m? per year to China and other countries East Asia. There are natural gas reserves in the north Krasnoyarsk Territory(Messoyakha field on the border with the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug).

In the south of Western Siberia, mainly in the Kemerovo region, there is the country's largest coal mining basin - Kuznetsky (Kuzbass). The total geological reserves of coal in Kuzbass amount to 725 billion tons (up to a depth of 1800 m). About a third of Kuznetsk coal is coking, the rest is thermal. Currently, Western Siberia provides over 70% of all-Russian oil production, 91% of gas, about 30% of production coal. 26% of the country's proven coal reserves are concentrated within Eastern Siberia (large coal basins: Kansko-Achinsky, Irkutsk-Cheremkhovo, Minusinsk). Coal reserves of the giant basins (Tunguska, Taimyr, North Taimyr, West Side Lensky) are reserved for the long term.

Huge reserves of peat are concentrated in Western Siberia, reaching 100 billion tons (50-60% of all-Russian reserves), but they are little used. In Transbaikalia, the Krasnokamensky mine is being developed, where uranium is mined. But open-pit mining of brown coals from the Kansk-Achinsk basin is extremely effective (the main deposits are Berezovskoye, Nazarovskoye, Bogotolskoye, Irsha-Borodinskoye, Abanskoye, and in the West Siberian region - Itatskoye). The pool is located in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, as well as partially in the Irkutsk and Kemerovo regions. Explored reserves of brown coal amount to more than 80 billion tons. Coal deposits were discovered at the end of the 18th century, and industrial mining has been carried out since 1905.

Among other basins, the coal basins stand out: Irkutsk (Cheremkhovskoe), Minusinsk (open and underground mining) and Tuvinsky, as well as the Azei lignite deposit near Tulun. Of great importance for Norilsk industrial hub mining of brown coal in the Ust-Yenisei basin.

Unlike Western Siberia, the East Siberian region is not rich in oil and natural gas reserves; the fields of the Yenisei-Anabar oil and gas province (gas of low quality) are exploited. The Leno-Tunguska oil and gas province covers the Central Siberian Plateau (north and center of the Kranoyarsk Territory and north and west of the Irkutsk region). As a result of lengthy searches, the first deposit was discovered in 1962 - Markovskoye; by 1995, about 20 deposits were known. Currently, the development of the largest Kovykta gas condensate field in Eastern Siberia and the Far East (Irkutsk region, southeast of Ust-Kut) is beginning. Oil has also been discovered in the Ust-Orda Buryat Autonomous Okrug. There are deposits of uranium ores in the Krasnoyarsk Territory (the village of Karatuzskoye, the village of Kuragino), the Irkutsk and Chita regions (the village of Chunsky and the village of Ulety, respectively).

Metallic minerals.

Eastern Siberia is exceptionally rich in metallic minerals, including ores of ferrous metals (iron, manganese, tungsten, molybdenum, cobalt), non-ferrous (copper, nickel, lead-zinc, tin, mercury, aluminum, titanium), and precious ones. The largest iron ore basin in the region is the Angaro-Pitsky (50% iron content, quarrying is possible), the Angaro-Ilimsky ore district has half the reserves (the largest exploited deposits are Korshunovskoye (open-pit mining, iron content 28%, annual production 9 million tons, center - Zheleznogorsk-Ilimsky) and Rudnogorskoye, Tagarskoye and Neryundinskoye) and Berezovskoye (in the Priargunsky region) have been explored, in Khakassia the Abagaskoye, Teyskoye and Abakanskoye deposits are being developed, and in the southwest of the Krasnoyarsk Territory - Irbinskoye and Krasnokamenskoye.

In the north-west of the Yenisei Ridge, a deposit of manganese ores was discovered relatively recently. In Transbaikalia there is a large number of deposits of tungsten and molybdenum ores, among them are Dzhidinskoye, Zhirekenskoye, Shakhtominskoye and Davendinskoye; the large Sorskoye deposit is located in Khakassia. In Tyva, the Khovu-Aksinsky cobalt ore deposit is exploited. In the Norilsk region there is the largest group of deposits in Russia (Norilskoye, Talnakhskoye, Oktyabrskoye) of copper-nickel ores, also containing nickel, cobalt, platinum, rare metals. The development of one of the world's largest Udokan copper ore deposits in the north has great prospects Chita region, which they are starting to master. In the 60s, the Gorevskoye deposit of polymetallic ores was discovered in the lower reaches of the Angara (a significant part of the deposit is located under the waters of the Angara River). The Etykinskoe tin ore deposit is located in Eastern Transbaikalia, there are deposits of mercury ores in Tyva (Terlighaiskoye and Chazadyrskoye).

High-quality bauxites were discovered in the Irkutsk region (near Tulun) and in the south of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Titanium ores have been discovered in the Chita region (Kruchinskoye deposit) and Buryatia (Arsentyevskoye deposit). Eastern Siberia is the oldest gold mining region in Russia, the largest deposits are developed in the Chita (Baleevskoye, Taseevskoye, Darasunskoye and Klyuchevskoye) and Irkutsk (Bodaibo, Sukhoi Log) regions.

In addition, 76.5% of Russian nickel is mined in Siberia in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. More than 90% of Russian production is provided by the vertically integrated company OJSC MMC Norilsk Nickel, which owns the developed deposits of the Norilsk region of the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Murmansk region.

Non-metallic minerals.

Non-metallic minerals also represent another wealth of the area. Powerful reserves of potassium salts were discovered in 1977 in the north of the Irkutsk region - the Nepa-Gazhensky potassium basin (and the forecast for the presence of potassium salts was given back in 1938). The basin includes the world's largest Nepa field.

Transparent micas (muscovite) are mined in the Mamsko-Chuysky district in the northeast of the Irkutsk region (10 deposits, open-pit and underground mining). In the north-west of the Krasnoyarsk Territory there are the Noginskoye and Kureyskoye graphite deposits, in the west of Buryatia - the Bogotolskoye deposit (mined since 1847).

Deposits of non-metallic raw materials are available in Eastern Sayan- Ilchirskoye (asbestos), Onotskoye (talc), Savinskoye (magnesite), asbestos is mined at the Ak-Dovurakskoye deposit in Tyva. Iceland spar deposits are located in the Lower Tunguska basin.

In Transbaikalia there are widespread deposits of fluorite (fluorspar) - a valuable raw material for various industries industry (Kalanguiskoye, Abagatui and Solnechnoye mines).

In the north-east of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, chrysolite is mined at the Kugdinskoye deposit. The Sherlovogorsk deposit of sky blue aquamarine is located in the Chita region.

The Malobystrinskoye deposit (standard bright blue lapis lazuli), Tuldunskoye (agate), Ospinskoye (jade), Usubayskoye and Bolshegremyachinskoye (rhodonite), and Lilac Stone (charoite) are famous for their jewelry and ornamental stones. Mammoth ivory is mined on the coast of the East Siberian Sea and the Laptev Sea.

In the south of the region, huge reserves of mineral construction raw materials (rubble, crushed stone, sand, gravel) are concentrated in the mountains. In Khakassia, the Kibik-Kordon deposit of highly decorative marble is being developed - the largest in Russia.

It should also be noted that significant reserves of various minerals (oil, natural gas, coal, ferrous and non-ferrous metal ores, Iceland spar, gems, diamonds) have been discovered on the territory of the Evenki Autonomous Okrug, but their extraction is not currently underway.

Hydrography.

The area is exceptionally rich in water resources. Eastern Siberia ranks first in the country in hydropower reserves. Here is Lake Baikal - unique natural object, which contains about 1/5 of the world's reserves fresh water. Exactly this deep lake in the world. The deepest river is the Yenisei. The country's largest hydroelectric power stations (Krasnoyarsk, Sayano-Shushenskaya, Bratsk and others) were built on this river and on one of its tributaries - the Angara.

Vegetation.

Eastern Siberia is also rich in forest resources (234,464 thousand hectares); the largest timber reserves in Russia are concentrated in its forests, which occupy approximately half of the region’s territory.

Forest resources are characterized by an exceptional predominance of coniferous species (more than 90% of forests are larch, pine, spruce, cedar, fir), compactness of massifs, high economic efficiency logging

2. The role of thermal power plants in the development of the Russian electric power industry

The total electricity production in Russia in 2002 amounted to 886 billion kWh. Thermal power plants, which use coal, gas and fuel oil as fuel, play a significant role in its generation - they accounted for 67.8% of all electricity produced, i.e., 583 billion kWh.

Thermal power plants are the main type of power plants in Russia. Among them, the main role is played by powerful (more than 2 million kW) state district power plants - state-owned regional power plants that meet the needs of the economic region and operate in energy systems. Most Russian cities are supplied by thermal power plants.

CHPs are often used in cities - combined heat and power plants that produce not only electricity, but also heat in the form hot water. Such a system is quite impractical because, unlike electric cables, the reliability of heating mains is extremely low long distances, the efficiency of district heating is also greatly reduced during transmission. It is estimated that with a length of heating mains of more than 20 km. ( typical situation for most cities) installation of an electric boiler separately standing house becomes economically profitable.

The location of thermal power plants is mainly influenced by fuel and consumer factors.

The most powerful thermal power plants are located in places where fuel is produced. Thermal power plants using local types of fuel (peat, shale, low-calorie and high-ash coals) are consumer-oriented and at the same time located at sources of fuel resources.

Large thermal power plants are coal-fired power plants in the Kansk-Achinsk basin, Berezovskaya State District Power Plant-1 and State District Power Plant-2. Surgutskaya GRES-2, Urengoyskaya GRES (operates on gas).

Thermal power plants will remain the basis of the electric power industry in the long term.

According to experts, their production will increase by 2020 to 850 billion kWh.

3. Large economic regions of Russia

eastern siberian vegetation geographical

Bibliography

1. Gladky Yu.N. and others. Economic and social geography of Russia. - M.: Gardarika, Lit. Publishing agency "Kafedra-M", 1999. - 752 p.

2. Distribution of production forces / Edited by Kistanov V.V., Kopylov N.V. - M.: Education, 2002.

3. Regional economy: Textbook for universities / T.G. Morozova, M.P. Pobedina, G.B. Polyak et al., ed. prof. T.G. Morozova. - M.: Banks and exchanges, UNITY, - 1995. - 304 p.

4. Regional economics: Textbook / Ed. M.V. Stepanova. - M.: INFRA-M, Publishing house Ros. econ. acad., 2002. - 463 p. - (Series “Higher Education”).

5. Economic and social geography of Russia: Textbook for universities / Ed. A.T. Khrushchev. - M.: KRON-PRESS, 1997. - 352 p.

6. Economical geography/ V.P. Zheltikov, N.G. Kuznetsov, S.G. Tyaglov. Series "Textbooks and teaching aids". Rostov n/d: Phoenix, 2001. pp. 46-48.

7. Economic geography of Russia. Yu.N. Gladky, V.A. Dobroskok, S.P. Semenov ( tutorial) // Moscow, 2001.

8. Atlas Economic and Social Geography of Russia, grades 8-9, with a set contour maps- M., 2005.

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Economic-geographical location

Eastern Siberia is located far from the most developed regions of the country, between the West Siberian and Far Eastern economic regions. Only in the south do the railways (Trans-Siberian and Baikal-Amur) pass, and the Yenisei provides short navigation with the Northern Sea Route.

Natural conditions and resources

Thousands of kilometers of high-water rivers, endless taiga, mountains and plateaus, low-lying tundra plains - such is the nature of Eastern Siberia. Territory - 5.9 million km 2.

The most significant plain is the East Siberian Plateau. The upper tier of the Siberian Platform located here is represented by sedimentary rocks. The formation of the largest coal basin in Siberia, the Tunguska, is connected with them. Brown coal reserves of the Kansk-Achinsk and Lena basins are confined to the sedimentary rocks of the troughs on the outskirts of the platform. And the formation of the Angaro-Ilimsk and other large deposits of iron ore and gold is associated with the Precambrian rocks of the lower stage of the Siberian Platform. The plains of Eastern Siberia in the south and east are bordered by mountains (Yenisei Ridge, Sayan Mountains, Baikal Mountains).

The climate is sharply continental, with large amplitudes of temperature fluctuations (very cold winters and hot summers). Almost a quarter of the territory lies beyond the Arctic Circle. Natural zones change in the latitudinal direction: arctic deserts, tundra, forest-tundra, taiga (most of the territory), in the south there are areas of forest-steppe and steppe. The region ranks first in the country in terms of forest reserves.

Eastern Siberia has huge reserves of various minerals (coal, copper-nickel, polymetallic ores, gold, mica, graphite). The conditions for their development are extremely difficult due to the harsh climate and permafrost, the thickness of which in some places exceeds 1000 m, and which is distributed throughout almost the entire region. Lake Baikal - a unique natural object - contains about 1/5 of the world's fresh water reserves.

The hydropower resources of Eastern Siberia are enormous. The deepest river is the Yenisei. Largest hydroelectric power stations Russia was built on this river and its tributary the Angara.

Population

Eastern Siberia is one of the most sparsely populated regions of Russia (9.3 million people, average density - 2 people per 1 km 2, in the Evenki and Taimyr Autonomous Okrugs - 0.003-0.006 people). The population lives in the south, mainly in the strip adjacent to the Siberian Railway, BAM and Lake Baikal. The population of Cisbaikalia is higher than that of Transbaikalia. In the vast expanses of tundra and taiga, the population is sparse; it lives in “foci” along river valleys and intermountain basins.

The majority of the population is Russian. In addition to Russians, there live Buryats, Tuvinians, Khakassians, and in the north - Nenets and Evenks. The urban population predominates (72%).

Farm

Industries of specialization in Eastern Siberia- electric power, metallurgy, chemical and forestry industries.

The core of the modern economy is electric power. The most powerful thermal power plants in the region are Nazarovo, Chita, Gusinoozerskaya State District Power Plant, Norilsk and Irkutsk Thermal Power Plants. A number of the largest state district power plants are still planned to be built on coal from the Kansk-Achinsk basin (Berezovsky and others), which stretches 800 km along the Trans-Siberian Railway, starting west of Achinsk. A hundred-meter layer of brown coal lies close to the surface here; mining is carried out in large open-pit mines. These are thermal coals, which are more profitable to burn in the furnaces of large power plants than to transport over long distances (KA-TEK - Kansk-Achinsk Fuel and Energy Complex).

Eastern Siberia is distinguished by the largest hydroelectric power stations in the country: on the Yenisei (Krasnoyarsk and Sayano-Shushenskaya with a capacity of over 6 million kW); on the Angara (Bratskaya, Ust-Ilimskaya, Boguchanskaya, Irkutsk hydroelectric power stations). The district's power plants are united by power lines and connected to the power grid of Western Siberia.

Producing cheap electricity and having a variety of raw materials, the region is developing energy-intensive industries. This is, firstly, aluminum smelting (Shelekhovo, Bratsk, Krasnoyarsk). Raw materials - local nephelines. Their complex processing with the associated production of cement and soda makes aluminum production in Eastern Siberia the cheapest.

Further, the mining of gold, silver, molybdenum, tungsten, nickel, and lead-zinc ore was developed. In some areas, factories are being created at the mining site - for example, the Norilsk copper-nickel plant, where chemical products and building materials are produced along with the smelting of metals. (The city has a very difficult environmental situation).

Oil refining and chemical industry is represented by enterprises in the cities of Angarsk, Usolye-Sibirskoye and Zima. Oil refining (an oil pipeline from Western Siberia), the production of synthetic ammonia, nitric acid, nitrate, alcohols, resins, soda, plastics, etc. were developed there. The Krasnoyarsk complex specializes in the chemical processing of wood, the production of synthetic rubber and fibers, tires, polymers and mineral fertilizers. Thus, chemical plants operate on waste from the pulp and paper industry, on the basis of oil refining, on local coal resources, on cheap electricity, and water is provided by the rivers of Eastern Siberia.

Large forest reserves contribute to the development of the timber and pulp and paper industries. Timber harvesting is carried out in the Yenisei and Angara basins. Along the Yenisei, timber is transported to the ocean and further along the Northern Sea Route, and to the Trans-Siberian and Baikal-Amur Mainlines for shipment to other areas. The port of Igarka with a sawmill was built beyond the Arctic Circle. The main forest industry enterprises are located in Krasnoyarsk, Lesosibirsk, Bratsk, and Ust-Ilimsk. A large Selenga pulp and cardboard mill was built (on the Selenga River, which flows into Baikal). It should be noted that these enterprises cause damage to the ecological state of the Baikal region, polluting the environment with production waste.

Large mechanical engineering enterprises are factories in Krasnoyarsk (Sibtyazhmash, combine harvester and heavy excavator plant); in Irkutsk (heavy engineering plant), car assembly plant in Chita, etc.

Agro-industrial complex. Agriculture is developed mainly in the south of the region and specializes in the production of meat and wool, since two-thirds of the agricultural land is hayfields and pastures. Beef cattle breeding and meat-wool sheep breeding are developed in the Chita region, Buryatia and Tuva. The leading place in agriculture belongs to grain crops. Spring wheat, oats, and barley are cultivated; fodder crops are sown extensively; potato and vegetable growing are developing.

They breed deer in the tundra. In the taiga - by hunting.

Fuel and energy complex. Electric power industry is the area's specialty. The country's largest hydroelectric power plants, state regional power plants and thermal power plants operate in the region using local resources. The Norilsk CHPP previously operated on coal, but now operates on natural gas from Western Siberia (via a gas pipeline from a field 150 km from Dudinka).

Transport. Development natural resources, industrial development is hampered by an underdeveloped transport network. The provision of transport is the lowest in the country. In the south of the East Siberian region there is the Trans-Siberian Railway, laid at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. (Krasnoyarsk - Irkutsk - Ulan-Ude - Chita). The construction of the Baikal-Amur Mainline (total length more than 3 thousand km) softened the situation somewhat. The highway starts from Ust-Kut (in the upper reaches of the Lena), approaches the northern tip of Baikal (Severobaykalsk), overcomes the mountain ranges of Transbaikalia through tunnels cut into the rocks and ends in Komsomolsk-on-Amur (Far East). The highway, together with the previously built western (Taishet - Bratsk - Ust-Kut) and eastern sections (Komsomolsk-on-Amur - Vanino) forms a second, shorter route to the Pacific Ocean compared to the Trans-Siberian Railway.

Norilsk is connected by an electrified railway to Dudinka. The largest transport artery is the Yenisei. To the west of the mouth of the Yenisei, navigation along the Northern Sea Route is carried out even in winter. In summer, icebreakers are also used to navigate ships east of the Yenisei. Igarka and Dudinka are loess export ports.

3. Prospects for the development of the East Siberian region

Conclusion

List of used literature

Introduction

The relevance of considering Eastern Siberia as an economic region is due to the fact that Eastern Siberia, despite its still insufficient geological study, is distinguished by its exceptional wealth and wide variety of natural resources. Most of the hydropower resources and general geological reserves of coal are concentrated here; there are unique deposits of non-ferrous, rare and noble metals(copper, nickel, cobalt, molybdenum, niobium, titanium, gold, platinum), many types of non-metallic raw materials (mica, asbestos, graphite, etc.), large reserves of oil and natural gas have been discovered. Eastern Siberia holds first place in the Russian Federation in terms of timber reserves.

In terms of the wealth of hydropower resources, Eastern Siberia ranks first in Russia. One of the rivers flows through the area greatest rivers globe- Yenisei. Together with its tributary the Angara, the river has huge reserves of hydropower resources.

The purpose of this work is to consider the East Siberian region (characterize, consider natural resource potential, consider the development prospects of the area).

1. General characteristics of the East Siberian region

Eastern Siberia is the second largest economic region of Russia (after the Far East). It occupies 1/3 of the territory Eastern zone and 24% of the territory of Russia.

The economic and geographical position of the region is unfavorable. A significant part of it is located beyond the Arctic Circle, and permafrost covers almost the entire territory. Eastern Siberia is significantly removed from other economically developed regions of the country, which makes it difficult to develop its natural resources. However, its proximity to Western Siberia has a positive impact on the development of the region’s economy, Far East, Mongolia, China, the presence of the Trans-Siberian railway line and the Northern Sea Route. The natural conditions of Eastern Siberia are unfavorable.

The East Siberian region includes: Irkutsk Region, Chita Region, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Aginsky Buryat, Taimyr (or Dolgano-Nenets), Ust-Ordynsky Buryat and Evenki Autonomous Okrugs, Republics: Buryatia, Tuva (Tuva) and Khakassia.

Eastern Siberia is located far from the most developed regions of the country, between West Siberian and Far Eastern economic regions. Only in the south they pass railways(Trans-Siberian and Baikal-Amur) and along the Yenisei in a short navigation, communication with the Northern by sea. Features of the geographical location and natural and climatic conditions, as well as poor development of the territory make conditions difficult industrial development region.

Natural resources: thousands of kilometers of high-water rivers, endless taiga, mountains and plateaus, low-lying tundra plains - this is the diverse nature of Eastern Siberia. The area of the region is huge - 5.9 million km2.

The climate is sharply continental, with large amplitudes of temperature fluctuations (very cold winters and hot summers). Almost a quarter of the territory lies beyond the Arctic Circle. Natural zones change sequentially in the latitudinal direction: arctic deserts, tundra, forest-tundra, taiga (most of the territory), in the south there are areas of forest-steppe and steppe. The region ranks first in the country in terms of forest reserves (forest surplus region).

Most of the territory is occupied by the East Siberian Plateau. The flat regions of Eastern Siberia in the south and east are bordered by mountains (Yenisei Ridge, Sayan Mountains, Baikal Mountains).

Features of the geological structure (a combination of ancient and younger rocks) determine the diversity of minerals. The upper tier of the Siberian Platform located here is represented by sedimentary rocks. The formation of the largest coal basin in Siberia, the Tunguska, is associated with them.

Brown coal reserves of the Kansk-Achinsk and Lena basins are confined to the sedimentary rocks of the troughs on the outskirts of the Siberian platform. And the formation of the Angaro-Ilimsk and other large deposits of iron ore and gold is associated with the Precambrian rocks of the lower stage of the Siberian Platform. A large oil field was discovered in the middle reaches of the river. Podkamennaya Tunguska.

Eastern Siberia has huge reserves of various minerals (coal, copper-nickel and polymetallic ores, gold, mica, graphite). The conditions for their development are extremely difficult due to the harsh climate and permafrost, the thickness of which in some places exceeds 1000 m, and which is distributed throughout almost the entire region.

In Eastern Siberia there is Lake Baikal - a unique natural object that contains about 1/5 of the world's fresh water reserves. This is the deepest lake in the world.

The hydropower resources of Eastern Siberia are enormous. The deepest river is the Yenisei. The country's largest hydroelectric power stations (Krasnoyarsk, Sayano Shushenskaya, Bratsk and others) were built on this river and on one of its tributaries - the Angara.

2. Lake Baikal as the basis of the natural resource system of Eastern Siberia

As you know, Lake Baikal is a unique natural object, which is not only our national value, but also part of the world heritage, a repository of one fifth of the fresh water and 80 percent of the drinking water of the planet Earth.

What gives Baikal special value are the complexes of endemic organisms found nowhere else in the world, natural landscapes, biological resources.

Lake Baikal has long been called the “sacred sea”; people worship it, write legends and songs about it. Contact with this greatest creation of nature is a unique and indescribable feeling of merging with the universe and eternity.

Among the lakes of the globe, Lake Baikal ranks 1st in depth. On Earth, only 6 lakes have a depth of more than 500 meters. The greatest depth mark in the southern basin of Lake Baikal is 1423 m, in the middle basin - 1637 m, in the northern basin 890 m.

Comparative characteristics of lakes by depth are presented in Table.

Among all the beauties and riches of Siberia, Lake Baikal occupies a special place. This greatest mystery, which nature gave, and which still cannot be solved. There are still ongoing debates about how Baikal arose - as a result of inevitable slow transformations or because of a monstrous catastrophe and failure in the earth's crust. For example, P.A. Kropotkin (1875) believed that the formation of the depression was associated with splits in the earth’s crust. I. D. Chersky, in turn, considered the genesis of Baikal as a trough of the earth's crust (in the Silurian). Currently, the “rift” theory (hypothesis) has become widespread.

Baikal contains 23 thousand cubic meters. km (22% of the world's reserves) of clean, transparent, fresh, low-mineralized, generously enriched with oxygen, water of unique quality. There are 22 islands on the lake. The largest of them is Olkhon. Coastline Lake Baikal stretches for 2100 km.

The boundaries of the region are determined by the Baikal mountain system. The region's territory is characterized by a significant elevation above sea level and predominantly mountainous terrain. In terms of the section (through the entire region), there will be a general decrease from east to west. The lowest point is the level of Lake Baikal (455 m), the highest is the top of Mount Munku-Sardyk (3491 m). High (up to 3500 m), with snow-capped mountains, like a jagged crown, crown the Siberian pearl. Their ridge crests either move away from Lake Baikal by 10-20 km or more, or come close to the shores.

The steep coastal cliffs go far into the depths of the lake, often leaving no room even for a walking trail. In a rapid run they slide towards Baikal with high altitude streams and rivers. In places where there are ledges of hard rock along their path, rivers form picturesque waterfalls. Baikal is especially beautiful on quiet, sunny days, when the surrounding high mountains with snow-capped peaks and mountain ridges sparkling in the sun are reflected in the vast blue space.

Mother Nature is wise. She hid this last living well of the planet away from her foolish children, in the very center of Siberia. Nature has been creating this miracle for several million years - a unique factory. clean water. Baikal is unique for its antiquity. It is about 25 million years old. Usually a lake 10-20 thousand years old is considered old, but Baikal is young, and there are no signs that it is starting to age and someday, in the foreseeable future, will disappear from the face of the Earth, as many lakes have disappeared and are disappearing. On the contrary, research recent years allowed geophysicists to hypothesize that Baikal is an incipient ocean. This is confirmed by the fact that its shores diverge at a speed of up to 2 cm per year, just as the continents of Africa and South America diverge.

The formation of its banks has not yet ended; There are frequent earthquakes on the lake and vibrations of individual sections of the shore. From generation to generation, old-timers tell how in 1862 on Lake Baikal, north of the delta of the Selenga River, during an earthquake of magnitude 11, a land area of 209 square meters was destroyed. km per day sank under water to a depth of 2 meters. The new bay was called Proval, and its depth is now about 11 meters. In just one year, up to 2,000 small earthquake tremors are recorded on Lake Baikal.

Located between the West Siberian and regions, in the depths Russian territory, at a considerable distance from the developed Central regions.

The development of an area rich in a diverse range of natural resources (coal, metal ores, etc.) directly depends on the network of transport arteries. The main routes are the Trans-Siberian and Baikal-Amur railways, the waterway along. The natural and climatic conditions of the region are harsh (1/4 of the territory lies in the Arctic), so its development requires large investments.

EGP of Eastern Siberia complex. Eastern Siberia is very remote from the main economically developed regions of the country and the oceans, which significantly affects its economy. The natural conditions are extreme. 3/4 of the surface is occupied by mountains and plateaus; harsh, sharply continental, 25% of the territory is located beyond the Arctic Circle. Dominated by and. For southern regions characteristically high. Most of it is occupied and only in the extreme south are there islands and.

Natural resources of Eastern Siberia very rich. 70% of Russia's coal reserves are concentrated in Eastern Siberia. There are large deposits of ferrous and non-ferrous metal ores (copper, tin, tungsten, etc.). There are a lot of non-metallic materials - asbestos, graphite, mica, salts. The hydropower resources of the Yenisei and Angara are enormous; 20% of the world's fresh water is contained in unique. Eastern Siberia also occupies a leading position in terms of timber reserves.

It is distributed extremely unevenly - the main part is concentrated in the south along, in the rest of the territory the settlement is focal - along and in the steppe intermountain basins. There is a shortage. High degree -72%, big cities- Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk, Bratsk, Chita, Norilsk.

Economy of Eastern Siberia. The development of the rich resources of Eastern Siberia is difficult due to the harsh natural conditions, lack of network and shortage labor resources. In the country's economy, the region stands out as a base for the production of cheap electricity.

Eastern Siberia specializes in the production of cheap electricity, timber and pulp and paper industries.

Eastern Siberia accounts for 1/4 of the gold mined in Russia.

Based on the use of cheap energy, petroleum products, sawmilling, coal, table and potassium salts, chemical and. The region produces: chemical fibers, synthetic rubber, clays, rubber products, chlorine products. Centers - Achinsk and Angarsk. In Krasnoyarsk. Woodworking and pulp and paper industry enterprises were built in Bratsk, Ust-Ilimsk, Lesosibirsk, Baikalsk, and Selenginsk. Timber harvesting is carried out in the Yenisei and Angara basins. Timber is also transported along the Yenisei, and then along the Northern Sea Route to other areas.

The region produces equipment for the mining industry, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy (Abakan, Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk, Cheremkhovo), combines, river vessels, excavators (Krasnoyarsk), instruments, machine tools, electrical equipment.

The agro-industrial complex is developed mainly in the south of the region. specializes in grain farming and meat and dairy cattle breeding. Sheep farming is developed in the Chita region, Buryatia and Tuva.

The leading place belongs to grain crops. Spring wheat, oats, barley, fodder crops are cultivated, potatoes and vegetables are grown. In the north, deer are bred. Hunting and fishing are also developed

Represented by leather (Chita, Ulan-Ude), shoe (Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, Kyzyl), fur (Krasnoyarsk, Chita), textile enterprises and wool production.

Transport. The most important routes in the region are the Transsib, BAM, Yenisei, as well as the one passing by north coast Northern Sea Route.

Branches of specialization:

Coal energy using brown coal mined in the Kansk-Achinsk basin by open pit mining. Large thermal power plants - Nazarovskaya, Chitinskaya, Irkutskaya.
Hydropower. The most powerful hydroelectric power stations in Russia were built on the Yenisei (Sayano-Shushenskaya, Krasnoyarsk, Bratsk, Ust-Ilimsk).
Non-ferrous metallurgy is represented by energy-intensive industries. Aluminum is smelted in Bratsk, Krasnoyarsk, Sayanogorsk, Shelekhovo, copper and nickel are smelted in Norilsk, copper is smelted in Udokan.
The chemical, petrochemical and forest chemical industries produce a variety of water- and energy-intensive products - plastics, chemical fibers, polymers. The raw materials are processed products (Angarsk, Usolye Sibirskoe) and wood (Krasnoyarsk).
The timber and pulp and paper industries are developed in the Irkutsk region and the Krasnoyarsk Territory - the largest industrial logging in the country takes place here. The largest plants were built in Bratsk, Ust-Ilimsk, Yeniseisk, and Baikalsk.

On the basis of interconnected production of coal and hydropower, non-ferrous metallurgy, forestry, and also in Eastern Siberia, large TPK-Norilsk, Kansko-Achinsk, Bratsko-Ust-Ilimsk, Irkutsk-Cheremkhovsk were formed.

The future of Eastern Siberia is connected with the formation of a transport network, new energy transport and industrial complexes, and the development of the manufacturing industry, including modern ones. The environmental situation in areas of concentration is of great concern. industrial production- Norilsk, Baikal basin, along the BAM route.