The Ural economic region is the forge of Russia

The Urals economic region occupies the territory of seven constituent entities of the Russian Federation: Udmurtia and Bashkortostan, Perm, Chelyabinsk, Kurgan, Sverdlovsk and Orenburg regions. Borders of the area covered an area of 824 thousand square kilometers. The center of this district, one of the 11 economic regions of Russia, is located in Yekaterinburg.

Geographically, it is located in the Middle and Southern Urals, partially capturing the North, as well as part of the plains adjacent to the Urals: from the west - the East European, from the east - the West Siberian. Potential energy resources of rivers are 3.3 million kW. The Kama and Votkinsk reservoirs are located on the Kama River . About half of the region's territory is covered by a taiga forest with more than 3.5 billion cubic meters of timber. The southern part is occupied by steppes, plowed on considerable spaces. The climate is from moderate continental to continental. The population is about 20 million people (at a density of 23 people per square kilometer). The urban population prevails over rural, it is 2/3.

Sectoral directions of the economy

The Urals economic region is rich in minerals, which has caused the diversity and complexity of the structure of a highly developed complex of heavy industry with an all-Russian significance. The main branches of heavy industry are the following: metallurgy (black and color), engineering (transport, energy, agriculture), forestry, mining and chemical, petrochemical, and chemical. Mining, oil (Prikamye) and gas (Orenburg) are successfully mined. Oil refineries are located in Ufa, Perm, Orsk, Krasnokamsk, gas processing - in Orenburg. Coal is also mined, but the main demand for it is covered by imported coal (from Kuzbass, Karaganda).

The Urals economic region is supplied with its own electricity generated by powerful power plants: one NPP (Beloyarskaya), two HPPs (Kamskaya and Votkinskaya) and nine CHPPs and GRES.

The leading role in heavy industry is assigned to the metallurgy formed and developing on the local raw materials base. The main enterprises are the factories of Chelyabinsk, Magnitogorsk, Nizhny Tagil. At these and other enterprises of metallurgy metal rolling, in demand in engineering and construction is adjusted. The Urals region employs non - ferrous metallurgy enterprises .

The Ural economic region is the leading Russian region of heavy engineering (Uralmash, Yuzhuralmash), chemical engineering (Glazovsky plant, Uralkhimmash). At the enterprise "Uralelectrotyazhmash" produce equipment for the electrical industry and power equipment. Transport engineering is engaged in the production of freight rail cars, cars and motorcycles, tracors and trailers for them, a variety of agricultural machinery. Machine-tool construction is developed, electric appliances, radio receivers, refrigerators are produced.

The chemical industry of the Urals is represented by the production of potassium, phosphoric, nitrogenous mineral fertilizers, soda, sulfur, hydrochloric acid, various salts, chlorine. The production of plastics, resins and alcohols, varnishes and paints, artificial fibers has been established. Asbestos and magnesite are processed.

In the Urals, production of construction materials (cement, reinforced concrete products, prefabricated structures) is established. Woodworking is represented by the production of paper, lumber and plywood. The light industry produces linen and synthetic fabrics, leather and footwear products, and garments. The food industry is engaged in the processing of milk and meat, flour milling enterprises are functioning.

Ural agriculture is developing in the direction of grain growing (wheat, rye, oats, barley) and livestock (cattle, sheep, goat, pig) to provide food for the population of industrial cities. In suburban state farms, potatoes and vegetables are also grown. From technical crops , flax and sunflower are grown. There are also poultry factories - suppliers of chicken and eggs.

The Urals economic region is cut along and across the transport network. These are railway lines (mostly electrified), pipelines for oil and gas supply, water transport and roads.