Brief assessment of the natural resources of the Far East. Development of natural resources in the Far East

Russia's natural resource potential amounts to over 20% of world reserves. This provides Russia with a special place among industrial countries. Natural resources used by the Russian economy account for 95.7% of the country's national wealth. On the territory of the country there are large deposits of fuel and energy raw materials: oil, natural gas, coal, uranium ores.

Russia ranks first in the world in gas reserves (32% of world reserves, 30% of world production); second place in terms of oil production (10% share of world production); third place in coal reserves (22 coal basins, 115 deposits, including in European Russia - about 15.6%; in Siberia - 66.8%; in the Far East - 12.9%; in the Urals - 4.3% ). Russia also ranks first in explored reserves of iron ore, second in tin, and third in lead. Russia also occupies a leading position in the world in terms of forest supply.

In 2005, Russia ranked first in the world in gold reserves.

There are five large oil and gas provinces in Russia, located in the European part of the country and in Western Siberia on the territory of 10 territories and regions and 11 republics: West Siberian, Volga-Ural, Timan-Pechora, North Caucasus and Caspian.
In addition, metal ores are also mined in the country: iron, nickel, copper, aluminum, tin, polymetals, chromium, tungsten, gold, silver. Non-metallic ores are also varied: phosphatites, apatites, talc, asbestos, mica, potassium and table salts, diamonds, amber, precious and semi-precious stones. Also widespread building materials: sand, clay, limestone, marble, granite, cement raw materials and more.

Abstract: Natural resources of Russia

1. Provision of basic types of natural resources.

2. Characteristic features of the distribution of natural resources across the territory of Russia.

The development of human society and socio-economic progress is associated with the use of a variety of natural resources.

Natural resources– components of nature that are used directly to meet the needs of human society, taking into account technical, economic and other capabilities.

Natural resources are classified based on their genesis and method of use:

1. Land

3. Biological (plant and animal)

4. Mineral raw materials

5. Resources of the World Ocean

6. Recreational

7. Climate and space resources

In connection with the problem of limited reserves of natural resources, the importance of classification according to sign of exhaustion: exhaustible (including renewable and non-renewable natural resources) and inexhaustible.

Resources are also classified according to sign of purpose for a particular sector of the economy (for ferrous, non-ferrous metallurgy, chemical industry), in terms of quality(for example, by the content of useful components in ores).

There is no complete identity between the geography of explored resources and their production. First of all, the richest deposits with favorable operating conditions and EGP are developed.

Natural resources are distributed extremely unevenly in Russia. This is explained by differences in climatic and tectonic processes occurring on Earth, and different conditions for the formation of minerals in past geological eras.

In nature, resources are not located separately, but in the form of their complex combinations located on certain territories. Large combinations of resources that are of national importance and cover vast territories are called natural bases. There are several of them on the territory of Russia: in Eastern Zone– South Siberian, North Siberian, North-Eastern, Primorskaya; V Western Zone– North European, Central, Ural-Volga region.

The Russian Federation has a huge variety of species composition(more than 200 species) natural resource potential. In terms of volume and variety of natural resources, Russia has virtually no equal in the world. According to scientists' calculations, reserves of coal, iron ore, potassium salts and phosphate raw materials in the Russian Federation is provided for 2-3 centuries. Forest, water resources, gas and oil reserves are significant.

The population of Russia is 2.4% of the population of our planet, the territory of the Russian Federation is 10% of the earth's. At the same time, the Russian Federation contains ~45% of the world's reserves of natural gas, 13% of oil, 23% of coal, per capita there are 0.87 hectares of arable land, the territory in Russia is covered with forest, accounting for 22% of the world's “forest” surface. According to this indicator, Russia ranks first in the world. In terms of reserves of certain types of natural resources, Russia ranks first or one of the first places in the world (1st - in reserves of gas, wood, iron ore, potassium salts, hydro resources; in terms of oil reserves - 3rd place in the world).

Russia provides itself with its own natural resources, which allows it to develop basic sectors of the economy (fuel and energy complex, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, chemical industry, timber processing industry, construction industry).

Russia not only satisfies its needs for various types of raw materials, but is also their exporter, mainly to the CIS countries and countries of Eastern Europe. At the same time, based on economic interests, a limited amount of minerals (bauxite, tungsten, tin, copper) is imported.

A number of Russian enterprises continue to operate on mineral raw materials imported (as part of international trade and economic agreements) from the former republics, where quite large raw material and fuel bases are located. For example, Kazakhstan supplies iron ores from the Sokolovo-Sarbai basin; coal from the Karaganda basin. To the factories of the Urals. Oil from the Mangyshlak Peninsula is supplied through an oil pipeline to oil refineries in the Volga region. Manganese from Nikopol (Ukraine) is used by Russian ferrous metallurgy enterprises.

Russia’s “resource independence” gives it advantages over other countries of the world and serves important factor the rise of its economy.

At the same time, it should note territorial differences in the distribution of natural resources. A characteristic feature of their placement is unevenness.

Almost all types of resources (except iron ores and potassium salts) are concentrated in the eastern regions (Siberia and the Far East), and the main consumers are in the European part of Russia. This leads to the need to transport huge amounts of cargo from east to west.

Resources in the European part of Russia were used much more intensively than in the eastern regions, and at present their reserves are largely depleted. This especially applies to the forest resources of the European North, oil and gas reserves of the Volga region and the North Caucasus, chernozem soils of steppes and forest-steppes (their humus content has decreased, mechanical properties have deteriorated, most of them are susceptible to erosion, etc.).

d.) Therefore, in the European part of Russia, a careful attitude towards resources is required and, most importantly, a reduction in the resource intensity of the economy in order to produce more finished products from fewer resources.

In recent decades, efforts have been made to locate the most resource-intensive industries (electricity, heat and water-intensive) in Siberia and the Far East. The eastern regions are now the main fuel and energy base of Russia and the main producer of non-ferrous metals. Raw material bases are increasingly shifting to the east and north - areas rich in resources, but with harsh natural conditions. Naturally, their extraction there is much more difficult and more expensive. In recent years, environmental protection costs have increased, especially in the extractive industries. This trend is intensifying.

Concentrated in Western Siberia 70% of oil reserves. There are significant reserves in the Far East and Eastern Siberia. More than 80% gas are also located in the north of Western Siberia. Giant deposits are located here, including: and are among the ten largest in the world. There is a certain potential for gas reserves in Eastern Siberia and the Far East.

Coal deposits more differentiated. However, the Eastern regions account for more than 90% of all coal reserves. The first place in coal reserves is occupied by Western Siberia ~ 50%, Eastern Siberia accounts for >30%, and the Far East – 9%. In the Eastern regions (Siberia and the Far East) there are deposits that are among the ten largest coal basins in the world (Kuznetsky, Lensky, Tungussky, Taimyrsky, Kansko-Achinsky).

Russia has large hydro potential– 2500 billion kW/hour (of which it is technically possible to use 1670 billion kW/hour). 86% of hydropower resources also come from the eastern regions, only 53% from the Far East. The Angara-Yenisei cascade of 5 hydroelectric power stations has been created, 4 of them are large.

Important energy components include non-traditional(alternative) sources energy is the energy of the sun, wind, water, biomass (forest), geothermal energy - the energy of the future.

In Western Siberia there is the world's largest artesian basin.

Thermal springs are known in Kamchatka - the Valley of Geysers (~70 springs), in Chukotka (~13 springs), in Altai, in Buryatia.

Natural resources in Russia

In 1967, Pauzhetskaya was built geothermal power plant (GTPP).

Wind energy. Along the coastline of the North Arctic Ocean, from the Kola Peninsula to Kamchatka, over a distance of 12 thousand km, with a strip width of up to 500 km, winds prevail on an average annual basis at a speed of up to 7 m/sec. Their total capacity reaches up to 45 billion kW. Currently, a large number of wind farms are already operating on Novaya Zemlya, the islands of Wrangel, Schmidt (N. Zemlya), Anderma (Yugorsky Peninsula) in the Nenets A. o., Uelene (Chukchi Autonomous Oblast).

Significant reserves iron ores in Mountain Shoria in the south of the Kemerovo region, the Angara-Ilim basin (Irkutsk region), etc.

Reserves manganese ores are small in the Kemerovo region.

- Usinsk.

Known reserves nephelines in the Krasnoyarsk Territory (Kiya-Shaltyrskoye field).

Promising deposits include deposits cuprous sandstones– Udokanskoe (Chita region).

Copper-nickel ores concentrated in the Norilsk region in the north of the Krasnoyarsk Territory.

Polymetallic ores concentrated in Transbaikalia - Nerchinskoye field, Primorsky Territory - Dalnegorskoye.

Large deposits tin concentrated in the Pacific ore belt and Eastern Transbaikalia. Kavalerovo - Primorsky Territory, Komsomolskoye - Khabarovsk Territory, Esse-Khaya - Sakha Republic, Sherlovaya Gora and Khapcheranga in the Chita region.

Certain reserves of natural resources are concentrated in the European part of the country, including the Urals. Reserves should be allocated iron ores KMA VTsChR with high iron content in ore. KMA reserves account for 55% of the country's iron ore reserves.

More than 9% oil concentrated in the Urals. There are oil reserves in the North Caucasus.

Potential visible natural gas in the North Caucasus. Significant reserves of gas - condensate - in the Lower Volga region (Astrakhan region) and in the Urals (Orenburg region).

Inventory available coal in the Pechora basin (Komi Republic) and the eastern wing of Donbass.

Reserves are concentrated in the Urals manganese ores(Sverdlovsk region), bauxite - north of the Sverdlovsk region, nickel-cobalt ores - Khamilovskoye (Orenburg region)

On the Kola Peninsula - appatito-nepheline And copper-nickel ores.

In the Komi Republic - bauxite– South Timan bauxite region, as well as in the Arkhangelsk and Leningrad regions (Boksitogorsk).

In the Republic of Sevarnaya Ossetia-Alania - polymetallic ores–Sadonskoye field.

Tidal energy is used, but it has not yet received much development. The Kislogubskaya TPP was built on the Kola Peninsula.

Significant reserves of water resources are the Volga-Kama basin, where 11 hydroelectric power stations have been built.

The mineral resources of Russia are far from fully explored; the eastern and northern regions are promising.

In these countries, as in the world as a whole, there are very few reserves left for agricultural development: forests and unproductive lands. In addition, in many countries, agricultural land is rapidly being reduced, as it is allocated for construction, etc. It must be said that in recent decades there has been an expansion of agricultural land due to the development of virgin lands in Russia, Kazakhstan, China, and Canada.

The total water reserves on Earth are 1386 million km 3, but 96.5% water resources of the planet is accounted for by the salty waters of the World Ocean and 1% by salty underground waters. Fresh waters account for only 2.5% of the total volume of the hydrosphere, and if excluded from the calculation polar ice, which are still practically not used, then only 0.3% of the total amount of water on earth remains at the disposal of humanity.

Hydropower is closely related to water resources. Hydropower resources are the energy of moving water. The volume of hydropower potential varies from country to country, which is explained by differences in the volume of river flow and terrain.

Has the greatest hydroelectric potential Foreign Asia. Next come Latin America, Africa, North America, the CIS, Foreign Europe, Australia and Oceania. Among the countries in terms of hydropower potential, Russia, the USA, China, Brazil and Canada stand out.

Various indicators are used to quantify the world's forest resources. The main ones are forest area, forest cover of the territory and standing timber stock. The forest area is approximately 4 billion hectares, i.e. about 30% of the land area. At the same time, two forest belts approximately equal in area are clearly visible: northern and southern. In the northern forest belt, coniferous trees predominate, while the southern one consists of 97% broad-leaved forests.

Latin America stands out especially in terms of forest area. At the level of individual countries, Russia, Brazil, Canada, the USA, and Indonesia have large forest areas.

Forest area southern zone is decreasing catastrophically quickly. The slash-and-burn form of agriculture and extensive grazing livestock breeding that has been going on for many centuries causes great damage to forests. Another reason is the recent increase in wood exports to Western Europe, the USA, and Japan.

3. Natural resource potential of Russia and its regions.

Russia has a powerful and diverse natural resource potential that can provide the necessary volumes of its own consumption and exports. Russia ranks first in the world in terms of reserves of most natural resources, including reserves of natural gas, coal, iron ores, a number of non-ferrous and rare metals, as well as reserves of land, water and forest resources.

Russia can rightfully be considered one of the most important links in the world economy, its largest integral part, providing vital conditions for the functioning of the entire global economic system and the world community, including for their sustainable development. Russia exports 50 types of raw materials to more than 90 countries: about 80% of the country's nickel, primary aluminum, cellulose, over 70% of refined copper, more than 60% of rolled ferrous metals, and almost half of the oil produced. It supplies almost 40% of Europe's natural gas needs and also provides the global community with other strategic resources, thereby helping to improve the sustainability of the global economy.

According to the forecast of the International Energy Agency, by 2015 the consumption of primary energy resources in the world will increase by 47.66%. Taking this into account, Russia, which covers one-eighth of the land area and has the largest shelf waters, has every opportunity to take a leading place in the global economy of the 21st century. on natural resource conditions, ensure economic security, independence of policy and control over the use of the country's resources.

Russia is primarily provided with fuel and energy resources.

The main feature of the distribution of fuel and energy resources is the unevenness of their distribution throughout the country. The bulk of geological fuel reserves are located in the eastern regions of the country, where 85% of natural gas reserves, 65% of oil reserves and 93% of all coal reserves of the country are concentrated.

Russia has significant oil and gas reserves. Their main deposits are located in the West Siberian, Volga-Ural, Timan-Pechora oil and gas provinces, as well as in the North Caucasus and the Far East. Within the West Siberian Lowland, 300 oil and gas fields have been discovered. The most significant oil fields are located in the Spedpeob oil region, where Samotlor, Ust-Balykskoye, Megionskoye, Nizhnevartovskoye and others are distinguished. The second oil region of Western Siberia is the Shaimsko-Krasnoleninsky, which is located 500 km north of Tyumen, where the largest fields are Shaimskoye and Krasnoleninskoye . West Siberian oil reserves are characterized by a number of favorable indicators: relatively shallow occurrence of productive strata (up to 3 thousand m); high concentration of reserves; relatively uncomplicated conditions for drilling wells, their high flow rate. The oil is of high quality. It is light, low-sulfur, characterized by a high yield of light fractions and the content of associated gas, which is a valuable chemical raw material. In terms of oil production, Western Siberia ranks first in the country. The country's main natural gas reserves are also located in Western Siberia.

Natural resources of Russia

Of these, more than half are located in the Tyumen North, mainly in three gas-bearing regions. The largest gas fields: Urengoyskoye, Yamburgskoye, Zapolyarnoye, Medvezhye, Nadymskoye, Tazovskoye were discovered in the Tazovo-Purpey gas-bearing region in the north of the Tyumen region in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. The Volga-Ural oil and gas province occupies a vast territory between the Volga and the Urals and includes the territory of Tatarstan and Bashkortostan, the Udmurt Republic, as well as Saratov, Volgograd, Samara, Astrakhan region and the southern part of Orenburg. The great advantage of these deposits is the relatively shallow occurrence of industrial oil-bearing horizons - from 1.5 to 2.5 thousand m.

The largest oil fields are: Usinskoye, Vozeiskoye, Ukhtinskoye, Pashninskoye, Kharyatinskoye, Shapkinskoye, etc. Gas reserves are located mainly on the territory of the Komi Republic. Large gas fields are Vuktylskoye, Vasilkovdkoye, Voy-Vozhskoye, Dzhebolskoye. The oil and gas-bearing regions of the North Caucasus occupy the territory of the Krasnodar and Stavropol territories. Chechen and Ingush Republics, Dagestan. There are two oil and gas bearing regions in the North Caucasus: Dagestan and Grozny. The most important oil and gas fields in Dagestan are Makhachkala, Achisu, and Izberbash. The largest gas field in the republic is Dagestan Lights.

Coal resources are distributed unevenly across the country. The eastern regions account for 93%, and the European part accounts for 7% of the country’s total reserves. An important indicator of the economic assessment of coal basins is the cost of production. It depends on the mining method, which can be mine or quarry (open), the structure and thickness of the seam, the capacity of the quarry, the quality of the coal, the presence of a consumer or the transportation distance. Coals from the Kansk-Achinsk, Kuznetsk, South Yakutsk, and Irkutsk basins are mined using the open-pit method.

Brown coals occur mainly in the Urals, Eastern Siberia, and the Moscow region. Hard coals, including coking coals, occur in the Kuznetsk, Pechora and South Yakutsk basins. The main coal basins are the Pechora, Kuznetsk, Kansko-Achinsk, South Yakutsk and Moscow region basins.

Large resources of ferrous, non-ferrous and rare metals are also capable of meeting the country's needs for a long period. Russia owns one of the world's largest iron ore basins - the Kursk Magnetic Anomaly. Unique in quality, the ores of large deposits of the Norilsk province, in addition to copper, nickel and cobalt, provide a significant amount of platinum group metals. A significant source of foreign exchange earnings are the diamond deposits of the Yakut diamond-bearing province, gold deposits of Siberia and the Far East.

For the further development of the copper and lead-zinc sub-sectors of the industry, a reserve of explored deposits has been created in Eastern Siberia and the Far East. The main share of tin reserves and production comes from deposits in Yakutia, the Magadan region, Khabarovsk and Primorsky territories. Deposits of tungsten (North Caucasus), molybdenum ( Krasnoyarsk region, Buryatia), antimony (Yakutia) and other non-ferrous and rare metals.

Russia is rich in resources of almost all types of non-metallic mineral raw materials. Highest value among them there are large deposits of high-quality apatites of the Kola Peninsula, the Verkhnekamsk deposit of potassium salts, deposits of fluorspar (Chita region, Buryatia, Primorye), muscovite and phlogopite (Kola Peninsula, Eastern Siberia), chrysotile-asbestos (Urals, Tuva, Buryatia).

Despite this abundance, there are minerals whose reserves are either negligible or ineffective. The need of Russian industry for manganese, chromium, mercury, antimony, titanium and a number of other minerals was previously almost completely covered by supplies from the republics of the former USSR. The incentive for inter-republican exchange was the geographical proximity of mining centers to their large consumers in Russia.

Table 5

Russia's provision with proven reserves of some types of minerals, in years

ADD COMMENT[possible without registration]
Before publication, all comments are reviewed by the site moderator - spam will not be published

TOPIC 9. NATURAL RESOURCE POTENTIAL OF RUSSIA. THE PROBLEM OF ITS RATIONAL USE

1. Classification of natural resources
2. Economic assessment of natural resources
3. The nature of the distribution of natural resources on the territory of Russia
1. Location of oil and gas fields
2. Location of coal deposits
3. Location of the most important iron ore deposits
4. Location of deposits of non-ferrous metal ores
5. Deposits of non-metallic minerals
6. Forest resources
7. Water resources
8. Cadastre
4. Assessment of the environmental situation in Russia and in individual regions
5. Priority areas of support national security Russian Federation in the environmental sphere

General characteristics natural resource potential Russia

Russia has a powerful and diverse natural resource potential that can provide the necessary volumes of its own consumption and exports. About 20 thousand mineral deposits have been discovered and developed in the country. It ranks first in the world in reserves of most natural resources, including reserves of natural gas, coal, iron ores, a number of non-ferrous and rare metals, peat, and also occupies a leading place in reserves of land, water and forest resources.
The Russian Federation has the world's largest proven reserves of apatite (64.5% of the world's total), natural gas (35.4%), iron ore (32%), nickel (31%), brown coal (29%), tin (27 %), zinc (16%), uranium (14%), oil (13%), lead (12%), copper (11%), some of the world's largest reserves of gold, diamonds, platinum, etc.

2. Classification of natural resources

Mineral deposits have varying degrees of exploration and varying degrees of assessment accuracy. Depending on the degree of exploration, Russian reserves are divided into four categories: A, B, C1, C2: A – these are reserves that have been studied and explored in the greatest detail; B and C1 – reserves explored with relatively less detail; C2 – reserves estimated previously. In addition to the reserves of these categories, which are usually calculated for individual deposits, forecast reserves (i.e., estimated, unexplored) are identified to assess the potential of new ore zones or areas, basins and promising territories. The total mineral reserves of a region, basin, republic or country as a whole (i.e. all reserves studied or explored, as well as forecast) are combined into total geological reserves.
According to their economic importance, mineral reserves are divided into two groups.
1. Balance (standard) - these are those reserves, the use of which is economically feasible at the present time and which satisfy industrial requirements both in terms of the quality of raw materials and technical operating conditions.
2. Off-balance sheet (substandard) are those reserves whose use is currently not economically feasible due to the low thickness of the deposits, low content of valuable components, particularly difficult operating conditions, and the need to use very complex processing processes, but which in the future can be the object of industrial development.
According to economic classification, natural resources are divided into:
1) resources of material production, including industry (fuel, metals, water, wood, fish) and agriculture(soil, irrigation water, fodder plants, game animals);
2) resources of the non-productive sphere, including direct consumption (drinking water, wild plants and game animals) and indirect (for example, the use of green spaces and reservoirs for recreation).
Natural resources are also classified according to the principle of exhaustibility: exhaustible, including renewable (vegetation, soil, water, wildlife) and non-renewable (mineral resources); inexhaustible (energy of the sun, wind, flowing water, etc.).
Based on their origin and natural properties, they are distinguished: 1) mineral resources (minerals), 2) land, 3) water, 4) biological, 5) climatic (solar heat and light, precipitation), 6) energy resources of natural processes ( solar radiation, internal heat of the earth, wind, etc.).
Mineral resources are of particular importance. Based on the nature of their use, mineral resources are divided into tier groups: fuel and energy (oil, natural gas, coal, peat, oil shale); metal ores – ores of ferrous, non-ferrous, rare and precious metals; non-metallic (non-metallic), including apatites, phosphorites, various salts, mica, asbestos, construction raw materials.

3. Economic assessment of natural resources

In Russian economic science, three main approaches to the assessment of natural resources have developed.

All of them are based on the determination of material costs associated with the use of resources, therefore only indirectly, through the magnitude of these costs and the economic effect, they make it possible to evaluate natural resources.
1. The assessment of the costs of involvement in use is carried out on the basis of direct costs for exploration, development, improvement (for example, for the construction of water intake dams, land reclamation, etc.) of a given source of resources. Comparing these costs with costs from other sources makes it possible to identify from among the existing ones those that save time and capital investments for bringing new sources into operation.
2. Cost-of-use assessment is based on the theory of differential rent and identification of the economic effect (capital cost savings and profit generation) that arises from the exploitation of a given deposit, plot of land, forest area, etc., in comparison with the worst. It is calculated by the difference between the reduced costs of the worst source of resources and the one being estimated, if the number and structure of sources that meet the need for resources are known. This allows you to select the most effective options for providing the country with resources, as well as calculate optimal taxes when transferring resource sources for rent, when changing their owner or user.
3. Assessment of the costs of restoration and compensation - in fact, an assessment of the future costs that society will have to bear if a given source of resources goes out of use as a result of depletion or degradation. This assessment is applicable for renewable or interchangeable resources, taking into account the allowable costs of its renewal or replacement with another resource. It can also be used to regulate relations between resource users and the state in the form of fines for damage to resources.

4. The nature of the distribution of natural resources on the territory of Russia

4.1. Location of oil and gas fields

Russia has significant oil and gas reserves. Their main deposits are located in the West Siberian, Volga-Ural, Timan-Pechora oil and gas provinces, as well as in the North Caucasus and the Far East.

4.2. Location of coal deposits

Russia ranks one of the first places in the world in terms of explored coal reserves. Its territory contains 30% of the world's coal reserves various types: anthracite, brown and coking. Anthracites and brown coals serve as energy fuels and raw materials for the chemical industry. Coking coals are used as process fuel in the ferrous metallurgy.
Coal resources are distributed unevenly across the country. The eastern regions account for 95%, and the European part – 5% of the country’s total reserves. An important indicator of the economic assessment of coal basins is the cost of production. It depends on the mining method, which can be mine or quarry (open), the structure and thickness of the seam, the capacity of the quarry, the quality of the coal, the presence of a consumer or the transportation distance. The lowest cost of coal mining is in Eastern Siberia, the highest is in the regions of the European North.
The importance of the coal basin in the regional economy depends on the quantity and quality of resources, the degree of their preparedness for industrial exploitation, the size of production, and the characteristics of the transport and geographical location. The basins of the eastern regions of Russia are ahead of the European part in terms of technical and economic indicators, which is explained by the method of coal mining in these coal basins. Coals from the Kansk-Achinsk, Kuznetsk, South Yakutsk, and Irkutsk basins are mined using the open-pit method.

4.3. Location of the most important iron ore deposits

Iron ore resources of Russia are represented by brown, red (or hematite ores), magnetic iron ores (or magnetite ores), etc. Their qualitative characteristics are different. There are reserves of both poor iron ores, in which the iron content ranges from 25-40%, and rich ones with an iron content of up to 68%.
Iron ore resources are unevenly distributed throughout Russia. The bulk of iron ore reserves are located in the European part of the country.

Natural resources, Russian Economy

The largest explored reserves are concentrated in the Central Black Earth, Ural, West Siberian and East Siberian economic regions.

4.4. Location of deposits of non-ferrous metal ores

Russia has large reserves of non-ferrous metal ores. Their distinctive feature is extremely low percentage the metal they contain. Therefore, the ores of almost all non-ferrous metals are enriched. The main reserves are located in the Urals, Western and Eastern Siberia, the Far East and other regions of the country.

4.5. Deposits of non-metallic minerals

Non-metallic mineral resources are represented by deposits of phosphorites, apatites, potassium and rock salts, limestones, marls, clays, sandstones, sulfur, as well as graphite, asbestos, mica, marble, quartz, and fluorspar.
The main deposits of phosphorites are located in the European part of the country. The largest of them is located in the Kirov region (Vyatsko-Kama field), in the Moscow region (Egoryevskoye), in the Kursk region (Kursko-Shchigrovskoye), in the Bryansk region (Popinskoye), in the Leningrad region (Kingiseppskoye field). There are also separate deposits of phosphorites in Bashkortostan and Chuvashia.
Potassium salts serve as the starting material for the production of potash fertilizers. The largest deposit of potassium salts, Verkhnekamskoye, is located in the Urals in the Perm region, which contains the bulk of all reserves of potassium salts in Russia.
Significant reserves of sulfur and native sulfur are located in the Samara region, as well as in the North Caucasus (Republic of Dagestan) and the Far East (Khabarovsk Territory). The main area for deposits and mining of sulfur pyrites is the Urals.
Table salt reserves are located in the Urals (Verkhnekamskoye deposits in the Perm region, Iletskoye in the Orenburg region), in the Lower Volga region (Baskunchakskoye and Elltonskoye), in Eastern Siberia (Usolskoye in the Irkutsk region), in the Far East (Olekminskoye in the Republic of Sakha).
Mica deposits are found in the north in the Republic of Karelia and in Murmansk region, in the Urals, in the northern regions of Siberia, as well as in the Far East (Republic of Sakha).
The main industrial reserves of asbestos are located in the Urals.
The largest diamond deposits are concentrated in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) in the middle part of the Lena and Vilyui river basin, along the upper reaches of the river. Aldan and river basins Aldan and Olenek. There are diamond reserves in the river basin. Vishera in the Perm region.

4.6. Forest resources

Forest resources are large and of high quality. In terms of their costs and the size of the forested area (771 million hectares), our country occupies a leading place in the world. More than 40% of the entire territory of Russia is covered with forest, and the total industrial reserves of wood reach 30 billion m3. The main forest resources are located in the eastern regions of the country, which account for 79% of the reserves. 21% of forest resources are concentrated in the European part.
The most forested areas are Western Siberia (Tyumen region), Eastern Siberia (Krasnoyarsk region and Irkutsk region), the Far East (Sakha Republic and Khabarovsk region), the European North, the Urals (Sverdlovsk region and Udmurt Republic), as well as the Volga-Vyatka region (Kirov and Nizhny Novgorod region).

4.7. Water resources

Russia's water resources in terms of total volumes of river flow, drainage area and river length are very large.
The distribution of river flow resources across the territory of Russia is uneven and unfavorable with regard to the location of the main consumers of water - the population, industry and agriculture. Most of the river flow is formed in the sparsely populated northern and northeastern regions of the country and flows mainly into the basins of the Arctic and Pacific oceans.
Russia has enormous hydropower resources. In terms of total hydropotential, Russia ranks second in the world after China. Hydropower resources are unevenly distributed. Most of them are in the Far East (53% of hydropower reserves) and Eastern Siberia (26% of total hydropower potential). Moreover, the main hydropower reserves are concentrated in the basins of the Yenisei, Lena, Ob, Angara, Irtysh and Amur rivers. The Lena ranks first among Russian rivers in terms of hydropower reserves. The rivers of the North Caucasus are rich in hydropower resources. A significant part of the country’s technically possible hydropower resources is located in the Volga and Central regions Russian Federation, where the hydropower reserves of the Volga basin are especially large.

4.8. Cadastre

The country's soil resources represent enormous national wealth. Their correct use is unthinkable without strict scientific quantitative and qualitative accounting of soils. This task is served by the compilation and maintenance of the land cadastre.
The most important importance of the land cadastre is that it is necessary for organizing the most complete, rational and effective use of land and their protection, planning the national economy, placement and specialization of agricultural production, land reclamation and chemicalization of agriculture, as well as carrying out other economic activities related to using land.

5. Assessment of the environmental situation in Russia and in individual regions

In recent years, on the territory of the Russian Federation, the tension of the environmental situation has not decreased significantly, despite the fact that in the country as a whole the emission of harmful substances into the atmosphere and the discharge of polluted waste water into surface water bodies. More than 40% of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation are characterized by problems of air pollution in cities and industrial centers, neutralization and disposal of industrial waste, and rational safety; on 30% of the territory there are acute issues of surface water pollution, pollution and depletion of groundwater; The tasks of preserving soil and land fertility are relevant for the entire territory of the Russian Federation. In certain regions of the Russian Federation, the problem of preserving biological diversity and resources of flora and fauna.
In a number of regions, anthropogenic loads have long exceeded established standards, and a critical situation has arisen in which significant changes in landscapes occur, natural resources are depleted and lost, and the living conditions of the population are significantly deteriorated.
Such regions include the largest urban agglomerations - Moscow and St. Petersburg, industrial centers Central Russia, industrial and mining centers of the Far North, Siberia and the Far East, the Middle Volga region, the Northern Caspian region, the Middle and Southern Urals. They also have a noticeable negative influence on the ecological state of neighboring regions.
At the same time, the vast territories of the Russian Federation still have great natural resource potential and natural conditions little changed by humans: in the European part, these are, first of all, the northeastern territories, in the Asian part, almost the entire north of Eastern Siberia and the Far East, as well as regions Western Siberia. Preserving their natural state is one of the priorities.

6. Priority areas for ensuring the national security of the Russian Federation in the environmental sphere

Solving the problems of environmental protection and ensuring environmentally sustainable development is carried out by improving existing ones, developing and introducing new mechanisms of environmental policy, as well as conducting scientific research in order to better understand environmental problems and find ways to solve them, forming public environmental consciousness.
The goal of state environmental policy is to create the necessary conditions for restructuring and reducing the anthropogenic impact on the environment to an environmentally acceptable level, maintaining the life-supporting functions of the biosphere, and for the protection and reproduction of natural resources.
To achieve this goal, it is necessary to solve a number of problems in the field of environmental management and environmental protection.

In the field of environmental management, such tasks include:

— improvement of the environmental management system, including the implementation of a reasonable division of powers between federal executive authorities, executive authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and local governments;
— development of the institution of state ownership of natural resources, taking into account the possible delimitation of property rights between Russian Federation and its subjects;
— reform and development of the system of accounting and economic assessment of natural resources, systems of environmental restrictions and licensing of natural resources;
— carrying out a gradual reform of the tax system aimed at increasing the share of resource payments in budget revenues while reducing rates on other types of taxes;
— improvement of economic and financial mechanisms for the reproduction of natural resources (payment for environmental use, assessment and compensation for damage caused, environmental insurance, etc.), development of the market for works and services in the field of environmental management;
— development of systems for monitoring the state of natural resources and control over the use and protection of natural resources;
— conducting scientific research, developing new methods and technologies in the field of protection, reproduction and rational use natural resources, as well as stimulating the introduction of resource- and energy-saving technologies, increasing the share of use secondary resources, increasing the level of waste recycling.

Improving the economic mechanism in the field of environmental protection involves:

— development of methods for economic assessment of the negative impacts of economic and other activities on the state of the environment;
— improvement of payments for environmental pollution;
— consistent transition to a system of international standards technological processes and manufactured products;
— identification and rehabilitation of territories with dangerous changes in the quality of the natural environment, compensation for damage to the health and property of citizens caused as a result of negative environmental consequences;
— strengthening activities to preserve biological diversity, ecosystems and landscapes, developing a network of specially protected natural areas and territories with unique natural resources and properties, expanding zones of limited natural resource use;
— widespread dissemination of reliable and timely information about the state of the natural environment;
— support for public environmental movements and involvement of non-governmental organizations in solving environmental problems;
— justification and implementation of foreign policy in the field of ensuring environmental safety that meets the national interests of Russia and individual regions of the country.

ODiplom // Economics // 01/23/2018

Bibliographic description:

Nesterov A.K. Natural resource potential [Electronic resource] // Educational encyclopedia ODiplom.ru

IN modern conditions development, natural resources continue to be of great importance in the development of human society as a whole and directly affect economic growth and the development of national economic systems. Natural resources, due to their fundamental importance for most sectors of the economy, remain an invariably significant factor in the economic development of national economic systems.

Classification of natural resources

Natural resources, representing a set of objects of living and inanimate nature, as an economic category, act as components of the natural environment that can be used in the production process in order to satisfy the material and cultural needs of society in the course of its social economic development.

Use of natural resources in national economic systems due to the need for their processing to obtain final products.

	Types of natural resources
Origin	Natural components (mineral, water, plant, soil, etc. Natural-territorial complexes (mining, water management, residential, forestry)
Economic use	Industrial Production Resources – energy resources (minerals, hydropower resources, etc.) – non-energy resources (mineral, land, forest) Agricultural Resources – agroclimatic, – land and soil, – vegetable.
Exhaustibility	Exhaustible Resources – non-renewable (mineral, land resources); – renewable (resources of flora and fauna); – not fully renewable, the recovery rate of which is lower than the level of economic consumption; Inexhaustible resources (climate, water, etc.)
Direct use	Production resources (industrial, agricultural) Potentially promising resources Recreational resources, including the cultural, historical and economic potential of the territory.

It should be noted that natural conditions cannot be classified as natural resources, since these are elements of nature that are not directly used in economic production or economic processes of economic activity, but have a direct or indirect impact on people’s livelihoods. However, natural conditions can favor or hinder the use of natural resources. At the same time, as science and technology develop, more and more natural conditions become natural resources that people involve in the production process, especially in the field of alternative energy sources.

Impact of natural resources on the economy

Within the framework of economic development, natural resources should be considered elements of nature that, at a given level of development of productive forces, can be used within various production processes, constituting their raw material and energy base. Consequently, only those that can be used in economic activities can be considered natural resources of economic importance.

The main criteria for classifying natural resources as economically significant are the following:

• scientific, technical and technological feasibility of their use;
• economic feasibility and prospects for use in production and economic processes;
• the level of knowledge of these resources within the framework of fundamental and applied science.

Historically, the influence of natural resources on the economic development of various countries consisted of a range of elements of nature and the human environment that man could use in his economic activities. In this regard, the dynamics of the material composition of the natural resources used is indicative:

In the 17th-18th centuries, about 30 chemical elements were used in economic and production activities, in the 19th century - 50 elements, at the beginning of the 20th century - about 60, but now, one way or another, all of them are used known to science substances.

The influence of natural resources on economic development was also manifested in the nature of their development. In the early stages of socio-economic development, humanity focused on natural resources for agricultural purposes, and then mineral resources began to occupy a significant share in the economic process, first through the use of metal ores, and then organic ones, primarily coal. The next stage was the inclusion of chemical resources into economic circulation: apatites, phosphorites and others. The greatest impetus for economic development was given by the widespread use of energy resources, oil, gas, hydro resources, etc. In modern conditions, alternative energy sources are widely involved in the economy, including solar energy and wind energy.

At the same time, the nature of the use of natural resources, expressed in the possibility of their targeted or multi-purpose use, is important for economic development. Resources for intended use include mineral raw materials and fuel and energy, which are used to obtain specific types of industrial raw materials, fuel, thermal and electrical energy. Multi-use resources include land, forest, and water resources, and the options for their use are varied. With the development of scientific and technological progress, their multi-purpose integrated use is expanding.

Natural resource potential

In modern conditions natural resource potential is the subject and object of production and economic development for all countries, therefore product differentiation of natural resources is of practical importance. In accordance with this, the following groups of natural resources are distinguished:

1. Natural resources of strategic importance for the national economy as a whole or for industries of systemic importance. Such resources, for example, include uranium ores and other radioactive natural components. The economic, economic, and industrial circulation of such resources is strictly regulated and formalized; the unauthorized use of such resources leads to the creation of various threats, both for an individual state and for the whole world.
2. Natural resources for export purposes. Depending on the country, resources for export purposes vary. For example, for Russia such resources are natural gas, oil, coal, timber, diamonds, etc., for Brazil – iron ore, manganese, titanium, tin, etc., for South Africa – coal, chrome ore, gold, platinum and others. etc.

   Natural resources and environmental situation in Russia

   Natural resources for export purposes generate stable foreign exchange earnings in national economic systems.

3. Natural resources destined for the domestic market, such as minerals and construction materials, are ubiquitous. The exception is in regions with a special geographical or climatic location, for example, the island of Socotra.

Depending on the nature of their location and the complexity of production, natural resources can accelerate or slow down the economic development of individual countries, affecting their productive forces, which should also be taken into account when assessing natural resource potential. In particular, accessible and easily developed natural resources, ores, and minerals directly contribute to the rapid growth of the production of material goods. On the contrary, the increased labor intensity of extraction or the remote location of natural resources complicate general economic development, increase the labor intensity of production processes and reduce production efficiency. In fact, the pace of production and the level of human well-being depend on the natural properties of natural resources, since the richer and more accessible the natural resources are, the lower the costs of producing the final product.

Differences in the distribution of natural resources characterize situations in which the same labor inputs bring different results, determined by the qualitative characteristics of natural resources, ranging from soil fertility to the level of useful substances in the ores of different deposits. Natural resource potential and the distribution of natural resources, characterized by extreme unevenness, largely predetermines the territorial division of labor and economic specialization of certain socio-economic and geographical regions.

Natural resource potential serves as the basis for the formation of a primitive economic structure of a territorial entity, according to which production complexes are formed. In particular, the location of industries directly using natural resources is determined by their geography, for example, mining, hydropower, logging, fishing, etc.

Natural resource potential- this is a set of natural resources that are the basis for the economic development of a territory, which can be involved in economic turnover, taking into account economic feasibility and the possibilities of scientific and technological progress.

This is a very important characteristic for each country and its regions. Natural resource potential reflects the distribution of natural resources, the provision of certain sectors of the national economy with them, their influence on the formation of economic specialization and spatial organization of the territory. The value of natural resource potential is the sum of the potentials of individual types of resources.

Structure and assessment of natural resource potential

The structure of natural resource potential includes 8 private potentials.

Structure of natural resource potential

The assessment of natural resources is aimed at determining their value, which is expressed quantitatively in current economic conditions and at a certain level of use of natural resources. The assessment of natural resources allows us to analyze and identify reserves for the rational use, reproduction and protection of natural resources, as well as to establish possible directions for the intensive development of technological production related to the consumption of natural resources.

The main methods for assessing natural resources are given in the table.

Method name	Characteristics of the method
Cost method	Valuation of natural resources, characterized by the current cost of extraction, development or use of components of natural resource potential.
Effective method	Valuation of elements of nature, the exploitation of which generates income.
Rental method	Valuation of natural resources, the quantity of reserves of which is limited, that is, it represents a rent (price) for their use.
Cost-resource method	Takes into account the costs of developing natural resources and income from their use.
Market method	Assessment of the immediate value of a natural resource for market participants, based on the relationship between supply and demand.
Opportunity cost of natural resources method	Allows you to evaluate a natural resource, the price of which is undervalued or absent, by taking into account lost income that could have been obtained by using the natural resources in question for another purpose.
Reproductive method	Determining the cost of a natural resource as a set of costs necessary for the reproduction of a degraded natural resource.
Total Economic Value Method	Valuation of resources by summing up the cost of use (use value, which is easily quantified - the cost of wood, medicinal plants, etc.) and the cost of non-use (existence) of a natural good (difficult to estimate).

The most promising approach to assessing natural resource potential is the concept of total economic value (cost). This approach allows us to take into account not only the direct resource functions of nature, but also the assimilation functions and natural services. Its value is the sum of four indicators:

Assessment of natural resource potential using the method of total economic value

The cost of use is most easily assessed economically.

The direct value in use that forests provide consists of sustainable timber harvesting; by-products; tourism; hunting and fishing. The summation of these indicators will give the direct cost.

Determining indirect cost in use is more difficult. This is explained by a possible discrepancy between global and local benefits: what is unprofitable for a particular region or country may turn out to be vitally important for other countries and the entire planet. For example, the indirect value of a forest consists of the following indicators: carbon dioxide sequestration (greenhouse effect mitigation); water-regulating functions (flood protection), etc.

The indicator of possible cost is even more difficult to calculate. It is associated with the conservation of a biological resource for possible use in the future, that is, we are talking about future use.

Non-use value is based on the so-called existence value, which is an attempt to economically evaluate rather subtle ethical and aesthetic aspects: the value of nature in itself, the aesthetic value of nature for humans, the value of heritage, etc. When estimating this cost, simplified economic approaches are used. For example, living in environmentally friendly areas or near natural object will cost more than under other conditions.

Each territorial entity is subject to one of two forms of influence of natural resources on its economic development:

1. Direct determination of economic specialization associated with the extraction of a certain type of resources and their further supply to other regions of the country or for export;
2. Secondary specialization is the formation of a complex of manufacturing industries based on the processing of local natural resources, the products of which are sent to other regions of the country or for export.

Since natural resources are the natural economic basis for the economic development of the national economy, their targeted use is always a means of solving the country’s socio-economic problems.

Therefore, the key direction of each state is conscious change conditions for the development, extraction and processing of natural resources, up to complete processing or export.

Conclusion

In modern conditions, the influence of natural resources on the economic development of the country must meet the criteria of efficiency and rationality. Consequently, the target direction in achieving economic growth is to ensure intensive development through the use of resource-saving, energy-efficient and innovative production and economic processes.

Mineral resources potential of Russia

The development of the world economy is characterized by a progressive increase in the volume of consumption of mineral resources. Over the past 35 years, 80-85% of oil and gas from the total volume produced over the entire historical period has been used. The volume of use of other types of mineral raw materials has increased 3-5 times over the years. Industrialized countries with 16% of the population globe, produce about 35% in value terms, and consume more than 55% of the global volume of mineral raw materials.

There are 166 mining countries in the world. Of these, 107 countries mine from 1 to 10 types of minerals, 18 - one at a time, 35 countries - from 10 to 20, 7 countries - from 20 to 30, and 3 countries - over 40 types. There are only 10 countries producing over 30 types of minerals. The first three places are shared by the USA, China and Russia, respectively, they jointly account for about 41% of all world production. The world market is practically saturated with all types of mineral raw materials. Under these conditions, the world's largest producers from industrial countries, capable of influencing the trade policy of their states, are not interested in the emergence of new sellers offering raw materials at low prices.

Mining and processing of mineral raw materials has always been a risky area of ​​capital investment, with a long payback period.

Minerals of Russia

In conditions of fierce competition and falling prices, transnational corporations seek to minimize risks and develop deposits in countries with predictable economies and a stable political situation.

The world market situation has developed in recent years in such a way that only deposits of oil and gas, non-ferrous and precious metals, diamonds and uranium are in demand. Deposits of other types of mineral raw materials are less attractive to investors, since the existing resource base makes it possible to meet the needs of global industry for decades to come.
Russia's mineral resource complex, created in Soviet times and more resistant to survival under reform conditions compared to other sectors of the economy, has found itself in a critical condition. However, it still continues to retain fundamental importance for the national economy, holding back the deepening of the crisis.

Russia inherited from the USSR the position of the country richest in mineral resources. Its share in world oil reserves is 13%, gas - 32%, coal - 11%, lead, zinc, cobalt, nickel, iron - from 10 to 36%. About 20 thousand mineral deposits have been discovered and explored in the country, a third of which are being developed. Large and unique objects (about 5% of the total) contain almost 70% of proven reserves and provide up to half of the country's mineral production.

The value of explored and preliminary estimated reserves of mineral raw materials in the Russian Federation is estimated at approximately 28.5 trillion. dollars, the estimate of forecast resources is approaching 140 trillion, more than two-thirds of which are fuel and energy resources. Every year, about $150 billion worth of minerals are extracted from the country's depths.

The assets of the Russian mineral resource complex (MSC) account for almost 40% of all fixed industrial assets or 13% of their book value. MSK enterprises produce 50-60% of the total volume of industrial products or 30-36% of the gross domestic product, they account for more than 50% of the federal budget revenues and 100% of the revenues to the reserve fund and the national welfare fund of Russia. Mineral exports provide more than 80% of the country's foreign exchange earnings.

In the last decade, Russia’s influence on the state of the world market for oil, gas, ferrous and non-ferrous metals has noticeably increased. This was facilitated by a decline in industrial production in the country, caused by a “deep reform” of the economy and the transition to market relations, which led to a sharp drop in domestic demand for almost all types of mineral raw materials. Thus, from 1991 to 2000 alone, domestic consumption of aluminum decreased threefold, refined copper by 3.4 times, lead by 3.3, zinc by 2.7, nickel by 5.7, tin by 4, 2, tungsten and molybdenum concentrates - 8.4 and 6.4 times, respectively. This trend continues.

The development of ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy is restrained by: anti-dumping restrictions on the part of consumer countries, insufficient capacity of the domestic market, rising prices and tariffs for products and services of natural monopolies, and lack of investment.

The following circumstances also negatively affect the work of the metallurgical industry:

• aging of the main production assets, their wear exceeds 50%, while about 80% of the equipment has a service life of more than 20 years;
• high energy intensity. Thus, in the ferrous metallurgy, 1.24 tons of standard fuel are consumed per 1 ton of rolled metal, compared to 0.99 tons in the EU and 0.9 tons in Japan. In non-ferrous metallurgy, in the production of aluminum, specific energy costs are 10-15% higher than in industrialized countries, and in the production of copper - by 15-20%;
• high labor intensity of production of one ton of rolled ferrous metals - 14.6 people/hour compared to 5.6 people/hour in the EU countries and 5.45 people/hour in Japan;
• high level of waste per ton of finished rolled steel: in the production of open-hearth steel - 250 kg compared to 100 kg in the production of rolled steel from converter steel with continuous casting;
• The share of emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere in metallurgical production is 1.35 times higher than at similar foreign plants, and for individual ingredients (dust, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide) the excess reaches 300-400%. At the same time, the share of waste subjected to neutralization and further use at ferrous metallurgy enterprises does not exceed 63.4% of the total volume of their formation, and in non-ferrous metallurgy - 25%;
• scientific and technical lag, low demand for domestic scientific developments, aging scientific personnel, reduction in human resources.

Russia satisfies almost a quarter of the world's needs for natural gas, 10% for oil, second only to Saudi Arabia in terms of its export volumes, and ranks third in the world after Australia and Indonesia in the export of hard coal, providing almost 12% of its sales on the world market.

However, one should take a sober look at the state of affairs in the oil and gas sector, since the structure of proven hydrocarbon reserves has sharply deteriorated. A significant, at least 40%, part of the oil produced in Russia is sent abroad. Currently, advanced development of the most profitable parts of fields and deposits is underway, and newly prepared reserves are concentrated mainly in medium and small fields.

The share of active (highly productive) oil reserves in the balance is about 45%, and the share of low-profit reserves has increased to 55%. Over 70% of oil companies' reserves are on the verge of profitability. The long-term negative trend of decreasing oil recovery factor (ORF) continues. Only from 1960 to 2000, it decreased from 51% to 29%, which is why about 15 billion tons of oil reserves remained unextracted, which is comparable to the total production in the entire history of the Russian oil industry.

An analysis carried out by Rosnedra shows that until 2010-2012 oil will be produced mainly from fields that are being developed and previously prepared for development. Commissioning of new facilities will be required as early as 2012, for which, from 2020, it will be necessary to begin intensive development of new oil and gas basins within Eastern Siberia, the north of the European part of the country, the sea shelf and some other regions.

If you look closely, things in the gas industry are not as optimistic as some uninitiated politicians seem to think. Cumulative natural gas production accounts for only 5% of the initial total resources, fully explored reserves account for 20%, and previously estimated reserves account for 7%.

Sales of hard coal abroad are steadily growing, the price of which has risen following the rise in oil prices. The prospects for coal exports can be considered encouraging - their reserves in the country are large enough to satisfy growing domestic needs and ensure a significant increase in supplies abroad. International trade volumes are expected to increase by 1.3-1.4 times by 2025 and reach 1000-1100 million tons, with the share of thermal coal accounting for 72% of supply volumes.

Russia has a significant share in the export of precious metals. For example, possessing deposits of the Norilsk ore field, the country provides about 60% of the world's exports of palladium, almost 15% of platinum (second place after South Africa), 4% of gold, more than 30% of the world's supply of refined nickel and 3.8% of refined copper.
Almost a fifth of potash fertilizers sold on the world market are obtained from the ores of the Verkhnekamsk deposit in the Perm region.

Russia is practically the only supplier of high-quality apatite concentrate to the world market, providing about 7% of the world supply of phosphate raw materials.

Other minerals and products obtained from their processing, such as iron ores and steel, aluminum, various ferroalloys, titanium products, etc., are exported in significant volumes.

Why is a large number of isotherms closed in the Far East?

Closed isotherms are associated with mountain ranges and intermountain basins, which disrupt the smooth decrease in temperature from south to north.

How can one explain such sharp contrasts in the amount of precipitation in different parts of the Far East?

This is again explained by the mountainous terrain. On the path of moist sea air masses there are mountain ranges that intercept the bulk of precipitation.

Why are the rivers of the northern runoff characterized by high water content with little precipitation?

Because these rivers have low groundwater flow due to permafrost, and low evaporation due to the cold climate.

Costs of transpiration (evaporation of water by a plant) coniferous trees, mosses and lichens are also small. Thus, almost all precipitation reaches the rivers and determines their water content.

How does the monsoon climate affect the Amur regime? Tell us about the economic importance of this river.

The monsoon climate determines the feeding regime of the Amur: stormy floods in the summer (during which the flow increases 4 times), often leading to floods. Amur is the main water artery of the south

Far East. Used for shipping and fishing. The border between Russia and China runs along it.

Show on the map the composition of the territory of the Far East, its mainland, island and peninsular parts, the main geographical objects.

You need to remember the following geographical features:

• seas: Laptev, East Siberian, Chukotka, Beringovo, Okhotsk, Japan;
• bays: Penzhinskaya Bay, Peter the Great, Shelikhova, Anadyrsky;
• straits: Longa, Beringov, Tatarsky, La Perouse, Kunashirsky;
• islands: Novosibirsk, Wrangel, Komandor, Kuril, Sakhalin; peninsulas: Kamchatka, Chukotka; uplands: Zeya-Bureinskaya; lowlands: Yana-Indigirskaya, Kolyma, Middle Amur, Central Yakut;
• mountains, ridges, highlands: Aldan upland, Vitim plateau, Yano-Oymyakon upland, Chukotka upland, Sikhote-Alin, ridges - Chersky, Dzhugdzhur, volcanoes - Klyuchevskaya Sopka, Avachinskaya Sopka;
• rivers: Vilyui, Aldan, Olenek, Lena, Yana, Indigirka, Kolyma, Amur, Zeya, Us-Suri, Kamchatka, Anadyr;
• lakes and reservoirs: Khanka, Vilyuiskoye, Zeyaskoye;
• nature reserves: Ust-Lensky, Kronotsky, Wrangel Island, Far Eastern Sea, Kedrovaya Pad;
• cities: Tiksi, Mirny, Yakutsk, Verkhoyansk, Anadyr, Magadan, Blagoveshchensk, Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Vladivostok, Khabarovsk, Ussuriysk.

What are the main features of the physical-geographical position of the Far East? What is the reason for the increased seismicity in this area?

The Far East is the country's largest economic region in terms of territory, the longest from north to south, covering all latitudes in Russia from almost 42° N. w. in Primorsky Krai up to 74° N. w. in northwestern Yakutia.

The main features of the physical and geographical position of the area:

Wide access to the seas of the Pacific and Arctic oceans;

Wealth in natural resources.

The agroclimatic potential of the region is similar to the southern parts of the European part of the country. True, the widespread occurrence of a sharply continental climate in the west of the region and a moderate monsoon climate in the east and permafrost sharply narrow the possibilities for farming. The most favorable conditions for crop production are in the south in the Amur and Khanka lowlands.

In terms of the diversity of mineral resources, the Far Eastern region is one of the largest, and many deposits are poorly studied and require extensive geological work. There are ores of non-ferrous and ferrous metals (gold, tin, lead, zinc, tungsten, antimony, rare metals, iron, manganese), and diamonds. There are significant reserves of coal, oil, gas, mica-phlogopite, and fluorspar.

The richest hydropower resources of the rivers are almost not used (there is no consumer).

The area is unique in its diversity and reserves of biological resources. The forests contain the most valuable plants (ginseng, lemongrass, eleutherococcus) and animals (fur trade).

The riches of the ocean make it possible to harvest fish and shellfish, seaweed and crabs here.

The development of certain types of raw materials and fuel in the Far East turns out to be unprofitable until foreign economic relations are established, since in Siberia there are deposits of similar resources located closer to European consumers and often with better development conditions.

The increased seismicity of the area and volcanism, unique for Russia, are explained by the fact that the extreme eastern part of the Far East is located in the area of ​​alpine folding, the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire. Tectonic movements continue in this area to this day.

What unique natural features differ the Far East from Siberia, which you have already studied? Give an assessment of the natural features of individual territories of the Far East. Which ones most seriously affect people's lives? Material from the site

The Far East is distinguished from Siberia by its extensive sea coast, monsoon and maritime climates, and volcanism. The features of the physical-geographical position were described above. All these natural features not just influence people’s lives, but shape their lifestyle and type of farming. The monsoon climate with heavy summer rains and frequent river floods determines agricultural specialization and causes frequent crop losses due to flooding. The extensive sea coast determines the development of the fishing industry and the great importance of sea transport. Frequently recurring earthquakes force the construction of earthquake-resistant buildings. Permafrost and the mountainous nature of the territory make it difficult to develop the vast spaces of the Far East. In conditions of frozen soils, all communications in populated areas have to be carried out on the surface; settlements here give the impression of cities and villages entangled in pipes. The sharply continental climate with harsh winters places increased demands on the heating and thermal insulation properties of buildings.

Compare areas in the north and south of the Far East. Show differences and similarities. Explain their reasons.

The most important difference is that it is cold in the north of the region, warmer in the south. The consequences of this are clearly visible on maps of population density and agricultural areas. The Far North is a sparsely populated region with reindeer pastures; the south of the region is not inferior in population density to the European territory of Russia, and is distinguished by crop production and livestock farming. The main similarity is the coastal position of the extreme eastern parts; almost all settlements located on the coast are ports.

Didn't find what you were looking for? Use the search

On this page there is material on the following topics:

• what are the conditions and resources in the Far East
• compare areas in the north and south of the far east. show the differences
• assess the natural conditions in the north and south of the Far East
• amount of evaporation in the Far East
• What are the main features of the physical and geographical position of the Far East? What is the reason for the increased seismicity in this area?

The natural conditions of the Far East are distinguished by sharp contrast, which is due to the enormous extent of the territory from north to south. Most of the territory is occupied by mountains and highlands. The height of the mountains is on average 1000-1500 m. Lowlands are located only in relatively small areas along river valleys. A significant part of the region is covered by permafrost, which complicates the construction and development of agriculture. There are more than 20 active volcanoes and many geysers in Kamchatka. The largest of the volcanoes is Klyuchevskaya Sopka with a height of 4750 m.

The Far East has a rich and diverse mineral resource base. Deposits of diamonds, gold, tin, mercury and tungsten have been explored in the area. There are huge fuel resources, various ore raw materials and building materials. The region occupies a leading place in the country in terms of tin reserves, the main deposits of which are located in the Republic of Sakha (Deputatskoye) and in the Magadan region (Nevskoye, Iltinskoye). The Primorsky Territory and Khabarovsk Territory are rich in tin. Impurities with tin include polymetals (lead, zinc, arsenic, silver, cadmium). A large deposit of polymetallic ores is Tetyukhe in the Primorsky Territory. Mercury deposits were discovered in Chukotka, in the northeastern part of Yakutia and in the Koryak Highlands (Kamchatka region). Tungsten deposits are located in the Magadan region (Iultinskoye tin-tungsten deposit) and in the Primorsky Territory (Armu-Iman region).

The Far East also has raw materials for ferrous metallurgy. Iron ores are concentrated mainly in the south of the Khabarovsk Territory, in the Amur Region and the Republic of Sakha. The Lesser Khingan iron ore district is located on the territory of the Jewish Autonomous Region. The largest deposit in this area is Kimkanskoye. Manganese ores also occur here, mainly in the south of Lesser Khingan. In the south of the Sakha Republic in the river basin. Aldan is located in the South Aldan iron ore region. The largest iron ore deposits in the region are Taeznoye and Pionerskoye.

Not far from the South Aldan iron ore region there are large deposits of coking coal - the South Yakut (Aldan) coal-bearing area, which is conducive to the creation of ferrous metallurgy in the Far East in the future.

The Far East is well supplied with fuel and energy resources. The main coal reserves are concentrated in the Kivda-Raichikhinsky lignite region, Bureinsky, Svobodnensky, Suchansky, Suifunsky, Uglovsky regions, as well as the Lena and South Yakutsk basins. The Far East has oil and gas resources. In the Republic of Sakha, the Leno-Vilyuisk oil and gas province was discovered, which has great prospects. The most significant gas fields are Ust-Vilyuiskoye, Nedzhelinskoye, Sredne-Vilyuiskoye, Badaranskoye and Sobo-Khainskoye. The largest oil and gas resources are available on Sakhalin.

There are diamond reserves, especially in the Republic of Sakha, where the Mir, Aikhal, and Udachnaya kimberlite pipes have been explored. Mining is carried out in an open way. In the basins of the Vilyui and Aldan rivers there are deposits of Iceland spar and rock crystal. The largest fluorspar deposit in Russia was discovered in Primorye (village Yaroslavsky). The Far East occupies an important place in the country in terms of reserves of mica - phlogopite. Its main deposits are Timpton and Emeldzhan. Chemical raw materials in the area include table salt and sulfur. Salt lies in the Republic of Sakha (Olekminskoye, Kempendyaiskoye and Peleduiskoye deposits), and sulfur lies in Kamchatka (Vetrovo-Yamskoye). Primorye and the Amur region are rich in cement raw materials. Graphite deposits have been discovered in the Jewish Autonomous Region.

The climate of the coastal strip of the southern part of the Far East is relatively warm and humid, monsoonal. As you move deeper into the continent, it becomes sharply continental. The climatic conditions of the region have a great influence on economic development.

The Far East has a fairly dense river network. The largest rivers are the Lena and Amur with many tributaries. It should also be noted the rivers of the extreme northeastern part of the region - Yana, Indigirka, Kolyma. Rivers are used as transport routes. In addition, they are exceptionally rich in hydropower resources. Vilyuiskaya, Zeya and Bureyskaya hydroelectric power stations were built.

In the southern part of the region, typical crops of the Pacific regions of Asia - soybeans and rice - are widespread. In the north, vast areas are occupied by tundra and forest-tundra. The trees are intertwined with vines, which makes Ussuri taiga similar to subtropical forests. The Far East exports timber and its processed products to the countries of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The forests are rich in valuable fur-bearing animals (ermine, sable, fox, squirrel, weasel), which are of commercial importance.

The vast territory of the Far Eastern region can be divided into three zones according to the level of economic development: southern, middle and northern.

The southern zone of intensive development includes the Primorsky Territory, the southern parts of the Khabarovsk Territory, the Amur and Sakhalin regions. This is the most economically developed part of the Far East. The basis of the economy of the southern zone is the sea, forest and mining complexes. Currently, development is taking place along the path of combining leading industries with service industries and agriculture.

The middle zone includes the northern regions of the Khabarovsk Territory, the Amur and Sakhalin regions, and the southern part of the Sakha Republic. This zone is characterized by relatively high rates of development. The main specialization is the mining industry, and service industries are poorly developed. Its economic axis is the Baikal-Amur Mainline, which has made great changes to the territorial structure of the economy of this zone: the formation of the industrial belt of the region is underway. The main objectives of the economic development of the zone, in addition to the construction of a second exit to the Far East, are the development of new mineral deposits and the creation of potential in the BAM area for the development of the northern part of the region. The formation of the South Yakutsk and Komsomolsk TPK is associated with the economic development of the Baikal-Amur Mainline zone.

Magnetite quartzites have been explored in the basins of the Olekma and Chara rivers. This makes it possible to create in the future a large base for ferrous metallurgy in the Far East.

In the zone of the South Yakutsk mineral complex, significant deposits of apatite, large deposits of mica, corundum, shale and other minerals have been identified.

The new BAM-Tynda railway and its continuation to Berkakit provide access to Yakut coal to the BAM and to the Siberian Railway. High-quality coking coals from the South Yakutia basin will be supplied in significant volumes to the southern regions of the Far East at metallurgical plants and exported to Japan. To export them to Japan, the first stage of a new large port, Vostochny, was built in Wrangel Bay.

In the future, in addition to coal, it is planned to involve in the exploitation of iron ore resources of the region in order to create here in the future a raw material base for full-cycle ferrous metallurgy. Agriculture is of a focal nature.

In the northern zone of the Far East, focal development is characteristic not only of agriculture, but also of industry. The extractive industries are more intensively developed based on the selective use of minerals. In the northern zone, several industrial centers can be distinguished, which from small points with the mining industry are turning into territorial production nodes in the forestry, food industry, machine repair, fishing and hunting industries.

The seas (Bering, Okhotsk and Japanese) play an exceptionally large and diverse role in the economy of the Far East. Along the Sea of ​​Japan there are routes that connect Russia with Japan, the DPRK, the Republic of Korea, China, and the USA. Here they catch herring, flounder, cod, salmon, mackerel and a number of other valuable commercial species. Crab, sea cucumber, seaweed and seaweed are also caught in the Sea of ​​Japan. The Sea of ​​Okhotsk ranks one of the first places among the seas washing the shores of Russia in terms of fish stocks. The bulk of the total fish catch is made up of salmon and herring. Crabs are caught in large quantities off the western shores of Kamchatka; seal and whale fishing is developed in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk; fur seals live on the islands, the fishing of which is regulated international convention. The Bering Sea is becoming more and more economically important every year due to the growth of transportation along the Northern Sea Route. Valuable fish species are caught here (coho salmon, chinook salmon, chum salmon, pink salmon). Whaling is developed off the coast of Kamchatka. The Far Eastern region accounts for 60% of Russia's fish catch.

An analysis of the territorial structure of the Far Eastern region showed that the scale and structure of industry in the region are characterized by large differences and indicate the uneven distribution of industry. Major changes to the territorial structure of the region were made by the construction of the Baikal-Amur Mainline and the creation of new territorial production complexes.

The Far East has fairly developed inter-regional and international economic ties. Its role is especially great in foreign trade relations with the countries of the Pacific Rim. Dozens of countries trade through the region, and its export functions are of exceptional importance. More than half of the cargo imported into the regions from foreign countries transits in a western direction.

The development of foreign trade relations entails improvement of the region's transport system, economic performance indicators, improvement of the structure of freight turnover and inter-district transport connections.

If until recently the import of goods to the Far East was four times higher than their export, now the structure is changing. Freight turnover is growing at a very high rate, and exports are growing faster than imports. This indicates an increase in the efficiency of the district's economic complex.

Lesson objectives:

• Develop the ability to work according to a standard plan in order to clarify the characteristics of the Far East.
• Assess natural conditions and resources for economic activity.
• Introduce the technique of drawing up a logical supporting outline, creating an “image of the territory” through graphic drawings and symbols.
• Foster a sense of patriotism through geographic information.

Equipment: maps: political and administrative, federal districts, atlases, handouts.

PROGRESS OF THE LESSON

1. Composition of the territory

The Far Eastern economic region is the largest in area among economic regions (36% of the area of ​​the Russian Federation) and has the lowest population density. Due to the great distance from Central Russia, the region is experiencing great difficulties in economic development. There is an acute shortage of labor resources here.

Exercise: Find on the map the subjects of the federation that are part of the Delnevostochny economic region.

1. Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) – Yakutsk
2. Primorsky Territory - Vladivostok
3. Khabarovsk Territory - Khabarovsk
4. Amur region – Blagoveshchensk
5. Sakhalin region - Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
6. Chukotka Autonomous District - Anadyr
7. Kamchatka Territory - Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
8. Magadan region – Magadan
9. Jewish Autonomous Region - Birobidzhan.

Teacher: We will try to draw almost all the material in today’s lesson, that is, create an “image of the territory” using conventional signs, symbols, that is, we will begin to perform logical reference summary. In subsequent lessons we will continue to fill it out and ultimately, I hope, this summary will help you on your test.
So, you have been given a drawn outline of the Far Eastern Economic Region. Glue it into a notebook (double-sided tape is glued to the back). Nearby you will draw symbols and give them an explanation. At the end of the lesson, I will collect 4 notebooks to choose from and give a grade for the work in the lesson.

On the contour we denote:

Using a simple pencil, number it with the subject DVER.

2. Geographical location

1) DVER boundaries:

1. DVER is located on the eastern outskirts of Russia and goes to the land border of the Russian Federation with China, the DPRK and to the maritime border of Russia with the United States (Bering Strait), Japan (Kunashir Strait and La Perouse Strait).
2. DVER borders the East Siberian economic region.

On the contour we denote

In red are land borders, we sign neighboring states
In green are maritime boundaries, we sign neighboring states and straits.
Yellow color – border with another region (with the East Siberian E.R.)

Example outline:

2) Economic and geographical position of the area

EGP DVER is unique and has the following features:

• Great distance from the main regions of Russia.
• Large length of sea borders.
• Long border with China.
• Access to maritime borders with the most developed countries of the world - the USA and Japan.
• The presence of a single island region - Sakhalin.
• Proximity to the Asia-Pacific region.

Economic leader DVER – Khabarovsk(Slide 4)

On the contour we denote

Island region - Sakhalin
We sign the Asia-Pacific region.
Seas
Arctic Ocean - Laptev Sea, East Siberian Sea, Chukchi Sea
Pacific Ocean – Bering Sea, Sea of ​​Okhotsk, Sea of ​​Japan

Question: Russia - Japan. Remember the history of relations between Russia and Japan. What, in your opinion, are the prospects for relations between the two countries (political, economic, cultural, etc.)

Answer: Japan is interested in developing relations with Russia (its closest neighbor), as a large market for raw materials, a market for its goods. Russia - transit country. Russian railways are the shortest route for Japanese goods to Europe.
Japan – developed country, for Russia it is interesting due to new technologies, investment opportunities, etc.

3. Natural conditions

Tectonic structure: eastern part of the Siberian Platform, Aldan Shield, plates of young platforms. Northern part of the Pacific Rim: Kamchatka, Sakhalin, Kuril Islands. Powerful volcanism and seismicity in the eastern parts of the region.
The highest active volcano in Russia is Klyuchevskaya Sopka (height 4688 m)
Terrain: dominant mountainous terrain, which includes: Chukotka, Koryak, Kolyma, Aldan highlands; ridges of Chersky, Verkhoyansky, Sikhote-Alin, Stanovoy, etc.
The flat terrain includes the Yana-Indigirskaya, Kolyma and Amur lowlands, the Prilenskoe plateau, the Zeya-Bureya plain, the Yukagirskaya and Anadyr plateaus.
Climate: arctic, subarctic and temperate zones. January – (–32 degrees to –8). July – (+8 to +16 degrees). Precipitation – 400-1000 mm/year.
Here is the cold pole of the Northern Hemisphere - Oymyakon (-71 degrees).
Inland waters: main rivers - Lena, Aldan, Amur, Ussuri, Yana, Kolyma, Anadyr, etc. Lake - Khanka. Areas with permafrost predominate.
Natural zones: arctic deserts, tundra, forest-tundra, monsoon mixed forests, altitudinal zones. (Slide 5)

On the contour, using conventional signs familiar from grade 6, we display the type of vegetation for each zone and add new symbols:

Brown – Highlands
Squares with maximum and minimum temperatures.
Blue pencil - rivers

Quests:

1. What natural conditions of this area are conducive to human life?
2. What natural conditions are favorable for the development of industry?

4. Natural resources

Mineral:

Brown coal – Primorsky Krai, Nizhnezeysky basin
Hard coal - South Yakut basin, Lena basin, Primorsky Krai, Sakhalin basin.
Oil, gas - Sakhalin, Sakha.
Tungsten – Primorsky Krai
Tin – Primorsky Territory, Khabarosky Territory, Magadan Region
Gold – Magadan region, Amur region, Sakha.
Diamonds - Sakha.

Forest– surplus, except for the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug.
These are larch, spruce, cedar and fir.

Soil– infertile

Recreational– low degree of tourist development of the territory. Special interest in: Lena Pillars, Valley of Geysers, hot springs of Kamchatka, Ussuri taiga.

Water resources– huge, a lot of valuable fish, sea ​​animal, crabs. (Slide 6)

On the contour, using symbols, we display minerals.

Outline sample:

5. “Business card” of DVER

We mark the area on our contour.

6. Consolidation

• Show the borders of the Far Eastern Republic.
• What are the benefits of the economic and geographical location of the Far Eastern Republic?
• What are the specifics of the Far Eastern Republic?
• What industries do you think will develop in the Far Eastern Region?
• From which federal subjects does the Far Eastern Republic receive the necessary natural resources, in particular mineral ones?

Sample outline at the end of the lesson

Then the teacher briefly summarizes the lesson and draws attention to the homework: write a description of the geographical location, natural conditions and resources of the Far Eastern Republic, using the notes compiled during the lesson. If you have any difficulties, refer to the text of the textbook.

Mineral Resources. The natural resources of the Far East are rich and varied. There are many mineral deposits in the Far East. The main ones are ore. Gold ranks first among the region's mineral resources. Gold is mined in Kolyma, Chukotka, in the lower reaches of the Amur, in the upper reaches of Selemdzha, on the right bank of the Zeya and on the eastern slope of Sikhote-Alin.

The second place in importance is occupied by ores of non-ferrous and rare metals.

Even compared to the rich mineral resources regions of Siberia, the Far East is distinguished by the fact that very scarce and sometimes simply unique minerals are concentrated here. These include tin, lead, zinc, tungsten, gold, mercury, graphite, fluorite, etc.

Table 10. Natural resources of the Far East

Tin deposits are concentrated in Chukotka, on the eastern and southern outskirts of the Khingan-Bureya massif, in the middle and southern parts Sikhote-Alin. Sikhote-Alin is rich in tungsten and mercury, and there is also a large Tetyukhinskoye deposit of lead-zinc ores.

Iron ores were found in the southern part of the Far East - in the Khingan-Bureya massif and on the Amur-Zeya Plain. On east coast Deposits of titanomagnetite sands have been discovered in Kamchatka and on some islands of the Great Kuril Ridge.

In the southern part of the region there are large Bureinsky and Suchansky coal basins and lignite deposits on the plains. Oil and gas are produced in the north of Sakhalin.

Special mention should be made of mineral waters Far East, many of which are thermal. Not far from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the Pauzhetskaya power plant is already operating on underground hot water, and a greenhouse plant has been built near it.

Agroclimatic resources. IN temperate zone In the Far East, climatic conditions are quite favorable for agriculture. Vegetables and grain crops, including soybeans and rice, as well as fruit trees grow well in the lowlands of the Amur region. In the lowlands of the Primorsky Territory and in river valleys Even grapes ripen in the south. Potatoes and other root crops are successfully grown on Sakhalin.

Water resources. The Far East has a fairly dense river network, the rivers are mostly fast, with great potential for the construction of hydroelectric power stations. Some of them have already built hydroelectric power stations. Amur, Zeya, Selemdzha, Bureya, Ussuri, Amgun are of transport importance.

The region's groundwater, unfortunately, has not yet been studied well and is still poorly used.

Energy resources of the Far East- this is not only coal and oil, hydro resources, but also energy sea ​​tides, warmth from volcanoes and hot springs.

Biological resources. The forests of the Far East provide valuable timber.

Many animals are of economic importance. Among them are more than 30 species of fur-bearing animals - sable, weasel, otter, squirrel; two species of deer - sika and wapiti, the young antlers of which are used to produce a valuable medicine - pantocrine.

Marine fisheries are also important in the economic specialization of the Far East. Here they catch herring, salmon, sea bass, halibut, sablefish, pollock, saury, swordfish, tuna, crabs, and shrimp. Large fishing trawlers process all their catch directly at sea. IN coastal waters sea ​​cucumbers, clams, mussels and scallops are caught, sea ​​urchins, kelp.

Recreational resources of the Far East potentially large, but underutilized. As already noted, the south of Primorye is not inferior in its climatic conditions to the resorts of the Crimea and the Caucasus. The predominance of clear sunny days and the absence of sweltering summer heat make the climate of Primorye extremely beneficial for people. Its value is increased by numerous healing springs and large deposits of medicinal mud. The swimming season on the coast of Peter the Great Bay lasts from July to the end of September, and the season for sailing and rowing exceeds 250 days.

Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands are unique in their landscapes and healing thermal springs.

Therefore, in the future, many territories of the Far East can be used for tourism and the organization of resort facilities.

Kuril Islands

The Kuril Island Arc is located between the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and the Pacific Ocean. The garland of the Kuril Islands consists of two parallel ridges: the Greater Kuril ridge and the Lesser Kuril ridge. Most of the islands are mountainous.

The origin of the Kuril ridge is volcanic. Each island here is a volcano, a fragment of a volcano, or a chain of volcanoes fused together at their bases. There are 104 volcanoes on the Kuril Islands (excluding underwater ones), of which 39 are active. At least 75 volcanic peaks have heights from 50 to 1300 m, and 12 peaks exceed 1300 m. The highest volcano of the Kuril ridge is Alaid (2339 m) on Atlasov Island.

During the eruption of the Sarychev volcano on the island of Matua in 1946, lava flows reached the sea. The glow could be seen 150 km away, and ash fell even in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

The ongoing movements of the earth's crust are evidenced by frequent earthquakes and seaquakes, causing huge tidal waves. destructive force- tsunami.

The climate of the Kuril Islands is monsoonal, maritime, moderately cold, and quite harsh in the north. Summers are cool, winters are cold, snowy, and long. And this despite the fact that the islands lie between 50-45° N. sh., that is, where forest-steppes and steppes are located in the European part of Russia. In the south, up to 1000 mm of precipitation falls per year, in the north - about 600 mm. The soils are varied: mountain-tundra, mountain-meadow, turf, under forests - slightly podzolic. They often have several humus horizons, layered and covered volcanic ash. On the northern islands, the lower tier of forests is dominated by thickets of elfin pine and alder, and above 550-1000 m - mountain tundra. On the southern islands, at the foot of the mountains, sparse forests of stone birch grow; further south, Kuril bamboo is mixed in with them. Above 500-600 m, stone birch is adjacent to dwarf cedar and alder. In the forests there are foxes, bears, wolves, and ermines. There are deposits of sulfur and copper ore on the islands. The main occupation of the residents is fishing.

Vitus Ionassen (Ivan Ivanovich) Bering (1681-1741)

Vitus Jonassen Bering was born in Denmark and was invited to Russia in 1704 as an experienced sailor. In 1724, by special order of Peter I, he was promoted to captain of the first rank. Vitus Bering in 1725-1741 headed the First and Second Kamchatka expeditions. The main task of the expeditions was to resolve the issue of the existence of an isthmus or strait between Asia and America. Bering left St. Petersburg in 1733 and in 1737 reached Okhotsk, where he led a detachment located on two ships - “St. Peter” and “St. Paul”. In 1740, they left Okhotsk for Avacha Bay and here, in the village named after the ships, Petropavlovsk, the expedition overwintered. In June 1741, both ships sailed to the shores of North America.

In mid-July, Bering saw land. This was Alaska. The expeditions passed the strait between the Chukotka Peninsula and Alaska, later called the Bering Strait.

On December 6, 1741, V. Bering died on an uninhabited island, which was called Bering Island, and the entire group of islands was called the Commander Islands.

Questions and tasks

1. Give an assessment of the natural resources of the Far East.
2. What resources in this region are most important?
3. What are the difficulties associated with developing the natural resources of the Far East?
4. Which natural resources are the least developed and why?
5. Propose your project for the development and use of the resources of the Far East.