Economic assessment of natural conditions and natural resources of the region. Natural conditions and resources of Eastern Siberia

Eastern Siberia is the most continental of the regions of Russia, one of two (together with Western Siberia) that does not go to any of the non-freezing seas. Here is the "center of Asia" (in the city of Kyzyl, the capital of the Republic of Tuva) - the point most distant from all the oceans and seas washing the shores of Asia.

Why does Eastern Siberia, located on an ancient platform, have an elevated relief?

The increased activity of the Pacific lithospheric plate moving under Eurasia (in the Mesozoic and Neogene-Quaternary) led to significant uplifts of the earth's crust. These movements covered both the ancient Siberian platform and folded structures of different ages.

During the uplift of individual sections of the crystalline basement along numerous faults, magma was introduced into the sedimentary rock mass. In many areas of the Central Siberian Plateau, magma erupted onto the surface, thus forming a vast lava plateau. Subsequently, when rivers cut in and denuded, a characteristic stepped relief was formed.

What minerals are Eastern Siberia rich in?

Deposits of iron and copper-nickel ores, gold and platinum are associated with outcrops of crystalline rocks of the basement. East Siberian gold deposits (Bodaibo) have been exploited for about 150 years. At present, Eastern Siberia accounts for more than 10% of the total Russian industrial iron ore reserves (the Korshunovskoye deposit in the Irkutsk region, the Nizhneangarskoye deposit in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the ores of Khakassia, and others).

Rice. 143. Central Siberian Plateau

The Norilsk region has unique reserves of complex copper-nickel ores. In addition to the main components (nickel, copper, cobalt), Norilsk ores contain platinum, palladium, gold, iron, silver, tellurium, selenium, sulfur and other chemical elements. Almost 40% of Russian copper reserves and about 80% of nickel reserves are concentrated in the deposits of the Norilsk region. One of the largest in the Russian Federation, the Norilsk Mining and Metallurgical Combine, operates on their basis.

Why are not all coal deposits in the region being developed?

The largest coal deposits are located in tectonic troughs. Among them stands out the largest coal basin in the country - Tunguska. Only the already explored coal reserves in this basin are almost 5 billion tons. At present, several deposits are being exploited in the basin near Norilsk, which provide fuel for the city and the mining and smelting plant. It makes no sense to increase production here, despite the huge reserves: it will be almost impossible to export coal from here (or it will be very expensive).

The development of the Kansk-Achinsk lignite basin is of great importance for the country's economy. It is very advantageously located along the Trans-Siberian Railway. The deposits have one thick (from 10 to 90 m) seam and are located close to the surface, so coal is mined in an open way. Unfortunately, the coal from this basin is of low quality, high ash content, and it is unprofitable to transport it over long distances. Therefore, most of the coal mined is used in local power plants.

The large developed basin is the Irkutsk one. Its coal seams are 4-12 m thick, and most of the explored coal reserves are available for open-pit mining.

Why are the rivers of Eastern Siberia favorable for the construction of hydroelectric power stations?

In the Yenisei and its full-flowing tributaries: the Lower Tunguska, the Podkalennaya Tunguska and the Angara, there are huge reserves of hydropower. A cascade of the largest hydroelectric power plants has already been built on the Yenisei and Angara.

Rice. 144. High banks of rivers

Efficient hydropower construction is possible due to favorable natural conditions. For example, on the Yenisei, a relatively narrow river valley is deeply cut into solid rocky banks. As a result, the construction of hydroelectric power plants here is much cheaper than in other areas. And the area of ​​flooded farmland in the Yenisei basin per unit of electricity generated is 20 times less than the national average.

In what natural zone is most of Eastern Siberia located?

Tundra and forest-tundra dominate in the northern plains and mountainous regions, and in the Far North, on the ocean coast of Taimyr and on the Arctic islands (Severnaya Zemlya), arctic deserts dominate.

Most of Eastern Siberia is covered with light-coniferous larch forests, the border of which in the north goes quite far - up to 70 ° N. sh. In the Krasnoyarsk Territory, larch forests occupy half of the entire taiga.

Rice. 144a. larch forest

In the Angara basin, large areas are also occupied by pine forests, and in the Western Baikal region - dark coniferous spruce-cedar forests. Only in the southern regions of the region in the basins (Minusinsk, Kuznetsk) there are areas of steppes and forest-steppes.

The area has huge reserves of wood raw materials. The total timber stock is almost 40% of the all-Russian fund. However, the main tracts of forests are located in the poorly developed territory, where logging is almost not carried out.

Rice. 145. Fur gold of Siberia

An important wealth of the region is fur-bearing animals: sable, squirrel and arctic fox, the main object of hunting for the indigenous population of this region.

Agricultural land is concentrated mainly in the southern part of the region, in the steppe and forest-steppe areas and along the banks of rivers in the taiga zone.

findings

Severe climatic conditions and the inaccessibility of many regions, a sparse population, despite the innumerable natural resources, are a deterrent to the economic development of Eastern Siberia.

Questions and tasks

1. Determine the distance separating the European Center from Eastern Siberia, evaluate transport conditions, population distribution, and evaluate the physical and economic-geographical position of Eastern Siberia.
2. "Valley of the Yenisei - the boundary between Western and Eastern Siberia". Using maps from the atlas, provide evidence for this statement.
3. What climatic features of the region impede economic activity and people's lives?
4. Siberian rivers are characterized by a special regime. Do they lose their originality as a result of the construction of hydroelectric power stations? What environmental problems arise from this?
5. In Eastern Siberia, which extends in the same latitudes as the East European Plain and Western Siberia, there is no pronounced latitudinal zonality of soil-vegetation zones. Why?
6. In your opinion, is it right to single out the Far North region from the entire territory of Western and Eastern Siberia? How would you draw its southern border? What are the distinctive features of nature and population named?

Contents Introduction 1. General characteristics of the East Siberian region 4 2. Lake Baikal as the basis of the natural resource system of Eastern Siberia 3. Prospects for the development of the East Siberian region Conclusion List of references
Introduction

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

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

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

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

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

The East Siberian region includes: Irkutsk Region, Chita Region, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Aginsky Buryatsky, Taimyrsky (or Dolgano-Nenetsky), Ust-Ordynsky Buryat and Evenk Autonomous Okrugs, Republics: Buryatia, Tuva (Tyva) and Khakassia.

Eastern Siberia is located far from the most developed regions of the country, between the Western Siberian and Far Eastern economic regions. Only in the south are the railways (Trans-Siberian and Baikal-Amur) and along the Yenisei in a short navigation a connection with the Northern Sea Route is provided. Features of the geographical location and natural and climatic conditions, as well as poor development of the territory make it difficult for the industrial development of the region.

Natural resources: thousand-kilometer high-water rivers, endless taiga, mountains and plateaus, low-lying tundra plains - such is the diverse nature of Eastern Siberia. The territory of the region is huge - 5.9 million km2.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The hydropower resources of Eastern Siberia are enormous. The most full-flowing river is the Yenisei. The country's largest hydropower plants (Krasnoyarskaya, Sayano Shushenskaya, Bratskaya and others) were built on this river and on one of its tributaries, the Angara.

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

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

Complexes of endemic organisms found nowhere else in the world, natural landscapes, and biological resources attach particular value to Baikal.

Lake Baikal has long been called the "sacred sea", they bow to it, compose legends and songs about it. Contact with this greatest creation of nature is a unique and indescribable feeling of merging with the universe and eternity.

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

Comparative characteristics of lakes by depth are presented in Table.

Among all the beauties and riches of Siberia, Lake Baikal occupies a special place. This is the greatest mystery that nature has given, and which has not yet been solved. Until now, disputes have not subsided about how Baikal arose - as a result of inevitable slow transformations or because of a monstrous catastrophe and a sinkhole in the earth's crust. For example, P. A. Kropotkin (1875) believed that the formation of a depression was associated with breaks in the earth's crust. ID Chersky, in turn, considered the genesis of Baikal as a trough of the earth's crust (in the Silurian). At present, the theory (hypothesis) of the "rift" has become widespread.

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

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

Sheer cliffs go deep into the lake, often leaving no room even for a hiking trail. In a swift run, streams and rivers roll down to Baikal from a great height. In places where on their way there are ledges of hard rocks, the rivers form picturesque waterfalls. Baikal is especially beautiful on quiet, sunny days, when the high mountains surrounding it with snow-capped peaks and mountain ridges sparkling in the sun are reflected in the vast blue space.

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

The formation of its shores has not ended so far; earthquakes are frequent on the lake, vibrations of individual sections of the coast. From generation to generation, old-timers tell how in 1862 on Lake Baikal, north of the delta of the Selenga River, during an earthquake measuring 11 points, a land area of ​​209 square meters. km per day sank under water to a depth of 2 meters. The new bay was called Proval, and its depth is now about 11 meters. In just one year, up to 2000 small earthquake shocks are recorded on Baikal.

The shores, slopes and bottom of the lake, dressed in crystalline rocks, keep the water clean. Rapid streams, noisy waterfalls, cutting through granite cliffs, rush into Baikal rivers, rivers and streams. There are 336 large and small tributaries of the lake. The largest of them are Selenga, Upper Angara, Barguzin, Turka, Snezhnaya. Only one flows out of the lake - the mighty and impetuous Angara, giving its clear waters to the Yenisei.

The oil and gas reserves of Eastern Siberia are at least comparable to those of Western Siberia, so Eastern Siberia could become a new center for the oil and gas industry. Oil and gas fields include: the Yurubcheno-Tokhomskaya zone in the south of the Evenk Autonomous Okrug and the Lower Angara Region in the Krasnoyarsk Territory; Vankor gas and oil field in the Krasnoyarsk Territory;. Kovykta gas condensate field in the Irkutsk region; Talakanskoye field in Yakutia; deposits of Sakhalin.

First of all, in the eastern regions of the country, the hydropower potential has not been fully utilized. It is important to note that this is a renewable source of electricity. Of the large projects, one can name the Boguchanskaya HPP, the Bureiskaya and Nizhnebureiskaya HPPs.

In addition, major projects in the thermal power industry are possible (Berezovskaya GRES-1, Kharanorskaya GRES).

The development of the power industry in the eastern regions of the country creates conditions for the development of the aluminum industry, for which cheap electricity is a key factor. Several aluminum production plants can be built. Thus, RUSAL announced the possibility of building 3 aluminum smelters in the eastern part of the country, linked to the Boguchanskaya, Sayano-Shushenskaya and Bureyskaya HPPs.

Among other possible sub-sectors of non-ferrous metallurgy is the development of gold mining, for example, the development of the Sukhoi Log deposit in the Irkutsk region.

In the eastern regions of the country, there are a number of factors that can positively influence the further development of the timber industry, including the emergence of processing industries. The combination of rich forest resources, significant volumes of unused waste (which is the raw material for pulp and paper production) and emerging cheap sources of electricity (during the implementation of projects in the electric power industry) makes it possible to implement several projects for the construction of pulp and paper mills in the eastern regions at once, as well as other investment projects. projects in the timber industry (for example, for the production of MDF). Among the possible locations for the pulp and paper mill are the Boguchansky District (Lower Angara, Krasnoyarsk Territory), Lesosibirsk (the traditional timber industry center of the Krasnoyarsk Territory); pulp and paper mills may well appear in the Irkutsk and Chita regions.

In addition, the prospects for the development of the East Siberian region can be associated with the development of tourism. Here, the hallmark of the "tourist" card is the "blue pearl of Siberia" - Lake Baikal.

Eastern Siberia may become a new center for the oil and gas industry.

In the eastern regions of the country, the hydropower potential has not been fully utilized. It is important to note that this is a renewable source of electricity.

The development of the power industry in the eastern regions of the country creates conditions for the development of the aluminum industry, for which cheap electricity is a key factor.

In the eastern regions of the country, there are a number of factors that can positively influence the further development of the timber industry, including the emergence of processing industries.

The East Siberian region has great opportunities for the development of both domestic and foreign tourism. Recently, the region has acquired significant importance in the development of relations between Russia and foreign countries.

1. Law of the Russian Federation of 04.10.1996 "On the basics of tourism activities in the Russian Federation" as of 01.01.2006.

2. Akshinin S. B. Shabashev V. A. Competition: Modern trend, problems of formation. - Moscow: 1995.S. 97.

3. Kotler F., Armstrong G., Saunders J., Wong V. Fundamentals of marketing: TRANS. from English. - 4th European ed. – M.: SPb.; K.: Publishing house. House "Williams", 2005. P.23.

4. Journal of the East Siberian Region // We must learn to receive guests, 28.07.2005.

5. Russian newspaper // Regional application "All Siberia", 02.02.2006.

Journal of the East Siberian Region // We must learn to receive guests, 07/28/2005.

Rossiyskaya gazeta // Regional application "All Siberia", 02.02.2006.

For every hundred inhabitants, a centurion was chosen to collect taxes and perform police duties. The territorial societies of various categories of cultivators that existed before the reform of 1786 formed grassroots administrative-territorial units: settlements, graveyards, pits, stations, villages. Despite the different names of the administrative centers, they were structurally similar and represented ...

Relations between and within regions contribute to an increase in the level of economic development, the necessary expansion of production and an increase in its efficiency. In connection with the rational market specialization of the West Siberian economic region, there is an increase in the gross regional product (GRP): in 2005 it increased by about 3 times compared to 2000. In connection with...

... : in industry - 22%, in agriculture - 12.2, in construction - 8.3, in transport - 7.8, in trade and public catering - 14.3, health - 6.8, education - 9.45%. Industry. The West Siberian economic region ranks third in the Russian Federation in terms of industrial potential (14.49%), behind the Central (18.7%) and Ural (17.9%) regions. On the...

The central part of Eastern Siberia is located within the vast Central Siberian Plateau, south of which the relief becomes mid-mountain (up to 3 thousand meters above sea level), forming the mountain systems of the Eastern and Western Sayan, Baikal and Transbaikalia. The lowlands are typical only for the polar Taimyr Peninsula - North Siberian and the Yenisei Left Bank strip, within the West Siberian Plain.

The climate is sharply continental, with very cold winters and relatively warm summers. The amount of precipitation increases from north to south, reaching a maximum (800-1200 mm) in the mountains of Southern Siberia. The Far North of Eastern Siberia falls into the permafrost zone, the centers of which stretch far to the south.

The harsh climatic conditions of Eastern Siberia and the wide distribution of permafrost retard the development of chemical and biological weathering processes, and therefore soil formation is slow. The soil profile is thin (10-30 cm), cartilaginous, with a low content of humus, peaty and moist. A variety of physical and geographical conditions (mountainous and flat terrain, low air and soil temperatures, varying amounts of precipitation, shallow permafrost) contribute to the formation of a variegated soil cover. In the mountains under the forests, mountain podburs, taiga frozen soils predominate, among which, especially on the northern slopes, gley-taiga frozen soils are often found. On the southern slopes, permafrost-taiga soils with slight podzolization are common. Mountain podzolic soils dominate in the mountains of the Okhotsk coast. In the mountain tundra, mountain tundra soils are formed, mainly underdeveloped coarse skeletal soils. The upper slopes of the mountains are covered with stony placers. In the lowlands, tundra-gley, humus-peat-bog, gley-taiga permafrost soils are common. Bog soils are developed on the floodplains and terraces of the valleys. In the floodplains of tundra rivers, permafrost occurs at a shallow depth, sometimes layers of ice protrude in coastal cliffs. The soil cover is poorly developed.

The natural conditions of Eastern Siberia are characterized by the severity of the climate, the presence of permafrost, peat bogs, tundra, taiga, as well as the predominance of hills and mountains. The unfavorability of natural conditions increases in the northern and eastern directions. The most convenient, in terms of natural and climatic terms, is the southwestern part of Eastern Siberia. Therefore, the bulk of the population, the largest industrial centers, and the most developed transport links are concentrated here.

The influence of natural conditions and resources on the location and development of the economy in some regions of Eastern Siberia is very great. Therefore, naturally, the more severe the natural conditions, the higher the cost of manufactured products and the more valuable and unique it must be in order to compensate for the increased costs of its production. This is especially important in the conditions of formation and development of market relations.

Eastern Siberia is the second largest economic region of Russia after the Far East. The branches of market specialization of the region, which determine its place in the territorial division of labor, include the coal industry, electric power industry, non-ferrous metallurgy (especially aluminum production), some chemical industries, the timber industry and fur trade.

Most of the hydropower resources and general geological coal reserves are concentrated here. In Eastern Siberia there are unique deposits of non-ferrous, rare and noble metals (copper, nickel, cobalt, molybdenum, niobium, titanium, gold, platinum, etc.), many types of non-metallic raw materials (mica, asbestos, talc, graphite, magnesite, fluorspar and etc.). Large reserves of oil and natural gas have been discovered. Eastern Siberia holds the first place in the Russian Federation in terms of timber reserves.

Geological reserves of coal reach 3.7 trillion tons, which is more than half of the coal resources of Russia and twice the coal resources of the United States. The most studied and developed are the Kansk-Achinsk, Minusinsk and Irkutsk coal basins. The Taimyr, Tunguska and Ulugkhemsky basins have not yet been sufficiently explored and, all the more so, developed.

The Kansk-Achinsk coal basin extends along the Trans-Siberian railway for a distance of about 800 km. The total geological reserves of coal in it are 638 billion tons. The main deposits of this basin are: Berezovskoye, Irsha-Borodino, Nazarovskoye, Bogotolskoye, Abanskoye, Uryupskoye. Brown coals lie in thick layers (up to 100 m) and close to the surface, which allows them to be mined in an open way.

The Minusinsk coal basin has geological coal reserves of 32.5 billion tons. It is located along the banks of the upper reaches of the Yenisei and its tributary, the Abakan, in the Minusinsk basin. Coals - stone, their extraction can be carried out mainly by the mine method.

The reserves of the Irkutsk coal basin are estimated at 76.2 bln tons.

Rich coal deposits are discovered on the territory of Tuva. The Ulugkhem basin stands out here with geological reserves of about 18 billion tons of coal, which is a good energy fuel and is characterized by a low content of ash and sulfur. However, due to the lack of transport links with the industrial centers of Eastern Siberia, the basin has so far only a local significance. Transbaikalia (Chita region and Buryatia) has significant coal reserves. In Buryatia, the largest deposits are Gusinoozerskoye, Nikolskoye, Tugunskoye. The coals are brown with a high yield of volatile combustible substances, as a result of which they can ignite spontaneously during long-term storage. The coals of the Chita region, for the most part, also belong to the brown ones. The main deposits are Kharanorskoye, Chernovskoye, Tarbagataiskoye. In the Bukachachinskoye deposit - black coals.

The Tunguska coal basin occupies a large part (1 million km 2) of the Siberian platform between the Lena and Yenisei rivers. It is still poorly studied and due to the inaccessibility and remoteness from industrial centers it is not exploited (only coal is mined for the needs of Norilsk). However, according to estimates, the geological reserves of coal in the Tunguska basin are very large and amount to about 2299 billion tons. In the northern; part of the Taimyr Peninsula is the Taimyr coal basin with total reserves of 235 billion tons. It is still little studied due to the harsh natural and climatic conditions and the poor development of the transport network. Within the Krasnoyarsk Territory there is also a part of the Lena coal basin - the Anabar-Khatanga coal-bearing region with deposits of brown coal.

Oil was discovered in the 1960s near Ust-Kut near the village of Markovo. In subsequent years, oil and natural gas resources were discovered not only in the north of the Irkutsk region, but also in Evenkia, the Nizhne-Angarsky district of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, but their industrial production has not yet been carried out. There are also minor reserves of oil shale.

Large reserves of iron ore and non-ferrous metal ores are concentrated in Eastern Siberia. The total balance reserves of iron ores are estimated at 4.6 billion tons. Their main resources are located in the Angara-Pitsky, Angara-Ilimsky and Khakass-Minusinsk basins. The best in quality in Eastern Siberia are the ores of the Angaro-Ilimsk basin (Korshunovskoye and Rudnogorskoye deposits). They belong to magaetites and contain an average of 46-48% iron.

Eastern Siberia is rich in various non-ferrous and rare metals, especially gold, molybdenum, tin, nickel and copper. In addition, there are significant reserves of aluminum, zinc, lead, cobalt.

The reserves of lead-zinc ores are concentrated mainly in the Gorevsky and Kyzyl-Tashtyg deposits of the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Nerchinsk group of deposits in the Chita Region. In addition to lead and zinc, polymetallic ores (especially in the Krasnoyarsk Territory) contain precious and rare metals. It should be noted that in some cases the cost of these additional components of polymetallic ores significantly exceeds the cost of lead and zinc.

Eastern Siberia has large reserves of copper and nickel. They are concentrated mainly in the copper-nickel deposits of the Norilsk region and in the cuprous sandstones and copper-nickel ores of the Udokan ore region. Along with copper, ores and industrial concentrates contain molybdenum, and, to a lesser extent, cobalt, tungsten, and gold.

Aluminum raw materials are mainly represented by nepheline ores and, to a lesser extent, by bauxites. The largest deposits are located in the Krasnoyarsk Territory (Goryachegorskoye, Ugorskoye, Chadobetskoye) and in Buryatia (Boksonskoye).

Molybdenum deposits are known in the Chita region (Bugdanskoye and Shirokenskoye), Krasnoyarsk Territory (Sorskoye) and Buryatia (Dzhidinskoye and Orekitkanskoye).

There are significant reserves of tin, which are concentrated mainly in the south of the Chita region (Levo-Ingodinskoye, Sherlovogorskoye deposits).

Gold deposits are found here both in the form of quartz-gold veins and in placers. There are a number of primary gold deposits in the Chita region (Baleyskoye, Tasseevskoye, Darasunskoye). The bulk of gold is mined in Transbaikalia, the Bodaibo district of the Irkutsk region and the Yenisei taiga.

Eastern Siberia has large reserves of various non-metallic minerals. There are deposits of fluorspar, mica, graphite, magnesite, talc, cement marls, etc. There are deposits of asbestos in many regions (the largest deposits are Ak-Dovurakskoye in Tuva and Molodezhnoye in Buryatia). Eastern Siberia is rich in salt reserves. The main deposits are located in the Chita region, the Krasnoyarsk region and the Irkutsk region. Moreover, in the Irkutsk region, the salt basin extends from Usolye Sibirsky to Ust-Kut, and the thickness of salt layers in some places reaches several hundred meters.

Rivers are the transport system of the landscape. Large and small rivers of Eastern Siberia form a dense network. Despite the low amount of precipitation, the rivers are full of water. This is explained by a short warm period during which there is a rapid flood. In addition, frozen soil prevents water from seeping into the depths, and therefore most of the precipitation flows into rivers, which are fed mainly by melt, snow water and rain. Spring causes floods and a significant rise in the water level. On the territory of the Central Siberian Plateau, many rivers flow along tectonic cracks in deep valleys (up to 300 meters). All the rivers of this territory belong to the basin of the Arctic Ocean. The Yenisei flows along the western edge of the Central Siberian Plateau. Its most abundant right tributary is the Angara, flowing from Baikal, which regulates the flow of the river, making it uniform throughout the year. This favors the use of Angara's water energy.

10 km from Baikal, high in the mountains, the Lena River is born. Having received large tributaries, especially Aldan and Vilyui, it turns into a large flat river. When flowing into the sea, Lena forms a huge, the largest delta in Russia, consisting of more than a thousand islands. Other large rivers, the Indigirka and the Kolyma, also flow into the seas of the Arctic Ocean. Lakes in this area are unevenly distributed. There are especially many of them in the northern and eastern parts.

Baikal is one of the oldest lakes on the planet; scientists determine its age at 25 million years. However, there are no signs of aging on Baikal, like many lakes in the world. On the contrary, recent studies have allowed geophysicists to hypothesize that Baikal is a nascent ocean. This is confirmed by the fact that its shores diverge at a rate of up to 2 cm per year, just as the continents of Africa and South America diverge1.

Among the lakes of the globe, Lake Baikal occupies the 1st place in terms of depth. On Earth, only 6 lakes have a depth of more than 500 meters. The greatest depth mark in the southern basin of Baikal is 1423 m, in the middle one - 1637 m, in the northern one - 890 m. The "roots" of the basin cut through the entire Earth's crust and go into the upper mantle to a depth of 50–60 km. This is the deepest basin of the earth's land.

Baikal is the largest storage of fresh water on the planet (23 thousand km 3), which exceeds the volume of water contained in the five Great Lakes of North America (Upper, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario) combined, or 2 times more than in Lake Tanganyika. About 20% of the world's fresh lake water reserves are concentrated in the Baikal basin (excluding glaciers, snowfields and ice, where the water is in a solid state).

Lena is a river flowing in Eastern Siberia, in the Irkutsk region and Yakutia. Its length is 4400 km, the basin area is 2490 thousand square meters. km. Lena originates on the slopes of the Baikal Range, flows into the Laptev Sea, forming a vast (about 30 thousand sq. Km) delta. The main tributaries of the Lena are Noya and Vilyuy. Gold and various fish are mined in Lena.

The Angara is the most abundant tributary of the Yenisei in the Irkutsk Region and the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Its length is 1779 km, the basin area is 1040 thousand square meters. km. The Angara flows out of Lake Baikal and flows through the southern part of the Central Siberian Plateau. In the middle and lower reaches of the Angara, it crosses the area of ​​distribution of traps. From the source, most of the river turns into a reservoir cascade. The main tributaries of the Angara are the Irkut, the Oka with the Biya, the Kova, the Taseev, the Ilim, and the Chadobets. The operational groundwater reserves for the studied southern part of the basin (cal. 231.5 thousand sq. km) are estimated at 209 m3/s. Salt waters and brines of the pool are used to obtain NaCl, it is also possible to extract Br, K, Mg and other elements.

The seas - Kara, Laptev and East Siberian - wash the shores of Eastern Siberia for more than 10 thousand km. All of them are located in a strip in the strip of the continental shelf and, therefore, are relatively shallow. Only at a considerable distance from the coast do depths reach 150-200 m.

The development of the northern sea route was of great importance for raising the economy and the cultural level of the inhabitants of the Far North. Every year, along this route, accompanied by powerful icebreakers, sea steamers pass, carrying industrial equipment and products from the ports of Dikson, Igarka, Dudinka, Tiksi for the northern regions of Eastern Siberia. They return laden with timber, ore and fish.

In terms of the wealth of hydropower resources, Eastern Siberia occupies the first place in Russia. The hydropower resources of the rivers, technically possible for use, are estimated at 700 billion kWh, and in their economically efficient part - at 350 billion kWh. One of the world's greatest rivers, the Yenisei, flows through the region. In terms of water content, it ranks first in Russia, carrying 548 km 3 of water into the ocean every day, that is, 2.5 times more than the Volga. The river has huge reserves of hydropower resources, it is possible to build hydroelectric power plants with a total capacity of up to 30 million kW with an average annual electricity generation of up to 140 billion kWh.

Along with the already operating Sayano-Shushenskaya, Krasnoyarsk, Mainskaya, Novosibirsk, Vilyuiskaya, Bratskaya, Sayanskaya, Kolmykskaya, Ust-Ilimskaya, Tsimlyanskaya, Bureyskaya, Boguchanskaya hydroelectric power plants, it is possible to build new power plants. The most abundant tributary of the Yenisei is the Angara. On it, starting from Baikal and ending with the confluence with the Yenisei, that is, over 1826 km, the fall of the river is about 380 m. In addition, if in the upper reaches the width of the Angara reaches two kilometers, then on average, especially in the Padun narrowing , it is halved, and the force of the fall of water is so great that the conditions for the construction of a hydroelectric power station are simply unique (that is why the Bratsk hydroelectric power station was built).

The importance of the Angara as a unique source of cheap electricity increases many times over due to the regulating role of Lake Baikal, which provides a constant water flow, which is an important factor in the sustainability of power plants.

Eastern Siberia is one of the richest forest regions in the world. Forests occupy about half of the entire territory, and in terms of timber reserves, estimated at 27 billion m 3, it belongs to the first place in Russia. The bulk of the forests are coniferous species - larch, pine, spruce, cedar, fir, which account for 93.5% of all forest plantations, and only 6.5% falls on deciduous species, mainly birch and aspen. A distinctive feature of the forests of Eastern Siberia is the compactness of forests and large stocks of timber per 1 hectare of forest plantations, which determines the higher economic efficiency of logging in comparison with other areas.

Eastern Siberia is part of the Asian territory of the Russian Federation. It is located from the borders of the Pacific Ocean to the Yenisei River. This zone is characterized by an extremely harsh climate and limited fauna and flora.

Geographic Description

Eastern and occupy almost two-thirds of the territory of Russia. They are located on the plateau. The eastern zone covers an area of ​​about 7.2 million square meters. km. Its possessions extend up to the Sayan mountain ranges. Most of the territory is represented by the tundra lowland. The mountains of Transbaikalia play a significant role in the formation of the relief.

Despite the harsh climatic conditions, there are quite a lot of large cities in Eastern Siberia. The most attractive from an economic point of view are Norilsk, Irkutsk, Chita, Achinsk, Yakutsk, Ulan-Ude, and others. Within the zone are the Zabaikalsky and Krasnoyarsk Territories, the republics of Yakutia, Buryatia, Tuva and other administrative regions.

The main type of vegetation is the taiga. It will be washed from Mongolia to the borders of the forest-tundra. Occupies over 5 million sq. km. Most of the taiga is represented by coniferous forests, which make up 70% of the local vegetation. Soils develop unevenly relative to natural zones. In the taiga zone, the soil is favorable, stable, in the tundra - rocky, frozen.

Within the interfluve and lowlands, insignificant swamps are observed. However, they are much less than in the same Western Siberia. But in the eastern region, arctic deserts and deciduous plantations are often found.

Terrain characteristics

Eastern Siberia of Russia is located at a high level above the sea. All the fault of the plateau, which is located in the middle part of the zone. Here the height of the platform varies from 500 to 700 meters above sea level. The relative averageness of the region is noted. The highest points are the interfluve of the Lena and the Vilyui plateau - up to 1700 meters.

The base of the Siberian platform is represented by a crystalline folded basement, on which there are huge sedimentary layers up to 12 kilometers thick. The north of the zone is determined by the Aldan shield and the Anabar massif. The average thickness of the soil is about 30 kilometers.

To date, the Siberian platform contains several main types of rocks. These are marble, and schist, and charnockite, etc. The oldest deposits date back to 4 billion years. Igneous rocks were formed as a result of eruptions. Most of these deposits are located in and also in the Tunguska depression.

The modern relief is a combination of lowlands and uplands. Rivers flow in the valleys, swamps form, coniferous trees grow better on the hills.

Features of the water area

It is generally accepted that the Far East faces the Arctic Ocean with its "facade". The eastern region borders on such seas as the Kara, Siberian and Laptev. Of the largest lakes, it is worth highlighting Baikal, Lama, Taimyr, Pyasino and Khantayskoye.

Rivers flow in deep valleys. The most significant of them are the Yenisei, Vilyui, Lena, Angara, Selenga, Kolyma, Olekma, Indigirka, Aldan, Lower Tunguska, Vitim, Yana and Khatanga. The total length of the rivers is about 1 million km. Most of the inland basin of the region belongs to the Arctic Ocean. Other external water areas include such rivers as Ingoda, Argun, Shilka and Onon.

The main source of nutrition for the inner basin of Eastern Siberia is the snow cover, which melts in large volumes under the influence of sunlight from the beginning of summer. The next most important role in the formation of the continental water area is played by rains and groundwater. The highest level of the basin's runoff is observed in the summer.

The largest and most important river in the region is the Kolyma. Its water area occupies more than 640 thousand square meters. km. The length is about 2.1 thousand km. The river originates in the Upper Kolyma Highlands. Water consumption exceeds 120 cubic meters per year. km.

Eastern Siberia: climate

The formation of meteorological features of the region is determined by its territorial location. The climate of Eastern Siberia can be briefly described as continental, consistently severe. There are significant seasonal fluctuations in cloudiness, temperature, and precipitation levels. The Asian anticyclone forms vast areas of high pressure in the region, especially this phenomenon occurs in winter. On the other hand, severe frost makes air circulation changeable. Because of this, temperature fluctuations at different times of the day are more significant than in the west.

The climate of North-Eastern Siberia is represented by changeable air masses. It is characterized by increased precipitation and dense snow cover. This area is dominated by continental flows, which are rapidly cooling in the ground layer. That is why in January the temperature drops to a minimum. Arctic winds prevail at this time of the year. Often in winter, you can observe air temperatures down to -60 degrees. Basically, such minima are inherent in depressions and valleys. On the plateau, the indicators do not drop below -38 degrees.

Warming is observed with the arrival of air flows from China and Central Asia to the region.

winter time

No wonder it is believed that Eastern Siberia has the heaviest and most severe. The table of temperature indicators in winter is proof of this (see below). These indicators are presented as average values ​​for the last 5 years.

Due to the increased dryness of the air, the constancy of the weather and the abundance of sunny days, such low rates are easier to tolerate than in a humid climate. One of the defining meteorological characteristics of winter in Eastern Siberia is the absence of wind. Most of the season there is a moderate calm, so there are practically no blizzards and snowstorms here.

Interestingly, in the middle part of Russia, a frost of -15 degrees is felt much stronger than in Siberia -35 C. Nevertheless, such low temperatures significantly worsen the living conditions and activities of local residents. All living quarters have thickened walls. Expensive fuel boilers are used to heat buildings. The weather begins to improve only with the onset of March.

warm seasons

In fact, spring in this region is short, as it comes late. The eastern one, which changes only with the arrival of warm Asian air currents, begins to wake up only by mid-April. It is then that the stability of positive temperatures during the daytime is noted. Warming comes in March, but it is insignificant. By the end of April, the weather begins to change for the better. In May, the snow cover completely melts, the vegetation blooms.

In summer, the weather becomes relatively hot in the south of the region. This is especially true for the steppe zone of Tuva, Khakassia and Transbaikalia. In July, the temperature here rises to +25 degrees. The highest rates are observed on flat terrain. It is still cool in the valleys and highlands. If we take the whole of Eastern Siberia, then the average summer temperature here is from +12 to +18 degrees.

Climate features in autumn

Already at the end of August, the first frosts begin to envelop the Far East. They are observed mainly in the northern part of the region at night. During the day the bright sun shines, it rains with sleet, sometimes the wind intensifies. It is worth noting that the transition to winter is much faster than from spring to summer. In the taiga, this period takes about 50 days, and in the steppe area - up to 2.5 months. All these are characteristic features that distinguish Eastern Siberia from other northern zones.

The climate in autumn is also represented by an abundance of rains coming from the west. Moist Pacific winds blow most often from the east.

Precipitation level

Relief is responsible for atmospheric circulation in Eastern Siberia. Both the pressure and the speed of air mass flows depend on it. About 700 mm of precipitation falls annually in the region. The maximum indicator for the reporting period is 1000 mm, the minimum is 130 mm. The level of precipitation is not clearly defined.

On the plateau in the middle lane, it rains more often. Due to this, the amount of precipitation sometimes exceeds the mark of 1000 mm. The most arid region is Yakutsk. Here the amount of precipitation varies within 200 mm. The least rain falls between February and March - up to 20 mm. The western regions of Transbaikalia are considered the optimal zones for vegetation with respect to precipitation.

Eternal Frost

Today there is no place in the world that could compete in terms of continentality and meteorological anomalies with a region called Eastern Siberia. The climate in some areas is striking in its severity. In the immediate vicinity of the Arctic Circle lies the permafrost zone.

This area is characterized by low snow cover and low temperatures throughout the year. Because of this, mountain weather and the ground lose a huge amount of heat, freezing to whole meters in depth. The soils here are mostly stony. Groundwater is underdeveloped and often freezes for decades.

Vegetation of the region

The nature of Eastern Siberia is mostly represented by taiga. Such vegetation extends for hundreds of kilometers from the Lena River to the Kolyma. In the south, the taiga borders on the local possessions are untouched by man. Nevertheless, due to the arid climate, the threat of large-scale fires always hangs over them. In winter, the temperature in the taiga drops to -40 degrees, but in summer the figures often rise to +20. Rainfall is moderate.

Also, the nature of Eastern Siberia is represented by the tundra zone. This zone is adjacent to the Arctic Ocean. The soils here are bare, the temperature is low, and the humidity is excessive. Flowers such as cotton grass, gravel, poppy, saxifrage grow in mountainous areas. From the trees of the region, one can distinguish spruces, willows, poplars, birches, pines.

Animal world

Almost all regions of Eastern Siberia are not rich in fauna. The reasons for this are permafrost, lack of food and underdevelopment of deciduous flora.

The largest animals are the brown bear, lynx, elk and wolverine. Sometimes you can meet foxes, ferrets, stoats, badgers and weasels. Musk deer, sable, deer and bighorn sheep live in the central strip.

Due to the eternally frozen soil, only a few species of rodents are found here: squirrels, chipmunks, flying squirrels, beavers, marmots, etc. But the feathered world is extremely diverse: capercaillie, crossbill, hazel grouse, goose, crow, woodpecker, duck, nutcracker, sandpiper, etc. .

MINERALS OF EASTERN SIBERIA

The vast area and great diversity of the geological structure of Eastern Siberia determine the presence in its depths of various minerals associated with Precambrian, Paleozoic and Mesozoic rocks.

General reserves of black and brown coals

The main deposits of Upper Paleozoic and Mesozoic coals of the largest coal basins of the Russian Federation - Lena (with coal reserves of more than 2600 billion tons) and Tunguska (1745 billion tons) are confined to the areas of tectonic troughs. There are also less significant, but still very large in terms of their reserves, basins - Kansk-Achinsk (1200 billion tons), Kolyma-Indigirsky, Irkutsk, Taimyr, South Yakutsk, Chul-mansky, Minusinsky, Ulug-Khemsky. The total reserves of hard and brown coals in Eastern Siberia exceed 6.8 trillion tons and make up about 80% of our country's coal reserves. It should be noted that most of these very large reserves fall on the share of basins, the exploitation of which is very difficult due to natural conditions.

non-metallic minerals

In the Lower Cambrian deposits of the upper reaches of the Lena, the Markovskoye oil field has recently been explored. Signs of oil content have also been established in the east of the Taimyr lowland and in the Vilyui basin. Near the mouth of the Vilyui, the Taas-Tumusskoye natural gas field has been discovered and is already being exploited. Of the other non-metallic minerals in Eastern Siberia, the most significant deposits of rock salt formed at the bottom of shallow ancient seas. Salt occurs in the vicinity of Usolye-Sibirsky (upper reaches of the Angara), in Yakutia in the basins of the Vilyui and Lena rivers and in the Nordvik region, where its stocks have a thickness of up to 400 m. East Siberian salt is provided by the Far East. It should be noted the largest graphite deposits in our country, the Kureyskoye and Noginskoye deposits of graphite, the richest deposits of mica (phlogopite and muscovite) in the Aldan basin and on the Mame River, significant deposits of asbestos, gypsum, fluorspar, talc, magnesite, kaolin and many other non-metallic minerals.

Diamonds of Eastern Siberia

The diamond deposits explored in recent years in the west of Yakutia are associated with volcanic rocks of the Lower Mesozoic age, and the most valuable of them are with the so-called explosion pipes (diatremes) filled with kimberlites - breccia-like yellow and bluish clays with the inclusion of large fragments of volcanic rocks. Of the discovered diamond-bearing regions, two are more promising: the Vilyui and Olenyok basins (the Aikhal and Udachnaya-Vostochnaya kimberlite pipes) and the area of ​​the city of Mirny (the Mir pipe).

Iron ores of Eastern Siberia

Eastern Siberia is also rich in iron ores. Their deposits are confined mainly to the oldest - pre-Combrian or Lower Paleozoic silicified rocks. The largest of them are hematite and magnetite deposits of the Angaro-Ilim and Ligaro-Pit basins, South Yakutsk deposits, ores of the Yenisei Ridge, the Podkamennaya Tunguska basin, Khakassia, Tuva and Transbaikalia. In the bowels of Eastern Siberia there are also significant reserves of polymetallic ores, tin and rare metals (Transbaikalia, Yano-Kolyma Territory), associated with intrusive rocks, as well as platinum and nickel (near Norilsk), bauxites, nephelines, copper, cobalt, mercury, antimony , manganese.

Gold of Eastern Siberia

Since ancient times, Eastern Siberia has been famous for its rich primary and alluvial gold deposits. Of its gold-bearing regions, the most important are Verkhneindigirsky, Allah-Yunsky, Yansky, Aldansky, Bodaibo, as well as deposits of the Yenisei Ridge and Eastern Transbaikalia.

Numerous deposits of iron ores, non-ferrous and rare metals, gold, diamonds, graphite, mica, various raw materials for the chemical industry and the production of building materials have made Eastern Siberia one of the richest regions of the Russian Federation in mineral raw materials.