Siberia occupies a vast geographical area of Russia. Once it included such neighboring states as Mongolia, Kazakhstan and part of China. Today this territory belongs exclusively to the Russian Federation. Despite the huge area, there are relatively few settlements in Siberia. Most of the region is occupied by tundra and steppe.
Description of Siberia
The entire territory is divided into the Eastern and Western regions. In rare cases, theologians also define the Southern region, which is the highlands of Altai. The area of Siberia is about 12.6 million square kilometers. km. This is approximately 73.5% of the total territory of the Russian Federation. Interestingly, Siberia is larger in area than Canada.
Among the main natural zones, in addition to the Eastern and Western regions, the Baikal region and the Altai mountains are distinguished. The largest rivers are the Yenisei, Irtysh, Angara, Ob, Amur and Lena. Taimyr, Baikal and Ubsu-Nur are considered the most significant lake areas. From an economic point of view, cities such as Novosibirsk, Tyumen, Omsk, Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, Ulan-Ude, Tomsk and others can be called the centers of the region.
The highest point in Siberia is Mount Belukha - over 4,5 thousand meters.
Population history
The first inhabitants of the region, historians call the Samoyed tribes. This people lived in the northern part. Due to the harsh climate, reindeer herding was the only occupation. They ate mainly fish from adjacent lakes and rivers. The Mansi people lived in the southern part of Siberia. Their favorite pastime was hunting. The Mansi traded in furs, which were highly valued by Western merchants.
The Turks are another significant population of Siberia. They lived in the upper reaches of the Ob River. They were engaged in blacksmithing and cattle breeding. Many Turkic tribes were nomadic. Buryats lived a little to the west of the mouth of the Ob. They became famous for the extraction and processing of iron. The most numerous ancient population of Siberia was represented by the Tungus tribes. They settled in the territory from the Sea of Okhotsk to the Yenisei. They made a living by reindeer herding, hunting and fishing. The more prosperous engaged in handicrafts.
Thousands of Eskimos were located on the coast of the Chukchi Sea. These tribes had the slowest cultural and social development for a long time. Their only tools are a stone ax and a spear. They were mainly engaged in hunting and gathering. In the 17th century, there was a sharp jump in the development of the Yakuts and Buryats, as well as the northern Tatars.
Indigenous
The population of Siberia today is made up of dozens of peoples. Each of them, according to the Constitution of Russia, has its own right to a nationalidentification. Many peoples of the Northern region even received autonomy within the Russian Federation with all the ensuing branches of self-government. This contributed not only to the lightning-fast development of the culture and economy of the region, but also to the preservation of local traditions and customs.
The indigenous population of Siberia mostly consists of Yakuts. Their number varies within 480 thousand people. Most of the population is concentrated in the city of Yakutsk, the capital of Yakutia.
The next largest people are the Buryats. There are more than 460 thousand of them. The capital of Buryatia is the city of Ulan-Ude. The main property of the republic is Lake Baikal. It is interesting that this particular region is recognized as one of the main Buddhist centers of Russia.
Tuvans are the population of Siberia, which, according to the latest census, numbers about 264 thousand people. In the Republic of Tyva, shamans are still revered. Altaians and Khakasses have practically equal populations: 72,000 people each. The indigenous people of the counties are Buddhists.
The Nenets population is only 45 thousand people. They live on the Kola Peninsula. Throughout their history, the Nenets have been famous nomads. Today, their priority income is reindeer breeding. Also, such peoples as Evenki, Chukchi, Khanty, Shors, Mansi, Koryaks, Selkups, Nanais, Tatars, Chuvans, Teleuts, Kets, Aleuts and many others live in Siberia. Each of them has its own centuries-old traditions and legends.
Population
Dynamics of the demographiccomponent of the region fluctuates significantly every few years. This is due to the mass relocation of young people to the southern cities of Russia and sharp jumps in birth and death rates. There are relatively few immigrants in Siberia. The reason for this is the harsh climate and specific conditions for life in the villages.
According to the latest data, the population of Siberia is about 40 million people. This is more than 27% of the total number of people living in Russia. The population is evenly distributed across the regions. In the northern part of Siberia, there are no large settlements due to poor living conditions. On average, one person here accounts for 0.5 square meters. km of land. The most populous cities are Novosibirsk and Omsk - 1.57 and 1.05 million inhabitants respectively. Krasnoyarsk, Tyumen and Barnaul follow this criterion.
Peoples of Western Siberia
Cities account for about 71% of the total population of the region. Most of the population is concentrated in the Kemerovo and Khanty-Mansiysk districts. Nevertheless, the Republic of Altai is considered the agricultural center of the Western Region. It is noteworthy that the Kemerovo District ranks first in terms of population density - 32 people/sq. km.
The population of Western Siberia is 50% of able-bodied residents. Most of the employment is in industry and agriculture.
The region has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, with the exception of the Tomsk region and Khanty-Mansiysk. Population todayWestern Siberia - these are Russians, Khanty, Nenets, Turks. By religion, there are Orthodox, Muslims, and Buddhists.
Population of Eastern Siberia
The share of urban residents varies within 72%. The most economically developed are the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Irkutsk Region. From the point of view of agriculture, the Buryat district is considered the most important point in the region.
Every year the population of Eastern Siberia is getting smaller. Recently, there has been a sharp negative trend in migration and birth rates. It also has the lowest population density in the country. In some areas, it is 33 square meters. km per person. The unemployment rate is high. The ethnic composition includes such peoples as Mongols, Turks, Russians, Buryats, Evenks, Dolgans, Kets, etc. Most of the population is Orthodox and Buddhists.
