The Ural economic region covers the territory of seven subjects of the Russian Federation: Udmurtia and Bashkortostan, Perm, Chelyabinsk, Kurgan, Sverdlovsk and Orenburg regions. The boundaries of the region cover an area of 824 thousand square kilometers. The center of this region, one of the 11 economic regions of Russia, is located in Yekaterinburg.
Geographically, it is located in the Middle and Southern Urals, partially capturing the Northern, as well as part of the plains adjacent to the Urals: from the west - East European, from the east - West Siberian. The potential energy resources of the rivers are 3.3 million kW. The Kama and Votkinsk reservoirs are located on the Kama River. About half of the region's territory is covered with taiga forest with timber reserves of more than 3.5 billion cubic meters. The southern part is occupied by steppes plowed over large areas. The climate is from temperate continental to continental. The population is about 20 million people (with a density of 23 people / sq. km.). The urban population prevails over the rural population, it is 2/3.
Sectoral directions of the economy
The Ural economic region is rich in minerals, thisled to the diversity and complexity of the structure of a highly developed complex of heavy industry with all-Russian significance. The main branches of heavy industry are the following: metallurgy (ferrous and non-ferrous), mechanical engineering (transport, energy, agricultural), forestry, mining and chemical and petrochemical, chemical. The extraction of mineral raw materials, oil (Prikamye) and gas (Orenburg) is being successfully carried out. Oil refineries are located in Ufa, Perm, Orsk, Krasnokamsk, gas processing - in Orenburg. Hard coal is also mined, but the main demand for it is covered by imported coal (from Kuzbass, Karaganda).
The Ural economic region is supplied with its own electricity generated at powerful power plants: one nuclear power plant (Beloyarskaya), two hydroelectric power plants (Kamskaya and Votkinskaya) and nine thermal power plants and a state district power plant.
The leading role in heavy industry belongs to metallurgy, formed and developing on the local raw material base. The main enterprises are the combines of Chelyabinsk, Magnitogorsk, Nizhny Tagil. At these and other metallurgy enterprises, rolled metal products are in demand in mechanical engineering and construction. Non-ferrous metallurgy enterprises operate in the Urals.
Ural economic region is the leading Russian region of heavy engineering (Uralmash, Yuzhuralmash), chemical engineering (Glazovsky plant, Uralkhimmash). The Uralelectrotyazhmash enterprise produces equipment for the electrical industry andpower equipment. Transport engineering is engaged in the production of freight railway cars, cars and motorcycles, tractors and trailers for them, and various agricultural machines. The machine tool industry is developed, electrical appliances, radios, refrigerators are produced.
The chemical industry of the Urals is represented by the production of potash, phosphorus, nitrogen mineral fertilizers, soda, sulfur, hydrochloric acid, various s alts, chlorine. The production of plastics, resins and alcohols, varnishes and paints, and artificial fibers has been established. Asbestos and magnesite are processed.
The production of building materials (cement, reinforced concrete products, prefabricated structures) has been established in the Urals. Woodworking is represented by the production of paper, lumber and plywood. The light industry produces linen and synthetic fabrics, leather and footwear products, and garments. The food industry is busy processing milk and meat, flour mills are functioning.
Agriculture of the Urals is developing in the direction of grain growing (wheat, rye, oats, barley) and animal husbandry (cattle, sheep breeding, goat breeding, pig breeding) to provide food for the population of industrial cities. The suburban state farms also grow potatoes and vegetables. Industrial crops include flax and sunflower. There are also poultry farms - suppliers of chicken meat and eggs.
The Ural economic region is cut up and down by the transport network. These are railway lines (mostly electrified), pipelines for supplying oil and gas,water transport and roads.
