Western Siberia is a geographical region of a vast region of Siberia. What characterizes the nature and natural resources of Western Siberia? How does the economy of the region develop?
Before learning about the natural resources of WesternSiberia, let's talk about its geographical boundaries. The region is located on the territory between the Yenisei River in the east and the Ural Mountains in the west. From the north the border is determined by the gulfs of the Kara Sea, and in the south by the Altai Mountains and Kazakhstan.
With an area of 2.5 million square kilometersWestern Siberia accounts for almost 15% of the total territory of the state. Kemerovo, Omsk, Novosibirsk, Tomsk, Tyumen regions, the Altai Republic and the Altai Territory are all Western Siberia. The natural resources of the region are an important part of the country's economy.
Most of the territory is located on theWest Siberian Plain, within which there are two large basins, separated by Siberian ravines. In the southeastern part, foothill areas begin at the foot of the Altai mountains.
Natural conditions and resources of Western Siberiaare interconnected with each other. The nature of some influences the formation of others. The region lies deep in the continent, so the continental climate has formed here. The proximity of the Arctic Ocean made it more severe and harsh. Mountain massifs of the southeast prevent the penetration of warm and moist air masses from the Asian side.
Western Siberia is characterized by a cold winterperiod with a maximum temperature of -60 degrees. The ground here freezes quickly, promoting the propagation of permafrost. Summer is hot, especially in the south, the temperature can reach 30-35 degrees.
According to the features, a steppe,forest-steppe, forest, forest-tundra and tundra zones. Climatic natural resources of Western Siberia are quite suitable for agriculture. In the steppe areas there are enough warm days and precipitation, most of which falls in the summer, for growing grain and industrial crops.
Hydrological natural resources of Western Siberiaare represented by a variety of groundwater. The region is located in the area of the artesian basin, in various areas the mineralization of water can differ significantly.
The main wealth is the rivers, theirthere are about two thousand. The river network is sparse and fluctuates depending on the characteristics of the terrain and climate. The largest are the Ob, Yenisei, Irtysh. They are characterized by snow feeding in spring, rain in autumn and summer. Because of the flat terrain and small inclines, the speed of the rivers is usually small.
Of course, rivers are not all that the WesternSiberia. Natural resources also make up lakes, of which there are more than a million in the region, and marshes. By origin, thermokarst and moraine-glacial lakes are distinguished. For the Urals part of the region, there are lakes-fogs. Their main feature is a sharp drop in the water level in the summer, up to complete disappearance.
Natural areas from north to south flow smoothlyone into the other. In accordance with this, the natural resources of Western Siberia are also changing. In the southern regions, due to the large amount of sand, pine predominates. The relic black taiga is widespread on the territory of the Altai.
Forest-steppe is characterized by meadow, grass andcereal vegetation, birch and aspen. The forest zone stretches for 1000 kilometers. It combines taiga and marshy vegetation. Dark coniferous trees grow here, for example Siberian spruce and pine, fir, as well as birch and aspen.
The forest-tundra zone is a border between the taigaand actually the tundra. Alternately there are swampy areas, woodlands and shrubs. Forest sites are located mainly in river valleys. Mostly they are represented by larch. The tundra is characterized by the presence of mosses and lichens, shrubs, and low grasses. Here you can meet blueberries, prince, cloudberries, dwarf species of willow and birch.
In the steppe and foothill areas of Western Siberiachestnut soils and fertile chernozems are widespread, which make it possible to use this area for the cultivation of various crops. In the south there are malts and solonetzes.
Above the steppe regions are located areas withpodzolic and sod-podzolic soils. The forest zone is characterized by poor drainage of soils, which leads to the formation of swamps and new forests. In the marshy areas semihydromorphous forms are formed, and in the floodplains of the rivers - alluvial soils.
Tundra-gley and peaty areas are characteristicfor the northern regions of Western Siberia. The fertility of soils is strongly affected by permafrost. Unlike other, mostly wooded areas, gleying is not expressed strongly.
The basis of the resource base of the region is usefulfossils. The extraction of oil and gas is what Western Siberia is famous for. Natural resources and the economy based on them are an important part of the overall economy of the country. In the West Siberian territory, six oil and gas regions are singled out. The largest oil deposits are Priobskoye, Mamontovskoe, Samotlor. Gas fields are located in the Yamal-Nenets region.
In the southern part is located the largest in the regioncoal deposit. In the Altai Territory, the Kemerovo Region and the Mountain Shoria there are deposits of magnetite ores. In Western Siberia, manganese ore, nepheline, and alumina are mined.
The Altai Territory is rich in polymetallic,tungsten, molybdenum, iron, zirconium ores, gold, mercury, marble, in steppe lakes there are salts and soda. In the Kemerovo region there are deposits of dolomites, limestones, refractory clays. The Omsk region has reserves of titanium ores.
The natural resources of the region have long been the basis for the development of various branches of the economy (see table).
Terms and Resources | Example | Features | Application |
Climate | Sharply continental, severe in the north, softer in the south | Tundra, forest-tundra, steppe, forest-steppe, forest natural zones | Livestock, wheat cultivation, industrial crops in the south |
Water | Rivers, lakes, groundwater | The density of the river network and the high water content vary from north to south | Fisheries, cargo transportation, hydropower |
Forest | Meadows, pine forests, coniferous and small-leaved forests | More than 80 million hectares of forest, 10% of the country's forest fund | Pastures, woodworking industry |
Soil | Tundra-gley, podzolic, sod-podzolic, chernozems and chestnut | In the central regions are favorable for the appearance of forests, in the southern - for agriculture | Pastures, cultivation of different crops |
Mineral | Gas, oil, coal, manganese, tungsten, molybdenum, iron, magnetite ores, salt, soda, limestone, gold, mercury | Fuel and energy resources | Energy, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy |
Provision of the region with various resourceshigh enough. The length from the north to the south contributed to the formation of several natural zones, which differ from each other in plant and soil cover, river regimes and density of the river network, climatic conditions.
Western Siberia has a huge industrial andagricultural potential. Fertile southern soils are excellent for growing crops. Grass-rich meadows serve as pastures, thanks to which livestock farming develops. In industry, the most developed areas are oil, coal and gas extraction, as well as wood processing. In the region, more than 70% of all Russian oil is produced.
Development of oil and gas and woodworking spherescontributes to economic growth, but at the same time is the main factor of environmental pollution. The consequence of active industrial activity is water pollution, which, in turn, leads to a shortage of water resources.
The use of pesticides also has a negative effect.This is directly reflected in the air and soil. The land is gradually becoming less suitable for agriculture. In addition, it is important to remember that excessive and incorrect extraction of natural resources can irrevocably reduce their reserves.
