The natural resources of the West Siberian Plain are very diverse. Oil and gas reserves in such fields as Urengoy, Medvezhye, and Surgut place Western Siberia among the world leaders. Its territory also contains 60% of Russia's total peat reserves. In the south of the plain there are rich deposits of salts. The great wealth of Western Siberia is its water resources. In addition to surface water - rivers and lakes - huge reservoirs of groundwater have been found.

The biological resources of the tundra and forest-tundra - this seemingly poor life zone - are of great economic importance. It produces a significant amount of fur and game, and there is a lot of fish in its rivers and lakes. In addition, the tundra is the main breeding area for reindeer. The taiga of Western Siberia has long been famous for its fur and timber production.

Deposits are associated with ancient sedimentary rocks of Triassic and Jurassic age, the total thickness of which is more than 800-1000 m brown coal. In the Tyumen region, its reserves are estimated at 8 billion tons. However, the main wealth of Western Siberia is oil and gas deposits. It has been established that this plain is a uniquely rich oil and gas province of the Earth.

Over a decade and a half (from 1953 to 1967), more than 90 fields of oil, gas and gas condensate (light oil) were explored. Over the past 3 decades, Western Siberia has held the lead in Russia in oil production and natural gas. Searches in the depths of Western Siberia for “black gold” and “blue fuel” made it possible to discover large reserves of iron ore in the north of the Novosibirsk region. But these vast and varied riches are not so easy to master.

Nature “protected” the oil and gas fields of the region from humans by thick swamps and frozen soils. It is extremely difficult to build in such soil conditions. In winter, a person is hampered by severe frosts, high air humidity, and strong winds. In the summer, there are numerous blood-sucking creatures - midges and mosquitoes, tormenting people and animals.

The natural resources of the East Siberian region are rich and varied. These are mineral, hydropower, biological and water resources.

Mineral resources of Eastern Siberia.

The diversity of mineral resources is due to the complexity of the structure of the earth's crust, as well as the geological history of the formation of the territory.
Iron ore deposits are located in the southern, most developed part of the region. Reserves of the Korshunovskoye deposit in the Irkutsk region amount to 600 million tons, with a metal content of about 35%. The ores of the neighboring Rudnogorsk deposit are even richer, their metal content is more than 40%, and in addition to iron they contain magnesium.

In the Norilsk region there is a group of copper-nickel ore deposits, one of the largest in Russia.
In Transbaikalia there is a tin deposit - Sherlovaya Gora.
The East Siberian region is one of the main Russian gold-bearing provinces. The largest deposits are located near the city of Bodaibo, the regional center of the Irkutsk region.

Fuel resources of Eastern Siberia.

Among other regions, Eastern Siberia stands out for its coal resources.
General geological reserves of brown coal in the Kansk-Achinsk basin (Krasnoyarsk Territory) are estimated at approximately 600 billion tons. At the same time, the mining and geological conditions for its extraction are extremely favorable. Coal seams have significant thickness and are located close to the earth's surface, which makes it possible to extract coal by open-pit mining. The pool has two wings - western (Achinsk) and eastern (Kansk). The Trans-Siberian Railway passes through the coal basin, which reduces the cost of fuel transportation.

In addition, there are brown coal reserves in the Irkutsk region (Gusinoozersk).
There is a giant pool in the Lower Tunguska River basin coal(Tunguska). Its general geological reserves are estimated at more than 2 trillion. tons However, due to difficult natural conditions and little development of this territory, coals from the Tunguska basin are not yet mined.

Non-metallic raw materials of Eastern Siberia.

Resources of non-metallic raw materials are of certain economic importance: asbestos (Ak-Dovurak, Tyva), graphite (Botogolskoye, Buryatia), table salt (Usolye-Sibirskoye, Irkutsk region).

Water resources of Eastern Siberia.

Eastern Siberia is rich in water resources. Despite the relatively low amount of precipitation, there are high-water rivers here. This is facilitated by climate and terrain features, as well as the presence of permafrost.
The most abundant of Russian rivers, the Yenisei, flows here. The Yenisei water flow in the lower reaches in the Igarka area is 18,000 cubic meters. m/sec. For comparison: the flow of the Volga in the Volgograd area is 2.5 times less (8000 cubic meters per second).
Speaking about water resources, it is necessary to remember Lake Baikal. It contains 23,000 cubic meters of water. If you do not take into account the water of cover glaciers, this is a tenth of all the water resources of the planet.

Hydropower resources of Eastern Siberia.

The rivers of Eastern Siberia have enormous hydropotential. Economic resources amount to 350 billion kWh, which is more than anywhere else in Russia. This is explained not only by the high water content of the rivers. Hydropower resources in neighboring Western Siberia are approximately 10 times smaller (46 billion kWh), despite the fact that in terms of water consumption, the Ob is not very much inferior to the Yenisei.
The main reason is the features of the relief, on which the speed of the river flow depends. In Eastern Siberia, due to the more contrasting topography, the slopes are greater, the rivers flow at a higher speed, and therefore have more energy. Due to their deeper incision, the river valleys of Eastern Siberia are suitable for the construction of hydroelectric dams.

Biological resources of Eastern Siberia.

Biological resources are divided into forest and commercial and hunting resources. The East Siberian region occupies one of the first places in Russia in terms of forest resources. 4/5 of the area is covered with forest. Wood is considered the most valuable coniferous trees: spruce, fir, pine. Larch wood is used to a lesser extent.
There are extensive hunting grounds on the territory of Eastern Siberia. The main objects of hunting in the tundra zone are the arctic fox and, partly, ermine and weasel. In the taiga zone they hunt fox, wolverine, otter and the famous Barguzin sable.

3. Prospects for the development of the East Siberian region

Conclusion

List of used literature

Introduction

The relevance of considering Eastern Siberia as an economic region is due to the fact that Eastern Siberia, despite its still insufficient geological study, is distinguished by its exceptional richness and wide diversity 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 precious 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 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 rivers flows through the area greatest rivers globe - Yenisei. 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 (characterize, consider natural resource potential, consider the development prospects of the area).

1. General characteristics of the East Siberian region

Eastern Siberia is the second largest economic region of Russia (after the Far East). 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 covers almost the entire territory. Eastern Siberia is significantly removed from other economically developed regions of the country, which makes it difficult to develop natural resources. However, its proximity to Western Siberia has a positive impact on the development of the region’s economy, Far East, Mongolia, China, the presence of the Trans-Siberian Railway and the Northern Sea Route. The natural conditions of Eastern Siberia are unfavorable.

The East Siberian region includes: Irkutsk Region, Chita Region, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Aginsky Buryat, Taimyr (or Dolgano-Nenets), Ust-Orda Buryat and Evenki Autonomous Okrugs, Republics: Buryatia, Tuva (Tuva) and Khakassia.

Eastern Siberia is located far from the most developed regions of the country, between the West Siberian and Far Eastern economic regions. Only in the south they pass railways(Trans-Siberian and Baikal-Amur) and along the Yenisei in a short navigation, communication with the Northern Sea Route is provided. Peculiarities geographical location And natural-climatic conditions, as well as poor development of the territory, complicate the conditions for industrial development of the region.

Natural resources: thousands of kilometers of high-water rivers, endless taiga, mountains and plateaus, low-lying tundra plains - this is the diverse nature of Eastern Siberia. The area of ​​the region is huge - 5.9 million km2.

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

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

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.

Brown coal reserves 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-Ilimsk and other large deposits of iron ore and gold is associated with the Precambrian rocks of the lower stage 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 some places exceeds 1000 m, and which is distributed throughout almost the entire region.

In Eastern Siberia there is Lake Baikal - 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 deepest river is the Yenisei. The country's largest hydroelectric power stations (Krasnoyarsk, Sayano Shushenskaya, Bratsk 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 drinking water planet Earth.

Complexes of endemic organisms found nowhere else in the world, natural landscapes, and biological resources give Baikal special value.

Lake Baikal has long been called the “sacred sea”; people worship it, write 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 ranks 1st in depth. On Earth, only 6 lakes have a depth of more than 500 meters. The greatest depth mark in the southern basin of Lake Baikal is 1423 m, in the middle basin - 1637 m, in the northern basin 890 m.

Comparative characteristics of lakes by depth are presented in Table.

Among all the beauties and riches of Siberia, Lake Baikal ranks special place. This greatest mystery, which nature gave, and which still cannot be solved. There are still ongoing debates about how Baikal arose - as a result of inevitable slow transformations or because of a monstrous catastrophe and failure in the earth's crust. For example, P.A. Kropotkin (1875) believed that the formation of the depression was associated with splits in the earth’s crust. I. D. Chersky, in turn, considered the genesis of Baikal as a trough of the earth's crust (in the Silurian). Currently received widespread"rift" theory (hypothesis).

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

The boundaries of the region are determined by the Baikal mountain system. The region's territory 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 point is the level of Lake Baikal (455 m), the highest is the top of Mount Munku-Sardyk (3491 m). High (up to 3500 m), with snow-capped mountains, like a jagged crown, crown the Siberian pearl. Their ridge crests either move away from Lake Baikal by 10-20 km or more, or come close to the shores.

The steep coastal cliffs go far into the depths of the lake, often leaving no room even for a walking trail. Streams and rivers rush down towards Baikal from great heights. In places where there are ledges of hard rock along their path, rivers form picturesque waterfalls. Baikal is especially beautiful on quiet, sunny days, when the surrounding high mountains with snow-capped peaks and mountain ridges sparkling in the sun are reflected in the vast blue space.

Mother Nature is wise. She hid this last living well of the planet away from her foolish children, in the very center of Siberia. Nature has been creating this miracle for several million years - a unique factory. clean water. Baikal is unique for its antiquity. It is about 25 million years old. Usually a lake 10-20 thousand years old is considered old, but Baikal is young, and there are no signs that it is starting 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, research recent years allowed geophysicists to hypothesize that Baikal is an incipient 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 banks has not yet ended; There are frequent earthquakes on the lake and vibrations of individual sections of the shore. From generation to generation, old-timers tell how in 1862 on Lake Baikal, north of the delta of the Selenga River, during an earthquake of magnitude 11, a land area of ​​209 square meters was destroyed. 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 2,000 small earthquake tremors are recorded on Lake Baikal.

How is the region's economy developing?

Geography

Before we learn about the natural resources of Western Siberia, let's talk about it geographical boundaries. The region is located on the territory between the Yenisei River in the east and the Ural Mountains in the west. In the north, the border is defined by the bays of the Kara Sea, and in the south by the Altai Mountains and Kazakhstan.

With an area of ​​2.5 million square kilometers, Western Siberia makes up 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 region's natural resources are an important part of the country's economy.

Most of the territory is located on West Siberian Plain, within which there are two large depressions separated by the Siberian ridges. In the southeastern part, the foothill areas begin, going to the foot of the Altai Mountains.

Climatic conditions

The natural conditions and resources of Western Siberia are interconnected. The character of some influences the formation of others. The region is located inland, so a continental climate has formed here. Proximity Arctic Ocean made him tougher and more severe. The mountain ranges of the southeast prevent the penetration of warm and humid air masses from the Asian side.

Western Siberia is characterized by cold winter period with a maximum temperature of up to -60 degrees. The soil here freezes quickly, contributing to the spread of permafrost. Summer is hot, especially in the south, temperatures can reach 30-35 degrees.

According to the characteristics, steppe, forest-steppe, forest, forest-tundra and tundra zones were formed. The climatic natural resources of Western Siberia are quite suitable for agriculture. In the steppe regions there are enough warm days and precipitation, most of which falls in the summer, for growing grain and industrial crops.

Water resources

The hydrological natural resources of Western Siberia are represented by a variety of groundwater. The region is located in the area of ​​an artesian basin; in different areas, water salinity can vary significantly.

The main wealth is the rivers; there are about two thousand of them. The river network is sparse and varies depending on the terrain and climate. The largest are the Ob, Yenisei, and Irtysh. They are characterized by snow feeding in spring, rain feeding in autumn and summer. Due to the flat terrain and slight slopes, river speeds are usually low.

Of course, rivers are not all that Western Siberia has. Natural resources also include lakes, of which there are more than a million in the region, and swamps. By origin, thermokarst and moraine-glacial lakes are distinguished. The Urals part of the region is characterized by the presence of fog lakes. Their main feature is a sharp decrease in water level in summer, up to complete disappearance.

Forest resources

Natural zones from north to south smoothly flow into one another. 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 trees predominate. Relict black taiga is common in Altai.

The forest-steppe is characterized by meadow, grass and cereal vegetation, birch and aspen. The forest zone stretches for 1000 kilometers. It combines taiga and swamp vegetation. Dark coniferous trees grow here, such as pine, fir, as well as birch and aspen.

The forest-tundra zone is the border between the taiga and the tundra itself. It alternately meets marshy areas, woodlands and shrubs. Forest areas located mainly in river valleys. They are mainly represented by larches. The tundra is characterized by the presence of mosses and lichens, shrubs, and low grasses. Here you can find blueberries, princesses, cloudberries, dwarf species willow and birch.

Soils

In the steppe and foothill regions of Western Siberia, fertile chernozems are also common, allowing this area to be used for growing different cultures. In the south there are malts and solonetzes.

Above the steppe regions there are areas with podzolic and soddy-podzolic soils. The forest zone is characterized by poorly drained soils, which leads to the formation of swamps and new forests. Semi-hydromorphic ones are formed in wetlands, and in river floodplains -

Tundra-gley and peaty areas are characteristic of the northern regions of Western Siberia. Soil fertility is greatly affected by permafrost. Unlike other, mostly forested areas, gleying is not very pronounced.

Minerals

The basis of the region's resource base is minerals. Oil and gas production 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. There are six oil and gas regions in Western Siberia. The largest oil fields are Priobskoye, Mamontovskoye, Samotlorskoye. Gas fields are located in the Yamalo-Nenets region.

The region's largest coal deposit is located in the southern part. In the Altai Territory, Kemerovo Region and Gornaya Shoria there are deposits of magnetite ores. Nepheline and alumina are mined in Western Siberia.

The Altai region is rich in reserves of polymetallic, tungsten, molybdenum, iron, zirconium ores, gold, mercury, marble; steppe lakes contain salts and soda. In the Kemerovo region there are deposits of dolomite, limestone, and refractory clay. The Omsk region has reserves of titanium ores.

Natural resources of Western Siberia (table)

The natural resources of the region have long served as the basis for the development of various sectors of the economy (see table).

Natural resources and environmental safety of Western Siberia

The region's provision with various resources is quite high. The extension from north to 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, and climatic conditions.

Western Siberia has enormous industrial and agricultural potential. The fertile southern soils are excellent for growing crops. Meadows rich in grasses serve as pastures, thanks to which livestock farming develops. In industry, the most developed areas are oil, coal and gas mining, as well as wood processing. More than 70% of all Russian oil is produced in the region.

The development of the oil and gas and wood processing sectors contributes to economic growth, but at the same time is a major factor in environmental pollution. The consequence of active industrial activity is water pollution, which, in turn, leads to a lack of water resources.

The use of pesticides also has a negative impact. 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 permanently reduce their reserves.

The East Siberian region includes the Krasnoyarsk Territory with the Taimyr (Dolgano-Nenets) and Evenki Autonomous Okrug, the Irkutsk Region with the Ust-Orda Buryat Autonomous Okrug, the Chita Region with the Aginsky Buryat Autonomous Okrug, the Republics of Khakassia, Tyva, and Buryatia. Area 4.1 million sq. km., population 9 million people. The economic and geographical position of the region is unfavorable:

• - it is remote from developed economic regions of the country and centers of export-import operations;
• - most of its territory belongs to the districts Far North, as a result of which it is poorly populated and infrastructurally developed; transport routes pass in the extreme south of the region;
• - a significant part of the area is mountainous, limiting economic use territories.

Natural conditions and resources.

Thousands of kilometers of high-water rivers, endless taiga, mountains and plateaus, low-lying tundra plains - this is the diverse nature of Eastern Siberia. The territory of the region is 4.1 million km. sq.

The climate is sharply continental, with large amplitudes of temperature fluctuations (very cold winters and hot summers).

A special feature of Eastern Siberia is the extremely wide distribution of permafrost throughout the entire territory. Almost a quarter of the territory lies beyond the Arctic Circle. Natural zones change sequentially in the latitudinal direction: arctic deserts, tundra, forest-tundra, taiga (most of the territory), in the south there are areas of forest-steppe and steppe. In terms of forest reserves, the region ranks first in the country (surplus forest). Most of the territory is occupied by the East Siberian Plateau. The flat regions of Eastern Siberia in the south and east are bordered by mountains (Yenisei Ridge, Sayan Mountains, Baikal Mountains). 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.

Brown coal reserves 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-Ilimsk and other large deposits of iron ore and gold is associated with the Precambrian rocks of the lower layer of the Siberian Platform. A large oil field was discovered in the middle reaches of the Podkamennaya Tungussk (Evenkia) River.

The natural resource potential of Eastern Siberia is second in scale only to the neighboring West Siberian region.

The complex geological structure of the region's territory has determined the presence of rich and diverse mineral resources, however, it should be noted that the level of geological knowledge of Eastern Siberia remains quite low.