Lesson objectives:

Develop the ability to work according to a standard plan in order to clarify the characteristics of the Far East.
Assess natural conditions and resources for economic activity.
Introduce the technique of drawing up a logical supporting outline, creating an “image of the territory” through graphic drawings and symbols.
Foster a sense of patriotism through geographic information.

Equipment: maps: political and administrative, federal districts, atlases, handouts.

DURING THE CLASSES

1. Composition of the territory

The Far Eastern economic region is the largest in area among economic regions (36% of the area of the Russian Federation) and has the lowest population density. Due to the great distance from Central Russia, the region is experiencing great difficulties in economic development. There is an acute shortage of labor resources here.

Exercise: Find on the map the subjects of the federation that are part of the Delnevostochny economic region.

Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) – Yakutsk
Primorsky Territory - Vladivostok
Khabarovsk Territory - Khabarovsk
Amur region – Blagoveshchensk
Sakhalin region - Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
Chukotka Autonomous District - Anadyr
Kamchatka Territory - Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
Magadan region – Magadan
Jewish Autonomous Region - Birobidzhan.

Teacher: We will try to draw almost all the material in today’s lesson, that is, create an “image of the territory” using conventional signs, symbols, that is, we will begin to perform logical reference summary. In subsequent lessons we will continue to fill it out and ultimately, I hope, this summary will help you on your test.
So, you have been given a drawn outline of the Far Eastern Economic Region. Glue it into a notebook (double-sided tape is glued to the back). Nearby you will draw conventional signs, and give them an explanation. At the end of the lesson, I will collect 4 notebooks to choose from and give a grade for the work in the lesson.

On the contour we denote:

Using a simple pencil, number it with the subject DVER.

2. Geographical location

1) DVER boundaries:

DVER is located on the eastern outskirts of Russia and goes to the land border of the Russian Federation with China, the DPRK and to the maritime border of Russia with the United States (Bering Strait), Japan (Kunashir Strait and La Perouse Strait).
DVER borders the East Siberian economic region.

On the contour we denote

In red are land borders, we sign neighboring states
In green are maritime boundaries, we sign neighboring states and straits.
Yellow color – border with another region (with the East Siberian E.R.)

Example outline:

2) Economic and geographical position of the area

EGP DVER is unique and has the following features:

Great distance from the main regions of Russia.
Large length of sea borders.
Long border with China.
Access to maritime borders with the most developed countries of the world - the USA and Japan.
The presence of a single island region - Sakhalin.
Proximity to the Asia-Pacific region.

Economic leader DVER – Khabarovsk(Slide 4)

On the contour we denote

Island region - Sakhalin
We sign the Asia-Pacific region.
Seas
Arctic Ocean - Laptev Sea, East Siberian Sea, Chukchi Sea
Pacific Ocean– Bering Sea, Sea of Okhotsk, Sea of Japan

Question: Russia - Japan. Remember the history of relations between Russia and Japan. What, in your opinion, are the prospects for relations between the two countries (political, economic, cultural, etc.)

Answer: Japan is interested in developing relations with Russia (its closest neighbor), as a large market for raw materials, a market for its goods. Russia is a transit country. Russian railways are shortest way for Japanese goods to Europe.
Japan is a developed country; for Russia it is interesting for new technologies, investment opportunities, etc.

3. Natural conditions

Tectonic structure: eastern part of the Siberian Platform, Aldan Shield, plates of young platforms. Northern part of the Pacific Rim: Kamchatka, Sakhalin, Kuril Islands. Powerful volcanism and seismicity in the eastern parts of the region.
The highest active volcano in Russia is Klyuchevskaya Sopka (height 4688 m)
Relief: mountainous terrain predominates, which includes: Chukotka, Koryak, Kolyma, Aldan highlands; ridges of Chersky, Verkhoyansky, Sikhote-Alin, Stanovoy, etc.
The flat terrain includes the Yana-Indigirka, Kolyma and Amur lowlands, the Prilenskoe plateau, the Zeya-Bureya plain, the Yukaghir and Anadyr plateaus.
Climate: arctic, subarctic and temperate zones. January – (–32 degrees to –8). July – (+8 to +16 degrees). Precipitation – 400-1000 mm/year.
Here is the cold pole of the Northern Hemisphere - Oymyakon (-71 degrees).
Inland waters: main rivers - Lena, Aldan, Amur, Ussuri, Yana, Kolyma, Anadyr, etc. Lake - Khanka. Areas with permafrost predominate.
Natural zones: arctic deserts, tundra, forest-tundra, monsoon mixed forests, altitudinal zones. (Slide 5)

On the contour, using conventional signs familiar from grade 6, we display the type of vegetation for each zone and add new symbols:

Brown – Highlands
Squares with maximum and minimum temperatures.
Blue pencil - rivers

Tasks:

1. What natural conditions of this area are conducive to human life?
2. What natural conditions are favorable for the development of industry?

4. Natural resources

Mineral:

Brown coal – Primorsky Krai, Nizhnezeysky basin
Hard coal - South Yakut basin, Lena basin, Primorsky Krai, Sakhalin basin.
Oil, gas - Sakhalin, Sakha.
Tungsten – Primorsky Krai
Tin – Primorsky Territory, Khabarosky Territory, Magadan Region
Gold – Magadan region, Amur region, Sakha.
Diamonds - Sakha.

Forest– surplus, except for the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug.
These are larch, spruce, cedar and fir.

Soil– infertile

Recreational– low degree of tourist development of the territory. Special interest in: Lena Pillars, Valley of Geysers, hot springs of Kamchatka, Ussuri taiga.

Water resources– huge, a lot of valuable fish, sea animals, crabs. (Slide 6)

On the contour, using symbols, we display minerals.

Outline sample:

5. “Business card” of DVER

We mark the area on our contour.

6. Consolidation

Show the borders of the Far Eastern Republic.
What are the benefits of the economic and geographical location of the Far Eastern Republic?
What are the specifics of the Far Eastern Republic?
What industries do you think will develop in the Far Eastern Region?
From which federal subjects does the Far Eastern Republic receive the necessary natural resources, in particular mineral ones?

Sample outline at the end of the lesson

Then the teacher briefly summarizes the lesson, draws attention to homework: write a description geographical location, natural conditions and resources of the Far Eastern Republic, using the notes compiled during the lesson. If you have any difficulties, refer to the text of the textbook.

Introduction. 3

1. Characteristics of natural conditions. 4

2. Resource potential of the Far East. 12

Conclusion. 14

Literature. 16

Introduction

The natural conditions of the Far East are distinguished by sharp contrast, which is due to the very large extent of the territory from north to south. Most of the territory is occupied by mountains and highlands. The lowlands are occupied only comparatively small areas along river valleys. The most extensive lowland is located in the valley of the Amur and its tributary, the Ussuri. A significant part of the region is covered by permafrost, which complicates the construction and development of agriculture. The mountains have an average height of 1000-1500 meters. But some peaks rise to 2000 meters or more. The Pacific Coast is dominated by young mountains, as evidenced by volcanic activity. There are more than 20 volcanoes in Kamchatka, the largest of which is Klyuchevskaya Sopka, and many geysers.

Mineral reserves are of great importance for the development of the region. Ores of non-ferrous metals and rare metals are of interregional importance. This is one of the most important gold-bearing areas in Russia. Deposits of ore and placer gold are concentrated in the basins of Kolyma, Aldan, Zeya, Amur, Selemdzha, Bureya, Chukotka and on the slopes of Sikhote-Alin. Tin, tungsten, lead-zinc ores are discovered and developed in the Republic of Sakha, Magadan region, in the spurs of the Sikhote-Alin. The Far East has large reserves of mercury. The main deposits are located in Chukotka, Yakutia and Khabarovsk Territory. Unique mica deposits have been explored in Tommot on the upper Aldan. The diamond deposits in the north-west of the Republic of Sakha are of great importance - “Mir”, “Udachnoe”, etc.

Purpose of the work: to consider the natural resource potential of the Far East.

1. Characteristics of natural conditions

The Far East occupies the extreme eastern part Soviet Union, located between the system of watershed ridges - Stanov, Yablonov, Dzhugdzhur, Kolyma - and the shores of the Bering, Okhotsk and Japanese seas. Hydrographically, it includes the rivers of the Pacific Ocean basin - the basins of the Amur, Penzhina, Anadyr and a number of less significant rivers flowing into the marginal seas of the Pacific Ocean. This also includes the Kuril Islands, about. Sakhalin and the Kamchatka Peninsula, which are considered separately. The relief of the Far East is highly rugged and is represented predominantly by mountainous forms. In addition to the already mentioned watershed ridges - Kolyma, Dzhugdzhur, Yablonovy and Stanovoy, there are also powerful mountain systems, of which we can name the Tukuringra and Dzhagdy ridges, which together make up a powerful mountain range extending directly south of the Stanovoy Range, the Bureinsky and Dusse-Alin ridges, which are like a continuation to the north of the Lesser Khingan, and finally, the Sikhote-Alin ridge, stretching along the coast The Sea of Japan, from Vladivostok to the mouth of the Amur, is more than a thousand kilometers.

The river network of the Far East belongs entirely to the Pacific Ocean basin, or more precisely to its marginal seas - the Bering, Okhotsk and Japanese. Along the coast of the first two named seas, it is represented mainly by small mountain rivers, falling steeply from the eastern slopes of watershed ridges, which come close to the seashore here. Only in the extreme northeast do the mountains retreat from the sea, leaving a vast lowland occupied by the basin of a significant river in the region - the Anadyr.

The main river is one of the largest rivers on the globe - the Amur, the basin of which occupies more than half of the Far Eastern Territory, i.e. almost the entire southeast of the Asian part of the USSR. To the south of the Amur, only short rivers flow into the Sea of Japan, steeply falling from the eastern slopes of the ridge Sikhote-Alin. The rivers of the Far East are predominantly mountainous in nature. Where mountain ranges intersect, they flow along the bottom of deep valleys bounded by high and rocky slopes.

In the large rivers of the region, in most cases, the direction of flow coincides with the direction of the mountain ranges, so these rivers have relatively wide valleys and a calm flow.

The following can be noted character traits, characteristic of the rivers of the Far East:

1) at the sources of rivers, their valleys are constrained by mountains, and in some cases they look like gorges;

2) in the upper reaches of rivers, the bottom of the valleys, as a rule, is composed of a thick layer of pebble-boulder alluvial deposits and only in some places the beds of watercourses pass through bedrock;

3) as you move away from the sources, river valleys expand, the floodplain also increases, the thickness of alluvial deposits becomes thicker, and the sediment size noticeably decreases;

4) in the lower reaches of the river, they mainly pass through low-lying areas of the terrain, and the transition from the mountainous part of the basin to the flat one is expressed very sharply;

5) river falls in the upper reaches are 5-10 m/km and approximately correspond to the general fall of mountain ranges; in the lower reaches they decrease to 0.5 m/km or less.

Within the flat parts of the Far East, rivers have low slopes, low gentle banks and low flow speeds.

Amur - in Chinese Heiludzian - Black Dragon River - is the main river of the Far Eastern region. Among Russian rivers, it ranks fourth in size, second only to the Ob, Yenisei and Lena. The Amur is formed from the confluence of two rivers - the Shilka and the Argun - and for most of its length, from the source almost to the city of Khabarovsk, it is the state border between Russia and the People's Republic of China. The length of the river from the confluence of Shilka and Argun to the mouth is 2850 km. If we take the longest of the components, Shilka, as the source, then the length of the Amur will be equal to 4510 km. The river's catchment area is 2,050,000 km 2 (including the Kerulen basin).

The average slope of the Amur proper, from the confluence of the Shilka and Arguni to the mouth, is 0.11% (Fig. 138). According to the nature of the valley, the Amur is divided into three parts: upper, middle and lower.

In the Far Eastern region, lakes have a relatively small distribution.

Oz. Khanka. In the southern part of Primorye, on the border with China, the largest lake among the reservoirs of the region is located. Khanka, belonging to the Ussuri basin. The area of its water surface is about 4400 km 2. The basin of the lake is almost entirely filled with thick deposits of silt, so the lake is shallow: its greatest depth is less than 10 m, the predominant depths are 1-3 m; the water is highly turbid. A river flows out of the lake. Sungacha is a tributary of the Ussuri.

Medium and small lakes of the Far East can be divided into three groups:

1) The lakes of the Shilka and Arguni basins are mostly the remains of disappeared large reservoirs. Among them are the vast, now almost dry, basins of Zun-Torey (258 km 2) and Barun-Torey (528 km 2), located in the southern part of the region, on the border with the Mongolian People's Republic.

With an arid climate, a significant part of the lakes in this group, especially reservoirs in the Argun basin, are mineralized. There are also salty and bitter-salty lakes here.

The salt composition of water in lakes depends on the nature of the rocks composing their basins and basins. The waters of lakes Doroninsky, Ononsky, Borgaisky contain soda, since their basins are composed mainly of igneous rocks. Lake Doroninskoye, located 154 km southwest of the city of Chita, has long been used for soda extraction. When soda lakes freeze, they release crystalline soda, which looks like a white coating of ice. Such lakes are called gudzhir lakes. To obtain artificial gujir, ice is covered with lake water, which is pumped from ice holes; after the water freezes, the resulting gujir is collected, obtaining from 1 hectare to 20-25 tons. If the lakes lie among Jurassic sedimentary rocks, then sulfates, especially mirabilite, predominate in their salt mass.

Among the mineral lakes, local residents distinguish between black (Khara-Nor) and white (Tsagan-Nor) lakes. An example of black lakes is Girona. After a long period of settling, a flaky cherry-red sediment falls out of its water. Bitter-salty lakes of the Tsagan-Nor type have milky-white water. In addition to those mentioned, a group of bitter-salty lakes in the area of the city of Chita is known, as well as the Borzinsky self-sedating lakes. In the southern part of the Argun basin, in the interfluve pp. Agi and Onon, a group of lakes of the Aginskaya steppe is located. These lakes are shallow saucer-shaped depressions filled with water; Some of them dry out in the summer.

2) Lakes of the Lower Amur Lowland (Fig. 142). Among this group there are significant lakes, namely: Petropavlovskoye (45 km 2), Bolen (440 km 2), Evvo (590 km 2), Kizi (350 km 2), Kadi (95 km 2), Orel (300 km 2 ), Chlya (180 km 2), Chukchagirskoye (740 km 2), etc. The basins of the lakes are fault depressions filled with alluvial deposits. Currently the lakes are shallow; their depths do not exceed 3-8 m. Most of the lakes are connected by channels to the Amur and during periods of flood they are filled with its waters.

3) Lakes of the Anadyr Lowland. A large number of lakes are also found in the extreme northeast, especially in the area of the Anadyr Lowland. The origin of the basins of some lakes is associated with glaciation and frost weathering processes, in others - with river erosion, in others - with sea activity. One of the most significant lakes of this group, Krasnoye (660 km 2), has a basin of erosional origin. Lakes that arose as a result of sea activity include lagoons separated from it by sandy coastal ramparts; the largest of them is lake. Lawrence.

The rivers of the Far Eastern Territory are of great economic importance, primarily as transport routes. In this regard, especially big role The Cupid plays, representing a waterway about 3000 km long. Has long been used for shipping pp. Shilka, Zeya, Bureya, Amgun and Ussuri, which are important access routes to the railway and to hard-to-reach central mountainous regions. Navigation, however, in some cases experiences significant difficulties, especially due to high water flow rates and the presence of shallow riffles in river beds. The medium and small rivers of the Far Eastern Territory are widely used for timber rafting. The energy resources of the Far Eastern rivers are large and amount to millions of kilowatts. Developing the hydropower resources of the region's powerful rivers, improving their transport conditions and fighting floods are the immediate and most important tasks of the water sector of the Far East. The Amur and its tributaries also have great importance For fisheries. Extremely important commercially are chum salmon, pink salmon, coho salmon and other species of fish that live in the sea and enter rivers only for spawning. In the fall, whole schools of them quickly burst into rivers and move up the Amur and its tributaries for 500-1000 km to spawning grounds located in the upper reaches of mountain rivers. The Lower Amur, the first to receive schools of fish, is the main fishing region of the Far Eastern Territory.

The heights of the mountain ranges of the Far East are relatively low and, as a rule, do not exceed 2000-2500 m.

Along with numerous mountain ranges, there are also extensive lowlands - Zee-Bureinskaya, Nizhne-Amurskaya, Ussuriyskaya and Prikhankaiskaya. In the northern part of this region there is a relatively vast lowland, occupying the central part of the Anadyr basin. By its nature, the Far East belongs to the forest zone and belongs to the area of distribution of mixed broad-leaved forests. Only in its southwestern part (Arguni basin) does forest vegetation in some places give way to steppe vegetation.

The climatic conditions of the Far East are sharply different from other regions of Russia. The climate here is mainly formed under the influence of the interaction of the continent and the ocean and is called the monsoon climate. Its main features are harsh winters with little snow and relatively warm summers with abundant rainfall.

In winter, due to great cooling, a high pressure area is established on the mainland (Siberian anticyclone); it covers the territory Eastern Siberia and the Far East. At the same time, low pressure sets in over the Pacific Ocean. As a result of this pressure ratio over the land and over the ocean, in winter the air flows from the mainland to the ocean. In the center of the high pressure area over land, calm prevails, and towards the periphery there are weak winds, gradually increasing towards the sea.

In summer, on the contrary, the continent heats up greatly and therefore the pressure over land becomes low. The sea at this time is much colder than the land and high pressure is established above it, and therefore in summer the winds blow from the ocean to the mainland.

Winter in a monsoon climate is characterized by the predominance of calm weather or very weak winds, an abundance sunlight, low precipitation, insignificant snow cover and severe frosts. These features are most clearly manifested in areas remote from the sea, for example in Transbaikalia, where on average no more than 10 mm of precipitation falls during the winter. There is so little snow here that a sled track is not installed every year.

If in winter most of the Far East is in a polar climate, then in summer climatic conditions in the southern part it approaches the subtropics.

The general thermal regime of the Far East is continental, increasing with distance from the sea inland.

Compared with European part In Russia, the air temperature here at the same latitudes is much lower. For example, Primorye, located at the latitude of Crimea, is approaching Arkhangelsk in terms of the average temperature of the coldest month - January.

The annual amount of precipitation, with the exception of Primorye, where it reaches 800 mm in places, generally differs little from middle zone European part of Russia and is mostly 450-600 mm per year. However, the distribution of precipitation throughout the year has significant features compared to the European part of Russia: it is abundant during the warm part of the year and exceptionally small in winter time. Summer monsoons carry large amounts of moisture from the ocean, while winter monsoons are characterized by great dryness. Under these conditions, up to 95% of precipitation falls in the warm part of the year and only about 5% falls in the cold part. The greatest amount of precipitation (up to 70-80% of the annual amount) falls in July and August. For example, in Blagoveshchensk in January an average of 1 mm of precipitation falls, and in August - 130 mm.

Rains in the Far East are torrential in nature, cover large areas and are characterized by high intensity. Particularly intense rainfall is observed in Primorye. There are cases when up to 150-250 mm falls in one day.

Almost the entire Far East, with the exception of Primorye and the southern half of Kamchatka, is located in the permafrost zone, which, along with the characteristics of the monsoon climate, leaves its characteristic imprint on the regime of the region’s rivers - they are high in water in summer and poor in water in winter.

The Far East is characterized by the widespread development of surface swamps, especially within the vast lowlands - Zee-Bureya, Lower Amur, Prikhankai and Birobidzhan; swampiness reaches 15-20%. The thickness of the peat deposit in swamps is usually small. Vast spaces here are occupied by mari, which are transitional form from marshy meadow to peat bog; dry mari is distinguished, formed at relatively good conditions runoff, and wet patches that occur during slow runoff of surface water.

2. Resource potential of the Far East

The natural conditions and resources of the Far East are distinguished by sharp contrasts, which is due to the enormous extent of the territory from north to south. Most of the territory is occupied by mountains and highlands. The most extensive lowland is located in the valley of the Amur and its tributary, the Ussuri. A significant part of the region is covered by permafrost. The Pacific coast is dominated by young mountains, and volcanic activity is active here. The Pacific Ocean seas: Bering, Okhotsk and Japanese are of great importance for the economy of the region. Freezing for a relatively short period, they are of fishing, hunting and transport importance. The world's largest salmon stocks are concentrated here, and seals, walruses, and fur seals live here.

Forests in the Far East cover about 260 million hectares (30% of all-Russian reserves).

The peculiarities of the physical and geographical position determined the diversity of natural and climatic conditions - from sharply continental in most of the territory to the monsoon climate in the southeast of the region, which led to the uneven settlement and development of the region.

The region has significant iron ore reserves - in the south of Yakutia (Taiga), in the Amur region and Khabarovsk Territory.

Deposits of polymetallic ores have been identified in the Primorsky Territory, tin ores - in the south and north of the region; tungsten deposits were discovered in Primorye, Yakutia, and the Magadan region.

The diamond-bearing region of the Far East is Yakutia (“Mirny”, “Aikhal”, “Udachnoye”).

The Far East contains significant reserves of silver, platinum, copper ores, and raw materials for the chemical industry.

The territory of the Far East accounts for 35% of all coal resources of the country, including about 10% of all balance reserves. The bulk of reserves (75%) are located in Yakutia, the Amur region and the Primorsky Territory. The region's coals are varied in composition, from brown (65% of balance reserves) to anthracite.

The largest basin in the Far East is the Lensky basin, whose total resources are estimated at 1541 billion tons, of which 57% are brown coals. However, the geological knowledge of the basin is low (0.4%).

The coal resources of the South Yakutsk basin are estimated at 47.8 billion tons. The coals of this basin are hard, mainly coking.

Significant coal resources are also available in other regions of the Far East - in the Amur and Magadan regions, in the Khabarovsk and Primorsky territories, in Sakhalin and Kamchatka. However, the exploration of their resources is extremely low, and even in the explored areas in the Amur Region and Primorsky Territory, low-quality reserves predominate. As a result, most of the 19 reserve areas cannot be recommended for development due to the low quality of coal and economic indicators.

The oil and gas resources of the Far East are confined mainly to the Lena-Tunguska, Lena-Vilyui and Okhotsk oil and gas provinces, the Verkhnebureinsky and Anadyr gas-bearing regions and the shelf of the Arctic seas.

The Far East is a complex geological region with a heterogeneous distribution of oil resources, which have been studied and developed by industry very poorly and unevenly. 62 oil fields have been discovered in the Far East, 47 of them are located on Sakhalin Island and the adjacent shelf of the Sea of Okhotsk, 3 in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug.

The initial total gas resources of the region are 26.8 trillion. m3 (of which shelf resources are 14.9 trillion m3).

The Far Eastern economic region has significant total recoverable oil resources within its continental part (2.98 billion tons) and the largest predicted resources of the shelf zones of the six seas (Laptev, East Siberian, Chukotka, Bering, Okhotsk, Japan) and the East Kamchatka sector Pacific Ocean (5.87 billion tons).

Conclusion

Iron ore reserves are known in the Far Eastern region.

The Far East also has large reserves of fuel resources, especially hard and brown coal.

Oil and gas bearing provinces have been identified in the region: in Sakhalin, Kamchatka, Chukotka, and the Magadan region, but so far only the Okha and Tungor oil fields in the north of Sakhalin are being developed. Oil High Quality, but it is not enough to meet the needs of the region. Gas was discovered in the Leno-Vilyui oil and gas province. This is one of the most important promising gas-bearing areas.

The Far East also has reserves of nonmetallic raw materials: marl, limestone, refractory clays, quartz sands, as well as sulfur, graphite, mica.

The hydrographic network of the region is very extensive and rich in water. Among the largest are the basins of the Lena, Amur, Yana, Indigirka, Kolyma, etc. Rivers concentrate huge reserves of hydropower, are rich in valuable species of fish, and serve as transport routes, including in winter, when winter roads are laid on the ice. The area is also rich in thermal waters. Hot springs, especially in Kamchatka, feed rivers that do not freeze in winter. The origin of geysers is associated with volcanic activity. The water of hot springs contains zinc, antimony, arsenic, has medicinal value and opens up great opportunities for creating a resort base.

The Pacific Ocean seas: Bering, Okhotsk and Japanese are very important for the economy of the region. Freezing for a relatively short period, they are of fishing, hunting and transport importance. The world's largest stocks of salmon fish are concentrated here: chum salmon, sockeye salmon, chinook salmon, seals, walruses, and seals live. Forests in the Far East cover about 260 million hectares of the region. The forests contain larch, spruce, fir, cedar, and broad-leaved species: oak, ash, maple, etc.

So, the peculiarities of the physical and geographical position determined the diversity of natural and climatic conditions - from the sharply continental to the monsoon climate of the southeast of the region, which caused uneven settlement and development of the region.

Literature

1. Vavilova E.V. Economic geography and regional studies. Tutorial. – M. Gardariki, 1999.

2. Gladkiy Yu.N., Dobrokokk V.A., Semenov S.P. Economic geography of Russia: Textbook. M.: Gardarika, Literary and Publishing Agency "Kafedra-M", 1999.

3. Russian Far East: Economic potential / Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Institute of Economics research. - Vladivostok: Dalnauka, 1999.

4. Regional economy. / Ed. T.G. Morozova. – M., 2003.

5. Khrushchev A.T. Economic geography of Russia: Textbook for universities. – M.: Kron-Press, 1997.

Regional economy. / Ed. T.G. Morozova. – M., 2003. – P. 400.

Regional economy. / Ed. T.G. Morozova. – M., 2003. – P. 401.

Far East of Russia: Economic potential / Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Institute of Economics research. - Vladivostok: Dalnauka, 1999. – P. 45.

Regional economy. / Ed. T.G. Morozova. – M., 2003. – P. 144.

Far East of Russia: Economic potential / Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Institute of Economics research. - Vladivostok: Dalnauka, 1999. – P. 78.

Mineral resources. The natural resources of the Far East are rich and varied. There are many mineral deposits in the Far East. The main ones are ore. Gold ranks first among the region's mineral wealth. Gold is mined in Kolyma, Chukotka, in the lower reaches of the Amur, in the upper reaches of Selemdzha, on the right bank of the Zeya and on the eastern slope of Sikhote-Alin.

The second place in importance is occupied by ores of non-ferrous and rare metals.

Even in comparison with the regions of Siberia rich in mineral resources, the Far East stands out in that very scarce and sometimes simply unique minerals are concentrated here. These include tin, lead, zinc, tungsten, gold, mercury, graphite, fluorite, etc.

Table 10. Natural resources of the Far East

Tin deposits are concentrated in Chukotka, on the eastern and southern outskirts of the Khingan-Bureya massif, in the middle and southern parts of the Sikhote-Alin. Sikhote-Alin is rich in tungsten and mercury, and there is also a large Tetyukhinskoye deposit of lead-zinc ores.

Iron ores were found in the southern part of the Far East - in the Khingan-Bureya massif and on the Amur-Zeya Plain. Deposits of titanomagnetite sands have been discovered on the eastern coast of Kamchatka and on some islands of the Great Kuril Ridge.

In the southern part of the region there are large Bureinsky and Suchansky coal basins and lignite deposits on the plains. Oil and gas are produced in the north of Sakhalin.

Special mention should be made of mineral waters Far East, many of which are thermal. Not far from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the Pauzhetskaya power plant is already operating on underground hot water, and a greenhouse complex has been built near it.

Agroclimatic resources. In the temperate zone of the Far East, climatic conditions are quite favorable for agriculture. In the lowlands of the Amur region, vegetables and grain crops grow well, including soybeans and rice, as well as fruit trees. Even grapes ripen in the lowlands of the Primorsky Territory and in river valleys in the south. Potatoes and other root crops are successfully grown on Sakhalin.

Water resources. The Far East has a fairly dense river network, the rivers are mostly fast, with great potential for the construction of hydroelectric power stations. Some of them have already built hydroelectric power stations. Amur, Zeya, Selemdzha, Bureya, Ussuri, Amgun are of transport importance.

The region's groundwater, unfortunately, has not yet been studied well and is still poorly used.

Energy resources of the Far East- this is not only coal and oil, hydro resources, but also energy sea tides, warmth from volcanoes and hot springs.

Biological resources. The forests of the Far East provide valuable timber.

Many animals are of economic importance. Among them are more than 30 species of fur-bearing animals - sable, weasel, otter, squirrel; two species of deer - sika and wapiti, the young antlers of which are used to produce a valuable medicine - pantocrine.

Marine fisheries are also important in the economic specialization of the Far East. Here they catch herring, salmon, sea bass, halibut, sablefish, pollock, saury, swordfish, tuna, crabs, and shrimp. Large fishing trawlers process all their catch directly at sea. Sea cucumbers, clams, mussels and scallops, sea urchins, and kelp are caught in coastal waters.

Recreational resources of the Far East potentially large, but underutilized. As already noted, the south of Primorye is not inferior in its climatic conditions to the resorts of the Crimea and the Caucasus. The predominance of clear sunny days and the absence of sweltering summer heat make the climate of Primorye extremely beneficial for people. Its value is increased by numerous healing springs and large deposits of medicinal mud. The swimming season on the coast of Peter the Great Bay lasts from July to the end of September, and the season for sailing and rowing exceeds 250 days.

Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands are unique in their landscapes and healing thermal springs.

Therefore, in the future, many territories of the Far East can be used for tourism and the organization of resort facilities.

Kurile Islands

The Kuril Island Arc is located between the Sea of Okhotsk and the Pacific Ocean. The Garland of the Kuril Islands consists of two parallel ridges: the Greater Kuril ridge and the Lesser Kuril ridge. Most of the islands are mountainous.

The origin of the Kuril ridge is volcanic. Each island here is a volcano, a fragment of a volcano, or a chain of volcanoes fused together at their bases. There are 104 volcanoes on the Kuril Islands (excluding underwater ones), of which 39 are active. At least 75 volcanic peaks have heights from 50 to 1300 m, and 12 peaks exceed 1300 m. The highest volcano of the Kuril ridge is Alaid (2339 m) on Atlasov Island.

During the eruption of the Sarychev volcano on the island of Matua in 1946, lava flows reached the sea. The glow could be seen 150 km away, and ash fell even in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

The ongoing movements of the earth's crust are evidenced by frequent earthquakes and seaquakes, causing tidal waves of enormous destructive power - tsunamis.

The climate of the Kuril Islands is monsoonal, maritime, moderately cold, and quite harsh in the north. Summers are cool, winters are cold, snowy, and long. And this despite the fact that the islands lie between 50-45° N. sh., that is, where forest-steppes and steppes are located in the European part of Russia. In the south, up to 1000 mm of precipitation falls per year, in the north - about 600 mm. The soils are varied: mountain-tundra, mountain-meadow, turf, under forests - slightly podzolic. They often have several humus horizons, layered and covered with volcanic ash. On the northern islands, the lower tier of forests is dominated by thickets of elfin pine and alder, and above 550-1000 m - mountain tundra. On the southern islands, at the foot of the mountains, rare-trunked stone birch forests grow; further south, Kuril bamboo is mixed in with them. Above 500-600 m, stone birch is adjacent to dwarf cedar and alder. In the forests there are foxes, bears, wolves, and ermines. There are deposits of sulfur and copper ore on the islands. The main occupation of the residents is fishing.

Vitus Ionassen (Ivan Ivanovich) Bering (1681-1741)

Vitus Jonassen Bering was born in Denmark and was invited to Russia in 1704 as an experienced sailor. In 1724, by special order of Peter I, he was promoted to captain of the first rank. Vitus Bering in 1725-1741 headed the First and Second Kamchatka expeditions. The main task of the expeditions was to resolve the issue of the existence of an isthmus or strait between Asia and America. Bering left St. Petersburg in 1733 and in 1737 reached Okhotsk, where he led a detachment located on two ships - “St. Peter” and “St. Paul”. In 1740, they left Okhotsk for Avacha Bay and here, in the village named after the ships, Petropavlovsk, the expedition overwintered. In June 1741, both ships sailed to the shores of North America.

In mid-July, Bering saw land. This was Alaska. The expeditions passed the strait between the Chukotka Peninsula and Alaska, later called the Bering Strait.

On December 6, 1741, V. Bering died on an uninhabited island, which was called Bering Island, and the entire group of islands was called the Commander Islands.

Questions and tasks

Give an assessment of the natural resources of the Far East.
What resources in this region are most important?
What are the difficulties associated with developing the natural resources of the Far East?
Which natural resources are the least developed and why?
Propose your project for the development and use of the resources of the Far East.

The territory of the Far East stretches along the Pacific coast for 4,500 km. It is located in a zone of contrasting processes and phenomena. As already noted, heterogeneous blocks of the earth’s crust, various air masses, cold and warm sea currents interact here, and representatives of northern and southern flora and fauna coexist. All this determines the great diversity of natural conditions.

The Far East is located in the zone of interaction of large lithospheric plates. The Pacific plate is moving under the continental Eurasian plate. This is reflected in many features of nature. Thus, almost all mountain structures stretch parallel to the Pacific coast. The ridges of the Koryak Highlands and the Sredinny Range of Kamchatka curve towards the continent. The southern outer arc of mountain structures is curved towards the ocean and consists of the Eastern Ridge of Kamchatka and the ridge of the Kuril Islands. These islands are the tops of the highest (about 7000 m) mountains rising from the bottom of the sea. Most of them are under water. Most of the mountain structures of the Far East were formed in the Mesozoic. Powerful mountain-building processes and movements of lithospheric plates continue. Evidence is provided by intense earthquakes and seaquakes, the foci of which are located both in the depths of mountain structures and at the bottom of sea basins and deep-sea depressions - trenches. Seaquakes are accompanied by the formation of giant waves - tsunamis, which rapidly hit the Far Eastern coast, causing catastrophic destruction. The arcuate ridges also include volcanic mountains. The largest of them, Klyuchevskaya Sopka (4750 m), systematically throws out ash and lava. Volcanic processes are accompanied by geysers and numerous sources of thermal waters. In Kamchatka they are used for heating buildings and greenhouses and generating electricity. Many mountains of the Far East are composed of frozen lavas, tuffs, pumice and other volcanic rocks.

In the south there are mountains, highlands and plateaus formed as a result of the growth of the continental lithospheric plate from the east at the expense of the oceanic one. Therefore, the western parts of the mountain structures are composed of more ancient folds than the eastern ones. Thus, Sikhote-Alin from the west consists of Mesozoic folded structures, and from the east - Cenozoic. The Sakhalin Mountains are entirely represented by Cenozoic folded structures of the earth's crust. The intrusion of igneous rocks into sedimentary strata led to the formation of deposits of iron, polymetallic and tin ores. Sedimentary rocks contain deposits coal, oil and gas.

The climate of the entire Far East is determined by the interaction of continental and maritime air masses of temperate latitudes. In winter, cold air flows from the powerful Asian High to the southeast. Therefore, winter in the Far East is very harsh and dry. In the northeast, along the edge of the Aleutian Low, the cold continental air of Eastern Siberia interacts with the relatively warm sea air. As a result, cyclones often occur, which are associated with large amounts of precipitation. There is a lot of snow in Kamchatka, and blizzards are common. On the eastern coast of the peninsula, the height of the snow cover in some places can reach 3 m. Snowfalls are also significant on Sakhalin.

In summer, air currents rush from the Pacific Ocean. Marine air masses interact with continental ones, as a result of which monsoon rains occur throughout the Far East in summer. As a result, the largest Far Eastern river, the Amur, and its tributaries overflow not in the spring, but in the summer, which usually leads to catastrophic floods. Destructive typhoons often sweep over coastal areas, coming from the southern seas.

The interaction of continental and maritime air masses, northern and southern currents, complex terrain that combines mountains and lowlands, closed basins - all this together leads to the diversity of the vegetation cover of the Far East, to the presence of northern and southern species in its composition. In the northern lowlands there are tundras, into which larch forests enter along rivers from the south. Most of Kamchatka is occupied by sparse forests of stone birch and larch, and thickets of dwarf cedar with alder and lichens grow on the mountain slopes. Northern Sakhalin is characterized by sparse larch forests, while southern Sakhalin is characterized by impenetrable thickets of bamboo and spruce-fir taiga. On the Kuril Islands, in Primorye and the Amur region, where summers are warm and humid, coniferous-deciduous forests with a rich species composition grow. They consist of Korean cedar, spruce, fir, linden, hornbeam, Manchurian walnut, pears and many other types. Dense thickets of trees are intertwined with vines, grapes and lemongrass. There are many in the forests medicinal herbs, including ginseng.

In the Amur region and Primorye there are northern and southern species of animals. Siberian species such as reindeer, elk, sable, squirrel, and southern species such as the Amur tiger, sika deer, black deer, and raccoon dog live here. The Kuril Islands are characterized by seals, fur seals and sea otters. In most of the Far East, farming is difficult. But on the southern plains, with fertile chernozem and brown forest soils, wheat, rice, soybeans, potatoes and vegetables are grown.

1. What are the differences between the northern and southern parts of the Far East?

The development of nature in the southern and northern parts of the Far East proceeded differently. The south, influenced by the East Asian monsoons, is distinguished by its particularly unique nature. In the north, the climate loses its typical monsoon features. Annual quantity precipitation everywhere exceeds possible evaporation, however, the northern half of the Far East turns out to be excessively humid, and the southern half is moderately humid due to more high temperatures. The natural differences between the northern and southern parts of the Far East are further enhanced by the biogeographical influence of neighboring territories: Siberia in the north, Northeast China (Manchuria), Korea and Japan in the south.

2. What do you think are the reasons for the decline in the population of the Far East after the collapse of the USSR?

The main reason for the decline in the birth rate in the Far East is small families. This trend is currently supported by socio-economic factors that influence the final number of children in the family. The second most important reason for low fertility is decreased family stability. In the early 90s, mortality rates in the Far East increased. The main reasons for the increase in mortality are stress, quality of nutrition, ecology, poor living conditions, and the level of medical care. Since the beginning of the 90s, the population's ability to restore health in favorable climatic zones has sharply decreased. Since 1992-1993, all territories of the Far East have been losing their population as a result of migration mobility. The main reasons for migration were the deterioration of the comparative standard of living in the region, the emergence of the “island syndrome” - the desire of the younger and more active population to acquire additional employment opportunities and improve their well-being in economically more developed areas of the interior.

3. What is the reason for the greatest population loss in the northern part of the Far East?

The northern zone is characterized by a focal nature of economic development and settlement, associated mainly with the selective use of resources and the development of raw materials sectors of the economy. The basis of settlement here is a relatively sparse network settlements located at “key points” of the territory: near mineral deposits, near industrial and transport hubs, etc. Therefore, when ruined industrial enterprises(privatization in the 90s with their subsequent bankruptcy), the population began to decline sharply. Only the Agriculture, represented mainly by reindeer husbandry.

4. Name the main functions of Khabarovsk and Vladivostok. What other cities of the Far East do you know? What can you tell us about them?

Vladivostok: a city and port in the Russian Far East, the administrative center of the Primorsky Territory, the terminus of the Trans-Siberian Railway. One of the largest seaports in the Far Eastern basin. The main base of the Pacific Fleet. The largest scientific and educational center in the Far Eastern region. Free port (port zone enjoying special regimes of customs, tax, investment and related regulation).

Khabarovsk: the administrative center of the Far Eastern Federal District of Russia and the Khabarovsk Territory. One of the largest political, educational and cultural centers of the Russian Far East. Located near the border with China. Khabarovsk - “City of Military Glory”.

Birobidzhan is a city in the Russian Far East, the administrative center of the Jewish Autonomous Region (since 1934). City of regional significance.

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is a city in the Russian Far East. The administrative center of the Sakhalin region, as an administrative-territorial unit, is a city of regional significance. The largest transport hub on the island: the intersection of regional roads, railroad station and the airport. Sakhalin available State University and Sakhalin Scientific Center FEB RAS.

Komsomolsk-on-Amur is a city in the Khabarovsk region of Russia. The largest industrial center in the Far Eastern region. City-forming enterprises: shipbuilding, aircraft plant, oil refinery and metallurgical plants. Oil and gas pipeline from Sakhalin. Transport hub on the Baikal-Amur Mainline and regional highway; River port. There are technical and pedagogical universities

Anadyr is a city in the extreme northeast of Russia, the administrative center of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. The city has a fish factory in the surrounding area where gold and coal are mined. Reindeer husbandry, fishing, and hunting are developed.

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is a city in Russia, the administrative center of the Kamchatka Territory. It constitutes an administrative-territorial unit (city of regional subordination), within the boundaries of which it is formed municipality Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky urban district. Location of the base of the Russian Pacific Fleet. Communication with the mainland is carried out through the Yelizovo International Airport.

5. Using various thematic maps, compare the natural conditions of the northern and southern parts of the Far East. Fill the table.

6. Compare the population of the Far East with the population of your area (republic, region, territory). Draw a conclusion.

The population of the Far East in 2014 was: 6,226,640 people. (about 5% of the Russian population). The population of the Chelyabinsk region is 3,500,716 (less than 2% of the Russian population). Despite the fact that the population of the Far East is twice as large as in the Chelyabinsk region, it is worth noting that the area of the Chelyabinsk region is only 88.5 thousand km2, and the Far East is 6169.4 thousand km2. Thus, it would be more correct to compare the population density of two regions: Far East - 1 person/km2, Chelyabinsk region - 39.5 people/km2. The average population density in Russia is 9 people/km2, and in the world it is 35 people/km2. In general, the population density of the Chelyabinsk region is much higher than that of Russia and even the world, and the population density of the Far East is extremely small in comparison with any indicators.

7. Is it possible to stop the outflow of population from the Far East? Can the Far East “win the competition” to attract people from Moscow, the Krasnodar Territory, and the Belgorod Region? Give reasons for your answer.

The Far East is capable of stopping the migration outflow of the population, despite the fact that it covers large territories of Russia. The Far East is a great storehouse of mineral resources, the largest and richest in the world. The strategic importance of the Far East is especially great in the context of the global raw material crisis, when the basic mineral resources are being intensively exploited and will soon be exhausted. To overcome the migration crisis in relation to the Far East, it is necessary to pursue a special socio-economic policy that takes into account the specifics of this region: it should provide for high wages, good supplies, guaranteed benefits, compensation for expenses when traveling for treatment, and a “northern” coefficient from the first day of work. People should have a desire to explore new territories and at the same time get good money in order to subsequently solve their personal problems. Make sure that people are not in a hurry to return, since the use of natural resource reserves discovered in the Far East is enough to create the largest territorial production complexes for their extraction and processing. It is necessary to create new jobs and improve infrastructure.

8. Do you think the increasing number of Chinese in the area poses a danger? Is it possible to reduce the risk, for example, by populating the area not only with the Chinese, but also with people from other Asian countries - Vietnam, Korea, India, etc.? Give at least three arguments to support your position.

It makes no sense to deny the problem of the development of the Far East and its unpopulation. This is the challenge facing our country. But even despite this, all the talk about “demographic pressure” from China has a very fragile basis.

The territory located north of the modern border of the People's Republic of China belonged to the Manchus, the enemies of the Chinese. Therefore, China has no historical grounds for encroaching on Russian territory, there is an official border between the countries (which the PRC does not have, say, with India), and the absence of claims was recorded in the agreement between Gorbachev and Deng Xiaoping in 1989;

In the summer of 2015, one of the most noticeable topics that caused heated discussions was the news about the lease of 115 hectares of land in Transbaikalia to China for 49 years. However, by Soviet standards, 115 hectares is not a very large collective farm. In general, rent is more a topic for speculation than a serious problem;

There are a lot of people in China - that's a fact. In 2014, the population of the country was 1 billion 364 million people. At the same time, we should not forget that the PRC is the third largest state in terms of territory, where the problem of urbanization of the population is acute. Only 53.2% of the billion-plus live in cities - and this figure indicates the existence of vast untapped territories within the country. It is unlikely that the Chinese are so friendly that the first thing they are ready to do is help solve the problem of the development of the Far East;

The largest number of Chinese migrants are indeed concentrated in the Far East. The second center of concentration is Moscow. However, the scale of migration from China is not comparable in size to migration from the CIS. According to Rosstat statistics, in 2014 the number of Chinese arriving in Russia was almost 13 times lower than that of Uzbeks, and 12 times lower than that of Ukrainians. At the same time, the number of Chinese residents migrating to Russia increases every year, but the number of those leaving is increasing at a rapid pace: if in 2012 their ratio was 2 to 1, then in 2014 it was 5 to 4.