Siberia

Siberia… It lies to the east of the Ural Mountains. In the north it is washed by the icy waters of the Arctic Ocean. In the south it borders on the dry steppes of Kazakhstan, the Altai mountains, on Mongolia and China. It consists of two economic regions: West and East Siberia. South Siberia is a mountainous country, a meeting place for the Altai and Sayan ranges, the hills of Tuva and the Stanovoi Highland of the Trans-Baikal region.

Because of its vastness, Siberia is a land of climatic contrasts. For example, temperatures in early summer may vary from +20 C in Krasnoyarsk to -10 C in Norilsk. Some areas of Eastern Siberia get as much sunshine as Sochi and people grow grapes and watermelons here, while one fourth of the region lies beyond the Arctic Circle where the climate is very severe.

The native population of Siberia consists of the Nenets people, the Buryats, the Nanai, Ulchi, Khanty, Mansi, Tatars and others.

The first Russian settlements appeared in Siberia late in the 16^th century, after Yermak’s campaigns. Pushing eastwards, the Russians built wooden forts (ostrogs) which gave birth to such Siberian towns as Tomsk, Bratsk, Irkutsk, Nerchinsk and others.

The importance of Siberia for the Russian state was clearly formulated by the great 18^th century scholar Mikhail Lomonosov: “Russia’s might will increase with Siberia”.

Since that time Siberia has changed beyond recognition. Once a land of exile, now it is a region which has developed and is still developing.

The territory populated by less than 2.8 million people (or 1.9 % of the country population) currently produces more than 35 % of Russian aluminum, 16 % of pulp, about 15% of timber products, about 7% of electric power, takes a considerable share of coal and iron ore mining, gasoline and diesel fuel refining, washing soda and plastics (PVC) production.

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The City of Irkutsk	\|	Lake Baikal

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