The administrative center of Tomsk region is city of Tomsk (more than 500 thousand inhabitants). Total area: 314, 4 thousand square km. Total population: 1034.9 thousand people. The population density is 3.27 people for 1 square km.
Tomsk Region is located in the geographical center of Siberia: in the south-eastern part of the West Siberian Plain. Borders: in the south with Kemerovo and Novosibirsk Regions, south-west with Omsk region, in the west, northwest and north with the Khanty-Mansiyski Autonomous District, north-east and east with Krasnoyarsk Territory.
Relief is represented mainly by flat marshy plains. The Ob River in its middle flow divides the region into two almost equal parts, crossing it from south-east to north-west. Lofty river is less waterlogged and is more populated. 1/5 of territory accounts for river valleys. The main zones are the middle taiga, southern taiga and forest-steppe.
The region has large reserves of minerals and raw materials. About half of the geological resources of oil and gas have been explored. Region ranks second in Russia for to the volume of peat. In addition, 12 deposits of metallic ores have been opened: iron, titanium, zirconium, scandium, kaolin, copper, etc. Projected reserves of Bakchar iron ore deposits are 110 billion tons. Potential geological reserves of hydrocarbons are 5.47 billion tons, and peat - 28,7 million tons.
The total area of forest is 26722.0 thousand hectares including area under conifers of 10,105.6 ha. Total timber reserves of main forest species are 2602.8 million of cubic meters. Forest tracts cover about 60% of the area. Major forest area is production forests. Half of the operational stocks of wood are coniferous species, which the most valuable are cedar, spruce, fir, pine, and larch. It is not a accident when Tomsk region are called the "cedar" area.
The leading industries are engineering and metal processing, timber and oil. All engineering and metal processing enterprises are concentrated mainly in Tomsk and partly in Kolpashevo and Seversk. The largest timber plants are Mogochinsky, Ket, Asinovskij and Tomsk. Oil production is mainly conducted in the north-west and western areas, near the settlement Aleksandrovskoe and basin of Vasyugan river. In the region of Tomsk large petrochemical plant is located.
Agricultural lands occupy about 5% of the area. Here small amounts of wheat, flax, potatoes and vegetables are grown. Breed cattle, pigs, sheep and goats and poultry. Trapping industries (squirrel, sable, muskrat, and Siberian weasel) and farming (silver-black fox) are developed.
Population and ethnic composition of Tomsk Region
According to the statistical bulletin ROSSTAT on 01.01.2006 there were 1,036.5 thousand people including urban - 705.8 thousand and rural - 330.7 thousand people in the area,. Almost half of the population lives in the regional center. The density of settlement is highly uneven; in remote northern areas it is not more than 0.3 persons per square kilometer. The average density of settlement in the area is 3, 27 people per square kilometer.
In the region there are 80 nationalities and ethnic groups, including representatives of 22 nations of the North. The most numerous are Russians - 88,2%, Ukrainians - 2,6, Tatars - 2,1%.
Geographical information, the relief of the Tomsk region
Tomsk region almost entirely lies in the southeastern part of the West Siberian Plain and occupies area of 314.4 thousand km 2. The regional center is Tomsk, (56 o30 'latitude north and 85 o00' east longitude, distance to Moscow is 3500 miles by rail). Adjacent areas (regions): Kemerovo, Omsk, Novosibirsk and Tyumen regions, Krasnoyarskiy Krai, Khanty-Mansiysk District of the Tyumen region.
The relief of the area is totally flat. The highest point in the Tomsk region: 274 m above sea level. The lowest point: 34 m above sea level. Major area is occupied by forests, swamps, rivers and lakes. The major rivers are the Ob, Tom, Chulym, Ket, Vasyugan, Tym. The whole river system belongs to the Ob River basin, which crosses the area from the south-east to north-west at a distance of about 1000 kilometers dividing the region into two almost equal parts. The number of lakes in the Tomsk region reaches 95 thousand, especially a lot of them in floodplains. The largest lake on the territory of Tomsk region is Mirnoe lake located on the flat area between the rivers Chuzik and Chizhapka (Parabelski district), an area of mirror is 18.4 square km. Lofty river coast is less waterlogged and more populated. Left coast includes huge Vasyugan swamp - (the largest swamp in the world) - 53 thousand square kilometers. Altogether there are 573 rivers of more than 20 miles long and 35 lakes with an area larger than 5 square kilometers. 1/5 of the whole territory of region accounts for river valleys.
Much of the area is covered by forests where the main zones are the middle taiga, southern taiga and forest-steppe. Valuable species of the Siberian taiga trees are cedar, spruce, fir, pine, larch.
Information on climate
The distance between the northern and southern boundaries of the meridian reaches almost 600 kilometers, so the climatic conditions of southern and northern regions are highly different. Almost the entire territory of the area is within the taiga zone. Climate is medium continental cyclic, features by considerable daily and annual amplitudes and longer winter period. The average annual temperature is -0.6 0 C, in July is +18,1 0 C, in January -19,2 0C. Climatic characteristics of the northern region feature by high severity and duration of the winter season. The frost-free period is 100-105 days. Rainfall: 435 mm.
General information about the region
