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GEOGRAPHY
The total area of the republic is 67,836.2 square kilometres. The republic’s territory stretches 290 kilometres north to south and 460 kilometres west to east.
Tatarstan is located in the Volga Federal District and borders eight Russian regions: the Republic of Bashkortostan, the Udmurt Republic, the Mari El Republic, the Chuvash Republic, and the Kirov, Orenburg, Ulyanovsk, and Samara regions.
The republic is located in the centre of a large industrial zone, 800 kilometres east of Moscow, at the confluence of the Volga and Kama rivers.
The Volga and Kama valleys divide the republic into three sections: the Volga right-bank area (Predvolzhye), which includes the Privolzhskaya Upland; the Volga left-bank and Kama right-bank areas (Predkamye); and the Kama left-bank area (Zakamye), which includes the northern slopes of the Bugulma-Bebeley Upland (maximum elevation 364 metres). To the north-west is the southern part of the Vyatsky Spur.Major rivers in the republic include the Volga, the Kama, the Belaya and the Vyatka.
The four rivers’ volume is 234 billion cubic metres per year (97.5% of the total volume of all rivers in the republic). In addition to the four major rivers, approximately 500 other small rivers (at least 10 kilometres in length) and numerous streams flow across Tatarstan. Significant water resources are concentrated in two of the biggest reservoirs: the Kuibyshev and the Nizhnekamskoye. There are also over 8,000 small lakes and ponds in the republic.
Tatarstan is located in hardwood, mixed forest and forest-steppe zones. The main soil types are sod-podzolic, grey forest and black earth. Forests, mainly deciduous (oak, linden and maple), cover 16% of the territory. Local fauna includes 430 species of vertebrates and hundreds of species of invertebrates. The range of animals includes wolves, foxes, elks, squirrels, chipmunks, marmots, and hares (blue and brown); of the birds, there are wood grouse, hazel grouse and bustards.
MINERALS
Tatarstan is rich in mineral resources, with crude oil (around 0,8 billion tonnes) providing its main source of wealth. The republic also has industrial quantities of limestone and dolomite (66 million tonnes), construction stone (35.3 million cubic metres), sand-gravel aggregate and peat (800 peat deposits having a total area of more than 35,000 hectares). There are geological reserves of natural bitumens (explored reserves of 12.5 billion tonnes), brown and black coal, slate coal, zeolite, copper and bauxite; gypsum (total reserves of 72 million tonnes) and loam (73.5 million cubic metres) are also extracted.
ECONOMIC, TRANSPORT AND GEORGRAPHIC LOCATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF TATARSTAN
Tatarstan is one of the most economically well-developed regions of Russia. It holds the leading positions in the development of industrial and agricultural productions in Volga federal district.
The republic has an exceedingly favourable economic and geographic position, because it is situated nearly in the center of economically developed Volga federal district between the industrial regions of Center and Ural. The region has a favourable position with regard to the raw material bases of Ural and Siberia and also to the agricultural districts of Volga region.
The Republic of Tatarstan also distinguishes itself with the profitability of transport and geographic position, situating in the junction of key airlines, railway, auto and river strategic arterial roads of All-Russia meaning (also the international transport corridors “West-East” and “North-South” pass in the territory of Republic.The area of perspective highway corridor “Baltika-China” is under construction). At the present time the project of creation of Sviyazhsk interregional multimodal logistic center is being implemented. It will become the largest center of processing and redistribution of cargo traffic in Volga region.
The river routes allow reaching the most important northern and southern rivers of Russia. The capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, Kazan city, is a large railway junction, where the arterial roads, connecting the European and Asian parts of the country, are being intercrossed.
The development of economic relations, high level of cooperation and specialization of economy of region is a result of this position.
For long-term history of existence of the Republic of Tatarstan the features of its geopolitic position significantly changed. However its most essential feature-boundary position between the areas of European and Asian cultures, civilizations that objectively contributes the development of relations of the Republic of Tatarstan with the largest cultural centers of Europe, Near and Middle East, remains unchanged.
Within the limits of Russia the intersection of lateral and meridian global transport and cooperation corridors, as well as several centuries ago, passes through the area of Middle Volga region where Tatarstan and its capital - Kazan city, having a function of “East gates” of Russia, undertakes the base load traditionally. It defines the special mission of Tatarstan among other Russian regions.
Namely in this context it is necessary to understand the words of the President of Russia stated by him at the solemn assembly, devoted to millennium of Kazan city, on August 26, 2005: « … building durable and long-term relations with Kazan khanate the Russian governors have started to form Russia as the integrated Eurasian empire in perfect consciousness. Let me emphasize: here, in the Volga region, more than somewhere else the role of Russia as bridge, joining two great civilizations — European and Asian is visible».
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