Geographic position and natural resources of Rostov Region

Rostov Region is located in the south of the European part of Russia in the basin of the Lower Don and near the Caucasus Mountains. It is washed by the Taganrog Bay of the Azov Sea. The length from the north to the south ? 490 km, from the west to the east ? 485 km. Borders in the west and northwest on Ukraine, in the south ? on Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories, in the east and southeast ? on Kalmykia, in the northeast ? on Volgograd Region, and in the north ? on Voronezh Region. It has access to the basin of the Volga River and the ports on the Baltic Sea through the Volga-Don Canal.

Transport geographic position is extremely convenient: the region connects central Russia with North Caucasia, Transcaucasia and Azov and Black Sea ports. Proximity to industrially developed regions ? Donbass (Ukraine) and Povolzhie ? is also very favourable. Distance from Moscow to Rostov-on-Don ? 1226 km.

Rostov Region has the most powerful transport infrastructure in the south of the country ? railways and motorways of federal importance, sea and river ports in Rostov-on-Don, Azov, Taganrog, international airport in Rostov-on-Don.

Rostov Region performs 9/10 of passenger transportation and 4/5 of cargo transportation of the North Caucasian region.

Rostov-on-Don is one of the largest transport junctions in Russia, in includes 6 railroad lines and 7 highways of federal importance, as well as 10 oil, gas and product pipelines.

The territory of the region is flat with small heights. In the west and northwest of the region the Donetsk ridges are located, with the height of 253 m. The climate is moderately continental. Average temperature in January -6?C, in July +23?C; annual precipitation ? from 400 to 650 mm. Aridity of the territory is increased from the west to the east. The main water resources ? the River Don (length within the limits of the region 470 km) with tributaries (Seversky Donets and Manych) and three water-storage basins (Tsimlianskoye, Veselovskoye, Proletarskoye). The lakes occupy 0.4% of the territory, forest ? 2.8%. Natural zone ? steppe. One of the main resources of Rostov Region is the soil. Fertile chernozem lands in the total amount of lands occupy 64.2%. Favourable agricultural climate conditions predetermine specialisation of the region in agricultural production. The region has good environment conditions for development of tourism, recreation, sanatorium treatment, sports hunting and fishery. The most important places for recreation are the Taganrog Bay, Tsymliansky coast, Don shoreline, the Lake Manych-Gudilo.

The major mineral resource is coal. There is quartzite, limestone, sand products, marl (raw material for cement production).

Rostov Region is the main coal base of the North Caucasian region. More than 6.5 billion tons of explored balance reserves of coal occurring in the eastern wing of Donetsk coal basin are concentrated here. Annual production is about 11 million tons (1998). Potential resources of oil and gas highly estimated: forecast reserves of hydrocarbon ? 485 million tons of fuel equivalent. The region has 18 explored gas fields, from which 10 are under development. The total reserves of gas are estimated as 400 billion cubic metres. Gas production in 1995 ?1997 constituted approximately 280 ? 290 million cubic metres, and in 1998 ? 400 million cubic metres, which covers 6% of local consumption.