The Astrakhan Region, a constituent entity of the Russian Federation, is part of the Southern Federal District.
Location
The Astrakhan Region occupies the Volga-Akhtuba plain, the delta of the Volga and the adjacent semi-deserts of the Caspian Depression. The Astrakhan Region borders on the Republic of Kalmykia in the southwest and west, the Volgograd Region in the north, and Kazakhstan in the northeast and east.
The Astrakhan Region comprises 11 districts, and three cities subordinate to the regional administration (Astrakhan, Akhtubinsk, Znamensk).
Area
44,100 sq km
Capital
Astrakhan, located 1,534 km from Moscow
Main cities
Astrakhan, Akhtubinsk, Znamensk, Kharabali, Kamyzyak, Narimanov
Climate
Temperate zone, Atlantic-continental climate. Average temperatures in January: minus 2 degrees centigrade. Average temperatures in January: minus 2 degrees centigrade. Average temperatures in July: plus 24.7 degrees centigrade.
Population
The Region's population is 1,001,200, including 470,100 men and 531,100 women. The share of urban population is 67.6% and rural - 32.3%. The economically active population is 625,100, of whom 438,000 are employed in the economy. Unemployment, calculated using ILO methods, is 10.1%. Senior citizens and minors account for 23.3% and 14.1% of the population, respectively. Population growth rate is negative - minus 3.5 per 1,000 per year. The immigration rate is negative - minus 6 per 10,000 per year.
Natural resources
The Astrakhan Region is rich in hydrocarbons, sulphur, oil and salt. The Region has unique fish resources.
Economic development
Companies doing business in the fuel and energy, engineering, food, and construction materials industry have progressed the most. Also, the chemical, petrochemical, woodworking, glass, printing and pharmaceutical industries are well-developed. The fuel and energy complex has developed at the highest pace in recent years, with its share in the Region's industrial output amounting to 70.7%. Industry takes up 25.5% of the Gross Regional Product, services - 21.4%, construction - 13.8%, transport - 9.1%, and agriculture - 5.5%.
The energy industry
Local energy companies provide about 90% of the Region's net demand for electricity. The sector's share in the Region's industrial output is 9.3%. The capacity of heat and power plants is 480MW for electricity and 1,154Gcal for heat.
The engineering sector
The Region's engineering sector is represented by engineering, metal-working, shipbuilding and ship repair enterprises. The sector accounts for 9.3% of the Region's industrial output. Shipbuilding has contributed the most to sustainable five-year sectoral growth. Shipbuilding and ship repair enterprises account for over 60% of industrial output.
The fuel industry
The fuel industry accounts for 61.1% of local industrial output. It holds the leading position in the Region's industrial makeup, producing 29% of Russia's gas condensate. In 2004, 11.5 billion cubic metres of natural gas were produced in the Region. Average oil production volume is 4 million tons annually.
The food industry
The fishing, salt, flour-and-cereals, butter-and-cheese, dairy, meat-processing, vegetable and fruit-processing and distillation products industries are the most developed in the Region. Among them, the salt industry is a true leader. There are 17 vegetable-processing factories in the Astrakhan Region.
Agriculture
Farming lands occupy 64.2% of the Region's territory, with arable lands taking up 7.2%. Agriculture, primarily plant growing facilitated by the favorable climate in the delta of Volga, plays an important role in the Region's economy. Rice, vegetables and watermelons give good harvests. As for the livestock sector, meat-and-wood sheep breeding, dairy cattle husbandry and camel breeding have made strong progress.
The transport sector
Automobile transport
Automobile transport dominates the market accounting for 94% of overall passenger traffic volume.
Railway transport
Oil and oil products, sulphur, grain, chemicals, construction materials, vegetables and watermelons are transported via the Astrakhan Region's railways. In the framework of the project to develop the North-South corridor, the first stage of the 50-kilometer railway branch to the port of Olya, which is critical to trade with Iran, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan, and an adjacent port station were completed.
Air transport
Air carriers are part and parcel of the Astrakhan Region's air junction, which has developed dynamically. The region's largest airline company is Astrakhan airlines.
Water transport
Due to the completion of the port of Olya and the adjacent station, the transshipment via the Astrakhan ports has increased. Oil transshipment grew by 70%, container transshipment - by 17.1%, whereas general freight transshipment fell by 10.8%.
Foreign economic activity
The share of foreign countries (other than CIS) in foreign trade is 91%. The main export trading partners are Iran, Great Britain and Hungary; among the CIS countries - Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Azerbaijan. The main exports are: mineral fertilizers, machines, equipment, vehicles, foodstuffs and agricultural raw materials.
The greater part of imports (90%) comes from non-CIS countries. Machines, equipment and vehicles account for 63% of the Region's imports, foodstuffs - for 17.7%, metals and metal products - for 6.6%, and textile - for 4%. Sweden, Norway, Iran, Germany and Kazakhstan are major importers to the Region.
Small businesses
Small businesses account for some 60% of the Region's enterprises; they successfully work in 22 branches of the economy. As many as 47,300 people work in SMBs; 45,100 people are self-employed entrepreneurs, employing, in their turn, 59,200 people. The SMB sector employs 35% of the Region's working population.
The Governor of the Astrakhan Region is Alexander Zhilkin.
The Speaker of the Regional Duma (Legislature) is Alexander Klykanov.