Ulyanovsk Region
The Ulyanovsk Region was established on January 19, 1943. Ulyanovsk, its capital (population 698,500), was founded in 1648.
Distance from Moscow: 893 km.
The region is crossed by the Moscow-Ruzaevka-Samara and Moscow-Ruzaevka-Ulyanovsk-Ufa railway lines, as well as the Moscow-Samara M5 motorway with a branch to Ulyanovsk.
Most of the region's population are Russians (74%), with a large proportion of Tatars (11%), Chuvashs (8%) and Mordvinians (4%).
The death rate is higher than the birth rate - more people die than are born, and natural growth is negative but is compensated for by migration. It is one of the few Russian regions where overall population keeps growing all the time.
The Ulyanovsk Region has ample scope to develop on its own. It is located strategically in transport and geographic terms, and has rich soils, large reserves of oil, gas, non-mineral building materials, water and hydro power resources, and boasts a developed infrastructure and diversified industry. Its Ulyanovsk- Vostochny airport has been declared a tax-free area.
The main industries in the region are: engineering and metal working (production of cars, aircraft, small-displacement engines, machine tools, chemical equipment, farm machinery, and electrical goods), the light industry (textiles and leather), the food industry (flour, groats, butter and cheese), and building materials (cement and heat-insulating materials). The region is Russia's monopoly manufacturer of ambulances, outboard motors, and small-link saw chains.
Its social and economic development in 2007 showed a steady growth of basic macro-economic indices.
The demographic situation both in the region and in Russia as a whole remains uncertain, although in January-September it saw a rise in births and a decline in deaths. The number of births per 1,000 population has increased by 5.7%, and the number of deaths dropped by 6.0%. As a result, the natural decline dipped 19.0% in January-September, compared with the same period last year (figures come in with a month's lag). The outflow of the population has slowed down, too. While last year the drain was 2,542 people in nine months, this year's figure is just 114.
