The Astrakhan Region, a constituent entity of the Russian Federation, is part of the Southern Federal District, bordering on the Republic of Kalmykia in the southwest and west, the Volgograd Region in the north, and Kazakhstan in the northeast and east.
Location
The Astrakhan Region occupies the Volga-Akhtuba plain, the delta of the Volga, and the adjacent semi-deserts of the Caspian Depression.
Administrative division
The region is comprised of 11 districts and three cities subordinated to the regional administration (Astrakhan, Akhtubisnk, and Znamensk).
Area
44,100 square kilometres
Capital
Astrakhan, located 2,007 kilometres from Moscow
Main cities
Astrakhan, Akhtubisnk, Znamensk, Kharabali, Kamyzyak, and Narimanov
Climate
The Astrakan Region has a temperate, Atlantic-continental climate, with an average January temperature of -2º and an average July temperature of 24.7º C.
Natural resources
The region is rich in hydrocarbons, sulphur, oil, and salt and has unique fish resources.
Population
The Astrakhan Region's population is 1,001,200 people with 470,100 males and 531,100 females. Over 68% of the population is urban, while rural residents account for 32.3%. The economically active population is 625,100, of whom 438,000 are employed in the economic sector. The unemployment rate, calculated using ILO methods, is 10.1%, with senior citizens and minors accounting for 23.3% and 14.1%, respectively. The rate of natural increase is negative and stands at - 3.5 per 1,000.
Regional administration
Governor of the Arkhangelsk Region: Alexander Zhilkin
Mayor of Astrakhan: Sergei Bozhenov
Speaker of the regional legislature: Alexander Klykanov
Economic situation
Companies doing business in the fuel and energy, engineering, food, and construction materials industry have progressed the most. The chemical, petro-chemical, wood-working, glass, printing and pharmaceutical industries are also well-developed. The fuel and energy complex has developed at the fastest pace in recent years, with its share in the region's industrial output accounting for 70.7%. The industry accounts for 25.5% of the gross regional product, while services, construction, transport, and agriculture account for 21.4%, 13.8%, 9.1%, and 5.5%, respectively.
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 480 MW for electricity and 1154 Gcal for heat.
Engineering
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 the industrial output.
Fuel industry
The fuel industry accounts for 61.1% of the local industrial output. It dominates the region's industry, producing 29% of Russia's gas condensate. In 2004, 11.5 billion cubic metres of natural gas were produced in the region. The average annual oil production volume is 4 million tonnes.
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. Of them, the salt industry is the true leader. There are 17 vegetable processing factories in the Astrakhan Region.
Agriculture
Farmlands and cultivated lands cover 64.2% and 7.2% of the region's territory, respectively. Agriculture, primarily plant growing facilitated by the favourable climate in the Volga River delta, plays an important role in the region's economy. Rice, vegetables, and watermelons yield good harvests. As for the livestock sector, meat and wool sheep breeding, dairy cattle husbandry, and camel breeding have made strong progress.
Transport
Automobile transport
Automobile transport dominates the market, accounting for 94% of the entire passenger traffic volume.
Railway transport
Oil and petroleum, sulphur, grain, chemicals, construction materials, vegetables, and watermelons are transported via the Astrakhan Region's railways. Under a project to develop the North-South transport corridor, the first stage of the 50-kilometre railway branch to the port of Olya, which is critical to trade with Iran, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan, and an adjacent rail station were completed.
Air transport
Airlines are part of the Astrakhan Region's rapidly developing air junction. The region's largest airline company is Astrakhan Airlines.
Water transport
Due to the completion of the port of Olya and the adjacent rail station, shipping via the Astrakhan ports has increased. Oil shipments grew by 70% and container shipments, by 17.1%, whereas general freight shipments fell by 10.8%.
Small businesses
Small businesses account for nearly 60% of the region's enterprises, successfully operating in 22 economic sectors and employing as many as 47,300 people. There are also 45,100 self-employed businessmen, employing another 59,200 people. Small businesses employ 35% of the region's economically active population.
Foreign economic activity
The share of non-CIS countries in foreign trade is 91%. The region's principal export partners are Iran, the United Kingdom, and Hungary; of the CIS countries - Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and Azerbaijan. The main exports are: mineral fertiliser, machinery and equipment, vehicles, foodstuffs, and agricultural feedstock.
Most imports (90%) come from non-CIS countries. Machinery, equipment and vehicles account for 63% of the region's imports, while foodstuffs, metals and metal-ware, and textile products account for 17.7%, 6.6%, and 4%, respectively. Major import partners are Sweden, Norway, Iran, Germany, and Kazakhstan.