NIZHNY NOVGOROD REGION

Nizhegorodskaya Oblast’ is a province of the Russian Federation located in the centre of the European part of Russia.
The total area of the region is 76 900 square kilometers.
The population of the region amounts to 3.3 million inhabitants (2009). Population density - 43.44 people per square km (2009), the share of urban population in the region is 78.9% (2009).
The Nizhny Novgorod region is a part of the Privolzhsky Federal District. In the north-west the province borders on Kostromskaya Oblast’, in the north-east - on Kirovskaya Oblast’, in the east - on the Marii-El and Chuvashian Republics, in the south - on the Mordovia Republic, in the south-west - on Ryazanskaya Oblast’and in the west - on Vladimirskaya and Ivanovskaya Oblasts.
The city of Nizhny Novgorod is the administrative centre of the region.

History

Nizhegorodskaya Oblast’ was officially created in the Soviet times, on the 14th of January 1929 and on the 15th of June it was transformed into Nizhegorodsky Krai which was renamed Gorkovsky Krai in 1932. In 1936 Gorkovsky Krai was transformed into Gorkovskaya Oblast’ (Marii-El and Chuvashian Republics were withdrawn from the Oblast’). In 1990 the province was given a new name – Nizhegorodskaya Oblast’. In 1994 Sokolsky region was integrated into the Oblast’.

Location and climate
Nizhegorodskaya Oblast’ is located in the central part of the Eastern-European plain. The Volga divides the province in two parts: the low-lying land to the left of the river known as the Zavolzh’e (or Levoberezh’e) and the elevated, hilly land to the right of the river – Pravoberezh’e which is the extension of the Privolzhskaya Elevation (Mordovskaya Elevation (up to 247 meters high), Chuvashskaya Elevation, Peremilovskiye and Faddeyevy mountains, Mezhpyanye Elevation). The climate in Nizhegorodskaya oblast’ is mild continental with the average temperature in January falling to around -12 degrees Centigrade, while summers are relatively warm with mid-July temperatures about +19 degrees. Precipitation averages 500mm yearly. Vegetation period is 165-175 days.

Natural resources

The Nizhny Novgorod region has a rich mineral raw materials base including ore deposits, raw materials for the chemical industry and production of construction materials and mineral fertilizers. Nearly 46% of the region area is covered with wood. Total wood reserves are 352.16 mln. cubic meters including 321.24 mln. cubic meters suitable for processing. Forest resources include the following wood types: pine – 43.2%, spruce – 7.1%, birch – 34.9%, aspen – 10%, other types – 4.8%. Mature and overmature forests comprise 25.4% pine, 20.6% spruce, 20.35% birch, 25.7% aspen.
The region is rich in peat and sapropel (over 232 mln. tons).
Mineral resources are represented by sands (about 156 million cubic metres), gypsum and anhydrite (over 400 million tons), sand-gravel (20 million cubic metres), clayey raw material for brick making (63 million cubic metres), raw material for haydite production (46 million cubic metres), carbonate and clay rocks (325 million cubic metres).
Salt reserves suitable for the production of dietary salt of the highest quality, chlorine and caustic soda amount to 2.5 billion tons.
Explored reserves of drinking and industrial water constitute 2.67 million cubic metres per day.
There are also titano-zirconium sands reserves in the region.

Economy

The Nizhny Novgorod region ranks high among the most successfully developed regional economies in Russia. Although the region does not possess large raw material resources its economy is developing quickly. Annual growth of the gross regional product is 107-108%. The share of the Nizhny Novgorod region in the total gross regional product of all the regions of the Russian Federation is about 2%. Nizhegorodskaya Oblast’ is one of the largest industrial centers of Russia. A large share in the regional economy belongs to manufacturing industry. The Nizhny Novgorod region is one of the ten regional economies with the largest manufacturing output.
Unique scientific-technical potential of the defense industry supported by solid educational base brings the innovative potential of the region to the 4th place among other regions of Russia. Many outstanding achievements of Nizhny Novgorod specialists are well-known in the world: the first industrial reactor on “fast neutrons”, radar stations of the fifth generation, world leadership in designing hydrofoil ships and airfoil boats, etc.
Transparent and friendly policy of the regional Government supporting business development, favourable geographic location and developed infrastructure facilitate integration of the region into the world economy. At present the Nizhny Novgorod region supports foreign trade relations with 125 countries of the world attracting actively Russian and foreign investors. Well-known companies such as Intel, Knauf, Ikea, Metro, Stora Enso Packaging, Iveco, Heineken, Gallina Blanca, Wella, Lukoil, Obyedinennaya Metallurgicheskaya Kompaniya, Bazoviy Element, Severstal and others are successfully developing their business in our region.
Small business also contributes much to the regional economy development. Nowadays the Nizhny Novgorod region is among ten leading regions of Russia where small business is developing most successfully. A quarter of the able-bodied citizens of the region work in small business.

The regional economy showed the following trends in the first quarter of 2009.
The situation in the agricultural sector remains stable:
- production volume remains nearly on the same level as last year (in January-March 2009 index of actual volume of agricultural products was 98.5% compared to January-March 2008);
- food industry is showing positive dynamics (volume index of food products in January-March 2009 was 108.6% compared to January-March 2008).
However the situation in the industrial sector is rather tense (in January-March 2009 index of industrial production was 65.5% compared to January-March 2008). The situation is the same in the Privolzhsky Federal District and in the country as a whole.
The situation in the industrial sector depends mainly on three industries: production of oil products (production index in January-March 2009 was 91.4% compared to January-March 2008), vehicles manufacturing (19.5%), metallurgy and metalware production (62.6%).
However index of industrial production showed positive dynamics in March 2009 – 109.7% compared to February 2009, in vehicles manufacturing the index was 179%, in metallurgy – 132%.
Fixed capital investment (in large companies) amounted to 5 billion rubles in January-February 2009 (the same level as in 2008).
Retail turnover reached 71.9 billion rubles in January-March 2009 (108.6% compared to January-March 2008).
In the first quarter of 2009 housing construction increased by 1.7 times compared to the first quarter of 2008.
Consumer price growth has slowed down a bit compared to the previous year: in January-March prices grew by 6.1% (last year – by 6.7%). The slowdown is seen in food prices growth: in the first quarter of 2009 price growth was 4.6% compared to 7% in 2008.

Industry

Nizhny Novgorod cargo port.
The main industries of the Nizhny Novgorod Region include machine building, chemical industry, ferrous metallurgy, timber industry, pulp-and-paper industry, light industry, food industry.
Machine building and metal working enterprises produce trucks and cars, buses, creeper tractors, automobile assemblies, components and aggregates, river and sea boats, internal combustion engines for cars and boats, aircrafts, machines, devices, instruments, equipment for chemical, light and food industry, TV sets, etc. These products are manufactured in Nizhny Novgorod by JSC GAZ, Nizhegorodsky machine building plant, aircraft building plant Sokol, Zavod Krasnoye Sormovo, JSC Nizhegorodsky Zavod Nitel as well as in other towns of the region – Pavlovo, Arzamas, etc.
Chemical enterprises located in Dzerzhinsk and Nizhny Novgorod produce organic synthesis products, plastics and artificial resins, organic glass, varnishes, paints, pesticides, etc.
Ferrous metallurgy enterprises are situated in Viksa, Kulebaky, Nizhny Novgorod and Bor, nonferrous metallurgy enterprises – in Nizhny Novgorod. Pulp-and-paper industry is centered in Pravdinsk and Balakhna; oil refining and petrochemistry – in Kstovo.
Regional administration building in the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin.
Old centers of metal working – Pavlovo, Vorsma, etc.
The Nizhegorodskaya hydropower station is located on the territory of the Nizhny Novgorod region, in Balakhna.

Handicrafts

Khokhloma and Gorodets painting.

Agriculture

Agricultural farms specialize in cultivating rye, oats, barley, wheat, buckwheat, sugar beet, fibre flax, onion, potato. Meat and dairy livestock farming, pig breeding and poultry farming are also well-developed. About 12 000 tons of vegetables are grown in the hothouses all the year round.

Transport infrastructure

The Nizhny Novgorod region is the crossover point of the two major thoroughfares: the second Pan-European (Berlin-Yekaterinburg) thoroughfare and the interregional thoroughfare joining north-west and south of Russia.
Highways:
- length – 12 000 km.
- road density coefficient in the Nizhny Novgorod region is twice as high as the Russian average.
Railway service:
1300 km of railway roads which density is three times higher than the Russian average.
Water transport:
The Nizhny Novgorod region has access to all the seas washing the European part of Russia and more than 900 km of internal waterways.
Air service:
An international airport is situated 12 km away from Nizhny Novgorod.

Administrative-territorial division

The Nizhegorodskaya Oblast’ is divided into 4 cities and 48 regions including 24 towns, 55 industrial communities and 531 villages.