Penza region
The Penza region (Penzenskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia, which is located in the East European (Russian) Plain. The region is a part of the Privolzhsky Federal District and borders with Uliyanov, Saratov, Tambov and Ryazan areas, and in the north with the Republic of Mordovia. The Penza region occupies the central and the western part of Privolzhsky height. Geopolitical location of the Penza region – its location on the Political-Administrative map – is rather advantageous due to the border regions (they are politically stable with similar ethnic population and religion) as well as a big geographical remoteness of the region from the international borders. The highly developed transport system and a little area are characteristic features of the region creating a favorable investment climate.
Overview
- The Penza region was established on February 4, 1939.
- Region territory: 43.3 thousand km2
- Population: 1408.0 thousand people.
- Administrative center: Penza
- Distance from Penza to Moscow: 623 km
- Urban population: 64.3%
- Number of historical and architectural monuments: over 1.500
Time zone
The Penza region is located in the Moscow Time Zone (MSK/MSD). UTC offset is +3:00 (MSK)/+4:00 (MSD).
Climate
The climate is moderately continental, with snowy winters and a short but rather hot summer. The average long-term temperature in January is -12 C; in July -+19C. The average annual precipitation level varies between 450- 500 mm. The precipitation is the most unstable climate element: in dry years precipitation reaches only up to 350 mm. per year, in humid years precipitation rises to 775 mm.
Natural resources
Natural conditions in the region are diverse. Plain relief with hillocks creates favorable economic conditions. The region is mostly occupied by the western part of Privolzhsky height and only the extreme west end is occupied by the eastern part of Oksko-Don plain. There are more than 200 rivers in the region. The large rivers are Sura, Moksha, Khoper and Vorona.
Black earth occupying 68% of the soil is one of main natural resources. The prevalent types are alkali black earth soils followed by podzolic and ordinary black earth soils. In the North and North-East a great area is occupied of gray forest soils.
Perhaps the most significant resource is agricultural land. Agriculture is divided into farming and livestock-raising.
Natural vegetation covers about 1/3 of the surface area. Forest and meadow landscapes in the North and North-East are changing in the South by meadow-steppe and steppe landscapes. Mixed and broad-leaved forests cover 20% of the territory. They use the forest resources much more for water and soil conserving, recreation purposes than for industrial purposes. In general, steppes are ploughed. Only few parcels of virgin steppe are conserved (Poperechensk, Kuncherovsk, Ostrovtsov Steppe Reserves).
The fauna of the region is varied. Within the region limits there are about 60 species of mammals, 30 species of fish, and more than 200 species of birds. Many game-preserves and hunting preserves are situated in the Penza Region. The Penza Region is one of the regions with the most favorable natural conditions for health (flat country, moderate hot summer, reasonably cold winter, low swampy soil, comparatively big quantity of woodlands etc.).
In the region there are stocks of pebble, gravel, boulders, clay, dolomites, limestones, chalk, sand, sandstones, sapropel, loams and peat.
Economy
The Penza Region is an industrial-agricultural region. Industry produces about third part of gross regional product. As for agriculture and processing industry, they produce fifth part of all gross regional products. The Penza Region has quite favorable natural conditions for the development of agriculture. That's why the region is self-sufficient in foodstuffs.
Proximity to industrial centers together with the favorable transport - geographical location of this area makes it an ideal location for use of imported raw materials and fuel, cooperation, goods manufacturing and distribution.
The industry is a leading branch of economy of the area, influencing a social and economic condition of the Penza region. In structure of an industrial complex are more than 1500 enterprises. Up to a quarter of volumes of a total regional product are made in the industry. The share of the industry in tax incomes of area makes about 45%.
The agroindustrial complex of the Penza region (AIC) is presented by set of branches of the economy providing manufacture of agricultural production, its processing and release of food stuffs, and also realization to their consumers. The agroindustrial complex borrows one of leading places among branches of production of goods of area. In it is made about the one fifth part of total regional production. Food self-sufficiency and social development of village depends on its condition. Climatic conditions allow agriculture of area to specialize on manufacture of grain, sunflower, a factory sugar beet, meat of large horned livestock, pigs and a bird, milk, eggs. A total area of the grounds used in an agricultural production - 3 million in hectares (1, 4 % from farmland of Russia). From them the arable land borrows about 84 %. The area is the large manufacturer of food stuffs and concerns to those regions of Russia which almost completely provide needs of the population due to own manufacture.
Investment climate
The regional Government is interested in investments attraction, including foreign investments, mostly into development of export and import-substituting production.
In the Penza region they take measures aimed at attraction and protection of investments, including foreign ones; provide free transference of goods, services, information, means, and free economic activity.
Electronic databases formed in English and in Russian are created for generalization of printed presentation materials (catalogues of investment possibilities, types of investment grounds etc.).
- Nowadays investment increase in the Penza Region is mainly caused by:
- further improving the legislative and normative base providing protection of investors’ rights;
- taxation policy perfection, successful enterprise reform, means of amortization policy, investments increase into process of enterprise privatization, encouragement of people's savings attraction into investments, increase of leasing volume, and stimulation of inflow of foreign capital.
The basic branches and the largest enterprises of the Region
Industrial production of area is presented by following branches: Electric power, fuel, ferrous metallurgy, chemical and petrochemical, mechanical engineering and metal working, wood and woodworking, cellulose-paper, building materials, glass and porcelain-faience, light, food and mixed fodder industries.
- Mechanical engineering:
- Joint-stock company "Penzahimmash" - chemical equipment;
- Joint-stock company Tjazhpromapparatura" - pipeline industrial equipment;
- Joint-stock company "Penzamash", “Penztexilemash” and “Kuztexilemash” - textile machines;
- Joint-stock company "Penzcompressormash” – compressors;
- Joint-stock company "Penzadieselmash" - diesel engines and diesel engine-generators;
- Joint-stock company "Belinskselmash" - agricultural machines;
- Industrial complex "Electromecanics" - means of computer facilities;
- “Factory of a name of Frunze" – bicycles;
- Nikolsk factory "Red Giant" - high-quality utensils.
Light industry: Joint-stock company "Penza textiles", Joint-stock company "Surskaya manufactory" - shoe, textile;
Chemical and pharmaceutical industry: Joint-stock company "Biosynthesis" - antibiotics.
Agriculture: the dairy-meat cattle breeding, sheep breeding, poultry farming is developed. Grow up wheat, a rye, buckwheat, millet, barley, a sugar beet, potato, sunflower, vegetables, a hemp and etc.
All production which is let out by the region’s enterprises is made from natural raw material. Enterprises take a worthy place in the market not only in the Penza region, but also in other regions of Russia.
Food-processing industry presented by sugar and flour-milling industries.
Infrastructure
In the territory of area was generated the powerful transport system. The operational length of tracks makes 829 kilometers. They connect Penza region with the Center and the South of Russia, regions of the Volga, Ukraine, Southern Ural, Siberia, Kazakhstan, Central Asia and the Far East.
Through the Penza region pass air-lines of the state value. There is an airport in the city of Penza.
The network of highways of area exceeds 9143 kilometers. Major of them: Moscow - Chelyabinsk, Volgograd - Nizhniy Novgorod, Penza - Tambov. All the regional centers and the majority of settlements have the reliable road message. The density of highways of the general using with a firm covering makes 136 km on 1000 km2 of territory or 96 percent of roads.
Penza is covered by two Russian nationwide cellular providers: Beeline and Megafon, and two regional cell networks —Smarts and ON-GSM. Those are working in GSM 900/1800 standard.
External links
http://www.penza.ru/en/ - Official website of the Penza Region