Tula region
The Tula region (Tulskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia with the administrative center in the Tula-city. The region is a part of the Central Federal District and borders with Moscow region in the north and north-east, Ryazan region in the east, Lipetsk region in the south and the south-east, Oryol region in the south and south-west, Kaluga region in the north-west and west.
Overview
- The Tyla region was established on September 26, 1937
- Region territory: 25.7 thousand km2
- Population: 1,566 thousand people (2008).
- Administrative center: Tula
- Distance from Tula t
- Moskow: 193 km
- Urban population: 80% (2005)
- Other cities: Novomoskovsk, Uzlovaya, Schekin, Aleksin
Time zone
Tula region is located in the Moscow Time Zone (MSK/MSD). UTC offset is +0300 (MSK)/+0400 (MSD).
Climate
The climate is moderately continental. The average long-term temperature in January is - -5.7°C; in July +19.1°C. The average annual precipitation is 470-575 mm. The growing season is 180-190 days. Temperature conditions and the water regime allow the cultivation of temperate-zone crops in the region.
Natural resources
Tula Region is situated in the watersheds of the Volga and Don Rivers, although about 80% of the river network belongs to the Volga River basin and the remainder to the Don River basin. Another major river, the Oka, flows for 220 km through the region. Altogether, there are more than 1600 rivers and streams in the region with a total length of about 11 000 km.
Tula Region has a variety of soils, including sandy-clayey deposits; sod-podzolic, gray forest, dark gray forest, boggy, and clay-humus soils; and leached, slightly leached, and podzolic black earths (chernozems) with a humus content of 6.5 to 8.5% in the fertile layer. The humus horizon is from 20 to 100 cm thick.
Tula Region is located in the forest steppe and steppe zones, and thus forests cover only a small part of its territory (395 300 hectares, or 14% of the region's total area). Most of the forested area consists of state forest lands that perform health and sanitary functions. Deciduous species such as oak, birch, aspen, maple, and linden predominate. Protected areas include the Turdeisky Nature Reserve, where rare animals (moose, wild boar, beaver, and roe deer) and plants are protected, and a small reserve in Yasnogorsky District, where feather grass, fescue, steppe timothy, purple viper's grass, catnip, alpine clover, and other steppe plants rare in the northern part of the region are found.
The region has abundant mineral resources such as brown coal, iron ore, limestone, clay, and sand; and there is geological evidence of a number of nontraditional minerals as well.
There are more than 160 explored deposits of sand, clay, crushed stone, gypsum, gravel and other minerals used in the production of building materials. There are also anomalies of precious metals, complex ores, cadmium, copper, silver, zinc, lead, barium, and lithium suitable for commercial development.
The Kranika health resort in Suvorovsky District uses local mineral springs and therapeutic peat mud deposits for therapeutic bathing and treatments.
Economy
A favorable economic geographical location at the intersection of water and land routes promotes stable domestic and foreign economic relations. The region has been successful in attracting foreign investments, and joint industrial ventures with foreign partners are being set up. Tula Region has a diversified economy in which manufacturing industries have a key role. The primary industrial sectors are engineering, chemicals, ferrous metallurgy, building materials, brown coal production, and the light, food, power, and electronics industries.
The region mines most of the workable brown coal of the Moscow coal basin, which has estimated reserves of 17.5 billion tons. Production is more than 10 million tons per year.
Ferrous metallurgy accounts for 23.7% of industrial output; the chemical and petrochemical industries, for 20.5%; the power industry, for 17.4%; engineering and metalworking, for 17.1%; the food industry, for 11.9%; and light industry, for 1.4%.
Companies in the region specialize in the production of synthetic rubber, fertilizers, and synthetic fibers. There is also extensive production of chemical and transportation equipment, farm machinery, sports equipment, instruments, and household metal goods.
The engineering industry comprises large and medium companies that produce machine tools; cranes; equipment for the light and food industries; units and components for gas pipelines; pumps; coal mining equipment; farm, construction, and transportation machinery; household gas equipment; motorcycles and scooters; and many other products.
Tula craftsmen are still famous for their guns, samovars, and accordions, just as they were in the past.
In the field of science, more than 40 scientific research institutes, design offices, planning, surveying, and other organizations, more than 30 small businesses, and a number of science departments of industrial companies operate in Tula Region, ensuring scientific and technical progress in the region's most important sectors.
The construction complex consists of a strong structure of building and specialized contracting organizations, construction industry companies, and the building material industry.
Companies in the region have considerable export potential. A large number of them (650) are involved in foreign economic relations, and more than 200 different products are exported to 80 countries, including all CIS countries.
Imports to the region include special machinery and equipment, casting machines, rubber latex, tools, shoes, and half-finished materials for manufacturing shoes, clothing, fabrics, and bedding.
As a major power-generating center, the region has six electric power plants, including the Shchekino, Novomoskovsk and Cherepets thermal power plants and the Aleksin, Pervomaisk, and Efremov cogeneration plants. Power generated by the region meets 60-65% of regional demand, while the shortfall is purchased on RAO UES of Russia's (RAO EES Rossii) wholesale market.
The Novki-Ryazan-Orel oil trunk pipeline passes through the region with many branch lines to oil storage depots and distribution units.
Agriculture is quite developed in Tula Region. The region's agricultural complex includes more than 100 large processing companies, more than 200 small farms and private holdings, and a large number of agricultural production cooperatives. Animal products make up 65% of the region's agricultural output and plant products, 35%. The region is self-sufficient in potatoes and wheat. Most of the grain crop goes to the feed industry.
Investment climate
According to the rating of attraction of Russian regions as an investment over the period of 2006-2007 Tula region holds the 34th position in the rating of the investment potential. There is a high infrastructure potential, which is characterized by successive development of transport and road infrastructure, services sector. The innovation potential of the region is traditionally high (20th position), showing the level of implementation of scientific and technical progress of achievements.
- The region has the following strategic competitive advantages:
- Vantage geographic location the center of the European pert of Russia, proximately to Moscow;
- Developed research and industrial potential and prospects of its growth;
- Sound staff potential, qualified work force and management personnel;
- Developed transport and communications infrastructure;
- High degree of the regional economy orientation to export;
- Developed bank network and modern, in the process of formation, infrastructure of the securities, insurance, consulting and investment services market;
- Clear and transparent legislative base of investment activity, which is being improved;
- Administrative support of the public authorities.
Infrastructure
A well developed transport system of Tula region makes it possible to deliver and consign loads to any spot of Russia and abroad which is very convenient for investors and business developers.
To say more, Tula region transport system is considered the most elaborated in the central part of Russia (not to take Moscow). There are 5 federal highways running through it: Moscow-Simferopol, Moscow-Voronezh, Moscow-Volgograd, Kaluga-Tula-Mikhailov-Ryazan, Kaluga-Peremyshl-Belev-Oryol.
Roads. The Tula Region has some 7,200 kilometers of paved public highway, including 819 kilometers of federal highway. The Moscow Simferopol and Moscow Voronezh highways pass through the Region.
Railroads. The Tula Region has 1,106 kilometers of railroads. The Moscow Railroad passes through the Region, serving 423 industrial enterprises with spur links to the railroad. Passenger carriage accounts for 18% of total railroad traffic. The principal railway lines are Moscow Tula Oryol, Penza Tula Kaluga, and Tula Bryansk.
Tula region is in the zone of stable electrical, gas and oil products supply and has a high level of provision with all kinds of fuel and energy resources. In terms of their consumption volume the region is one of the largest in the central region.
Tula region has sections of large gas main pipe-lines: "Stavropol-Moscow", "Krasnodar territory-Serpukhov", "Yamburg-Tula", "Tula-Shostka-Kiev" and other with total length of more than 1.8 thousand kilometers. The length of the regional gas-distribution network is over 11.0 thousand kilometers.
Besides there is a section of subterranean oil-products pipeline "Novki-Ryazan-Tula-Oryol", which is used for transfer of diesel fuel and motor petrol.