Ryazan Oblast

Geographical position

The Ryazan Region is located in the center of the European part of Russia, in a decline between the Central Russian and Volga ravines in the central part of the Russian Plain. It stretched for 220 kilometers from north to south and 259 kilometers from west to east. Distance from the Moscow circumferential road to the border of the region - 147 km Ryazan Oblast borders Vladimir Oblast (N), Nizhny Novgorod Oblast (NE), the Republic of Mordovia (E), Penza Oblast (SE), Tambov Oblast (S), Lipetsk Oblast (SW), Tula Oblast (W), and Moscow Oblast (NW).

Relief and geology

In the northern part - the Meshchera Lowlands (120–125 m), cut along the border with the Vladimir region by the Kasimov moraine ridge (130–136 m), in the Kasimovsky region the ridge ends on the tectonic Oksko-Tsninsky shaft (the highest point is 171 m), stretching across the whole The eastern part of the region in the meridional direction, in the south-west - spurs of the Central Russian Upland (height up to 236 m). The lowest elevation is located on the banks of the Oka at the border with the Vladimir region - 76 meters. In terms of physical geography, Ryazan Oblast lies in the central part of the Russian Plain between the Central Russian and Volga uplands. The terrain is flat, with a highest point of no more than 300 m above sea level. Soils are podzolic and boggy on the left bank of the Oka, changing southward to more fertile podzolic and leached black-earths (chernozyom).

Minerals

In the humidified plains north of the region and east of the Moksha River and Tsna River, there are significant reserves of high-quality peat. Explored 1062 deposits with a total reserves of 222 million tons.

In the bowels of the south-western part of the region there are layers of brown coal near the coal basin of the Moscow region. Explored 23 deposits of brown coal with a total reserves of 301.6 million tons. The largest available reserves are in Skopinsky District. Coal mining was carried out from the middle of the XIX century (in 1903 the mines produced more than 144 thousand tons of fuel) and was completely discontinued in 1989.

Sapropel reserves in 52 reservoirs amount to 81 million m³.

The region has explored deposits of phosphorites, gypsum, brown iron ore (low quality in the Kasimov area), glass and quartz sands in the Miloslavsky and Kasimovsky districts.

Of the nonmetallic minerals, there are 25 clay and loam deposits (160 million cubic meters), 19 deposits of construction sands (116 million m³), 4 deposits of carbonate rocks for construction lime (118,000 m³), cement limestone in the Mikhailovskoye area, marl deposits.

Climate

The climate is temperate continental. The average January temperature is -10.6 °C, July +19.7 °C. Precipitation is about 550 mm per year, maximum in summer, 25-30% of all precipitation falls in the form of snow. The vegetation period lasts about 180 days. In the region, six meteorological stations of Roshydromet (current weather stations). The duration of the heating season is 212 days

Hydrography

Most of the Ryazan Oblast lies within the , with the the principal river of the area. Most of the rivers belong to the Volga basin. The main river of the region is the Oka with tributaries of Pra, Gus, Pronya (with Ranovoi), Pora, Moksha (with Tznoi). In the south of the region are the sources of the Voronezh River (the Don basin).

There are many lakes in the Meshchera Lowlands. A large group of Klepikovski lakes (Velikoye, Ivankovskoye, Shagara, Beloe, etc.) stands out. On the shores of the Oka, there are a lot of lakes.

Vegetation

The Ryazan region is located in the subtaiga (the left bank of the Oka) and the forest-steppe (right-bank Oka) zones. Forests occupy about 1/3 of the territory, they are pine in the north-west, broad-leaved-pine in the north and southeast. In the south-west are areas of broad-leaved forests. In the extreme south-west - steppe vegetation.

The total area of the forest fund is 1053 thousand hectares, including coniferous species - 590 thousand hectares. The total timber stock is 130 million m³, the estimated felling area is 1.333 million m³.

On the shores of the Oka, Moksha and Tsna grows more than 1 million m3 of oak

flora

The wild boar, fox, hare, beaver, common squirrel, sony, deer (spotty, noble, maral), roe deer, mole, steppe polecat, American mink, otter, raccoon dog, mink, black polecat, bats, hedgehogs, Marten, shrew, white-tooth, wolf, bear, hare, badger, Russian muskrat, lynx, weasel, ermine, muskrat, Siberian roe deer and others. Of rodents - mice, rats, vole, sony, speckled ground squirrel, flying squirrel. Gophers, hamsters, jerboa

Among the birds there are chirch, mallard, gray duck, falcon, hawk, eagle, white-tailed eagle, blackbirds, woodpeckers, owls, nightingales, pigeons, corncats, seagulls, chibis, sparrows, crows (raven, gray crow), rooks, Finches, goldfinch, swifts, swallows, magpies, jays, Orioles, waxwings, woodcock, waders, geese, black and white storks, heron, bullfinches, tits, quail, partridges.

nature protection

On the territory of the Ryazan region, 103.5 thousand hectares of specially protected natural areas, including: the Meshchyorsky National Park , the Oka Nature Reserve, 47 reserves, 57 natural monuments.

History

Human occupation of the area of the Ryazan Oblast dates from at least the Upper Paleolithic period. Volga Finnic tribes occupied the region prior to assimilation and expulsion by the East Slavs, a process virtually completed by the 13th century CE.

The Ryazan area became part of the Kievan Rus' political system, and came under the domination of the Principality of Chernigov (founded in 988). The Principality of Ryazan operated as a separate entity from 1097 to 1521, when the area became part of the Grand Duchy of Moscow, though with the Qasim Khanate district retaining some autonomy until the 1550s.

The Ryazan Governorate became separate from the Moscow Governorate in 1796. The present-day Ryazan Oblast, formed out of the Moscow and Voronezh oblasts, dates from 1937.

Economy

Ryazan Oblast is a part of the Central economic region. The oblast is in an economically favorable geographical location owing to the water and land routes that pass through it and provide stable domestic and foreign economic ties. It is considered both an industrial and agrarian Oblast. The foundations of agriculture in the oblast are livestock farming and plant cultivation. Livestock farming specializes in raising and fattening cattle and breeding pigs, sheep, and poultry. Beekeeping is also well developed in the oblast.

Transportation

Demographics

Population: 1,154,114 (2010 Census); 1,227,910 (2002 Census); 1,345,924 (1989 Census).

Ethnic composition (2010):

Religion

According to a 2012 official survey 63% of the population of Ryazan Oblast adheres to the Russian Orthodox Church, 3% are unaffiliated generic Christians, 1% are Orthodox Christian believers without belonging to church or belonging to non-Russian Orthodox churches, 1% are Muslims, and 1% are adherents of the Rodnovery (Slavic native faith) movement. In addition, 15% of the population declares to be "spiritual but not religious", 9% is atheist, and 7% follows other religions or did not give an answer to the question.