Indigenous population of Siberia. The population of Western and Eastern Siberia

Siberia occupies a vast geographical area of Russia. Once it included such neighboring states as Mongolia, Kazakhstan and part of China. Today this territory belongs exclusively to the Russian Federation. Despite the huge area, there are relatively few settlements in Siberia. Most of the region is occupied by tundra and steppe.

Description of Siberia

The whole territory is divided into the Eastern and Western regions. In rare cases, theologians also define the Southern region, which is the mountainous terrain of Altai. The area of Siberia is about 12.6 million square meters. Km. This is approximately 73.5% of the total territory of the Russian Federation. It is interesting that the area of Siberia is larger than the same Canada.

Out of the main natural zones, in addition to the Eastern and Western regions, the Baikal region and the Altai mountains are distinguished . The largest rivers are the Yenisei, Irtysh, Angara, Ob, Amur and Lena. The most significant lake water areas are Taimyr, Baikal and Ubsu-Nur.

From the economic point of view, the centers of the region can be called such cities as Novosibirsk, Tyumen, Omsk, Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, Ulan-Ude, Tomsk, and others. The highest point in Siberia is Belukha Mountain - over 4,5 thousand meters.

Population history

The first inhabitants of the region are historians called the Samoyedic tribes. This people lived in the northern part. Because of the harsh climate, the only occupation was reindeer herding. They ate mostly fish from the adjacent lakes and rivers. In the southern part of Siberia, the people of Mansi lived. Their favorite business was hunting. Mansi traded in furs, which was highly valued by Western merchants.

The Turks are another significant population of Siberia. They lived in the upper reaches of the Ob River. Engaged in forging and cattle breeding. Many tribes of the Turks were nomadic. Slightly to the west of the mouth of the Ob were the Buryats. They are famous for their prey and the processing of iron.

The most numerous ancient population of Siberia was represented by the Tungus tribes. They settled in the territory from the Sea of Okhotsk to the Yenisei. Life was earned by reindeer herding, hunting and fishing. The more prosperous were engaged in craft. On the coast of the Chukchi Sea were thousands of Eskimos. For a long time these tribes had the slowest cultural and social development. Their only tools are a stone ax and a spear. They were engaged mainly in hunting and gathering.

In the 17th century there was a sharp leap in the development of the Yakuts and Buryats, as well as of the northern Tatars.

Native people

The population of Siberia today is made up of dozens of peoples. Each of them, according to the Constitution of Russia, has its right to national identification. Many peoples of the Northern region even received autonomy within the Russian Federation with all the ensuing branches of self-government. This contributed not only to the rapid development of the region's culture and economy, but also to the preservation of local traditions and customs.

The indigenous population of Siberia is mostly composed of Yakuts. Their number varies within the limits of 480 thousand people. Most of the population is concentrated in the city of Yakutsk - the capital of Yakutia.

The next largest population are the Buryats. There are more than 460 thousand people. The capital of Buryatia is the city of Ulan-Ude. The main property of the republic is Lake Baikal. It is interesting that this region is recognized as one of the main Buddhist centers of Russia.

Tuvans - the population of Siberia, which according to the last census has about 264 thousand people. Shamans are still revered in the Republic of Tuva.

Almost equally the population of such peoples as the Altaians and Khakases: 72 thousand people each. The indigenous inhabitants of the districts are adherents of Buddhism. The Nenets population is only 45 thousand people. They live on the Kola Peninsula. Throughout their history, the Nenets were famous nomads. Today, their priority earnings are reindeer herding.

Also in the territory of Siberia are such peoples as Evenki, Chukchi, Khanty, Shorz, Mansi, Koryak, Selkup, Nanaian, Tatars, Chuvans, Teleuts, Ketas, Aleuts and many others. Each of them has its own centuries-old traditions and legends.

Population

The dynamics of the demographic component of the region varies considerably every few years. This is due to the massive migration of young people to the southern cities of Russia and sharp jumps in the birth rate and death rate. Immigrants in Siberia are relatively few. The reason for this is the harsh climate and specific conditions for life in the villages.

According to the latest data, the population of Siberia is about 40 million people. This is more than 27% of the total number of people residing in Russia. By regions, the population is distributed evenly. In the northern part of Siberia, large settlements are absent due to poor living conditions. On average, there are 0.5 square meters per person here. Km of land.

The most densely populated cities are Novosibirsk and Omsk - 1.57 and 1.05 million inhabitants respectively. Further on this criterion are located Krasnoyarsk, Tyumen and Barnaul.

Peoples of Western Siberia

The cities account for about 71% of the total number of the region. Most of the population is concentrated in the Kemerovo and Khanty-Mansiysk districts. Nevertheless, the Altai Republic is considered the agricultural center of the Western region. It is noteworthy that the Kemerovo District ranks first in terms of population density - 32 people per square kilometer. Km. The population of Western Siberia is 50% composed of able-bodied residents. Most of the employment falls on industry and agriculture.

The region has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, with the exception of the Tomsk region and Khanty-Mansiysk.

Today the population of Western Siberia is Russians, Khanty, Nenets, Turks. By faith, there are Orthodox, and Muslims, and Buddhists.

The population of Eastern Siberia

The proportion of urban residents varies within 72%. The most economically developed are the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Irkutsk Region. From the point of view of agriculture, the most important point of the region is the Buryat district. Every year the population of Eastern Siberia is getting smaller. Recently there has been a sharp negative dynamics of migration and fertility. Also here is the lowest population density in the country. In some areas it is 33 square meters. Km per person. The unemployment rate is high.

Ethnic groups include such peoples as the Mongols, Turks, Russians, Buryats, Evenks, Dolgans, Ketas, etc. Most of the population are Orthodox and Buddhists.