Minerals of the Vologda region. Natural conditions and resources, geography of the Vologda region

The main features of the geography of the Vologda region are flatness, woodiness and swampiness. The diverse natural conditions and resources of this region enabled the researchers to identify 33 different types of landscapes. For such a relatively small area, this is a very solid figure!

In this article, we will examine in detail the geography of the region: climate, relief, soils, surface waters. What minerals are mined in the Vologda region? The answer to this question you will also find here.

General Geography of the Vologda Region: Boundaries and Dimensions

The Vologda region is a region in the north of the European part of Russia. Its total area is 145 thousand square kilometers. The territory of the Vologda region is stretched in a sublatitudinal direction (from west to east) by almost 700 kilometers.

The relief is mostly low-lying, there are many lakes and swampy areas. The climate of the territory is moderately continental, with fairly long winters and a short summer. Forests cover a fairly large part of the territory of the Vologda region (about 75-80%). In more detail, the natural conditions and resources of this region will be described in the following sections.

Administratively, the Vologda Oblast is divided into 26 municipal districts and two urban districts. Several serious social problems can be identified in the region. First of all, this is the absence of a well-thought-out regional policy: almost all incomes and economic activity are directed to only two cities in the Vologda region - Cherepovets and Vologda. The remaining (peripheral) areas suffer from socio-economic and demographic degradation. Secondly, the region is characterized by a rather low level of medicine and education.

Features of the terrain

In the orographic sense, the Vologda region is part of the vast East European Plain. The figure of the local relief is a series of swampy lowlands, low elevations and low ridges. Various forms of relief of glacial origin are also not uncommon here. The average height above sea level is 150-200 meters. In the extreme south-east of the region rises the hilly upland Northern Uvaly.

It is through the territory of the Vologda region that the watershed of three major drainage basins - the Atlantic Ocean, the Arctic Ocean and the Caspian Sea, passes.

Geologically, the area is located on a very ancient Precambrian platform. But here it is blocked by a thick layer of moraine-type deposits. This geological feature explains the significant reserves of non-metallic mineral resources in the Vologda region. Sand and clay are found everywhere.

Pretty picturesque and interesting in the Belozerskaya range. This relief structure took shape not so long ago - in the era of the last glaciation (about 12-15 thousand years ago). Within the range is a number of beautiful lakes and nature reserves.

Climatic conditions

The climate of the Vologda region is moderately continental. And the continentality of the climate increases with the advance to the east. The frost-free period of the year is 190-210 days. Humidity decreases from west to east of the region.

The region is famous for its snowy beautiful winters. Indeed, the snow cover here can persist for up to 160 days. It begins to form in early November, but completely collapses only in the second half of April.

In the region, the western and northern winds are predominantly blowing. Sharp fluctuations of the climate from year to year are not observed here. The winter season is rather long and cold (average temperatures in January are from -10 to -14 degrees). Summer is short, rainy and cool. It is in the warm season that about 70% of annual precipitation falls. Transitional seasons in the Vologda region are not very pronounced.

Regarding regional differences, the western part of the region suffers from frequent and abrupt weather changes, which are caused by the regular change of air masses. Summer here is accompanied by constant drizzling rain that comes from the Atlantic. For tourism and travel in the Vologda region, the most ideal month of the year is August. Although at the end of summer there may already be first night frosts.

Water resources of the region: rivers and lakes

The territory of the Vologda region is rich in deep rivers and numerous lakes. The largest waterways of the region are the Sheksna, Mologa and Andom rivers in the west, Unzha and Kostroma in the south. The center and the eastern parts of the region belong to the basin of the Northern Dvina and its large tributaries.

The rivers of the Vologda region are of a flat type, with broad valleys and floodplains. Rusla is complicated by numerous sandy ruts and small islets. The flow in rivers is mostly smooth. The only exception is Sukhona, which flows from Kubensky Lake.

By the way, local lakes play a big role in regulating the water regime of the Vologda rivers. Thanks to them, the level of spring floods decreases on most of the rivers. In total there are at least four thousand lakes in the region. The largest of them - White, Kubenskoe, Onega, Vozhe. Also in the region there are large reservoirs. About 12% of the territory is swamped. Most of the marshes are concentrated in the western regions with high humidity.

Numerous lakes, a dense network of rivers and canals, has determined the development of water tourism in this region of Russia. Alloys on kayaks and rafts here are very popular. Dozens of water routes of different complexity have already been developed in the region. On large lakes swim on yachts and sailing regattas.

Soil and Flora

Soils of the Vologda region are podzolic in the north, sod-podzolic in the south. Wet soils are also widespread (in wetlands of the region).

The flora of the region as a whole is typical of the natural taiga zone. Most of the forests are coniferous formations, which are mainly represented by spruce forests. The most popular tree species are here: Siberian spruce, European spruce , common pine, Sukachev larch, Siberian fir and others. The so-called secondary forests formed on the site of large-scale cuttings are often formed by deciduous species - birch, aspen, alder. In the west of the Vologda region there are forest tracts of oak, ash and maple.

Local natural landscapes and ecosystems are protected in the Russian North National Park, as well as within other protected sites (in total there are 188 of them).

Mineral resources of the Vologda region: fuel resources

The fuel mineral resources include gas and oil, peat, oil shale and other minerals from which energy is derived. As early as the 60s of the last century, three potential oil and gas areas were discovered on the territory of the Vologda region. The work on the direct search for oil and gas deposits continued in the mid-1990s. At the moment, geological surveys are continuing, and prospects for the industrial development of oil and gas areas are being assessed.

Several enterprises have been involved in the extraction of another fuel resource for a long time. This resource is peat. The fossil in the Vologda region is found in more than 2000 deposits. The total reserves of local deposits reach 5.5 million tons. Peat deposits are scattered almost throughout the territory of the region, although their greatest concentration is characteristic for the western and southwestern regions. A very small percentage of peat produced in the region is used as energy fuel. Its main mass is used for the needs of agriculture. Peat, as is known, is used as a fertilizer, as well as litter material for cattle.

Building Raw Materials

Mineral resources of the Vologda region are not limited to fuel mineral resources alone. In the region, the most diverse building materials are actively mined: dolomites, limestones, marls, etc. All these rocks are used for making various building materials. The most famous limestone deposit in the region is the Upper Volskoe. Here annually it is extracted up to 100 thousand tons of raw materials.

In the Vologda region, sand and clay are being actively developed. The largest deposits of sand and gravel materials: Abakanovskoe, Berezovsky, Prisheksninsky, Komelovskoye and others. In the region, refractory, low-melting and coloring clays are mined.

Prospective for the development of mineral resources of the region

In addition to oil and gas, there are other promising minerals for the development of the Vologda region. This is gold, bauxite and diamonds.

So, in the north-eastern part of the region is located Iles Square, which is recognized as promising for prospecting diamond deposits. CJSC Vologdageologorazvedka and Kraton carried out thorough research work here and discovered so-called explosion tubes. In them, in turn, minerals were found, which are the satellites of diamonds.

Another promising resource for this region is gold. Back in the 80s, geologists discovered the gold content of the local rivers of Vaghi and Kubena. And already in 1994 it was established that alluvial gold lies almost on the entire territory of the Vologda region.

Population and cities

The Vologda region is considered the most Russian region in Russia. The percentage of Russians in the ethnic composition of the population is almost 97%, which is an absolute record across the country. In addition to the Russian ethnos, Veps also live here - an indigenous people of Finno-Ugric origin.

Over 70% of Vologda residents live in urban areas. There are 15 cities in the region. But only in two of them the population exceeds 100 thousand people.

All the cities of the Vologda region are listed below:

• Vologda.
• Cherepovets.
• Babaevo.
• The Vytegra.
• Totma.
• Great Ustyug.
• Gryazovets.
• Falcon.
• Kadnikov.
• Kirillov.
• Krasavino.
• Ustyuzhna.
• Nikolsk.
• Kharovsk.
• Belozersk.

Vologda is the "capital" of the region

The city of Vologda is not only an administrative, but also a cultural center of the Vologda region. It is interesting that this is not the most populous city in the region. So, in Cherepovets, there are almost seven thousand more residents.

Vologda is an ancient city. The first mention of it in the annals dates back to 1147. In Vologda 224 monuments of architecture, culture and antiquities were revealed and taken under state protection.

Among the most famous and visited city attractions - the Vologda Kremlin, St. Sophia Cathedral with a viewing platform on the bell tower, the Kazan Church, the Stone Bridge. In the historical part of Vologda, a huge number of unique and very beautiful monuments of wooden architecture have been preserved. Vologda oil and Vologda lace became the original symbols of the city.

Conclusion

The Vologda region is located in the north of the European part of Russia. The climate of the region is moderately continental. This territory is characterized by long snowy winters and a short rainy summer. The relief of the region is mostly flat, in some places it is complicated by low ridges and elevations.

In the Vologda region there is a dense network of rivers and canals. There are many lakes and marshes in the region. The forest cover is about 75%.

Minerals of the Vologda region, which are of industrial importance for the region, are peat, clays, table salt, and also rich building materials. In the eastern regions of the region, diamond deposits have been discovered.