Altai Territory… You can often hear about this region from various sources. And this is not at all surprising, since it is very interesting. It is probably best known for its unique nature. The magnificent mountains impress many tourists. However, this is not all that this region can boast of. It has a well-developed industry and economy, as well as cultural life. The article will consider the population of large cities located here, as well as much more.

Altai Territory - general characteristics

First you need to get acquainted with general information about the region. This is one of the subjects of our country, which is included in the Altai Territory is quite large, it occupies a large territory. Its area is about 166697 sq. kilometers.

The center of the region is the city of Barnaul, which will be discussed later. This region has existed for a long time, it was formed in 1937.

The region is located in the southeast. It has a common border with Kazakhstan. The neighboring regions of Russia are the Kemerovo and Novosibirsk regions.

It is worth saying a few words about such an important component as the population of the Altai Territory. In different parts of the region, there are different trends related to the number of inhabitants. This will be discussed a little later.

It is also important to note the extraordinary local nature. Of course, the climate here is quite severe, mainly due to large differences. The difference between the temperature in the warm and cold seasons can be about 90-95 C.

The population of the Altai Territory - how many people live here?

So, we got a little acquainted with the region itself. Now is the time to talk about its population. We can say that these are quite serious numbers. As of the beginning of 2016, the number of inhabitants of the subject of the country was 2,376,744 people. Indeed, if you compare the Altai Territory with other regions, you can see that this is a fairly populated place. Most of the people live in cities. Their share is about 56%. Despite this, the population density in the region is extremely low - only 14 people per 1 sq. km. kilometer.

If we talk about the dynamics of the number of people in these places, then we can say that recently there has been a steady downward trend. This process has been going on here for a long time. It started in 1996 and continues to the present day. Thus, we discussed a little the population of the Altai Territory. Now it is worth moving on to a more detailed consideration of it.

National composition of the population

General information about the number of inhabitants and its dynamics in recent years was discussed a little higher. Now it's time to talk about the national composition of the local population. You can immediately tell that he is incredibly rich here. Representatives of more than 100 nationalities live in these places. For the most part, such a diversity of peoples is associated with the history of these places.

Most of the population is Russian (almost 94% of all residents). Often there are Germans (just over 2%), Ukrainians (1.3%), Kazakhs (0.3%), Tatars (0.3%), Armenians (0.3%).

Thus, we see that the national composition here is rich and is represented by various peoples who have been living here for a long time. Of course, as in other regions of the country, here the population is unevenly distributed among the districts. The same can be said about the distribution of all the peoples living here on the territory of the Altai Territory.

Administrative-territorial division of the region

Now it is worth talking about how management is carried out in this subject of our country. At the moment, there are many units that are part of the region. It is important to note that the administrative center here is the city of Barnaul. Altai Territory includes the following territorial units: rural areas - 58, village councils - 647, cities of regional significance - 9, cities of regional significance - 3, national district - 1, intracity districts - 5, ZATO - 1, district significance - 4, rural administrations - 5.

Also, in order to understand what areas of the Altai Territory exist, you need to talk about the municipal division. The region includes the following components: municipal districts - 50, rural settlements - 647, urban settlements - 7, urban districts - 10.

It is also worth talking about where the administration of the Altai Territory is located. It is located in the city of Barnaul. Her address: Lenina Avenue, 59.

Major cities and regions

So, we talked about which areas include the region where the administration of the Altai Territory is located. Now it is worth talking about the large cities that are located here. Naturally, the largest city is the administrative center - that is, the city of Barnaul.

However, there are other large settlements that need to be considered separately. Among them are Biysk, Rubtsovsk, Novoaltaisk, Zarinsk and others. Of course, they are much smaller than Barnaul, but they also deserve attention. Later we will talk about some of them in more detail.

It is also necessary to note the largest areas of the region. Their list includes Kamensky, Biysk, Pavlovsky, Pervomaisky and other areas.

Barnaul

Of course, it is worth starting a detailed story from the largest settlement, which is included in the Altai Territory. Cities here vary greatly, both in size and in population. So, let's start with the city of Barnaul. It appeared quite a long time ago, its history goes back several centuries. The settlement was founded in 1730, and in 1771 it already received the status of a city. Thus, we see that for many years there has been such a wonderful city as Barnaul. The population, according to data received in 2016, is about 635,585 people. If we compare it with other large settlements in Russia, then it takes 21st place.

The city is also of great importance in the industrial, economic, cultural and scientific life of the region. Various educational institutions, research institutes are open here. Also in the village there are many cultural monuments that date back to the XVIII-XX centuries.

The transport networks of the city are well developed, as it is an important hub at the intersection of many routes. Not far from the village is the airport of the same name. It is located 17 kilometers from the city.

Thus, we got acquainted with such a wonderful city as Barnaul. Population, history, transport, culture - all this, and some other points have been considered in detail.

Biysk

It's time to move on to the next settlement, which is rightfully considered the second in the region after Barnaul. This interesting city is called Biysk. Its population is 203826 people. Recently, there has been a tendency to reduce the number of inhabitants.

This wonderful city was founded in 1709, during the reign of Peter I. Now it is a real science city (it was given this status in 2005), as well as a large industrial center. The Biyskaya CHPP also operates here, which provides electricity to many enterprises and residential buildings.

Interestingly, the city is conducting research in the field of chemistry, as well as its use in the defense industry. In addition, the city is also the agricultural center of the entire region. Biysk, like Barnaul, is a major transport hub at the intersection of several important highways. The street road network in the city is also well developed, the total length of roads is about 529 kilometers.

So, we have reviewed the basic information about such an interesting city as Biysk: population, economy, transport and much more.

Rubtsovsk

Another large city in the Altai Territory is Rubtsovsk. Now it is a fairly large settlement. The number of its inhabitants is 146386 people. The last few years here, as well as in other cities of the region, there has been a decline in the number of population. Despite this, it is in 121st place in terms of the number of inhabitants from all cities of Russia (it should be noted that a total of 1114 cities are included in the list).

The settlement was founded in 1892, and in 1927 it already received the status of a city.

In Soviet times, it was one of the leading industrial centers throughout Western Siberia. However, in the 1990s, many enterprises ceased to function.

Large districts of the region

So, we examined the main settlements that are located in a region such as the Altai Territory. The cities with which we met are indeed large industrial centers and are of great importance for the entire region.

However, a few words should be said separately about the regions of the Altai Territory. The largest of them is Kamensky (its population is 52,941 people). Its administrative center is the city of Kamen-on-Obi. Another important area is Pavlovsky. 40835 people live here.

Thus, we got acquainted with the Altai Territory, learned about its population, as well as about large cities and regions of the region.

The Altai Territory is just a magical place, captivating with its pristine beauty and incredible natural reserves. Hundreds of thousands of tourists come here every year not only from Russia and the former Soviet republics, but also from foreign countries, where there are legends about the healing power of the Altai land. Many tourists stop for a vacation at numerous camp sites, but others prefer to live in cities. It is the most famous cities of the Altai Territory that became the topic of this article.

Altai Territory: description

If you have never come to Altai, we advise you to do it as soon as possible. The energy of these places has long been considered beneficial. Historians and local historians call the Altai Territory a treasure trove of the country, where almost all natural areas are collected. Here you will find mountains, plains, steppes and even tundra. There are only a few places like this on the entire planet. The indigenous people of Altai believe that their land is special, and it can really present a lot of mysteries. It is here that the most anomalous zones are located, and shamans can tell a lot of incredible stories related to the spirits of these places that still live on earth.

Incredibly, seventeen thousand rivers flow through the Altai lands, and thirteen thousand large lakes with the purest water are the pride of the region. Many cities of the Altai Territory are as original as the nature of this region. They can compete in beauty with recognized world capitals and provide tourists with a high level of comfort. In addition, each of the major cities in this area has its own characteristics.

Cities of Altai: general characteristics

The cities of the Altai Territory, without exaggeration, can be called ancient human settlements. Many of them were formed in places where shamans and local residents lived thousands of years ago. This fact speaks of the incredibly beneficial energy of these settlements, because our ancestors knew how to choose places to live in terms of energy fields and never made a mistake in their choice.

Now there are eleven large cities in Altai. We will tell you about four of them, because they are more known to our compatriots than others (they are arranged in descending order of the number of inhabitants):

• Barnaul;
• Biysk;
• Rubtsovsk;
• Slavgorod.

The difference between the population of Barnaul, which tops our list, and Slavgorod may surprise anyone. Judge for yourself - 652,000 people and 32,000 people. Moreover, the cities of the Altai Territory for the most part have a small population, despite the well-developed infrastructure and industry of the region.

City of Barnaul (Altai Territory)

Barnaul is the capital of the Altai Territory, which explains the large number of residents of the city. You can talk about this center of the region for quite a long time, but we decided to collect some interesting facts that most clearly characterize Barnaul:

• ancient people settled on the site of today's capital, their sites were found by archaeologists in large numbers;
• the official date of foundation of the city is 1730, when a delegation led by a merchant arrived in these territories to build a metallurgical plant;
• the infrastructure of the city is very well developed, it even has its own modern airport;
• The Demidov plant served as a kind of testing ground for a mass of inventions that managed to give impetus to the development of industry;
• more than fifteen different nationalities lived on the territory of today's Barnaul at different times;
• at the beginning of the nineteenth century, the average wealth of the population of the city was so high that their houses often had more than twenty-six rooms;
• at the end of the twentieth century, fabrics from Barnaul participated in prestigious French exhibitions;
• the city became the birthplace of an unusual drink - milk champagne.

Barnaul has always been the cultural center of Siberia and the Far East, the first libraries, theaters and museums were opened here. It can be said that even now the city holds the lead among all other settlements of the Altai Territory in terms of the standard of living of the population and the development of infrastructure.

City of Biysk, Altai Territory

Biysk is often called a science city; it ranks second in terms of population and amenities after Barnaul. Its population is 219,000 people.

The city is more than three hundred years old, and it was one of the six settlements built by the personal decree of Peter I. Initially, Biysk was built as a defensive structure and only a few years later began to grow with civilians.

Everyone who dreams of visiting the Altai mountains comes here. All routes to Mongolia also begin here, because it is Biysk that is the starting point of the Chuisky tract, which is a kind of trade route connecting the two countries.

There are a lot of educational institutions in the city (more than fifteen universities), from nearby villages the population goes to get education here.

Rubtsovsk: characteristics of the city

The city of Rubtsovsk (Altai Territory) appeared on the map of the country at the end of the nineteenth century, only then it had the status of a village. Only in the twenties of the last century the village turned into a city and began to grow significantly. This was facilitated by the convenient location of the settlement, because the residents of Rubtsovsk enjoy sunny days as much as the residents of Crimea. Amazing statistic, isn't it?

The city is the third largest in the Altai Territory, but at the same time one of the worst settlements from an environmental point of view. A large number of factories turned it into something smoky and dirty. And the presence in the dangerous vicinity of a nuclear test site suggests an undesirable presence in the vicinity of Rubtsovsk.

Slavgorod: the city next to the pink lake

The city of Slavgorod (Altai Territory) was formed only at the beginning of the twentieth century. It has a surprisingly harmonious layout, this is due to the lands on which it is built. The steppe gave the builders great opportunities, because they were able to build a city that was symmetrical and correct in terms of geometry.

Slavgorod is surrounded on all sides by lakes, most of them are salty. Scientists associate this fact with groundwater and chemical elements in the soil. Two large lakes, Small Yarovoye and Bolshoye Yarovoye, have a supply of healing mud and do not freeze even in severe frosts.

Burlinskoye Lake, which is part of the territorial boundaries of Slavgorod, is an incredible and fabulous picture - its shores have a bright pink color, and the water itself sometimes takes on a deep crimson hue. This is due to the large deposits of salt that cover the bottom of the lake. It has been mined here since time immemorial.

Each city of the Altai Territory is good in its own way, therefore, when you come to these blessed lands, visit at least one of them. And you will immediately feel the spirit and energy of these ancient mysterious places that make people happier.

Geographical position

Altai Krai is located in the southeast of Western Siberia, on the border of continental Asia, 3419 km from Moscow. The territory of the region is 168 thousand square meters. km, in terms of area it ranks 24th in the Russian Federation and 10th in the Siberian Federal District.

In the north, the region borders on the Novosibirsk region, in the east - on the Kemerovo region, the southeastern border passes with the Republic of Altai, in the southwest and west - the state border with the Republic of Kazakhstan with a length of 843.6 km.

Climatic features

The climate is temperate sharply continental, formed as a result of frequent changes in air masses coming from the Atlantic, the Arctic, Eastern Siberia and Central Asia.

The absolute annual amplitude of air temperature reaches 90-95 °С.

The predominance of cloudy weather provides a significant influx of solar radiation. The duration of Sunshine averages 2000-2300 hours per year, the amount of total radiation reaches 4500-4800 MJ/m2 per year.

Average annual temperatures are positive, 0.5-2.1 °C. The average maximum temperatures in July are +26... +28 °С, extreme ones reach +40... +41 °С. The average minimum January temperatures are -20...-24 °С, the absolute winter minimum is -50...-55 °С. The frost-free period lasts about 120 days.

The most dry and hot is the western flat part of the region. To the east and southeast there is an increase in precipitation from 230 mm to 600-700 mm per year. The average annual temperature rises to the south-west of the region.

Due to the presence of a mountain barrier in the south-east of the region, the prevailing west-east transport of air masses acquires a south-west direction. North winds are frequent during the summer months. In 20-45% of cases, the wind speed of the southwestern and western directions exceeds 6 m/s. In the steppe regions of the region, the occurrence of dry winds (up to 8-20 days a year) is associated with an increase in wind. In the winter months, during periods of active cyclonic activity, snowstorms are observed everywhere in the region, which are repeated 30-50 days a year.

The snow cover is established on average in the second ten days of November, is destroyed in the first ten days of April. The height of the snow cover averages 40-60 cm, in the western regions it decreases to 20-30 cm and until the snow is completely blown away. The depth of soil freezing is 50-80 cm; in steppe areas bare of snow, freezing to a depth of 2-2.5 m is possible.

Water resources

Main rivers: Ob, Biya, Katun, Aley, Charysh. The total surface runoff of the region's rivers is 55.1 km3 per year. In the Ob basin, which occupies 70% of the territory of the region, 54.5 km3 is formed. In the drainless region of the Ob-Irtysh interfluve (30% of the territory), only 0.5 km3 of runoff is formed.

17,085 rivers with a total length of 51,004 km flow on the territory of the region, of which:

16309 - less than 10 km long;

776 - more than 10 km long (including 32 rivers with a length of more than 100 km, 3 of them - more than 500 km).

9700 rivers have more or less permanent streams.

The main water artery of the region is the Ob River, which is 493 km long within the region, and is formed from the confluence of the Biya and Katun rivers. Its largest tributaries (more than 500 km long) are the Aley, Charysh and Chumysh rivers.

There are about 11,000 lakes on the territory of the region, of which over 230 have an area of ​​more than 1 km2. The largest are located in the steppe zone of the region:

Kulunda - 728 km2,

Kuchuk - 181 km2,

Gorkoye (Romanovsky district) - 140 km2,

Big Topolnoye - 76.6 km2,

Big Yarovoe - 66.7 km2.

On the territory of the Altai Territory, 472 sites of deposits with total reserves of 1928.13 thousand m3/day have been explored. The increase in reserves in 2017 due to new explored deposits, write-offs, revaluation and adjustments amounted to 10.986 thousand m3/day.

The availability of forecast groundwater resources in the Altai Territory is 4.895 m3/day per person, and the availability of explored reserves is 0.82 m3/day per person. The total consumption of groundwater per person is 188.3 l/day per person. Specific consumption of groundwater at the HPW is 114.3 l/day per person.

Mineral underground waters. The reserves of therapeutic and therapeutic-table mineral underground waters have been explored and approved for 5 deposits in the amount of 3184 m3/day (A-949 m3/day, B-1643 m3/day, C1-592 m3/day).

All explored mineral water deposits are being developed, with the exception of Iskrovskoye. The total volume of extraction of therapeutic mineral groundwater in 2017 amounted to 497.2 m3/day, including for the deposits: Belokurikha – 410.0 m3/day; Stan-Bekhtemirsky - 59.67 m3 / day; Solonovsky - 1.57 m3 / day; Zavyalovsky - 5.89 m3 / day.

Reserves of low-mineralized radon therapeutic mineral waters of the Chernovsky deposit of category C2 were preliminary estimated in the amount of more than 1000 m3/day.

In addition, 16 sites and 19 manifestations of medical-table mineral underground waters were identified on the territory of the region, the chemical composition of which meets the requirements of GOST 13273-88 "Mineral drinking water, medical and medical-table". Underground waters have mineralization from 1.04 to 6.16 g/dm3. Mineral underground waters are widespread, which are analogues of the Varnitsky, Chisinau, Feodosia, Izhevsk, Ergeninsky, Chartak, Khilovsky and Aivazovsky types, which can be used for the treatment and prevention of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, biliary tract, metabolic diseases. The total resource potential of the mineral waters of the Altai Territory is 328,180 m3/day.

Diversity of the animal world

The diversity of zonal and intrazonal landscapes of the Altai Territory contributes to the species diversity of the animal world.

The largest group of animals in the region - invertebrates, and among them - a class of insects (more than 3000 species). 41 species of insects are listed in the Red Book of the Altai Territory.

Amphibian class It is represented in the region by five species, of which one species - the Siberian salamander - is included in the Red Book of the Altai Territory.

Of the nine types reptiles The Red Book includes the steppe viper, round-headed takyr, multi-colored foot-and-mouth disease, living in some steppe regions of the region.

The region has over 332 bird species, of which 220 to 290 species nest in the region. Due to the reduction of the areas of the most important nesting sites, the serpent eagle, little bustard, bustard have completely or partially disappeared. Of the 85 bird species listed in the Red Book of the Altai Territory, more than half of the species are directly related to the wetlands of the region.

mammals represented by 86 species. The most important are wild ungulates and fur-bearing animals, from the production of which meat, fur, leather and medicinal raw materials are obtained. In recent years, the number of elk, brown bear, squirrel, marmot, musk deer, and otter has increased. There is a slight decrease in the number of wolves and wild boars. However, since 2011, there has been a tendency to increase the number of some animals, especially licensed for hunting species - deer, roe deer, elk, brown bear, sable. The plowing of vast expanses of lowland forest-steppes and steppes has led to the emergence of peculiar anthropogenic forest and field habitats with a specific population of the animal world. In the northern forest field among mammals, the field mouse has acquired a dominant position. In the fields on the site of the southern forest-steppes and real steppes, species of the steppe fauna - ground squirrels and hamsters - dominate.

Diversity of the world aquatic biological resources represented by 32 species of fish, 22 of which are listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation.

plant resources

The following types of vegetation are represented on the territory of the region: forests, steppes, meadows, swamps, tundras, shrubs, rocks, water, saline and synanthropic.

Flora Altai Territory has 2186 species of higher vascular plants, including 1886 native and 300 adventitious, about 400 species of mosses, about 700 species of lichens. Among them there are representatives of endemic and relict species. 168 species of plants, 11 mushrooms, 23 species of lichen are listed in the Red Book of the Altai Territory.

Hayfields and pastures. Pasture and hayfields of the Altai Territory occupy 3731 thousand hectares, which is 35% of the agricultural land area. Hayfields and pastures are of economic value, being a fodder base for animal husbandry, as well as habitats for various animals and plants, including rare ones. Up to 300 species of plants producing roughage grow on them. These are mainly cereals, legumes and herbs. The floodplain hay meadows are the most productive for the production of green fodder mass. The herbaceous vegetation of forage lands successfully protects the soil from erosion and deflation (with reasonable loads of grazing livestock).

Useful flora of the region has 1184 species of plants, among which there are: medicinal - 913 species, melliferous - 379, fodder - 663, ornamental - 400, food - 228, vitamin - 42, dyeing - 117, essential oil - 87, tanning - 58, poisonous - 135, technical - 79 types. The group of medicinal plants is the largest, of which about 100 species are widely used in official medicine. These are golden root, maral root, red root, peony marin root, Ural licorice, oregano, St. John's wort, high elecampane and others. There are medicinal plants, the culture of which is complex and natural reserves are the only source of raw materials: spring adonis, lingonberries, calamus marsh, yellow capsule.

Edge forests. The total area covered by forests in the Altai Territory is 3.825 million hectares. The average forest cover along the edge is 32.8%. The distribution of forests on the territory of the region is uneven. In the Kulunda steppe and the forest-steppe zone of the left bank of the Ob, the forest cover is 12%, in the right bank of the Ob - 24%, rising to 34% in the mountainous part. The stock of timber is 545.83 million cubic meters. m. The predominant species in the forests of the region are conifers (41.3% by area and 53.6% by reserve, including cedar - 1.1%), softwood (58.7% by area and 46.4% by reserve). ). The average age of plantations is 66 years, including coniferous - 89 years and deciduous - 48 years. According to the forestry and forest economic conditions, the role and importance of forests in the region, 4 forestry regions have been identified: Lentochno-borovoy, Priobsky, Salairsky and Predgorny.

On the territory of the Altai Territory, conditions for forest fires occur from April to October inclusive. To eliminate the consequences of forest fires, the death of plantings from pests and diseases of the forest, to increase the forested area, measures are taken to protect, protect and restore forests. The annual volume of reforestation in the region is 11 thousand hectares.

Mineral resources

The mineral resource base of the Altai Territory includes deposits of brown coal, iron, polymetallic (containing copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, barite, bismuth, cadmium, trace elements, sulfur), nickel-cobalt ores, bauxites, primary and placer gold, mineral salts (sodium and magnesium sulfate, sodium chloride, natural soda), cement raw materials (limestone, clay), gypsum, facing and colored stones, therapeutic mud, mineral, drinking and technical underground waters. The most significant types of minerals for the region's economy at present are the developed reserves of polymetallic ores, primary and technogenic gold, sodium sulfate, cement raw materials, mineral and drinking underground waters.

Polymetallic ores constitute the main value of the subsoil of the Altai Territory.

In the southwestern part of the region (the Russian part of Rudny Altai), 12 deposits have been explored with balance reserves of polymetallic ores in the amount of 60.5 million tons, containing 710.4 thousand tons of copper, 1462.6 thousand tons of lead, 4618.3 thousand tons of zinc, 40496.0 kg of gold, 3.3 thousand tons of silver, 18446.2 tons of cadmium, 2876.3 tons of bismuth, 2303.2 tons of selenium, 236.7 tons of tellurium, 556.6 tons of thallium, 504, 7 tons of gallium, 0.1 tons of indium, 591.0 thousand tons of barite and 7176.8 thousand tons of sulfur.

At present, the extraction of polymetallic ores is carried out by OJSC Siberia-Polymetals, which is developing the Korbalikhinskoye, Zarechenskoye Stepnoye and preparing the Talovskoye deposit in the Zmeinogorsky district for development. Concentrating plants with a design capacity of 650.0 and 100.0 thousand tons, respectively, operate on the bases of the Rubtsovskoye (by now exhausted) and Zarechenskoye deposits.

The development of the Zarechenskoye and Korbalikhinskoye deposits is carried out by the underground method, the Stepnoy – by the open method.

The maximum ore productivity of the Zarechensky mine is 100 thousand tons, the Stepnoy mine is 470 thousand tons, the Korbalikhinsky mine is 1200 thousand tons.

Prospects for further industrial development of polymetallic ores are associated with the Zakharovsky, Sredny, Yubileyny, Lazursky and Maysky deposits, discovered and explored in the 50s - 80s of the last century.

As of 01/01/2018, the state balance of mineral reserves of the Russian Federation includes 48642.0 kg of gold and 3160.3 tons of silver of complex polymetallic, primary, technogenic and alluvial deposits. The State Cadastre of Inferred Solid Mineral Resources of the Russian Federation in the Altai Territory records 662.8 tons of gold of P3+P2+P1 categories. The extraction of gold and silver is carried out from complex polymetallic, actually gold ore (primary), technogenic and alluvial deposits.

Use of mineral resources of the Altai Territory.

Solid minerals. In 2017, polymetallic ores (containing copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, barite, bismuth, cadmium, trace elements, sulfur), gold (primary, technogenic and placer), silver, mineral salts ( sodium sulfate), cement raw materials (limestone, clay), as well as therapeutic mud.

The license for the development of brown coal from the Munaisky deposit in the Soltonsky district is held by Munaisky Razrez LLC. There was no coal mining in 2017. Preparatory work was carried out for the development of the deposit (a technical project was drawn up, agreed and approved in accordance with the established procedure, construction of a mine for open-pit coal mining was started).

Significant reserves of iron ore are concentrated in two deposits - Beloretsky and Insky, located in Zmeinogorsky and Charyshsky districts, with total balance reserves by category and in quantity: B - 89356 thousand tons, C1 - 362911 thousand tons, C2 - 37466 thousand tons , as well as off-balance reserves in the amount of 17124 thousand tons. The fields are not developed due to the lack of transport and energy infrastructure, as well as reasonable investment proposals.

The extraction of polymetallic ores is carried out by Siberia-Polymetals OJSC, which develops the Korbalikhinskoye, Zarechenskoye, Stepnoye and Talovskoye deposits in the Zmeinogorsk region. OJSC Siberia-Polymetals in 2017 at the Stepnoye deposit produced 395.7 thousand tons of ore containing 3.4 thousand tons of copper, 9.4 thousand tons of lead, 22.0 thousand tons of zinc, 217.9 kg of gold, 16.4 tons of silver, at Zarechensky - 35.0 thousand tons of ore containing 0.6 thousand tons of copper, 1.5 thousand tons of lead, 33.7 thousand tons of zinc, 429.3 kg of gold , 14.8 tons of silver, at Korbalikhinsky - 52.9 thousand tons of ore containing 2.1 thousand tons of copper, 5.2 thousand tons of lead, 13.9 thousand tons of zinc, 34.7 kg of gold, 8 .1 ton of silver.

The mineral resource base of bauxites is represented by two deposits - Berdsko-Mayskoye and Obukhovskoye, located in the Zalesovsky district and having total reserves recorded by the State Balance of Mineral Reserves of the Russian Federation in the amount of 25,150 thousand tons of B + C1 + C2 categories. Currently, the deposits are not being developed.

Ore gold mining in 2017 was carried out at the Murzinsky (Krasnoshchekovsky district) and Novofirsovsky (Kurinsky district) deposits. 644.9 kg of gold were mined at the Murzinskoye deposit by Poisk Prospectors Artel. 228.0 kg of gold were mined at the Novofirsovskoye deposit by Zoloto Kuri LLC.

Man-caused gold was mined at the Tailings storage of the Zmeinogorsk gold recovery plant, the license holder is Bern LLC; The tailing dump of the Zmeinogorsk barite-washing factory, licensed by DobychaStroyService LLC in the city of Zmeinogorsk, Zmeinogorsk district, and in 2017 amounted to a total of 161.0 kg.

Alluvial gold mining was carried out at five deposits (the placer of the Bolshoy Mungai River, the owner of the license is LLC ZDP Artel Prospectors Gornyak; the placer of the Bystraya River, JSC Prospecting Artel Dorozhnaya; the placer of the Kurchazhny stream, LLC Gold Mining Company Staratel; placer the Talovka River, Altai-2 LLC, and the Zauda River placer, Zauda LLC) and in total amounted to 44.9 kg.

The Kumir deposit of scandium-rare metal ores is located on the territory of the Altai Territory (Charyshsky district). The reserves of the C2 category deposit, taken into account by the state cadastre of deposits and manifestations of minerals, are: scandium - 28 tons, yttrium - 45.9 tons, niobium oxide - 11.6 tons, rubidium - 48.6 tons, uranium - 30.9 tons, thorium - 15.9 tons. The deposit is in the unallocated subsoil fund, is not developed.

Silver was mined during the development of the complex polymetallic deposits noted above (Korbalikhinskoye, Zarechenskoye, Stepnoy), the Novofirsovskoye gold deposit, as well as man-made deposits - the tailings of the Zmeinogorsk barite-washing and Zmeinogorsk gold recovery plants. The total volume of production in 2017 amounted to 44.4 tons, including by enterprises: Siberia-Polymetals OJSC (Stepnoye, Zarechenskoye and Korbalikhinskoye deposits) - 39.8 tons, Zoloto Kuri LLC (Novofirsovskoye deposit) - 0 .7 t, Bern LLC (technogenic deposit "Tailing dump of the Zmeinogorsk gold recovery plant") - 1.9 t, LLC DobychaStroyService (technogenic deposit "Tailing dump of the Zmeinogorsk barite-washing factory") - 2.0 t.

The deposit of sodium sulfate lake. Kuchuk in the Blagoveshchensk region is operated by OJSC Kuchuksulfat. Extraction is carried out by geotechnological method. In 2017, production amounted to 956.0 thousand tons of 100% sodium sulfate.

Natural soda is produced by Altaysoda LLC at the Mikhailovsky deposit in the Mikhailovsky district. The deposit unites a group of interconnected soda lakes - Tanatar 1–6 and Kucherpak. There was no production in 2017. The natural soda extraction site is mothballed until the economic situation in the industry improves. During the conservation period of the deposit, it is planned to build a plant for the production of soda ash.

The Burlinskoye salt deposit (Slavgorodsky district) is being developed by LLC Altai Salt Mining Company. Mining is carried out by mining. In 2017, 54.4 thousand tons of table salt were mined.

The Vrublevo-Agafievsky deposit of cement raw materials (Zarinsky and Kytmanovsky districts) is being developed by Cement OJSC, which has a cement plant in the village. Golukha, Zarinsky district. In 2017, production amounted to 127 thousand tons of limestone and 7 thousand tons of clay. The cement plant produced 99.4 thousand tons of cement.

Soil and land resources

The total area of ​​the land fund of the region is 15799.6 thousand hectares. Plowed land - 40.6%.

In the Altai Territory, 105.7 thousand hectares are irrigated, of which 99.5 thousand hectares are arable. There are 8.5 thousand hectares of drained land in the region, the main share is in fodder lands - 7.3 thousand hectares. Waterlogged and swampy lands, located mainly in the floodplains of the forest-steppe zone, are exposed to drainage.

The soil cover of the Altai Territory is very diverse, represented by thirteen types of soils, among which chernozems, gray forest and chestnut soils predominate, occupying 88.5% of arable land.

About half of the arable land has a supply of phosphorus, a third of below average is provided with potassium, almost everywhere plants need nitrogen fertilizers and are insufficiently supplied with zinc, sulfur, cobalt and molybdenum.

Soil acidification. Soils with an acid reaction of the environment occupy about 18% of agricultural and 14.5% of arable land in the region.

Salinization, alkalinization of soils. Saline soils in the region occupy 1042.1 thousand hectares, solonetzic soils and solonetzic complexes - 827.2 thousand hectares. At the same time, there are 982.6 thousand hectares of saline and 807.2 thousand hectares of solonetz and solonetz soils in agricultural land. In arable land, saline soils occupy 295.8 thousand ha, solonetzic and solonetzic complexes - 323.7 thousand ha.

Features of the region's economy

In the structure of the gross regional product, the shares of industry, agriculture, and trade predominate. These types of activities form 56.7% of the total GRP. Economic growth in the region is facilitated by a favorable business climate and increased business activity, the development of public, transport and engineering infrastructure.

The modern structure of the industrial complex is characterized by a high proportion manufacturing industries(over 80% in the volume of shipped goods). The leading types of economic activity in industry are the production of food products, engineering products (carriage, boiler, diesel, agricultural engineering, electrical equipment production), the production of coke, rubber and plastic products, as well as chemical production.

Altai Territory is the largest organic food producer in Russia. The region produces about 30% of the total Russian volume of cereals, including about 60% of buckwheat, more than 40% of oatmeal; about 30% pearl barley and barley; more than 20% breakfast cereal products; more than 15% whey dry; 11% flour from cereals and legumes; 13% cheese, 10% pasta; 7% butter. The region occupies a significant share in the production of functional products.

Altai Krai ranks 1st in the Russian Federation in terms of sown area of ​​grain and leguminous crops. The yield of grain and leguminous crops in weight after processing is more than 5.0 million tons (4th place in Russia), buckwheat production is about 500 thousand tons (1st place in Russia). The Altai Territory is the only region from the Urals to the Far East that grows sugar beet: the production of sugar beet amounted to about 1.0 million tons.

In terms of production of livestock products among the subjects of the Russian Federation, Altai Krai traditionally occupies a high position. The Altai Territory is one of the largest producers of high-quality beef in Russia; in terms of its production, it ranks 5th among the regions. In the rating of subjects of the Russian Federation in terms of the number of cattle in all categories of farms, the region ranks 4th, in terms of the number of pigs - 15th.

Altai Territory is located at the intersection of transcontinental transit cargo and passenger flows, in close proximity to large raw materials and processing regions. Highways connecting Russia with Mongolia, Kazakhstan, a railway linking Central Asia with the Trans-Siberian Railway, international airlines pass through the territory of the region. Federal highways P265 and A349 pass through the territory of the region. The length of public roads is 55.6 thousand km - this is 1st place among the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. The geographical position of the region and its high transport accessibility open up great opportunities for establishing strong economic and trade ties at the interregional and international levels.

Recreational potential in combination with the favorable climate of the south of Western Siberia, the rich historical and cultural heritage provide an opportunity for the development of various types of tourism, sports and recreation in the Altai Territory. The region also has unique natural healing resources necessary for the development of sanatorium and resort complexes and is one of the largest centers of the health industry in Russia. The network of tourist facilities is represented in 63 out of 69 municipalities of the region, and more than half of its cities and districts are zones of active tourism development, in a third of the territories of the region guest houses provide rural tourism services.

The policy of the Altai Territory is aimed at creating the most favorable conditions for attraction of investments: improving the forms of state support for business, developing infrastructure (transport, energy), strengthening the economic position of the region in Russia and abroad, ensuring the legal rights of owners, public discussion of regulatory legal acts in the field of investment and entrepreneurial activity.

The land of a thousand lakes, the land of caves and springs. A place where the endless expanses of the steppe mix with thickets of forests, turn into the blue of mountain peaks and dissolve behind the smoky horizon line in the vast sky. Being the heart of the Eurasian continent, the Altai Territory is rightfully named by UNESCO as one of the best places on Earth for recreation and living. A place with an abundance of natural areas of Russia, sung by Vasily Shukshin in his work, the sacred Siberian Shambhala.

In addition to mechanical engineering, which is the leading industry of the region, agriculture is widely developed, and the Altai Territory ranks first in the production of environmentally friendly products in Russia. The favorable climate, natural healing resources and the dazzling beauty of the Siberian pearl have led to the development of the tourism industry, sports and recreation, and medical and recreational institutions.

Unfortunately, at the moment, the unique ecology of the Altai Territory is rapidly deteriorating. This is mainly due to the enterprises of the heavy and chemical industries, which form the basis of the region's economy, as well as the use of the nuclear test site near Semipalatinsk. At the same time, it is planned to create numerous reserves, wildlife sanctuaries, national parks, natural monuments.

Geographic location

The Altai Territory borders in the northern part on the Kemerovo Region, as well as the Novosibirsk Region, with which it is connected by the blue thread of the Ob River. In the southeast - with the Republic of Altai, and in the south and west - with Kazakhstan, from which he often receives gifts from Baikonur in the form of fragments of rocket stages and remnants of rocket fuel in the air. Plains and mountains ... in general, the entire Altai Territory resembles a hill that increases from northwest to southeast.

There are many caves on the slopes of the mountains, in some scientists even find traces of the existence of an ancient man. Of the 11,000 lakes in the region, the weakly saline Kulunda Lake (600 km2) is considered the largest. The locals even call it the Altai Sea. It is famous for its mineral waters, therapeutic mud, unique pine shores and sandy beaches. Forests are also quite common, among which there are fantastically beautiful ribbon pine forests.

Climate

Since the Altai Territory is located in the very center of the Eurasian continent, all the oceans are thousands of kilometers away from it. This means that summer here is most often hot, and the temperature can reach almost Egyptian 40-42 degrees. And in winter, there is fairly stable clear weather with severe Siberian frosts, and the temperature may well drop to -55 degrees Celsius.

The greatest amount of precipitation of 800-900 mm falls in the mountainous and steppe regions with ribbon forests. Summer rains and thunderstorms are often replaced by sunny and clear weather. The number of sunny days in summer is very high, and in this regard, many areas of the Altai Territory can be compared with the best resorts in the North Caucasus and South Crimea.

Population

The population of the Altai Territory is 2,398,750 people, most of which (55.49%), as expected, lives in cities. Due to the vast expanses of Siberia, the population density is only 14.28 people/km2. For comparison, the population density in the Leningrad region is 20.87 people/km2, and in the Moscow region as much as 158.82 people/km2.

Despite the fact that since 2007 the birth rate began to rise, unfortunately, at the moment, a negative population growth rate remains. Most likely this is due to the desire of people to live in cities with a population of one million, where opportunities for career and growth are much higher. Most of the population (86.79%) are Russians.

Unemployment and average wages

Over the past 8 years, the unemployment rate in the Altai Territory has reached a minimum value of 2.4%, and is one of the lowest in the Siberian Federal District. More than 70% of people who applied to employment centers managed to find a job. It is also good news that more than 20,000 temporary and permanent jobs were created as part of the implementation of socially significant work, including for unemployed people with disabilities, large families, etc.

Small businesses were not spared either: many start-up entrepreneurs received 60,000 rubles each for the development of their business. More than 600 graduates of professional institutions were sent for internships for possible further employment.

With all this, the level of wages in the Altai Territory takes a completely disgraceful last 12th place in the district. It is difficult to say whether this is due to the general poverty of the region, the absence of black rivers or nickel mountains, but the fact remains: the average salary of people is no more than 18,000 rubles. For comparison, the average salary of a teacher in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug is more than 69,000 rubles a month, but in the Altai Territory, teachers receive only 15,000 rubles.

Crime

After the assassination of the most famous crime boss in Russia, Aslan Usoyan (Ded Khasan), who controlled up to 70% of all thieves in law in Siberia, many law enforcement agencies reasonably feared a significant increase in crimes associated with the redistribution of spheres of influence. However, at the moment the level of crime in the Altai Territory is one of the lowest in the Siberian Federal District, second only to the Omsk Region.

Meanwhile, the main problem leading to the commission of crimes, as in all of Russia, is alcohol and drugs. According to statistics, in the Altai Territory in 2012 every third crime was committed by a person in a state of intoxication.

The property

Buying a quite good two-room apartment on the secondary real estate market in Barnaul, for example, is quite possible for 2,000,000 rubles, and renting such an apartment will cost you no more than 25,000 rubles a month. Real estate prices are significantly inferior to Moscow and St. Petersburg. But the prices for suburban real estate vary quite significantly. Here, as elsewhere, the price depends on personal fantasies, and most importantly, opportunities: the cost of some buildings can reach 20,000,000 rubles, in no way inferior to the capital's cottages.

Cities of the Altai Territory

Even during the Second World War, Barnaul began to turn from an agricultural town into a powerful industrial center of Siberia, and the post-war economic development only strengthened this status.

Industry has greatly influenced the deterioration of the ecology of the entire Altai Territory. What is the first thing that comes to mind when you mention Altai? Endless mountain ranges, the song "Oh, frost, frost" echoing in the crystal clear air, Zolotukhin, smelling a flower ...

In fact, everything is much sadder. And Zolotukhin smelled flowers not at all in Altai, and emissions from the heavy and chemical industries led to the fact that a smoky oasis-Barnaul was born in the middle of the purest Siberian expanses. Where you literally see what you breathe, and where to stay for a long time without a gas mask is just as not recommended for health as breathing deeply in Moscow on the street in the middle of rush hour.

Barnaul is a fairly developed city in terms of transport, shopping centers, catering places, shopping malls. By the way, there is even an airport 17 km from Barnaul.

On the territory of the city there are four higher educational institutions and many colleges that provide vocational education. There are also more than 15 libraries in the city, a local history museum, the City Drama Theatre, several clubs and leisure centers for young people. There are more than 272 architectural monuments, 50 archeological monuments and 11 natural monuments on the territory of Biysk. That is why it proudly enters the Union of Historical Cities of Russia.

The main modes of transport in Biysk are buses, trams and fixed-route taxis, and there is also a cargo airport in the city.

A small village founded by Mikhail Rubtsov in 1886, in 1913 transformed into a station village, and in 1927 received the status of a city. The third largest city in Altai Krai with a population of 145,834.

Just like in Barnaul, many industrial enterprises were evacuated to Rubtsovsk during the Great Patriotic War, gradually turning it into an industrial center of the south-west of the Altai Territory. True, with the collapse of the USSR, many enterprises simply went bankrupt, lowering the city's economy into a severe decline.

But this does not prevent residents from developing and enriching themselves spiritually: the city has three universities, several vocational schools, and even two theaters and an art gallery.

Judging by the information from the city administration, residents are terribly fond of amateur performances, and therefore, against the backdrop of a general decline in the economy, there are many VIA, creative teams, and original performers. In general, from Alpha to Omega, from playing on spoons to harpsichord and organ.

The ecology of the city has been severely disturbed due to waste emissions from enterprises, and the close proximity of the nuclear test sites of Semipalatinsk generally makes one seriously think about a long stay in this city without a Geiger counter.

Altai region- Subject of the Russian Federation, formed on September 28, 1937. The administrative center is the city of Barnaul.

It borders in the south and west with East Kazakhstan and Pavlodar regions of Kazakhstan, in the north and northeast with Novosibirsk and Kemerovo regions, in the southeast with the Republic of Altai.

Dossier

Administrative center	Barnaul
Square	167,996 km²
total population	↘2 390 638 (2014)
Population density	14.23 people/km²
federal district	Siberian
economic region	West Siberian
Governor
Code of the subject of the Russian Federation	22
Timezone	MSK+3 (UTC+7)
Flag
Coat of arms

History - Altai Territory

• The territory of the Altai Territory has been inhabited since the Ice Age more than half a million years ago (Karama site).
• Neanderthals lived in Denisova Cave about 280,000 years ago, about 40 thousand years ago. n. Denisov man lived in the cave.
• There are 38 thousand liters in Okladnikov's cave. n. Neanderthals lived, and 24 thousand liters. n. - Anatomically modern humans.
• The first state on the territory of southern Siberia arose in the IV-III centuries BC. e. Ancient Chinese chronicles called its creators the people "Dinlin", and the state - "Dinling-go".
• Around 201 B.C. e. the state of Dinlin was defeated by the Xiongnu, an ancient nomadic people, from 220 BC. e. to the 2nd century AD e. inhabiting the steppes north of China.
• The Xiongnu waged active wars with the Chinese Han Empire, during which they consolidated into a single power that subjugated the tribes of neighboring nomads. Mongolian scientists argue that the Xiongnu was a proto-Mongolian state, but some scholars believe that the Xiongnu was a proto-Turkish state.
• After the defeat of Dinlin by the Xiongnu troops, the Turkic-speaking tribe of the Kyrgyz moved to the Khakass-Minusinsk basin.
• In 93, in the Battle of Ikh-Bayan, a coalition of Hans, Mongol-speaking Xianbei, Dinlings and Cheshis defeated the Xiongnu, after which the Xianbei began to occupy the Xiongnu lands, and part of the Xiongnu joined the Xianbei. The former Xiongnu lands came under the control of the Xianbi (93-234). In the middle of the 3rd century, the Xianbei power collapsed.
• In the 4th-6th centuries, the territory of the Altai Territory was part of the Mongol-speaking Zhuzhan Khaganate (330-555).
• In the 6th-7th centuries, the Kyrgyz, with subject taiga peoples, formed a peripheral inheritance of the Central Asian states, headed by the governor - Elteber.
• In the VIII century - a separatist region, led by their own beks and inals, claiming the dignity of a khan (see Bars-kagan).
• In the 9th century - a rapidly expanding aggressive steppe empire with a deified kagan family.
• In 840, the Kyrgyz Khaganate destroyed the Uighur Khaganate, extending its power to Tuva and Mongolia. Pursuing the remnants of the Uighurs, the Kyrgyz fought their way to the Irtysh and the Amur and invaded the oases of East Turkestan. V. V. Bartold called this period of history “the Kyrgyz great power”.
• The Kyrgyz provided the state with top military and administrative leaders. They were considered connected both dynastically and through marriage with the ruling houses of China and other neighboring countries.
• In a severe struggle with aggressive neighbors (Turkic and Uighur Khaganates), the Kyrgyz state defended its independence until the 13th century, which became a turning point in the independent development of Sayano-Altai.
• The Kyrgyz state is losing territory in Mongolia. The Kyrgyz retain two main arrays of their settlement: 1) the Upper and Middle Yenisei; 2) Altai and Irtysh. Subsequently, the ethnic paths of the Yenisei Kyrgyz and the future Kyrgyz of the Tien Shan diverged.
• At the beginning of the XIII century - the territory of the Altai Territory was part of the Great Mongol Empire.
• XIV century - The Mongol Empire broke up into separate states. The territory of the Altai Territory was part of the Mongolian Dzungar Khanate until 1758.

Altai Mining District

• Settling of the Upper Ob and Altai foothills by Russians began in the second half of the 17th century.
• The development of Altai began after the Beloyarskaya (1717) and Bikatunskaya (1709) fortresses were built to protect against the warlike Dzungar nomads. In order to explore valuable ore deposits, search parties were equipped for the Altai.
• The father and son of the Kostylevs are considered to be the discoverers, later the Ural breeder Akinfiy Demidov took advantage of the discoveries.
• In the 1730s, Barnaul was founded as a settlement at the silver-smelting plant of Akinfiy Demidov, which acquired the status of a city in 1771, and became the capital of the Altai Territory since 1937. It is located in the south of Western Siberia at the confluence of the Barnaulka River with the Ob.
• Formed by the 2nd half of the 18th century, the Altai mining district is a territory that included the current Altai Territory, Novosibirsk and Kemerovo, part of the Tomsk and East Kazakhstan regions with a total area of ​​​​over 500 thousand km² and a population of more than 130 thousand souls of both sexes.
• At the end of the 19th century, the territory of present-day Altai was part of the Tomsk province.
• In 1991, the Gorno-Altai Autonomous Region left the Altai Territory, transformed into an independent subject of the Russian Federation - the Republic of Altai.
• After the collapse of the USSR, the regional economy entered into a protracted crisis associated with the loss of state orders in industry and the unprofitability of agricultural production, which continued until the early 2000s. The dissatisfaction of the population and the resulting political moods contributed to the fact that for a long time the Altai Territory was part of the so-called "red belt" - here the majority of power structures remained with the left forces. In 1996, the informal leader of the left forces, Alexander Surikov, became the governor of the region, and his associate Alexander Nazarchuk took the place of the chairman of the Legislative Assembly.
• In 2004, the well-known pop artist and film actor Mikhail Evdokimov won the election of the governor of the Altai Territory. A year and a half later, he died in a car accident near Biysk. Alexander Karlin has been the head of the region since 2005.

Altai Krai: Geographical Location

Altai Krai is located in the southeast of Western Siberia between 50 and 55 degrees north latitude and 77 and 87 degrees east longitude. The length of the territory from west to east is about 600 km, from north to south - about 400 km. The distance from Barnaul to Moscow in a straight line is about 2940 km, by road - about 3400 km.

Altai Krai: Climate

The climate of the Altai Territory is temperate, transitional to continental, formed as a result of frequent changes in air masses coming from the Atlantic, the Arctic, Eastern Siberia and Central Asia. The absolute annual amplitude of air temperature reaches 90-95 °C. Average annual temperatures are positive, 0.5-2.1 °С Average maximum temperatures in July are +26…+28 °C, extreme ones reach +40…+42 °C. The average minimum January temperatures are -20 ... -24 °C, the absolute winter minimum is -50 ... -55 °C. The frost-free period lasts about 120 days

Altai Territory: Ecological state

The state of atmospheric air is largely determined by the location and concentration of environmentally active branches of material production, the level of purification of industrial emissions from pollutants, the concentration and congestion of transport routes. At the enterprises of the region, 64% of pollutants released into the atmosphere are captured by gas cleaning installations. More than 560 thousand vehicles are operated in the region, emissions of harmful substances of which make up more than 45% of the total air pollution, including: carbon monoxide - 69%, nitrogen oxides - 37%, hydrocarbons - 92%.

The main polluters of water bodies in the Altai Territory are enterprises of chemistry and petrochemistry, mechanical engineering, and thermal power engineering. A special problem is the damage caused to small rivers from shallowing and pollution. Due to the reduction of forest cover, there is an increase in water erosion, causing shallowing of the channel. Numerous small lakes are polluted by domestic wastewater from settlements and livestock complexes.

A number of settlements in the Altai Territory are officially recognized as affected by the effects of radiation as a result of nuclear weapons testing at the test site near Semipalatinsk.

In addition, the trajectories of launch vehicles from the cosmodrome pass over the territory of the Altai Territory, as a result of which rocket fuel products and parts of stages burned in the atmosphere fall to the surface.

Specially protected natural areas

At present, the original natural landscapes have practically not been preserved in the Altai Territory; all of them have experienced the impact of economic activity or the transfer of substances by water and air flows. To preserve the diversity of flora and fauna, it is planned to create an extensive network of specially protected natural areas (SPNA): nature reserves, national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, natural monuments.

There are currently no national parks in the region. On the territory of the region there are 51 natural monuments, 1 natural park (Aya Nature Park), 1 reserve - (Tigireksky), 35 reserves.

The total area of ​​protected areas is 725 thousand hectares or less than 5% of the area of ​​the region (the world standard is 10% of the area of ​​the region with developed agriculture and industry), which is significantly lower than the average for Russia and not enough to maintain landscape and ecological balance in the biosphere.

Natural monuments are individual irreplaceable natural objects taken under protection that have scientific, historical, cultural and aesthetic significance (caves, geological outcrops, waterfalls, mineral springs, paleontological objects, individual centuries-old trees, etc.). In the Altai Territory, 100 natural monuments have been approved, of which 54 are geological, 31 are water, 14 are botanical and 1 are complex. At present, the areas of plants and habitats of animals that are rare or endangered, which do not have the status of specially protected areas, have been identified.

Population - Altai Territory

The population of the region according to Rosstat is 2,390,638 people. (2014). Population density - 14.23 people / km2 (2014). Urban population - 55.68% (2013).

National composition

More than 100 nationalities live in the Altai Territory: 94% of the population are Russians, the next largest are Germans (2%), Ukrainians (1.4%); all others - 3%.

According to the results of the All-Russian Population Census 2010, the quantitative national composition of the population of the region was as follows:

• Russians - 2,234,324 (93.9%)
• Germans - 50,701 (2.1%)
• Ukrainians - 32,226 (1.4%)
• Kazakhs - 7979 (0.3%)
• Armenians - 7640 (0.3%)
• Tatars - 6794 (0.3%)
• Belarusians - 4591 (0.2%)
• Altaians - 1763 (0.1%)
• Kumandins - 1401 (0.1%)

Religion

There are many religious communities in the Altai Territory. The largest is Orthodox. Today there are Catholic and Lutheran communities that resumed their activities in the 1960s. In addition, there are parishes and associations of various religious denominations in the region - Pentecostals, Evangelical Christians-Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, the Church of Christ, the Society for Krishna Consciousness, etc.

Authorities

The head of the executive power of the Altai Territory is the head of the regional administration (governor). The administration is an executive body, the legal successor of the regional executive committee. After the death of M. S. Evdokimov in 2005, A. B. Karlin was approved for the post on the proposal of the President of the Russian Federation.

The representative body of the legislative power is the Altai Regional Legislative Assembly. It consists of 68 deputies elected by the population of the region in elections for a term of 4 years - one half in single-mandate constituencies, the other half - on party lists.

Chairman of the Legislative Assembly - I. I. Loor. In the elections held in 2011, the United Russia party won with 48 seats in the regional parliament; 5 people represent the Just Russia party; 9 - the Communist Party and 6 - the Liberal Democratic Party.

In the State Duma of the 6th convocation (2011-2016), the Altai Territory is represented by 7 deputies: from United Russia - Alexander Prokopiev and Nikolai Gerasimenko; from "Fair Russia" -; from the Communist Party - Mikhail Zapolev and Serey Yurchenko; and from the Liberal Democratic Party - Vladimir Semyonov. Two representatives of the region work in the Federation Council - Sergey Belousov and Yury Shamkov.

Administrative-territorial division

On the territory of the Altai Territory:

• 12 cities,
• 1 ZATO,
• 60 municipal districts.

The administrative center of the Altai Territory is the city of Barnaul.