Accommodation, natural conditions and resources
The Southern Federal District includes: the Republic of Adygea, the Republic of Dagestan, the Republic of Ingushetia, the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, the Republic of Kalmykia, the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, the Chechen Republic, the Krasnodar Territory, the Stavropol Territory, the Astrakhan, Volgograd and Rostov Regions . The center of the district is the city of Rostov-on-Don (Fig. 1).
Figure 1. Composition of the Southern Federal District
The Southern District is the smallest in Russia. Its area is 592.2 thousand square meters. km, it occupies 3.4% of the area of the Russian Federation.
The Southern Federal District includes the subjects of the Federation belonging to the North Caucasian economic region, as well as the territory of the Lower Volga region (Republic of Kalmykia, Astrakhan and Volgograd regions), which, according to the current zoning grid, belongs to the Volga economic region.
This region is located between three seas - the Black, Azov, Caspian, Main Caucasian Range, the Kuma-Manych Depression and the southern tip of the Russian (East European) Plain.
According to natural conditions, the district can be divided into three zones: steppe (plain), foothill and mountainous. Most of the territory is occupied by the steppe zone, located from its northern borders approximately to the line Krasnodar - Pyatigorsk - Makhachkala. The foothill zone is located to the south and stretches in a narrow strip from the southeast to the northwest, gradually turning into a system of mountain spurs. Further south is the mountainous zone, consisting of the Black Sea, Kuban, Terek and Dagestan Caucasus.
The climate of the Southern District is very diverse. With the exception of the highlands, summers are very warm. The average July temperature ranges from 20 to 24°C. The growing season with temperatures above 10° continues here for 170-190 days, and the annual amount of solar radiation in the steppe and foothill zones is approximately 1.5 times greater than in the Moscow region. winter in various parts district is not the same. Average January temperatures range from 2°C in Sochi and Novorossiysk to -9 - -12°C in the steppes of the Volgograd and Rostov regions. The Black Sea has a great influence on the temperature regime, especially in the areas adjacent to it. This is reflected in the softening of the summer heat and the increase in air temperature on the coast in winter. However, in the Novorossiysk Bay in winter (usually from November to March), a cold and strong northeast wind, the bora, often blows. The conditions for it are created when there is a barometric minimum above the sea, and on land the pressure rises sharply. In Novorossiysk, bora can reach the strength of a hurricane. Sometimes the temperature of the gauge dropped below -20°C and the harbor, which was usually free of ice, froze. But the area of distribution of bora is very small; already a few kilometers from Novorossiysk it is not felt.
The water resources of the region are the waters of the rivers of the basins of the Black, Azov and Caspian Seas and groundwater. In the east flows the largest river in Europe - the Volga. Of the other large rivers, the Don, Kuban, Terek, Sulak should be noted. Although water resources are significant, they are unevenly distributed over the territory. The foothills and the Azov-Black Sea plain have a dense river network, and the southeastern and Caspian regions are poor in water. It is also important to note that the region is characterized by intensive use of water resources and a high concentration of water users, so in many areas (especially in Kalmykia) there is a tense situation with water. At the same time, in irrigation systems in agriculture - the main consumer of water, its unproductive losses reach 50%.
The soils of the region are highly fertile: chernozems and alluvial soils occupy more than half of the district's territory. Chestnut soils are also very fertile. These types of soils occupy most of the steppe and foothill regions and are favorable for growing a wide variety of crops. In the semi-desert regions of Dagestan and Kalmykia, brown soils predominate with the inclusion of large massifs of solonetzes and solonchaks, on the mountain slopes - mountain-forest and mountain-meadow soils. They grow valuable forage natural herbaceous vegetation used for fattening livestock, mainly sheep.
The bowels of the Southern Federal District have been studied quite well. About 73% of all-Russian reserves of thermal waters (carriers of deep, "natural" heat), almost 41% of tungsten reserves and about 30% of mineral water reserves are concentrated here. There are reserves of sulfur, cement raw materials, coal, gas, oil, copper, zinc, gold, silver and lead. The largest gas field - Astrakhan - is of national significance.
Today, the region ranks first in Russia in the production of mineral waters, second and third in the production of tungsten and cement raw materials. In terms of coal production (Donbass), the district is in third place after the Siberian and Far Eastern regions. But the main prospects for the economic development of the region are connected precisely with the extraction and production of "black gold".
Oil reserves lying at depths of 5 to 6 kilometers are estimated at 5 billion tons of conventional fuel. The drilling of the first exploratory well on the Caspian shelf immediately confirmed the serious "fuel" potential of this area. However, all projects require very big money about 15-20 billion dollars. Oil reserves are concentrated mainly in the Volgograd and Astrakhan regions, the Krasnodar Territory, the republics of Chechnya and Ingushetia. In the last two republics long years operating reserves have been greatly reduced.
The resources of ores of non-ferrous and rare metals are significant. Within the district there are unique deposits of tungsten-molybdenum ores - Tyrnyauz (Kabardino-Balkar Republic) and Ktiteberda (Karachay-Cherkess Republic). The deposits of lead-zinc ores are mainly concentrated in North Ossetia (the largest is the Sadonskoye deposit). There are explored copper deposits in Karachay-Cherkessia (Urupskoye) and Dagestan (Khudesskoye, Kizil-Dere). Mercury deposits are known in the Krasnodar Territory and North Ossetia.
Non-metallic minerals are represented by mining and chemical raw materials (significant reserves of barite, rock salt, sulfur). Particularly noteworthy are the largest salt deposits in the Russian Federation in the lakes Baskunchak (Astrakhan region) and Elton (Volgograd region). Significant stocks of raw materials for production building materials(cement marls in the Novorossiysk region, high-quality marble in the Teberda region, quartz sandstones, clays for the production of bricks and ceramics, chalk, granites, etc.).
The Southern Federal District is one of the regions of the Russian Federation that are the least provided with forest resources. When evaluating the forest fund, it is important to take into account its features: 65% of forests are of a high-mountain type, which are not found in the European part of Russia; all the beech forests of Russia are concentrated here, as well as a significant part of such valuable tree species as oak, hornbeam, ash. Obviously, the forests of the region cannot be of operational importance, however, in recent years, in connection with the development of furniture production, intensive felling of valuable wood has been carried out, the reserves of which in the lower tier of broad-leaved species are practically exhausted. Today, it is very important to drastically reduce, or better yet, completely stop logging in the zone of growth of broad-leaved species, refrain from developing the belt of coniferous forests, and speed up reforestation work. Forests should be considered solely from the point of view of their recreational and health-improving and environmental utility.
Are unique recreational resources federal district. The mild climate, the abundance of mineral springs and therapeutic mud, warm sea waters create the richest opportunities for treatment and recreation. The mountainous regions with their unique landscapes have all the necessary conditions for the development of mountaineering and tourism, the organization of ski resorts of international importance here.
Territorial organization of the economy
The Southern Federal District occupies an important place in the national economy of Russia. It should be noted, however, that the South was characterized by the greatest decline in industrial production. This is explained not only by the general economic crisis, but also by the difficult political situation in the North Caucasus.
The share of the region in the economy of the Russian Federation:
In the production of basic goods: electricity 7.2%, oil 3.2%, gas 2.8%, coal 2.5%, ammonia 8.4%, synthetic resins/plastics 12.7%, tires 7.5% , machine tools 11.9%, cement 16.1%;
· In the production of industrial products: 6.1%;
· In the production of agricultural products: 19.5%;
· In fixed capital investments: 9.5%;
· In foreign investments: 2.3%;
· In retail turnover: 10.4%;
· In volume paid services population: 10.2%.
Although at present the share of the region in the total Russian volume of industrial production is insignificant, the district has been and remains the country's largest producer of agricultural products.
The basis of the Okrug's economy is made up of intersectoral complexes, among which agro-industrial, machine-building and resort and recreational complexes stand out. It is they who determine the face of the region in the territorial division of labor, and the deepening of specialization in these areas in a market economy seems inevitable. A significant role in the economy of the district is also played by the chemical, fuel and energy, metallurgical, production of cement and other building materials, a complex of industries for the production of non-food consumer goods.
Metallurgical complex The Southern Federal District includes enterprises of both ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy. Of the ferrous metallurgy enterprises (all of them are conversion plants), the Volgograd Krasny Oktyabr plant, which produces high-quality steel for tractor and automobile plants, the Krasnosulinsky and Taganrog plants, should be singled out. The pipe plant in Volzhsky specializes in the production of steel pipes.
Non-ferrous metallurgy is represented by the Volgograd aluminum plant, the Tyrnyauz mining and smelting plant (tungsten and molybdenum ores) and the Electrozinc plant (Vladikavkaz).
An important component of the economy of the Southern Federal District is fuel and energy complex. Almost all coal mining in the district is concentrated in the Rostov region (Shakhty, Novoshakhtinsk, etc.), on the territory of which the eastern wing of the Donbass is located. Although due to the deep occurrence (in some areas more than a kilometer) and low power(0.7m) coal seam production cost is high, benefits geographical location make it worthwhile.
Mining natural gas is carried out at the largest Astrakhan field in the European part of Russia, as well as at the fields of Kuban and Stavropol. Great prospects are associated with the exploration of the large Dimitrovskoye gas field in Dagestan.
The most reasonable and cheapest way to solve the energy problems of the south of Russia is the maximum saving of all types of fuel resources, the speedy introduction of energy-saving technologies into production and everyday life.
The power industry of the district is dominated by thermal power plants, but the role of hydroelectric power is also great. The largest thermal ones are Nevinnomysskaya, Stavropolskaya, Novocherkasskaya, Krasnodarskaya. Of the hydraulic power plants, one should especially single out the largest on the Volga and throughout the European part of the country, the Volzhskaya HPP (Volgograd) with a capacity of 2.5 million kW. Hydroelectric power stations were also built on mountain rivers - Irganaiskaya, Miatlinskaya, Chirkeyskaya on the Sulak River, etc.
Its southern regions are in a seismically danger zone, because of which the construction of the Krasnodar NPP was abandoned, and the site where the Rostov NPP was built was chosen very unsuccessfully - its buildings were located 13 km from Volgodonsk and 10 km from Tsimlyansk, moreover, on the very shore of the Tsimlyansk reservoir. This can lead to serious environmental problems.
Among the industries of building materials in the Southern Federal District, the production of cement stands out. Novorossiysk cement plants, operating on local marls, supply high-quality cement of various grades to many regions of the country and for export. Volgograd region is a major producer of cement. Large glass factories operate in Dagestan and North Ossetia. The remaining branches of the building materials industry (production of bricks, slates, asbestos-cement products, etc.) are of local importance.
The agro-industrial complex of the Southern District provides more than half of the total product. Its central link is agriculture, for the development of which there are exclusively favorable conditions. Suffice it to say that, per capita, the region produces twice as much agricultural products as the Russian average.
The South is the largest supplier of grain. The main grain crop is wheat, and corn crops are also widespread. Significant areas are occupied by such a valuable grain crop as rice. It is grown in the lower reaches of the Kuban (Kuban plavni), on irrigated lands of the Astrakhan and Rostov regions, Dagestan.
The region is of great importance in the production of important industrial crops - sunflower, sugar beet, mustard, tobacco. The south of Russia is the largest area of horticulture and viticulture. More than a third of all fruit and berry plantations and all vineyards of the Russian Federation are located here. Only here in Russia subtropical crops are grown - tea, citrus fruits, persimmons, figs (mainly on Black Sea coast Krasnodar Territory). The south of Russia is the largest producer of vegetables and gourds. They are grown throughout the region, but the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain stands out in particular. Astrakhan and Volgograd watermelons and tomatoes are known and appreciated by the entire population of the country.
Animal husbandry is characterized by high marketability. Cattle, pigs, poultry are bred here. Sheep breeding, especially fine-fleeced sheep breeding, is of great importance. Most of the fine wool of the Russian Federation is harvested in the region. The south is also famous for breeding horse breeding.
A feature of the development of the food industry in the Southern District - an important component of the agro-industrial complex - is not only in its scale, but also in the richest assortment of food products, a significant part of which goes to all regions of the country. There are a large number of enterprises of various branches of the food industry - meat, fruit and vegetable canning, sugar, flour and cereals, oil and fat, winemaking, tea, tobacco, etc. Astrakhan's fishing industry is world famous.
In general, the agro-industrial complex of the Southern District differs high efficiency and its role in the food supply of the population of Russia is invaluable.
The resort and recreation complex of the Southern Federal District is of exceptional importance for Russia. The resorts of the Black Sea coast of the Krasnodar Territory (Sochi, Anapa, Gelendzhik) are very famous and popular. The famous group of resorts of the Caucasian Mineral Waters (Pyatigorsk, Kislovodsk, Essentuki, Zheleznovodsk) is located in the Stavropol Territory. Dombay and Teberda (Karachay-Cherkessia), the Baksan Gorge (Kabardino-Balkaria) and other places with unique natural landscapes enjoy well-deserved popularity among tourists, climbers, skiers.
At the same time, the recreational resources of the Caspian Sea coast are used very poorly. The same can be said about the resources of the mountainous zone of the national republics, but in this case it is not only a matter of insufficient development of the material base. political instability, ethnic conflicts, fighting in Chechnya scare away potential tourists.
Population and workforce
Multinationality, or polyethnicity, is a feature of the south of Russia, which largely determines its socio-political situation. The reason is mainly geopolitical. Over the past three millennia, hordes of nomads and numerous conquerors - Romans, Persians, Arabs, Mongols, Turks, etc. - have passed through this peculiar isthmus between Asia and Europe. The Slavs appeared here in the 10th century. (Tmutarakan Principality), and the penetration of Russians began in the 16th century. Now, in addition to indigenous and East Slavic peoples(Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians, including the Cossacks, make up 75% of the population of the region), representatives of a number of peoples of the Federation (Tatars, Mordvins, Chuvashs, Udmurds), neighboring Transcaucasia (Azerbaijanis, Georgians, Armenians) and far abroad(Greeks, Bulgarians, Koreans; as well as Germans - immigrants from former republic Volga Germans).
Another feature is the mosaic distribution of ethnic groups; even peoples with their own territorial formations are often scattered outside the respective republics, many of them have diasporas abroad.
The religious structure of the population is no less motley. There are two main religions: Orthodoxy is practiced by about 75% of the population; Islam about 20%. The "Islamic" republics according to the confession of the indigenous population include Adygea, Dagestan, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, Chechnya.
In terms of population, the Southern District occupies the 3rd place in Russia, second only to the Central and Volga. The permanent population is 22.8 million people, which is 16% of the Russian Federation (Table 1).
In terms of population density, the district ranks second among the federal districts - 36.98 people per km 2. The population density is higher only in the Central Federal District (58.03 people per km 2). However, the population is distributed unevenly across the territory. Its greatest density is in the Kuban, the least populated are Kalmykia and Dagestan. It should be noted that because of the hostilities in Chechnya, the population of this republic has almost halved (from 1,079,000 in 1994 to 610,000 at the beginning of 2001).
Table 1
Population (end-of-year estimate; thousand people).
| 1990 | 1995 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | |
| The Russian Federation | 148274 | 148292 | 146304 | 145649 | 144964 | 144168 | 143474 | 142754 | 142221 |
| Southern federal district |
21018 | 22455 | 22762 | 22853 | 22892 | 22850 | 22821 | 22790 | 22777 |
| Republic of Adygea | 437 | 450 | 447 | 446 | 447 | 445 | 445 | 443 | 441 |
| The Republic of Dagestan | 1875 | 2218 | 2486 | 2536 | 2581 | 2602 | 2622 | 2641 | 2659 |
| The Republic of Ingushetia | 192 | 282 | 446 | 456 | 469 | 476 | 482 | 487 | 493 |
| 781 | 835 | 887 | 894 | 901 | 899 | 897 | 894 | 891 | |
| Republic of Kalmykia | 327 | 315 | 307 | 298 | 292 | 291 | 290 | 289 | 287 |
| 425 | 438 | 441 | 440 | 439 | 437 | 435 | 431 | 429 | |
| 652 | 677 | 704 | 709 | 710 | 707 | 704 | 702 | 701 | |
| Chechen Republic | 1172 | 1225 | 997 | 1073 | 1105 | 1121 | 1141 | 1163 | 1184 |
| Krasnodar region | 4691 | 5076 | 5133 | 5132 | 5120 | 5106 | 5100 | 5096 | 5101 |
| Stavropol region | 2478 | 2691 | 2741 | 2736 | 2733 | 2726 | 2718 | 2710 | 2701 |
| Astrakhan region | 1001 | 1019 | 1009 | 1006 | 1005 | 1001 | 998 | 994 | 994 |
| Volgograd region | 2642 | 2738 | 2725 | 2710 | 2694 | 2673 | 2655 | 2636 | 2620 |
| Rostov region | 4345 | 4491 | 4439 | 4417 | 4396 | 4366 | 4334 | 4304 | 4276 |
The largest cities of the Southern Federal District are Rostov-on-Don, Volgograd, Krasnodar, Astrakhan, Stavropol, Sochi, Makhachkala, Vladikavkaz. The number of other cities does not exceed 300 thousand people. Rostov-on-Don is a millionaire city (1,058,000 people). In total, there are 132 cities in the district.
The network of urban settlements is represented mainly by medium and small towns. Share of urban population in 1990-2006 presented in table. 2.
Rural settlements (villages) located in steppe zone, as a rule, are large in territory and population. They sometimes stretch for several kilometers and can have up to 25-30 thousand inhabitants. Mountainous areas are characterized by small and medium-sized settlements.
table 2
Share of the urban population in the total population (estimated at the end of the year; in percent).
| 1990 | 1995 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | |
| The Russian Federation | 73,8 | 73,0 | 73,2 | 73,3 | 73,3 | 73,4 | 73,0 | 72,9 | 73,0 |
| Southern federal district |
60,0 | 58,1 | 57,6 | 57,5 | 57,5 | 57,5 | 57,1 | 57,0 | 56,9 |
| Republic of Adygea | 52,5 | 53,3 | 52,8 | 52,7 | 52,6 | 52,6 | 52,6 | 52,6 | 52,5 |
| The Republic of Dagestan | 44,0 | 43,4 | 42,4 | 42,6 | 42,8 | 42,8 | 42,7 | 42,7 | 42,6 |
| The Republic of Ingushetia | 27,8 | 41,8 | 42,6 | 42,6 | 42,4 | 42,5 | 42,6 | 42,7 | 42,9 |
| Kabardino-Balkarian Republic | 61,0 | 57,2 | 56,6 | 56,6 | 56,6 | 58,8 | 58,9 | 58,5 | 58,5 |
| Republic of Kalmykia | 46,0 | 38,7 | 43,0 | 43,7 | 44,3 | 44,4 | 44,2 | 44,2 | 44,2 |
| Karachay-Cherkess Republic | 49,1 | 45,7 | 43,9 | 43,9 | 44,1 | 44,1 | 44,1 | 44,1 | 44,0 |
| Republic of North Ossetia - Alania | 69,1 | 69,0 | 66,2 | 65,7 | 65,4 | 65,4 | 65,4 | 64,7 | 64,6 |
| Chechen Republic | 47,8 | 38,6 | 33,5 | 33,8 | 33,7 | 33,7 | 34,0 | 34,3 | 34,4 |
| Krasnodar region | 54,3 | 54,2 | 53,5 | 53,5 | 53,5 | 53,5 | 52,7 | 52,6 | 52,6 |
| Stavropol region | 54,0 | 54,0 | 55,9 | 55,9 | 56,0 | 56,1 | 56,2 | 56,4 | 56,5 |
| Astrakhan region | 68,2 | 67,6 | 67,9 | 67,6 | 67,7 | 67,7 | 67,0 | 67,0 | 66,0 |
| Volgograd region | 75,8 | 74,5 | 74,9 | 75,1 | 75,2 | 75,2 | 75,3 | 75,4 | 75,3 |
| Rostov region | 71,1 | 67,9 | 67,6 | 67,6 | 67,6 | 67,6 | 66,7 | 66,8 | 66,8 |
Foreign economic relations
The Southern Federal District occupies a key economic and geographical position and is strategically important for Russia. As a border region, it ensures Russia's access to the states of the Transcaucasus, the Black Sea and the Caspian basins in order to establish stable interstate relations and consolidate Russia's economic and political positions in these regions.
The accession to the Southern Federal District of the Astrakhan and Volgograd regions, which were traditionally regions of the Volga region and were part of the North Caucasian Military District, made it possible to significantly increase the territory of the Southern Federal District in the northern direction, strengthen the Russian-speaking component and economic parameters of the district due to the industrially developed and economically stable Lower Volga subjects of the Russian Federation.
Located at the intersection of important land, sea, and air communications between the countries of the two continents and having a fairly developed transport infrastructure and an economic diversified complex, the region has a good opportunity to strengthen the country's economy through the organization of transit through its territory of international transport flows, as well as the activation of other forms of VEO .
The northwestern part of the Caspian Sea, as component region, has favorable conditions for the development of international transport communications that can provide communication along the shortest route European countries with the countries of the Near and Middle East, India and China.
About 70% of the total foreign trade turnover of the country is carried out through the southern seaports. Large reserves of hydrocarbon raw materials are concentrated in this region, the development of which should be carried out within the framework of international cooperation.
The unsatisfactory state of the infrastructure for the development of Russia's foreign economic relations is a significant obstacle to inclusion in the MRT, respectively, and to the implementation of the strategy of the FEO of the country and its constituent regions.
The southern macroregion acts as a link between the countries of Transcaucasia, Eastern Europe and Asia, its borders run along three seas. International and interregional economic cooperation within the framework of this district provides an exceptional chance for integration into the world economy.
Foreign trade and commodity structure of exports and imports of the Southern Federal District are presented in the Appendix.
The given economic and geographical characteristics of the Southern Federal District shows that the location and resource availability of this region can really help the development of the Russian economy. But in the Southern District there are many problems that hinder the economic development of the region, and this does not allow it to make a more significant contribution to the revival of the Russian economy.
Table 4 - Countries Northern Europe
Northern Europe has a favorable economic and geographical position, which is determined by the following traits : demarcation of the countries of the region into Western and Eastern Europe; access to the seas Atlantic Ocean: Baltic, Northern, Norwegian and two seas of the Arctic Ocean - Greenland and Barents; location at the intersection of important sea and air routes from Europe to North America; land proximity to Russia, which offers the prospect of close contacts and a huge sales market, as well as maritime proximity to the Baltic countries, influence their political and economic situation; neighborhood on the southern borders with highly developed EU countries (three countries of the region - Denmark, Sweden and Finland - are members of the EU).
AT historical development, geographical location, language and culture of the peoples of the Nordic countries have many similar features. All countries are members UN: Denmark, Iceland, Norway - members of NATO; Since 1814, Sweden has adhered to the principle of non-participation (neutrality) in military-political blocs and military conflicts in foreign policy.
Natural conditions and resources. most characteristic feature of the geographical location of the Nordic countries is their location near the sea, which greatly influenced both the nature and the economy of the region. Most of Finnoscandinavia (the area that covers the Scandinavian Peninsula and Finland) is located within the Baltic Shield, so fuel minerals there is no. Stocks oil offshore North Sea(Norwegian sector) - 1.2 billion tons, natural gas - 1995 billion m 3. Finland has significant peat reserves (25 million tons). Sweden belongs to the most wealthy raw uranium countries in Europe. The crystalline rocks of the Baltic Shield are rich in iron ore with iron content from 25 to 40% (Sweden), copper and lead (Finland).
Mountain rivers are the source hydropower resources . The countries of the region are well off fresh water. The great wealth that is called "green gold" here is forest. Natural and recreational resources very peculiar, especially in Iceland - a country of geysers and active volcanoes, located near the Arctic Circle. Features of the natural resource potential of the Nordic countries led to the development of industries of international specialization in them, in particular those related to the use of marine (shipbuilding, fish processing), forestry (timber processing, pulp and paper industry), mineral resources(fuel and energy, metallurgical industries).
Population.
By peculiarities of population reproduction countries of the region belong to the 1st type. Growth rates of the population are positive, but minimal: from 0.2% (in Denmark) and 0.3% (in Finland) to 1.1% (in Iceland). The region has one of the highest in the world life expectancy : in Sweden - 73 years (men) and 79 years (women), in Iceland - 76 years (men) and 81 years (women). The proportion of children in the total population is constantly decreasing (19%), while the proportion of older people is increasing (16%). In terms of number, women predominate over men (51 and 49%, respectively). The peoples of northern Europe mostly belong to the northern group of the big caucasian race . In the north of Scandinavia, in Lapland, the Saami live, who are classified as transitional. laponoid race, which absorbed elements of the Caucasoid and Mongoloid races.
Ethnic composition largely homogeneous. The inhabitants of the region belong to two large language families - Indo-European and Uralic. By religious signs all countries belong to the Protestant branch of Christianity, dominated by Lutheranism. Traditionally, religion has a significant impact on social and political life, since the countries of Northern Europe belong to the clerical, and only citizens of the Protestant faith are entitled to hold public positions in them.
Population placement extremely uneven, which is primarily due to the natural conditions of the region. The average population density is the lowest in Europe - from 10 to 5 people / km 2. Northern Europe - urbanized region , the proportion of the urban population ranges from 63% in Finland to 92% in Iceland. Human Resources make up over 13 million people. The labor resources of the Nordic countries are traditionally characterized by a high level of education and vocational training. Accordingly, the cost work force pretty high.
Features of economic development and general characteristics of the economy.
The Nordic countries are one of the most economically developed in the world. They formed a special model of socio-economic development (“general welfare society”, the so-called “Scandinavian socialism”), defined by the following traits : high standard of living, lack of sharp contrasts between rich and poor; a significant level of taxes (55% of profits); the average housing area is 400 m 2, Sweden ranks 1st in the world in terms of housing per capita (445 apartments for every 1000 people); 504 cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2 cars per family), up to 500 televisions and 681 telephones; high social security: officially the duration of the working week is 40 hours, in practice the average is 37 hours, paid leave is 5 weeks, expenses for children under 16 are paid, loans are provided for apartments.
Highly developed healthcare system: there are an average of 25 doctors per 10,000 people. Low unemployment, which averages 5.3% in the region. The countries of Northern Europe account for about 1% of the population and 3% of the GDP and industrial output of developed countries, but in terms of GDP per capita, they belong to the 15 most developed countries in the world. All countries in the region have a positive increase in production (from 4.8% per year in Finland to 0.7% in Norway) and insignificant indicators of average annual inflation. The Scandinavian countries have a very high standard of living.
With a relatively small population, the Nordic countries differ high level industrial development and intensive agriculture. Industry structure their national economies are fully consistent with the modern structure of the economy of other highly developed countries (the share of agriculture and mining in the structure of GNP is from 2 to 4%, only in Iceland it reaches 15% due to the intensive development of fishing and sheep breeding); manufacturing and construction on average for the region account for 28% of GNP; the service sector - 67%, since a shift took place in the structure of the GNP of the Nordic countries, similar to structural changes in the world economy in general: the share of the service sector in the GNP increased, the share of agriculture decreased, and the importance of the latest high-tech industries increased. The share of R&D expenditures in the structure of GDP is constantly increasing and amounts to 3.3% in Sweden, 2.4% in Finland, 1.8% in Denmark and Norway, and 1.4% in Iceland. Sweden has become the world leader in recent years in terms of the share of R&D spending in GDP, ahead of the US (2.5%) and Japan (2.7%), while Finland ranked fifth.
AT MGRT countries of the region represented by individual sectors of the fuel and energy complex (oil and hydropower), non-ferrous metallurgy; aluminum, copper, mechanical engineering (production of ships, automobiles, electrical products and communications), a highly developed timber industry complex (production of lumber, cellulose, paper), food industries (fish processing, meat processing, dairy and butter and cheese).
AT agriculture Intensive animal husbandry predominates (dairy and beef cattle breeding and pig breeding). In areas located beyond the Arctic Circle, reindeer are bred, and in Iceland and the Faroe Islands, sheep. Agriculture (mainly in the southern regions of the region) is represented by fodder crops; potatoes, sugar beets, wheat, barley and rye are grown. Fishing and maritime merchant shipping have long been of great importance in the life of countries.
Industry.
The countries of the region are dominated by manufacturing industry with a significant share of the power industry, the extraction of minerals and the development of forests (except for Denmark and Iceland). In the global division of labor, the main branches of specialization are energy, metallurgy, timber processing, and mechanical engineering.
Agriculture- one of the most productive sectors of the economy of the countries of the region. Agricultural labor productivity high in all countries. According to statistics, one Danish farmer can feed 150 people (American and English - 60, German and French - up to 40 people). In the region's agriculture, there is a pronounced livestock direction, which accounts for 70-80% of agricultural production. crop production is of secondary importance.
Transport.
The countries of the region and their regions are interconnected (except for Iceland) by all means of transport, which form a complex transport network. Sea transport - main in the region. Railway transport ranks 2nd in terms of cargo turnover and plays a major role in domestic long-distance transport in Sweden and Finland.
Lake transport developed in Sweden and Finland, where the lakes are connected by canals and have access to the sea. Motor transport creates significant competition for rail transport. Air Transport developed, in international air transportation an important role is played by CAC - the association of airlines of the Scandinavian countries. Directly from North Sea offshore platforms underwater pipelines oil is transported to the UK and natural gas to Germany.
The countries of the region are quite active subjects foreign economic relations. They work out 2 % industrial products of developed countries and give 5% of their exports. The main trading partners are the countries of the European Union and the USA. The foreign economic interests of the countries of the region also reach Ukraine: significant volumes of its exports go to Finland and Sweden. Norway and Denmark, and the largest amount of imports to Ukraine - from Finland, Denmark, Sweden. Nordic countries have significant development resources tourist and recreational activities .
Southern Europe includes 8 countries and one dependent territory - Gibraltar (possession of Great Britain) (table). feature region is the location here of the smallest state-city of the Vatican, whose territory is 44 hectares, and the oldest republic in the world - San Marino
Table 5 - Countries of Southern Europe
| The country | Capital | Area, thousand km | Population, million people / km 2 | Population density, persons / km 2 | GNP per capita, USD (2000) |
| Andorra | Andorra la Vella | 0,467 | 0,07 | ||
| Vatican | Vatican | 0,00044 | 0,001 | - | |
| Greece | Athens | 132,0 | 10,4 | ||
| Gibraltar (UK) | Gibraltar | 0,006 | 0,03 | ||
| Spain | Madrid | 504,7 | 39,2 | ||
| Italy | Rome | 301,3 | 57,2 | ||
| Malta | Valletta | 0,3 | 0,37 | ||
| Portugal | Lisbon | 92,3 | 10,8 | ||
| San Marino | San Marino | 0,061 | 0,027 | ||
| Total | 1031,1 | 118,1 | Medium - 115 | Medium - 175000 |
important feature of the economic and geographical position of the countries of Southern Europe , located on the peninsulas and islands of the Mediterranean Sea, is that they are all on the main sea routes from Europe to Asia, Africa and Australia, and Spain and Portugal - also to Central and South America. All this since the time of the great geographical discoveries affected the development of the region, the life of the countries of which is closely connected with the sea. No less significant is the fact that the region is located between Central Europe and the Arab countries. North Africa who have multilateral ties with Europe. The former metropolises of Portugal, Italy and Spain still retain influence on some African countries. All countries (except the Vatican) are members of the UN, the OECD, and the largest are members of NATO and the European Union. Malta is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations led by Great Britain.
Natural conditions and resources.
The region is located on the Mediterranean peninsulas- Iberian, Apennine and Balkan. Only Italy is part of mainland Europe. The Mediterranean Sea largely determined the similarities natural conditions region. There is an acute shortage of fuel in the region useful fossils. There is almost no oil here, very little natural gas and coal. However, the rich are deposits of various metals, especially colored ones: bauxite(Greece belongs to the top three European leaders), mercury, copper, polymetals(Spain, Italy), tungsten(Portugal). Huge reserves building materials - marble, tufa, granite, cement raw materials, clay.
underdeveloped in southern European countries river network. Large arrays forests survived only in the Pyrenees and the Alps. The average forest cover of the region is 32%. Natural and recreational resources are extremely rich. This is warm seas, many kilometers of sandy beaches, lush vegetation, picturesque landscapes, numerous sea and mountain resorts, as well as areas favorable for mountaineering and skiing, etc. There are 14 national parks in the region. The unique natural resource potential of the region has contributed to the significant development of the agricultural sector and tourism and recreational activities in its countries.
Population.
Traditionally, Southern Europe is characterized by a high birth rate, but the natural population growth is low: from 0.1% per year in Italy to 0.4-0.5% in Greece, Portugal and 0.8% in Malta. Women account for 51% of the region's population. The majority of the population belongs to the southern (Mediterranean) branch of e caucasoid race. During the era of the Roman Empire, most of them were Romanized, and now peoples belonging to the Roman group predominate here. Indo-European language family (Portuguese, Spaniards, Galicians, Catalans, Italians, Sardinians, Romansh). Exception are: Greeks(Greek group of the Indo-European family); Albanians(Albanian group of the Indo-European family), represented in Italy; Gibraltar (Germanic group of the Indo-European family); Maltese(Semitic group of the Semitic-Hamitic language family).
Consider that Maltese is a dialectal form of Arabic; Turks(Turkic group of the Altaic language family) - there are many of them in Greece; Basques(in the rank of a separate family) - live in the historical region of the Basque Country in northern Spain. Composition of the population in the countries of the region is mostly homogeneous. High indicators of mono-ethnicity characteristic of Portugal (99.5% - Portuguese), Italy and Greece (98% of Italians and Greeks, respectively), and only in Spain a significant weight (almost 30%) of national minorities: Catalans (18%), Galicians (8%), Basques (2.5%), etc. Most of the population - Christians . Christianity is represented by two branches: Catholicism(west and center of the region); Orthodoxy(East of the region, Greece). In Southern Europe is the spiritual and administrative center of the Roman catholic church- The Vatican, which exists IV Art. Part of the Turks, Albanians, Greeks - Muslims.
Population posted uneven. highest density- in fertile valleys and coastal lowlands, the smallest - in the mountains (Alps, Pyrenees), in some areas up to 1 person / km 2. Level urbanization in the region is much lower than in other parts of Europe: only in Spain and Malta, up to 90% of the population lives in cities, and, for example, in Greece and Italy - more than 60%, in Portugal - 36%. Human Resources make up about 51 million people. In general, 30% of the active population is employed in industry, 15% - in agriculture, 53% - in service industry. AT recent times In Southern Europe, for the fruit and vegetable harvest season, there are many employees from Eastern and South-Eastern Europe who cannot find work in their own countries.
Features of economic development and general characteristics of the economy.
The countries of the region still lag economically behind the highly developed states of Europe. Although Portugal, Spain, Greece and Italy are members of the EU, but all of them, except Italy, lag behind the leaders in many socio-economic indicators. Italy is the economic leader of the region, belongs to highly developed industrial and agricultural countries, with a clear trend of formation post-industrial type economy. At the same time, contrasts in the development of many industries and production are still significant in the country, in social sphere, in the socio-economic conditions of the North and South.
Italy lags behind many highly developed countries in terms of scientific and technological development. Outstripping some countries of Western Europe in terms of net income from tourism, it is inferior to them in terms of the scale and intensity of international trade and credit and financial transactions. Spain. It is the second country in the region in terms of socio-economic development. In the Spanish economy, a significant role is played by the public sector, which accounts for up to 30% of the country's GDP. The state carries out economic programming, controls railways, coal industry, a significant part of shipbuilding and ferrous metallurgy.
In the second half of the 80s. XX century. Portugal experienced significant economic growth. The average GDP growth during this period was one of the highest in the EU and amounted to 4.5-4.8% per year, in 2000 the GNP was 159 billion dollars. Greece has a larger GNP than Portugal (181.9 billion in 2000). The country's industry is significantly monopolized by large local and foreign capital (mainly the United States, Germany, France and Switzerland). Up to 200 companies receive over 50% of all profits. Greece has rather high inflation rates for EU countries (3.4% per year). Government measures to reduce it (reduction government subsidies, freezing wages, etc.) predetermine social instability.
AT MGRT countries of the region are represented certain branches of mechanical engineering (production of automobiles, household appliances, technological equipment for the light and food industries), the furniture industry, the production of building products and equipment, light industries (fruit and vegetable canning, oilseeds - the production of olive oil, winemaking, pasta, etc.). Agriculture is dominated by branches of agriculture - the cultivation of a variety of subtropical crops: citrus fruits, wood oils, grapes, vegetables, fruits, essential oil plants, etc.
Due to the insufficient forage base, livestock breeding is dominated by sheep breeding and, in small volumes, beef cattle breeding. The countries of the region are actively developing merchant shipping and ship repair. They are the undisputed leaders in the development of international tourism. Warm sea, Mediterranean climate, rich subtropical vegetation, numerous monuments ancient culture and architecture are the main factors due to which Southern Europe is a favorite place for recreation and entertainment for many holidaymakers in the world, the largest tourist center.
5. General characteristics of the countries of Eastern (Central) Europe
The countries of Eastern (Central) Europe as a socio-political and economic integrity began to single out in the 90s of the XX century. It has to do with the collapse former USSR and the socialist system, the formation of independent states. The region covers 10 countries (Table 6).
The economic and geographical position of Eastern Europe is distinguished by the following features:
Land surveying in the west with highly developed countries, and in the east and southeast - with Russia and the countries of Southeast Europe - potential markets for Eastern Europe;
Passage through the region of trans-European transport routes of the meridional and latitudinal directions.
Over the past 10 years in EGP(economic and geographical position) of the region, the following changes:
The collapse of the USSR, the formation of the CIS and new countries;
German unification;
The collapse of Czechoslovakia, as a result of which two independent states were formed: the Czech Republic and Slovakia;
The appearance on the southern borders of "unstable" in relation to the military-political state of the neighbors - the Balkan countries, Yugoslavia.
Key terms and concepts
Southern Federal District, its place in the country's economy Factors of regional development Sectoral and territorial structure of the economy Interregional Relations and Foreign Economic Activity Contemporary Issues and development prospects
Composition, features of the economic and geographical position, place in the country's economy
The Southern Federal District unites six constituent entities of the Russian Federation: two republics, one territory and three regions. In terms of the size of the occupied area (2.5% of the country's territory), it is in the penultimate place among all the federal districts of Russia (see Fig. 1.1, Appendix 2).
The Southern Federal District is located in the European part of Russia, its administrative center is Rostov-on-Don. The district occupies the southern part of the East European Plain, the north-west of the Caspian Lowland and the western part of the Bolshoy Caucasian ridge. In the north it borders on the Central and Volga federal districts, in the south - on Abkhazia and the North Caucasus Federal District. In the west it has land and sea borders with Ukraine, in the east - with Kazakhstan. In the west, the district is bounded by the Azov and Black Seas, in the east by the Caspian Sea.
The Okrug has an outstanding EGP on the scale of Eurasia, due to the presence of the Volga-Caspian route from North and Central Europe to the countries of Central and South Asia, as well as the presence of the Trans-Siberian-Black Sea route connecting the countries of the Asia-Pacific Region (China, Korea, Japan) with the countries of the Mediterranean basin. The unique transport and transit potential of the Southern Federal District is an important factor its economic development.
The level of socio-economic development of the Southern Federal District is characterized by indicators specific gravity districts in all-Russian socio-economic indicators (Table 10.5). The district has a high population density and ranks third in the country according to this indicator. About 10% of the population lives on an area of 2.5% of the country's territory. The gross regional product of the district is 6% of the total Russian volume. Its contribution to the country's agricultural production is significant - 16% due to favorable climatic conditions and the presence of fertile soils. Construction, manufacturing and energy industries are actively developing in the region. The Southern Federal District has a favorable investment climate; investments in fixed assets account for almost 10% of the total Russian volumes.
Natural conditions and natural resource potential
The climate of the macroregion is very diverse and is largely determined by the features of the relief: the flat steppe north and the elevated foothills, stretching from the northwest to the southeast. Most of the flat territory lies in the steppe zone between the Don and Kuma rivers with fertile chernozem and chestnut soils; to the east, the steppes pass into semi-deserts and deserts. The Black Sea region is characterized by mild rainy winters with average monthly air temperatures of +2–8°С and very warm summers with temperatures of +20–24°С. The climate of the eastern part of the district is sharply continental. The average January temperatures are -7–9°С in the central part to -10–12°С in the north of the district, where the minimum January temperature reaches -37°С. Average temperatures in July are +23.5–25.5°С. The absolute maximum temperature in hot years reaches +45°С.
Annual precipitation increases from 600–700 mm in the north to 1500–1600 mm in the south of the Black Sea region.
In Kalmykia and the Astrakhan region, the average annual precipitation ranges from 170 to 250 mm.
Table 10.5
The share of the Southern Federal District in the all-Russian socio-economic indicators (2012)
|
Indicator |
Specific weight, % |
Place among federal districts |
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Territory |
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Population |
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Number of people employed in the economy |
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Gross regional product |
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Fixed assets |
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The volume of shipped goods of own production: |
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mining |
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manufacturing industries |
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production and distribution of electricity, gas and water |
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Agricultural products |
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Construction |
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Investments in fixed assets |
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The population of Western Europe is over 300 million people.
The majority of the population belongs to the Indo-European language family, and the north of the region is inhabited by representatives of the Germanic language group(Germans, Dutch, Swedes, British, etc.), and the south - the Romanesque group (Italians, French, Spaniards, etc.).
In all countries of Western Europe, Christianity remains the dominant religion, while in the northern countries Protestantism prevails, in the southern -.
The demographic situation is characterized by low and low (in some countries it is zero or negative), the general trend is "aging" of the population. In recent years, the decline in natural growth has been especially pronounced in Germany, Italy, Greece, and Spain.
Currently, Western Europe is a region of labor emigration from the countries of North, Central America, and. Main countries of emigration: France, Great Britain, .
Western Europe is the most urbanized region in the world. The share of the urban population in the UK, the Netherlands exceeds 80%. characteristic feature Western Europe can be called the concentration of population in big cities. There are about 40 cities - millionaires. The largest urban agglomerations are London, Paris, Rhine-Ruhr.
Western Europe is the center. It occupies a leading position in terms of industrial and production volumes. About 1/3 of all industrial products are produced here. In world trade, it accounts for about half of the total trade turnover.
The economic power of the region is determined by four countries: Germany, France, Great Britain and Germany has a leading position among them. Among other countries of Western Europe, they have significant weight. , Switzerland, Belgium, Sweden.
Western Europe is the largest financial center in the world, and the role of "financial capitals" is played by London and Zurich.
The 90s of the XX century were marked by the emergence in Western Europe of a single economic space consisting of twenty countries and seven countries of the European Free Trade Association, which is currently contributing to even more intensive development of the economy.
The "face" of Western Europe in the international world is industry, and first of all its leading industry -. This branch accounts for about 1/3 of the value of all industrial products. Mechanical engineering of Western Europe represented by many sub-sectors. Almost all types of machine-building products are produced here, the production of machine tools, optics, electrical engineering and radio electronics, and automobiles stands out in particular.
The focus on the scientific base and infrastructure has led to the fact that this industry is located mainly in major cities and agglomerations. At the same time, mechanical engineering is represented in almost all large cities, so there were no pronounced territorial nodes.
Western Europe remains the leader in The main producer of chemical products is Germany. Many countries have a clear specialization in this industry: Germany - the production of dyes and plastics, France - synthetic rubber, Belgium - mineral fertilizers, Switzerland - pharmaceuticals.
Changes have recently taken place in the placement related to its reorientation to hydrocarbon raw materials (and gas) imported from developing countries by sea. Therefore, large petrochemical plants arose at the mouths of the Thames, Seine, Rhine,. The largest plants have been built in Rotterdam and Marseilles. Old chemical enterprises are located in the areas of extraction of potassium salts, stone and. (Germany, France).
The fuel and energy industry in Western Europe is based on oil and gas, both domestic and imported, and coal. The share of coal in the fuel and energy balance is very large, but tends to decrease. On oil, gas and coal thermal power plants, the share of which is especially significant in Germany, in the UK, the Netherlands. The role of hydroelectric power plants especially in the century in Norway, Sweden, Switzerland; Nuclear power plants - in France, Belgium, Great Britain, Germany.
Metallurgy is one of the oldest industries in the West. The oldest metallurgical base was formed in countries with coking coal reserves or. Germany, France, Great Britain, Spain, Belgium are the main producers of ferrous metals. In the second half of the 20th century, metallurgical plants began to focus on the import of iron ore and scrap metal, which led to the placement of enterprises near seaports (combines in Taronto in Italy). It is represented primarily by aluminum smelting, which is produced in bauxite mining areas (France, Italy,), as well as the generation of cheap electricity (, Switzerland, Germany,). most developed in Germany, France, Great Britain, Belgium, Italy.
industry is a branch of specialization in Sweden and Finland.
The traditional branch of Western Europe -. An important role is played by the old textile regions in Great Britain, France, Belgium, and Italy. The clothing industry is developed in most Western European countries (especially in Portugal and France), the shoe industry is in Italy and Spain.
Characteristic features of the industry of Western Europe is the specialization of some countries in the production of certain types of products: - Switzerland, perfumery - France, etc.
The rural economy of the countries of Western Europe is highly marketable and fully meets the needs of the population in food products, and also allows you to export your products.
In accordance with the natural and historical conditions in Western Europe, three types of agriculture have developed.
Northern European type - Scandinavia, Great Britain - Predominance of intensive dairy cattle breeding. Crop production for growing fodder crops and gray bread.
Central European type - Central Europe- The predominance of dairy and meat cattle breeding, pig breeding, poultry farming. Crop production is focused on the main food and fodder crops.
South European type - Mediterranean - Predominance: grain farming, viticulture, horticulture (citrus fruits, fruits), as well as the cultivation of olives, almonds, tobacco, essential oil crops.
The system in Western Europe is well developed. In terms of providing a transport network, Western Europe ranks first in the world. Characteristic features of the Western European regional transport system:
- density and complex configuration of the transport network;
- small transportation distance;
- high share of international and transit traffic;
- an increase in the share of automobiles and a decrease in the share of railways;
- the existence of large transport hubs, incl. maritime, port-industrial complexes (London, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Le Havre);
- great importance of river routes (Rhine, Danube);
- development of ferry service (, Northern and).
The following main elements stand out in the territorial structure of the economy and settlement of Western Europe.
Highly developed areas included in the "Central Axis of Development", where the latest industries are concentrated: Greater London, Greater Paris, the Southern Region of Germany (with centers and), the "industrial triangle" of Italy (Milan - Turin-Genoa).
Old industrial areas with a predominance of old basic industries that arose mainly on the basis of the basins: the Ruhr in Germany; Lancashire, Yorkshire, South Wales in the UK; Alsace and Lorraine in France.
Backward agricultural regions: southern Italy, western France, central and southwestern Spain, Greece.
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The average population density is 115 people/km2.
The region is located on the Mediterranean peninsulas - the Iberian, Apennine and Balkan. EGP features:
1) the countries are located on the main sea routes from Europe to Asia, Africa and Australia, and Spain and Portugal - also to Central and South America, which affected the development of the region.
2) The location between Central Europe and the Arab countries of North Africa, which have multilateral ties with Europe.
All countries (except the Vatican) are members of the UN, the OECD, and the largest are members of NATO and the European Union. Malta is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations led by Great Britain.
Natural conditions and resources. The Mediterranean Sea largely determined the similarity of the natural conditions of the region.
The lack of fuel p.i. There is almost no oil here, very little natural gas and coal. Non-ferrous metals: Al (Greece belongs to the top three European leaders), mercury, Cu, polymetals (Spain, Italy), tungsten (Portugal). Huge stocks of building materials - marble, tuff, granite, cement raw materials, clay.
In the southern European countries, the river network is underdeveloped.
Large tracts of forests have survived only in the Pyrenees and the Alps. The average forest cover of the region is 32%.
Natural and recreational resources: warm seas, many kilometers of sandy beaches, lush vegetation, picturesque landscapes, numerous sea and mountain resorts, as well as areas favorable for mountaineering and skiing, etc. Population. Traditionally, Southern Europe is characterized by a high birth rate, but the natural population growth is low: from 0.1% per year in Italy to 0.4-0.5% in Greece, Portugal and 0.8% in Malta. Women account for 51% of the region's population.
Peoples: belonging to the Romance group of the Indo-European language family - the Portuguese, Spaniards, Galicians, Catalans, Italians, Sardinians, Romansh; Greeks (Greek group of the Indo-European family); Albanians (Albanian group of the Indo-European family); Maltese (Semitic group of the Semitic-Hamitic language family); Turks (Turkic group of the Altaic language family); Basques (in the rank of a separate family). The composition of the population in the countries of the region is predominantly homogeneous. High rates of mono-ethnicity are characteristic of Portugal (99.5% - Portuguese), Italy and Greece (98% of Italians and Greeks, respectively), and only in Spain a significant proportion (almost 30%) of national minorities: Catalans (18%), Galicians ( 8%), Basques (2.5%), etc.
Religion: Catholic Christians (Z and C), Orthodoxy (V).
Placement of the population. The highest density - in fertile valleys and coastal lowlands, the lowest - in the mountains (Alps, Pyrenees), in some areas up to 1 person / km2.
The level of urbanization in the region is much lower than in other parts of Europe: only in Spain and Malta, up to 90% of the population lives in cities, and, for example, in Greece and Italy - more than 60%, in Portugal - 36%.
The active population is about 51 million people. In general, 30% of the active population is employed in industry, 15% in agriculture, and 53% in the service sector.
Features of economic development and. The countries of the region still lag economically behind the highly developed states of Europe. Although Portugal, Spain, Greece and Italy are members of the EU, but all of them, except Italy, lag behind the leaders in many socio-economic indicators. Italy is the economic leader of the region, belongs to highly developed industrial and agricultural countries, with a clear trend towards the formation of a post-industrial type of economy. At the same time, contrasts in the development of many industries and production, in the social sphere, in the socio-economic conditions of the North and South, are still significant in the country. Italy lags behind many highly developed countries in terms of scientific and technological development. Outstripping some countries of Western Europe in terms of net income from tourism, it is inferior to them in terms of the scale and intensity of international trade and credit and financial transactions. Spain. It is the second country in the region in terms of socio-economic development. In the Spanish economy, a significant role is played by the public sector, which accounts for up to 30% of the country's GDP. The state carries out economic programming, controls the railways, the coal industry, a significant part of shipbuilding and ferrous metallurgy. In the second half of the 80s. XX Art. Portugal experienced a significant economic recovery. The average GDP growth during this period was one of the highest in the EU and amounted to 4.5-4.8% per year, in 2000 the GNP was 159 billion dollars. Greece has a larger GNP than Portugal (181.9 billion . in 2000). The country's industry is significantly monopolized by large local and foreign capital (mainly the United States, Germany, France and Switzerland). Up to 200 companies receive over 50% of all profits. Greece has rather high inflation rates for EU countries (3.4% per year). Government measures to reduce it (cutting state subsidies, freezing wages, etc.) predetermine social instability.
Economy.
‒ mechanical engineering (production of automobiles, household appliances, technological equipment for light and food industries)
‒ furniture industry
‒ production of building products and equipment
- light industry (fruit and vegetable canning, oilseeds - production of olive oil, winemaking, pasta, etc.)
- agriculture: farming - growing a variety of subtropical crops: citrus fruits, wood oils, grapes, vegetables, fruits, essential oil plants, etc.
‒ animal husbandry - sheep breeding and, in small volumes, beef cattle breeding
‒ merchant shipping and ship repair