From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Central economic region (Russian: Центра́льный экономи́ческий райо́н, Tsentralny ekonomichesky rayon) is one of twelve economic regions of Russia.

Area: 484,000 km²; population: 30.5 million (2002 Census). Average population density—63/km². Over 80% of the population is urban.

Central economic region is located in the central portion of the European part of Russia. A great number of automobile and railroads intersect on the territory of this region.

This flat, rolling country, with Moscow as its center, forms a major industrial region. Besides Moscow, major cities include Nizhny Novgorod, Smolensk, Yaroslavl, Vladimir, Tula, Dzerzhinsk, and Rybinsk. Trucks, ships, railway rolling stock, machine tools, electronic equipment, cotton and woolen textiles, and chemicals are the principal industrial products. The Volga and Oka Rivers are the major water routes, and the Moscow–Volga and Don–Volga]] canals link Moscow with the Caspian and Baltic Seas. Many rail lines serve the area^[1].

Contents 1 Composition 2 Economy 3 Socio-economic indicators 4 Natural resources 5 References

Central economic region comprises the following federal subjects:

• Bryansk Oblast
• Ivanovo Oblast
• Kaluga Oblast
• Kostroma Oblast
• Moscow Oblast
• Oryol Oblast
• Ryazan Oblast
• Smolensk Oblast
• Tula Oblast
• Tver Oblast
• Vladimir Oblast
• Yaroslavl Oblast
• Federal city of Moscow

Central economic region specializes in machine building, chemical and textile industries. Long-fibered flax, potatoes, and vegetables are the most typical of the region's agriculture. Cattle breeding for milking is also common.

The machine building industry is mostly science-intensive. Instrument-making, radio, electrotechnic, and electronic production prevail. Companies manufacturing metal-working machines and instruments, steam boilers, turbines, current generators, and electric motors are concentrated in this region.

Cities of Bryansk, Moscow, and Serpukhov are the centers of car-building industry. Trains and train cars are manufactured in Kolomna, Lyudinovo, and Murom. Rybinsk is a shipbuilding center of the region. Tractors and other agricultural machinery are produced in Bezhetsk, Lyubertsy, Ryazan, Tula, and Vladimir.

Chemical industry includes the production of synthetic plastics (in Moscow, Novomoskovsk, Orekhovo-Zuyevo, Vladimir), chemical fibers (in Klin, Ryazan, Tver), rubber resin and tires (in Moscow, Yaroslavl, Yefremov), and fertilizers (in Dorgobuzh, Novomoskovsk, Polpino, Shchyokino, Voskresensk).

Textile industry is the traditional industry of the region. Most of the production is concentrated in Ivanovo, Kostroma, and Moscow Oblasts, manufacturing a wide variety of fabrics.

While the region imports most of the raw metals, metallurgy is still somewhat developed. There are metallurgical plants in Elektrostal, Moscow, and in Tula Oblast.

Electric power is generated by fossil fuels and nuclear power plants. Fossil fuel (oil, natural gas, coal) are mostly imported from other regions of Russia (mostly from Komi Republic, Povolzhye, and West Siberia).

Other developed industries include manufacturing of footwear, pottery (including porcelain), glass, cement, construction materials, as well as food and wood processing industries.

Region's temperate zone climate allows for growing of a great variety of crops. As the soils are mostly of podsolic and grey forest types, melioration and fertilizing are often employed to improve the crop yields.

With Moscow as its largest city, Central economic region ranks highest in the value of its GDP, more than double that of an average economic region, and it has a fifth of the total population of the Federation. It is also high in population gain through migration, including students, but there remains a high net population loss.

When account is taken of the population, GDP per capita in the Central economic region is virtually the national average^{[citation needed]}. The life expectancy of residents is exactly the national average^{[citation needed]}.

By Russian standards, employment condtions are relatively favorable, for workers are more likely to be paid their salaries in full and on time, and to feel secure about holding onto their jobs. Those considering their current household circumstances not bad and living conditions bearable are also slightly above the national average^[2].

Most common natural resources of the region include phosphorites, brown coal (in Moscow Oblast), construction materials, and peat (Moscow, Tver, and Yaroslavl Oblasts).