What is there in the Altai region. V

Altai Territory Geographical location The Altai Territory is located in the southeast of Western Siberia, at the junction of the world's largest West Siberian Plain and the Altai Mountains. The northern neighbor of the region is the Novosibirsk region, the eastern - the Kemerovo region. The southeastern border along the mountains passes with the Altai Republic, the southwestern and western...

Altai region

Geographical location

The Altai Territory is located in the southeast of Western Siberia, at the junction of the world's largest West Siberian Plain and the Altai Mountains. The northern neighbor of the region is the Novosibirsk region, the eastern - the Kemerovo region. The south-eastern border along the mountains passes with the Altai Republic, the south-western and western borders of the region are the state borders of the Russian Federation with the Republic of Kazakhstan (the length of the state border is 843.6 km).
In terms of area, the region ranks 24th in the Russian Federation (168 thousand sq. km). The length of the region from west to east is 560 km, from north to south - 500 km. The distance from Barnaul to Moscow is 3,420 km.

Relief, climate, hydrography, natural resources
Two types of geomorphological landscapes predominate in the region: in the east - mountainous, in the west - steppe, significant areas are occupied by taiga massifs. Unique ribbon forests stretch for hundreds of kilometers. The forest fund of the region makes up more than one fifth of its territory and covers an area of 3440.4 thousand hectares. The rich vegetation cover, combined with the contrasts of the relief, is accompanied by a variety of animal life.

The climate of the Altai Territory is moderate continental with cold winters and hot summers. In terms of the number of sunny days, the region is one of the sunniest regions of Western Siberia. The duration of sunshine averages 2000-2300 hours per year. The average temperature in January is minus 17.6 °C, in July - plus 18 °C. Precipitation is 250-350 mm per year. A stable snow cover forms in early November, and abundant snow melting begins in late March - early April.
The main river of the region is the Ob, formed from the confluence of the mountain rivers Biya and Katun. The largest rivers are Biya, Katun, Ob, Alei and Charysh. Many lakes in the flat part of the region are salty or bitterly salty, located mainly in the Kulunda steppe. Of the 13,000 lakes, the largest is Kulundinskoye, with an area of 728 square meters. km.

The region has huge reserves of various natural resources. Mineral resources are represented by deposits of polymetals, iron, table salt, soda, gypsum, brown coal and precious metals. The region is also famous for its unique deposits of jasper, malachite, porphyry, marble, granite, building materials, and has valuable healing resources.
Administrative-territorial structure and population
Altai Territory is part of the Siberian Federal District. Administratively, the Altai Territory is divided into 11 urban districts and 60 municipal districts. In terms of the number of urban districts and municipal districts, the region ranks first in Russia, and in terms of the number of municipalities at the settlement level (723 units) it ranks third.

The largest settlements are the cities of Barnaul, Biysk, Rubtsovsk, where almost 40% of the region’s population lives.
The regional center - the city of Barnaul (652.7 thousand people) - is a large railway junction, with an extensive network of roads, there is an airport and a river port. At the beginning of 2010, the population of the Altai Territory was 2490.7 thousand people (1.8% population of Russia, or 13% of the population of the district). In terms of population density (14.9 people/km2), the region occupies a leading position in the district (3.8 people/km2). The share of the rural population is 46.6%. At the beginning of 2010, 78.4% of the region's population were people of working age and younger than working age. The region is home to 120 nationalities, 92% of the total population are Russians, 3% are Germans and 2% are Ukrainians.

Historical information about the Altai region

The first acquaintance of Russians with Altai took place in the 17th century. The development of Altai went faster after the Beloyarsk (1717) and Bikatun (1718) fortresses were built. Altai has long been known as a metal mining region.
The father and son Kostylevs are rightfully considered the discoverers of ore deposits in Altai. Their discovery was skillfully used by the famous Ural factory owner Akinfiy Demidov, who in 1726 received a monopoly right to build factories and mines in Altai. Already on September 21, 1729, the first-born of Altai metallurgy, the Kolyvano-Voskresensky plant, began operating.
In 1730, envoys of A.N. Demidov, busy looking for a convenient place to build a new, larger plant, chose the mouth of the river. Barnaulki. The founding of Barnaul dates back to 1730.
The depths of Altai were also rich in silver. In 1744, Demidov’s clerks began silver smelting production, and already in 1747, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna issued a decree by which Altai was transferred to the personal property of the Russian tsars - the former Demidov enterprises came under the jurisdiction of the Tsar’s Cabinet. In the XVIII - first half of the XIX century. 90% of Russian silver was smelted in Altai - one thousand poods per year. Gold mining has also developed greatly. By the end of the century, 70 mines were in operation, and up to 100 pounds of gold were mined annually.
The discovery of the richest reserves of jasper, porphyry, marble, and granite in Altai contributed to the development of the stone-cutting industry. In 1802 in the village. In Kolyvan, not far from Mount Sinyuhi, a stone-cutting factory was founded. World masterpieces of stone-cutting art were created here, many of which have survived to this day and are exhibited in the largest museums in the world. The largest vase in the world - “The Queen of Vases” - decorates one of the halls of the Hermitage.
By the end of the 19th century. The mining industry entered a period of crisis and almost all factories were closed. Altai was replaced by agrarian and merchant Altai. At the end of the XIX - beginning. XX century The private manufacturing industry was represented by flour and grain mills, distilleries, sheepskin and sheepskin workshops. Agriculture became the basis of the Altai economy. Along with the cultivation of grain crops, potato planting expanded, and beekeeping received significant development. At the beginning of the twentieth century. Dairy farming and butter production came to the fore. Altai oil was exported to Western European countries.
The Stolypin land reform was of great importance for the settlement and development of Altai: labor resources increased significantly, a new, more advanced culture of agricultural production was introduced, and commodity-money relations expanded.
By 1915, the Altai Railway was built, connecting Novonikolaevsk, Barnaul and Semipalatinsk. Water transport also improved.
In 1917, the Provisional Government established the Altai province with its center in Barnaul. It existed until 1925; from 1925 to 1937, the territory of Altai was part of the West Siberian Territory; in 1937, the Altai Territory was formed.
On the economic development of the Altai province in the late 20s. The completion of the construction of the Turkestan-Siberian Railway had an impact. The Barnaul melange plant was built to process Central Asian cotton. In the cities of Barnaul, Biysk, Kamen-on-Obi, elevators were built, in Biysk and Aleysk - sugar factories, in Biysk, Rubtsovsk and villages. More quickly - meat processing plants. Metalworking and the production of building materials grew rapidly, and the transport network improved. By the end of the 30s. Altai has turned into one of the large agrarian-industrial regions of Siberia. During the war, Altai received more than 100 enterprises evacuated from the western regions of the country, including 24 factories of national importance. After the war, in the first decade, the massive development of new equipment and technology began. The growth rate of the region's industry was six times higher than the Union average. The development of industry affected the state of agriculture. Altai's finest hour was the development of virgin and fallow lands (2,619.8 thousand hectares developed), which resulted in the creation of a large agricultural region. Altai was gaining strength, its fame was growing, and by the beginning of the 90s. it stands on a par with the leading regions of the country. The successes of the Altai Territory are marked by two highest state awards.

The climate of the Altai Territory is moderate continental with cold winters and hot summers. In terms of the number of sunny days, the region is one of the sunniest regions of Western Siberia. The duration of sunshine averages 2000-2300 hours per year. The average temperature in January is minus 17.6 °C, in July - plus 18 °C. Precipitation is 250-35...

The regional center - the city of Barnaul (652.7 thousand people) - is a large railway junction, with an extensive network of roads, there is an airport and a river port.
At the beginning of 2010, the population of the Altai Territory was 2,490.7 thousand people (1.8% of the population of Russia, or 13% of the population of the district). In terms of population density (14.9 people/km2), the region occupies a leading position in the district (3.8 people/km2). The share of the rural population is 46.6%. At the beginning of 2010, 78.4% of the region’s population were residents of working age and younger than working age. The region is home to 120 nationalities, 92% of the total population are Russians, 3% are Germans and 2% are Ukrainians.

Flora and fauna of the Altai Territory Land bioresources: The Altai Territory has such a variety of zonal and especially intrazonal landscapes that this could not but affect the number and species diversity of flora and fauna. Each of these landscapes has its own, to one degree or another, special world of animals and birds, plants...

Flora and fauna of the Altai region

Bioresources of sushi:
The Altai Territory has such a variety of zonal and especially intrazonal landscapes that this could not but affect the number and species diversity of flora and fauna. Each of these landscapes has its own, to one degree or another, special world of animals, birds, and plants.

Plants
Of the 3,000 species of plants growing in Western Siberia, in the Altai Territory there are 1,954 species of higher vascular plants belonging to 112 families and 617 genera. The flora of the region includes 32 relict species. These are Siberian linden, European hoofweed, fragrant bedstraw, giant fescue, Siberian brunnera, floating salvinia, water chestnut and others. The Red Book of Russia includes 10 species of plants growing in the region: Siberian candyk, Ludwig's iris, Zalessky's feather grass, feather-leaved feather grass, feather feather grass, Altai onion, steppe peony, cape flower, Altai gymnosperm, Altai stellophopsis. 144 plant species are included in the Red Book of the region. These are rare species, endemic, reducing their range, and also relict. The species richness of the region's flora is due to the diversity of natural and climatic conditions. The vegetation cover on the territory of the region is subject to strong anthropogenic influence, especially within the steppe zone. The largest areas of steppes have been preserved along forest belts, along the edges of ribbon forests and individual forests, and on saline soils. A significant proportion (up to 30%) of the flora of the region is made up of a group of weeds found in gardens, fields, orchards, on road embankments, along river banks, wastelands, and fallow lands. In recent years, crop escape plants have appeared and are actively invading natural cenoses. Thus, along the banks of rivers and forests, ash-leaved maple and Echinocystis lobeda are often and abundantly found. The proportion of alien plants is steadily increasing from year to year, and currently their number reaches 70. Among them, plants from Central Asia and Kazakhstan, as well as from North America, predominate. The useful flora of Altai is rich, numbering more than 600 species of plants, among which there are medicinal - 380 species, food - 149, melliferous - 166, vitamin-bearing - 33, dyeing - 66, fodder - 330, decorative - 215. Particularly valuable species include Rhodiola pink, raponticum safflower, forgotten pennywort, evasive peony, tall elecampane, etc. According to preliminary estimates, the region is characterized by more than 100 species of lichens, 80 species of bryophytes, about 50 species of macromycete fungi. Among these objects there are also rare ones listed in the Red Book of Russia. Of the almost 2000 species of vascular plants found in the Altai Territory, 144 species are included in the Red Book.
Animals

The region is home to about 100 species of mammals, more than 320 species of birds, 7 species of reptiles, 6 species of invertebrate animals. The Red Book includes 134 species of animals that need protection. The largest number of bird species is 82. Approximately half of them are listed in the Red Book of Russia (demoiselle crane, saker falcon, white partridge, eagle owl, etc.), 10 species are included in the IUCN Red Book (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources). These are extremely rare species, such as, for example, the bustard, imperial imperial falcon, peregrine falcon, as well as category zero (probably extinct) little bustard and slender-billed curlew. In addition to birds nesting in Altai, the Red Data Book of the Altai Territory includes species that appear during spring-autumn migrations (small swan, lesser white-fronted goose), as well as occasional vagrants (dallas and pink pelicans, flamingos, black cranes, griffon vultures, etc. .). There are 17 species of mammals in the Red Book. These are mainly insectivores and rodents (eared hedgehogs, jerboas) and bats (there are 9 species, including the pointed-eared bat, listed in the Red Book of Russia). Two representatives of the mustelid family entered here - the otter and the bandage (also included in the Red Book of Russia). The Red Book includes 26 species of insects. These include relict butterflies - the variegated ascalafus, the gypsy mother-of-pearl, as well as the endemic of Western Altai, possibly extinct now, the Gebler's ground beetle, etc. In addition to birds, mammals and insects, the book includes 3 species of reptiles (takyr round-headed, multi-colored lizard, steppe viper), 2 species of amphibians (Siberian salamander, common newt) and 4 species of fish - lenok, apparently disappeared from the rivers of the region, the endemic species Siberian sturgeon, nelma and taimen. In addition to the main part, the Red Book of the Altai Territory includes 30 species that require special attention. These are, for example, musk deer, gray goose, little gull, quail, carpenter bee and other species. The objects of hunting are several dozen species of animals, representatives of four orders of birds. The formation and development of animal resources in the region occurs under conditions of increased anthropogenic influence. A decrease in the bioproductivity of pastures due to overgrazing of livestock, water and wind erosion of soils, and deforestation lead to changes in animal habitats and a reduction in the number of squirrels, marmots, otters, musk deer, Siberian mountain goats, etc. The short-tailed snake eagle, blue-faced bustard, and bustard have disappeared partially or completely. The number of waterfowl, with the exception of the gray goose, is decreasing from year to year. The number of small mustelids, field and forest game is decreasing due to changes in the feeding and nesting conditions of their existence. Intensive development of ungulate resources, and primarily elk, requires a reduction in its production, increased protection and control over production, and in some areas a complete ban on hunting. In 1997-1998, the catch was wild boar - 7, bear - 11. The number in 1998 was: elk - 10930, wild boar - 430, roe deer - 11000, bear - 500. The number of rare species: snow leopard - 39-49 pieces. , manul - 250-350 pcs., dzeren - herds of 4-5 individuals, Altai mountain sheep - 370-470 pcs.

Aquatic biological resources:
The region's stock of fishery reservoirs includes about 2,000 water bodies with a total area of 112 thousand hectares. Salt lakes, which have an annual production limit of Artemia cysts of 300 tons, occupy an area of 99 thousand hectares. Of the 38 species of fish that live in the reservoirs of the region, 12 species are used for fishing. The main objects in the lakes are crucian carp (92% of catches), in the river. Ob and Novosibirsk reservoir - bream (60% of catches). The most important are commercial fish (roach, bream, crucian carp, pike, perch). The improvement in the qualitative composition of catches is negatively affected by the almost complete cessation of fish farming in the natural reservoirs of the region. Commercial catches have remained stable in recent years at 1000 tons per year.

Geographical location

The Altai Territory 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 with the Novosibirsk region, in the east - with the Kemerovo region, the south-eastern border passes with the Altai Republic, in the south-west and west - the state border with the Republic of Kazakhstan with a length of 843.6 km.

Climatic features

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

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

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

The driest and hottest is the western lowland 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 in the southwest of the region.

Due to the presence of a mountain barrier in the southeast of the region, the dominant west-east transport of air masses acquires a southwestern direction. During the summer months, northerly winds are frequent. In 20-45% of cases, wind speeds in southwestern and western directions exceed 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 increased winds. In the winter months, during periods of active cyclonic activity, snowstorms are observed everywhere in the region, which recur 30-50 days a year.

Snow cover is established on average in the second ten days of November and 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, Alei, Charysh. The total surface flow 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.

There are 17,085 rivers flowing through the region with a total length of 51,004 km, of which:

16309 – less than 10 km long;

776 – more than 10 km long (including 32 rivers more than 100 km long, of which 3 are more than 500 km long).

9,700 rivers have more or less permanent flows.

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

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

Kulundinskoye – 728 km2,

Kuchukskoe – 181 km2,

Gorkoye (Romanovsky district) – 140 km2,

Bolshoye Topolnoye – 76.6 km2,

Bolshoye Yarovoye – 66.7 km2.

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

The provision of predicted groundwater resources in the Altai Territory is 4.895 m3/day per person, and the provision of proven reserves is 0.82 m3/day per person. The total consumption of groundwater per person is 188.3 l/day per person. The specific consumption of groundwater at the KPV is 114.3 l/day per person.

Mineral groundwater. Reserves of medicinal and medicinal-table mineral underground waters have been explored and approved in 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 medicinal mineral underground waters in 2017 amounted to 497.2 m3/day, including from the following deposits: Belokurikhinsky - 410.0 m3/day; Stan-Bekhtemirsky – 59.67 m3/day; Solonovsky – 1.57 m3/day; Zavyalovsky - 5.89 m3/day.

The reserves of low-mineralized radon medicinal mineral waters of the Chernovskoye deposit, category C2, have been preliminarily estimated at more than 1000 m3/day.

In addition, 16 areas and 19 manifestations of medicinal and table mineral underground waters have been identified on the territory of the region, the chemical composition of which meets the requirements of GOST 13273-88 “Mineral drinking waters, medicinal and medicinal and table waters.” Groundwater has a mineralization from 1.04 to 6.16 g/dm3. Mineral underground waters are widespread, which are analogues of the Varnitsky, Chisinau, Feodosiysk, Izhevsky, Ergeninsky, Chartaksky, Khilovsky and Aivazovsky types, which can be used for treatment and prevention of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, biliary tract, and metabolic diseases. The total resource potential of mineral waters of the Altai Territory is 328,180 m3/day.

Diversity of fauna

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 is invertebrates, and among them is the class of insects (more than 3000 species). 41 species of insects are listed in the Red Book of the Altai Territory.

Class of amphibians 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 nine species reptiles The Red Book includes the steppe viper, takyr round-headed viper, and multi-colored foot-and-mouth disease, which live in some steppe regions of the region.

The region has more than 332 species of birds, of which 220 to 290 species nest in the region. Due to the reduction in the areas of the most important nesting sites, the snake eagle, little bustard, and bustard have completely or partially disappeared. Of the 85 bird species listed in the Red Book of the Altai Territory, the life activity of more than half of the species is 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 extraction of which meat, fur, leather and medicinal raw materials are obtained. In recent years, the number of moose, 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 species licensed for hunting - deer, roe deer, elk, brown bear, and sable. The plowing of vast expanses of lowland forest-steppes and steppes led to the emergence of unique anthropogenic forest and field habitats with a specific population of the animal world. In the northern forest field, the field mouse has acquired a dominant position among mammals. In the fields on the site of southern forest-steppes and true steppes, species of steppe fauna dominate - gophers and hamsters.

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, tundra, shrub, rocky, aquatic, saline and synanthropic.

Flora The Altai Territory has 2,186 species of higher vascular plants, including 1,886 native and 300 adventitious, about 400 species of mosses, and about 700 species of lichens. Among them there are representatives of endemic and relict species. 168 species of plants, 11 mushrooms, and 23 species of lichen are listed in the Red Book of the Altai Territory.

Hayfields and pastures. Pasture and hay lands of the Altai Territory occupy 3,731 thousand hectares, which is 35% of the area of agricultural land. Hayfields and pastures have economic value, being a food source for livestock farming, as well as habitats for a variety of animals and plants, including rare ones. They grow up to 300 species of plants that produce roughage. These are mainly cereals, legumes and forbs. The most productive for the production of green fodder are floodplain hay meadows. 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 are: medicinal - 913 species, melliferous - 379, fodder - 663, ornamental - 400, food - 228, vitamin-rich - 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, elecampane and others. There are medicinal plants, the cultivation of which is complex and natural reserves are the only source of raw materials: spring adonis, lingonberry, calamus, yellow egg capsule.

Forests of the region. 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%. Forests are distributed unevenly throughout the region. In the Kulunda steppe and the forest-steppe zone of the left bank of the Ob, forest cover is 12%, in the right bank of the Ob it is 24%, increasing in the mountainous part to 34%. The timber reserve is 545.83 million cubic meters. m. The predominant species in the forests of the region are coniferous (41.3% by area and 53.6% by stock, including cedar - 1.1%), soft-leaved (58.7% by area and 46.4% by stock ). The average age of plantings is 66 years, including coniferous trees - 89 years and deciduous trees - 48 years. Based on forestry and forest-economic conditions, the role and importance of forests in the region, 4 forestry districts have been identified: Lentochno-Borovoy, Priobsky, Salairsky and Predgorny.

In the Altai Territory, conditions for forest fires occur from April to October inclusive. To eliminate the consequences of forest fires, the loss of plantings from pests and forest diseases, and to increase the forested area, measures are being taken to protect, protect and restore forests. The annual volume of reforestation work 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, bauxite, primary and placer gold, mineral salts (sodium and magnesium sulfate, table salt, 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 mineral resources for the economy of the region at present are the developed reserves of polymetallic ores, indigenous and technogenic gold, sodium sulfate, cement raw materials, mineral and drinking groundwater.

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 . t zinc, 40496.0 kg of gold, 3.3 thousand tons of silver, 18446.2 t of cadmium, 2876.3 t of bismuth, 2303.2 t of selenium, 236.7 t of tellurium, 556.6 t 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.

Currently, the extraction of polymetallic ores is carried out by Siberia-Polymetals OJSC, which is developing the Korbalikhinskoye, Zarechenskoye Stepnoye and preparing for development the Talovskoye deposit in the Zmeinogorsk region. At the bases of the Rubtsovskoye (now depleted) and Zarechenskoye deposits there are processing plants with a design capacity of 650.0 and 100.0 thousand tons, respectively).

The development of the Zarechenskoye and Korbalikhinskoye deposits is carried out using the underground method, while the Stepnoye deposit is being mined using the open method.

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

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

As of January 1, 2018, the state balance sheet of mineral reserves of the Russian Federation includes 48,642.0 kg of gold and 3,160.3 tons of silver from complex polymetallic, primary, technogenic and placer deposits. The State Cadastre of Predicted Resources of Solid Minerals of the Russian Federation in the Altai Territory takes into account 662.8 tons of gold of categories P3+P2+P1. Gold and silver are mined from complex polymetallic, gold ore (primary) deposits, technogenic and alluvial deposits.

Use of mineral resources of the Altai Territory.

Solid minerals. In 2017, in the Altai Territory, polymetallic ores (containing copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, barite, bismuth, cadmium, trace elements, sulfur), gold (indigenous, technogenic and placer), silver, mineral salts ( sodium sulfate), cement raw materials (limestone, clays), as well as medicinal mud.

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

Significant reserves of iron ore are concentrated in two deposits - Beloretskoye and Inskoye, located in the Zmeinogorsk and Charysh regions, 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 17,124 thousand tons. The deposits are not developed due to the lack of transport and energy infrastructure, as well as justified investment proposals.

Polymetallic ores are mined by Sibir-Polymetals OJSC, which develops the Korbalikhinskoye, Zarechenskoye, Stepnoye and Talovskoye deposits in the Zmeinogorsk region. In 2017, JSC Siberia - Polymetals produced 395.7 thousand tons of ore at the Stepnoye deposit, 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 t of silver.

The mineral resource base of bauxite is represented by two deposits - Berdsko-Maisky and Obukhovsky, 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 categories B + C1 + C2. Currently the deposits are not being developed.

Mining of ore gold 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 of OOO Artel Prospectors Poisk. At the Novofirsovskoye deposit, Zoloto Kuryi LLC produced 228.0 kg of gold.

The extraction of technogenic gold was carried out at the Tailings deposits of the Zmeinogorsk gold recovery plant, the license holder is Bern LLC; The tailings dump of the Zmeinogorsk barite washing factory, the license holder is DobychaStroyServis 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 (placer of the Bolshoy Mungai River, license holder - LLC ZDP "Artel of Prospectors "Gornyak"; placer of the Bystraya River, JSC "Prospecting Artel "Dorozhnaya"; placer of the Kurchazhny stream, LLC "Gold Mining Company "Staratel"; placer Talovka river, Altai-2 LLC; placer of the Zauda river, Zauda LLC) and amounted to a total of 44.9 kg.

On the territory of the Altai Territory (Charyshsky district) the Kumirskoye deposit of scandium-rare metal ores is located. The reserves of the deposit of category C2, taken into account by the state cadastre of deposits and occurrences 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 and is not being developed.

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

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

Natural soda is produced by Altaisoda LLC at the Mikhailovskoye 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 has been mothballed until the economic situation in the industry improves. During the conservation period of the deposit, it is planned to build a workshop for the production of soda ash.

The Burlinskoe table salt deposit (Slavgorod region) is being developed by Altai Salt Mining Company LLC. Extraction is carried out using the mining method. In 2017, 54.4 thousand tons of table salt were produced.

The Vrublevo-Agafievskoye deposit of cement raw materials (Zarinsky and Kytmanovsky districts) is being developed by Cement OJSC, which includes 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 region's land fund is 15,799.6 thousand hectares. Plowed land – 40.6%.

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

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

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

Soil acidification. Soils with an acidic environment occupy about 18% of agricultural land 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, in agricultural lands there are 982.6 thousand hectares of saline soils and 807.2 thousand hectares of solonetz and solonetz soils. In arable land, saline soils occupy 295.8 thousand hectares, solonetzic and solonetzic complexes – 323.7 thousand hectares.

Features of the region's economy

The structure of the gross regional product is significantly dominated by the shares of industry, agriculture, and trade. 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, development of public, transport and engineering infrastructure.

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

Altai Territory is the largest organic food manufacturer 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 grains and legumes; 13% cheeses, 10% pasta; 7% butter. The region occupies a significant share in the production of functional products.

The Altai Territory ranks 1st in the Russian Federation in terms of the sown area of grain and leguminous crops. The harvest 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 beets: sugar beet production amounted to about 1.0 million tons.

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

Altai region is located at the intersection of transcontinental transit freight and passenger flows, in close proximity to large raw materials and processing regions. Highways connecting Russia with Mongolia and Kazakhstan, a railway connecting Central Asia with the Trans-Siberian Railway, and 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 location of the region and its high transport accessibility open up ample 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 provides an opportunity for the development of various types of tourism and sports and entertainment 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 of the 69 municipalities of the region, more than half of its cities and districts are zones of active tourism development, and in a third of the territory, guest houses provide rural tourism services.

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

Geographical location
The Altai Territory 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 with the Novosibirsk region, in the east - with the Kemerovo region, the south-eastern border passes with the Altai Republic, in the south-west and west - the state border with the Republic of Kazakhstan, the length of which is 843.6 km. Climatic features
The climate is temperate and sharply continental, formed as a result of frequent changes in air masses coming from the Atlantic, Arctic, Eastern Siberia and Central Asia. The absolute annual amplitude of air temperature reaches 90-95o C. The predominance of partly cloudy weather ensures 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, 0.5-2.1оС. The average maximum temperatures in July are 26-28°C, extreme temperatures reach 40-41°C. The average minimum temperatures in January are -20 -24°C, the absolute winter minimum is -50 -55°C. The frost-free period lasts about 120 days. The driest and hottest is the western lowland 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 in the southwest of the region. Due to the presence of a mountain barrier in the southeast of the region, the dominant west-east transport of air masses acquires a southwestern direction. During the summer months, northerly winds are frequent. In 20-45% of cases, the speed of winds in the southwestern and western direction 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 increased winds. In the winter months, during periods of active cyclonic activity, snowstorms are observed everywhere in the region, the frequency of which is 30-50 days a year. Snow cover is established on average in the second ten days of November and 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, with the snow 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, Alei, Charysh. The total surface flow of the region's rivers is 53.5 km3 per year. In the Ob basin, which occupies 70% of the territory of the region, 53 km3 is formed. In the drainless region of the Ob-Irtysh interfluve (30% of the territory), only 0.5 km3 of runoff is formed. There are 17,085 rivers flowing through the region with a total length of 51,004 km, of which: 16,309 are less than 10 km long; 776 – more than 10 km long (including 32 rivers more than 100 km long, of which 3 are more than 500 km long). 9,700 rivers have more or less permanent flows. The main water artery of the region is the Ob River, 493 km long within the region, formed from the confluence of the Biya and Katun rivers. Its largest tributaries (more than 500 km long) are the Alei, Charysh and Chumysh rivers. There are about 13,000 lakes in the region, of which over 230 are with an area of more than 1 km2. The largest are located in the steppe zone of the region: Kulundinskoye - 728 km2, Kuchukskoye - 181 km2, Gorkoye (Romanovsky district) - 140 km2, Bolshoye Topolnoye - 76 km2, Bolshoye Yarovoe - 66.7 km2. There are significant reserves of groundwater. Their potential operational resources within the flat part of the region for a 50-year period are 269 m3/sec. The region uses less than 20% of fresh groundwater from the total forecast operational reserves. Diversity of fauna
The diversity of zonal and intrazonal landscapes of the Altai Territory contributes to the species diversity of the animal world. The most numerous group of animals in the region are invertebrates, and among them is the class of insects (more than 400 species). 31 species of insects are listed in the Red Book of the Altai Territory. The class of amphibians is represented in the region by five species, of which two species - the common newt and the salamander - are included in the Red Book of the Altai Territory. Of the nine species of reptiles, the steppe viper, takyr round-headed viper, and multi-colored foot-and-mouth disease, which live in some steppe regions of the region, are listed in the Red Book. There are more than 320 species of birds in the region, of which 220 to 290 species nest in the region. Due to the reduction in the areas of the most important nesting sites, the snake eagle, little bustard, and bustard have completely or partially disappeared. Of the 84 bird species listed in the Red Book of the Altai Territory, the life activity of more than half of the species is directly related to the wetlands of the region. Mammals are represented by 82 species. The most important are wild ungulates and fur-bearing animals, from the extraction of which meat, fur, leather and medicinal raw materials are obtained. In recent years, the number of moose, brown bear, squirrel, marmot, musk deer, and otter has decreased. There is a slight decrease in the number of wolves and beavers. However, since 1996, there has been a tendency to increase the number of some animals, especially species licensed for hunting - deer, roe deer, elk, brown bear, musk deer, sable, wild boar. The plowing of vast expanses of lowland forest-steppes and steppes has led to the emergence of unique anthropogenic forest and field habitats with a specific population of fauna. In the northern forest field, the field mouse has acquired a dominant position among mammals. In the fields on the site of southern forest-steppes and true steppes, species of steppe fauna dominate - gophers and hamsters. The red-cheeked ground squirrel has become dominant, expanding its range across the plowed lands. Plant Resources
The following types of vegetation are represented on the territory of the region: forests, steppes, meadows, swamps, tundra, shrub, rocky, aquatic, saline and synanthropic. The flora of the Altai Territory includes 2,186 species of higher vascular plants, including 1,886 native and 300 adventitious, about 400 species of mosses, and about 700 species of lichens. Among them there are representatives of endemic and relict species. Hayfields and pastures. Pasture and hay lands of the Altai Territory occupy 3,731 thousand hectares, which is 35% of the area of agricultural land. Hayfields and pastures have economic value, being a food source for livestock farming, as well as habitats for a variety of animals and plants, including rare ones. They grow up to 300 species of plants that produce roughage. These are mainly cereals, legumes and forbs. The most productive for the production of green fodder are floodplain hay meadows. The grassy vegetation of forage lands successfully protects the soil from erosion and deflation (with reasonable loads of grazing livestock). The beneficial flora of the region includes 1184 species of plants, among which are: medicinal - 913 species, melliferous - 379, forage - 663, decorative - 400, food - 228, vitamin-rich - 42, dyeing - 117, essential oil - 87, tanning - 58 , poisonous – 135, technical – 79 species. 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, elecampane and others. There are medicinal plants, the cultivation of which is complex and natural reserves are the only source of raw materials: spring adonis, lingonberry, calamus, yellow egg capsule. Forests of the region. The total area of the forest fund in the region is 4375.1 thousand hectares (26% of the entire territory of the region), including 3635.6 thousand hectares covered with forest. Forest cover in the Altai Territory is 22.1%. Forests are distributed unevenly throughout the region. In the Kulunda steppe and the forest-steppe zone of the left bank of the Ob, forest cover is 12%, in the right bank of the Ob it is 24%, increasing in the mountainous part to 34%. The timber reserve is 527.4 million cubic meters. m. The predominant species in the forests of the region are coniferous - 43.2% (including cedar 1.1%), small-leaved - 56.8%. The average age of plantings is 62.8 years, including coniferous trees - 84.6 years and deciduous trees - 47 years. Based on forestry and forest-economic conditions, the role and importance of forests in the region, 4 forestry districts have been identified: Lentochno-Borovoy, Priobsky, Salairsky and Predgorny. In the Altai Territory, conditions for forest fires occur from April to October inclusive. To eliminate the consequences of forest fires, the loss of plantings from pests and forest diseases, and to increase the forested area, reforestation measures are carried out. The annual volume of reforestation work in the region is over 10 thousand hectares. Mineral resources
The region produces hard and brown coal, iron ores, manganese, chromium, titanium, vanadium, tungsten, bauxite, nickel, cobalt, polymetals, precious metals (gold, silver, platinum), scandium and rare earths, fluorspar, cement raw materials, gypsum. The Altai region is famous for its unique deposits of jasper, porphyry, marble, granite, mineral and drinking underground water, and mineral medicinal mud. Salt lakes contain significant reserves of mineral raw materials for the food and chemical industries: sodium sulfate, table salt, natural soda, magnesium and bromine salts. The raw material base of polymetals of the region is concentrated in 16 deposits with total balance reserves of 70 million tons of ore. The deposits are located compactly, in areas with well-developed infrastructure in the southwestern part of the region. In addition to the main metals - copper, lead, zinc - the ores of the deposits also contain gold, silver, cadmium, bismuth, selenium, thallium, gallium, tellurium, sulfur and other elements (in some deposits - barite). The raw material base of iron (magnetite) ores is represented by two thoroughly explored deposits with total ore reserves of about 490 million tons. The deposits are located in the unallocated subsoil fund. The forecast potential of the raw material base of coal is quite high (200 million tons of hard coal and 600 million tons of brown). The intensification of coal production in the coming years is associated with the Munai lignite deposit. If the entire field with reserves of 34.7 million tons is brought into operation, annual production can be increased to 800 thousand tons or more. Gold is contained in complex polymetallic, actual gold ore and alluvial deposits. Complex polymetallic gold is concentrated in the 16 above-mentioned deposits. Placer gold deposits are concentrated in 17 gold placer nodes, 8 deposits are being developed. 4 deposits of sodium sulfate have been explored with total reserves of 265,309 thousand tons. The lake deposit is being exploited. Kuchuk with a production volume of about 500 thousand tons of sodium sulfate per year. The Altai Territory has mineral waters and medicinal mud, on the basis of which the sanatorium and resort system was developed. The Belokurikha resort widely uses springs with subthermal weakly mineralized weakly radon nitrogen-siliceous waters; the Zavyalovskoye deposit of mineral medicinal table underground waters and medicinal mud of Lake are being developed. Maloe Yarovoye (400 m3/year), they are preparing to develop the deposits of medicinal mud from lake. Gorkoye-Zavyalovskoye and lake. Mormyshanskoe. In recent years, geological exploration work has been carried out for brown coal, manganese, chromium, nickel, cobalt, polymetals, gold, fluorspar, phosphorites, underground drinking and mineral waters, and therapeutic mud. Soil and land resources
The total area of the region's land fund is 15,799.6 thousand hectares. Plowed land – 40.6%. In the Altai Territory, 105.7 thousand hectares are irrigated, of which 99.5 thousand hectares are arable land. There are 8.5 thousand hectares of drained land in the region, the main share is in forage lands - 7.3 thousand hectares. Waterlogged and swampy lands, located mainly in the floodplains of rivers in the forest-steppe zone, are subject to drainage. The soil cover of the Altai Territory is very diverse, represented by thirteen soil types, among which chernozems, gray forest and chestnut soils predominate, occupying 88.5% of the arable land. About half of arable land has a supply of phosphorus, a third is below average provided with potassium, almost everywhere plants need nitrogen fertilizers and are insufficiently provided with zinc, sulfur, cobalt and molybdenum. Soil acidification. Soils with an acidic environment occupy about 18% of agricultural land 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, in agricultural lands there are 982.6 thousand hectares of saline soils and 807.2 thousand hectares of solonetz and solonetz soils. In arable land, saline soils occupy 295.8 thousand hectares, solonetzic and solonetzic complexes – 323.7 thousand hectares. Features of the region's economy
The structure of the gross regional product is significantly dominated by the shares of industry, agriculture, and trade. These types of activities form over 62% of the total GRP. The modern structure of the industrial complex is characterized by a high share of manufacturing industries (over 80% of 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 machinery, electrical equipment production), production of coke, rubber and plastic products, as well as chemical production. In recent years, the pace of development of the region's industry has been ahead of the all-Russian one: the volume of production in 2009-2011 increased by 19.1% (in Russia - by 2.7%). Altai Territory is one of the largest food producers in Russia. At the end of 2011, the region produced 32.2% of the all-Russian volume of cereals, wholemeal flour and grain granules; 15.6% cheeses and cheese products; 12.8% flour from grains, vegetables and plant crops; 5.3% butter and oil pastes. The Altai Territory ranks 1st in the Russian Federation in terms of the sown area of grain and leguminous crops. In 2011, the fifth largest grain harvest in Russia was obtained - 4.2 million tons. The Altai Territory is the only region from the Urals to the Far East that grows sugar beets. In 2011, the highest sugar beet harvest in the last 15 years was obtained - 570.8 thousand tons. In terms of production of livestock products, the Altai Territory traditionally occupies a high position among the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. At the end of 2011, agricultural producers in the region produced 312.5 thousand tons of livestock and poultry for slaughter (8th place); 1165.6 thousand tons of milk (3rd place); 1055.1 million eggs (15th place). The 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 and Kazakhstan, a railway connecting Central Asia with the Trans-Siberian Railway, and international airlines pass through the territory of the region. The favorable geographical location of the region and its high transport accessibility open up ample opportunities for establishing strong economic and trade ties at the interregional and international levels. The recreational potential, combined with the favorable climate of the south of Western Siberia, and the rich historical and cultural heritage provide an opportunity for the development of various types of tourism and sports and entertainment recreation in the Altai Territory. The policy of the Altai Territory is aimed at creating the most favorable conditions for attracting investment: improving forms of state support for business, developing infrastructure (transport, energy), strengthening the economic position of the region within Russia and abroad, and ensuring law and order.

5. Relief of the Altai region. The surface of the Altai region is divided into plains and mountains. The plains are located in the western and central parts, accounting for more than half of the territory; in the southeast, east and northeast there are mountains. In general orographic terms, the territory of the Altai Territory is an area that gradually rises from northwest to southeast.

In the northwest is the Kulunda Lowland, which has the lowest elevations in the region (96-98 m).

The Kulundinskaya lowland, or the Kulundinskaya steppe, is part of the West Siberian Plain, occupies the area between the Irtysh and Ob rivers. The lowland is a giant bowl, gradually descending towards Lake Kulunda.

The Priob Plateau lies in the east and southeast of the Kulundinskaya Lowland. In the northeast of the region there is the Biye-Chumysh Upland and the Salair Ridge.

In the southeast are the Altai Mountains with altitudes from 500 to 4000 m. The Altai mountain system is divided into Russian, Mongolian and Gobi Altai. In Russia there is a large part of the Altai Mountains called the Altai Mountains. The western and southern ranges of Altai, called Rudny Altai, are located mainly in Kazakhstan.

6. Geological history of Altai dates back almost 2 billion years, and the rock record of the mountains and plains reveals to geologists the complexity of its internal structure. The northwestern part of the region is occupied by the outskirts of the West Siberian Plate, and the eastern and southern parts are occupied by the folded mountain structures of the Salair Ridge. The earth's crust, which has a three-layer structure, reaches a thickness of 40-42 to 50-55 km, increasing under mountain ranges. The plain territories of the region cover the Kulunda tectonic depression, which is characterized by a significant thickness of sedimentary strata (up to 100 - 1200 m). According to geological surveys, the eastern and southeastern parts of the region are represented by the Altai-Salair folded system, which is associated in the southwest with the structures of Western Altai. In the distant past, the territory of the region was occupied by a vast oceanic water area, island chains, near which sandy, clayey and calcareous sediments were formed, now represented by crystalline shales (Terektinsky Range, the shores of Lake Teletskoye, etc.). Subsequent movements and uplifts of the earth's crust were accompanied by volcanic activity, traces of which were preserved in the form of volcanogenic-sedimentary strata. About 1.5 billion years ago, rising sections of the earth's crust merged into a vast underwater bulge, along the outskirts of which layers of calcareous and calcareous-siliceous sediments accumulated, now emerging to the surface in the form of rocky ledges of limestone and quartzites of the northern face of the Altai Mountains. It is in such deposits of the Katunsky Range that the most ancient traces of once living organisms in Altai were found. These were the ancestors of modern blue-green algae. They often composed entire layers of algal limestones. For example, rocky outcrops higher up the Katun from the village of Ust-Sema. In the thickness of such limestones the famous Taldinsky caves were formed, located near the village of Izvestkovoye on the left side of the Katun valley. Intrusive formations can be found everywhere. They are composed of limestone rocks near the mouth of the Yaloman River on the Chuisky tract, the basins of a number of lakes, and the rapids on the Biya and Katun. The granite massifs near Belokurikha are associated with exits of healing radon springs. About 300-350 million years ago, the territory of the region was subjected to powerful sea invasions, which were replaced by new mountain-building processes, which gradually turned it into land, which eventually reached significant heights. A series of fold-block tectonic movements formed the main features of the mountainous country, near the northern face of which sedimentary strata continued to accumulate. According to geologists, this newest stage dates back to the turn of the Paleogene-Neogene period, when the main relief elements were formed. Later, due to intense movements, the entire territory of the region was raised up to 50 m in the north and up to 3500 m in the south in the highest ridges. The uplift was accompanied by the incision of river systems, the formation of protrusions similar to the northern slope of Altai, which has a length of about 250 km and an altitude range of up to 400-750 meters.

8. The flat part of the territory of the region is located on the southeastern edge of the West Siberian Plate. In the east and south of the territory, the folded-block structures of Salair and Altai rise. The continental-type crust reaches a thickness of 40-55 km, increasing to 75 km under mountain ranges (mountain roots).

The young platform underlying the plains and plateaus of our region has a two-tier structure: a deeply sloping folded Paleozoic foundation, covered with a sedimentary cover from deposits of Mesozoic-Cenozoic time. The lower tier descends in steps from the foothills of Altai and Salair towards Kulunda. The depth of its occurrence varies from 0-200 to 500-1200 m.

9. The mountains are depicted on the right side of the picture, the Kulunda Plain is on the left. The middle is occupied by the Priob Plateau, the Biysk-Chumysh Upland, and the Ob River Valley. The Paleozoic foundation looks like a giant staircase of four steps, separated by deep faults in the earth's crust. The lowest is Kulundinskaya, its surface is submerged 500-1200 m. To the south of it follow the Barnaul, Biysk and Rubtsovskaya structural steps (terraces). Even further to the south and southeast, the Paleozoic foundation emerges on the surface in the form of mountain structures of Altai and Salair.

The southwestern part of the Altai mountain system (within the region this is the territory of the Loktevsky, Zmeinogorsky and Tretyakovsky districts) lies in the region of the Hercynian (Late Paleozoic) folding. The eastern part of Altai and Salair belong to the region of Caledonian (Early Paleozoic) folding.

Based on their origin, the following types of rocks are distinguished: igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic. The former are formed from magma rising from the depths of the earth's crust into its upper layers (intrusions) or to the surface. The starting material for the formation of sedimentary deposits are the products of the destruction of previously formed rocks, the vital activity of organisms and some chemical compounds. Finally, metamorphic rocks are formed by the alteration of either igneous or sedimentary rocks under the influence of temperature and pressure.

Rocks consist of one or more minerals and, according to their physical properties, can be hard and monolithic (granite), porous and light (pumice), loose and free-flowing (sand, loess), viscous and plastic (clay).

10. Altai Territory is one of the main mining regions of Russia. The first primitive mining of copper ore (Chud mines) began here more than 2.5 thousand years ago. In 1719-1721 Russian ore miners in the upper reaches of Charysh and Aley discovered deposits of copper ores, the development of which is associated with the name of the Ural factory owner A.N. Demidova. Altai became the mining center of metallurgical production, organized in Barnaul, Novo-Pavlovsk (now the village of Pavlovsk), Nizhne-Suzunsky (now the village of Suzun in the Novosibirsk region).

Later, silver and gold began to be smelted from polymetallic ores, which became famous far beyond Altai, and at the Suzunsky copper smelter, coins with the image of the coat of arms of Siberia were minted from especially pure copper. Until the 70s. XIX century The Altai district supplied Russia with at least 1000 pounds of silver annually, and in total the Altai factories for 1745-1860. gave 116 thousand poods. They provided 96% of all silver smelting in Russia. By the end of the 19th century, with the abolition of serfdom, mining in Altai fell into decline, and in 1893 all factories were closed.

The southwestern part of the region’s territory, called at different times the Altai Ore Mountains and simply Rudny Altai, is rich in non-ferrous metal ores. Deposits of polymetallic ores in Devonian sediments have been explored in the Loktevsky, Zmeinogorsky, Rubtsovsky regions. In addition to gold, copper, silver, these ores contain lead, zinc, rare and trace elements.

Iron ore deposits concentrated in the areas of the Tigiretsky Range and the Korgon Basin can acquire important economic importance. Their reserves amount to hundreds of millions of tons. In the northern outskirts of the Altai ranges, ores of alloying metals were discovered: tungsten, molybdenum, cobalt, nickel.

Salair contains bauxite (aluminum), gold (both primary deposits and placers), and nickel.

The reserves of mineral and construction raw materials are extensive and varied. In the mountainous regions of the region there are deposits of limestone suitable for the production of cement and lime. Sandstones, igneous and other rocks are used for building stone and crushed stone. Clay deposits are used for the production of bricks and expanded clay, sand and gravel are used for the production of mortars and concrete.

The quality of many types of construction raw materials is very high. Deposits of gypsum, marble and other minerals, suitable not only for construction, but also for finishing work, are of great importance.

The art of stone cutting brought world fame to Altai. Colored ornamental stones (porphyry, quartzite, jasper, marble, augite), mined in the Kolyvan, Tigiretsky, Korgon ranges, are processed at the Kolyvan stone-cutting plant named after. I.I. Polzunov. The first steps in stone processing were made at the Loktevsky plant by order of Tsarina Catherine II. “There is no other area in the world in which decorative stones of such diverse colors are concentrated,” wrote the famous geologist Academician A.E. Fersman. According to the scientist, Altai minerals taken outside its borders were surrounded by mystery; they were passed off as “Tibetan stones” and healing properties were attributed to them.

At the entrance to the village. Kolyvan (founded in 1728), where the descendants of famous masters live, stands a bowl of red granite on a gray pedestal. The inscription reads: “To the Kolyvan masters who gave the world masterpieces of stone-cutting art.” Some of the products of Kolyvan craftsmen are kept in museums in Barnaul, Moscow and St. Petersburg. The Hermitage exhibits the world's largest vase - the “Queen of Vases”, made in 1843. One of the vases is installed in the city park of Barnaul (Fig. 15).

The group of fossil fuels is represented by deposits of hard and brown coal and peat. High-calorie coals were discovered in the Loktevsky and Tretyakovsky districts. Their predicted reserves are significant. Brown coals have been explored in the Nenya-Chumysh depression. Their reserves exceed 30 million tons, production is carried out at the Solton coal mine.

Peat deposits in the lake basins of the belt forests and in the Ob valley are used both as fuel and as a raw material for the production of fodder yeast. Peat is a good organic fertilizer with a high mineral content.

The waters of the Kulunda lakes are rich in mineral salts: Kuchukskoye, Kulundinskoye, B. and M. Yarovoye, Burlinskoye, etc. The region ranks first in Russia in terms of soda and mirabilite reserves. The exploitation of table salt deposits (Lake Burlinskoye) began in 1768.

One of the most valuable natural resources of the region's subsoil is mineral underground waters. There are thermal nitrogen-siliceous springs with radon in the region (Belokurikhinskoye, Iskrovskoye and Chernovskoye deposits), mineral waters (Zavyalovo, Belokurikha), and at great depths there are high-temperature waters.