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The capital city of Yamalo-Nenets okrug: Salekhard.
Yamalo-Nenets autonomous okrug (also spelled Yamalo-Nenetsky, Yamalo-Nenetsia, Yamalia) is a part of Ural federal district of Russian Federation. The city of Salekhard is the administrative center of the region. Yamalo-Nenets okrug is located in the arctic zone of West-Siberian plain, in the center of Extreme North of Russia.
The population of Yamalo-Nenets autonomous okrug is about 546,000 (2010) on the land area of 769,250 sq. km.
Yamalo-Nenets autonomous okrug was formed (originally as national) as a part of Uralskaya oblast on December, 10th, 1930. Later it was a part of Obsko-Irtyshskaya and Omskaya oblasts, on August 14th, 1944, became a part of Tyumenskaya oblast.
Since 1977 the region has the status of autonomous okrug (region), on October 18th, 1991, the declaration on sovereignty of Yamalo-Nenets Republic was adopted, since 1992 after signing a Federal treaty, the okrug became a full-right part of Russian Federation.
Yamalo-Nenets okrug view
Yamalo-Nenets district landscape
Yamalo-Nenets district scenery
The extreme northern spot of the region is located on the latitude of 73 degs, 800 km from the Northern Polar Circle. About the half of the territory of the region is located behind the Polar Circle, a small part of it is located on the eastern side of the Urals. There is also peninsula Yamal located on the territory of the region.
The climate of Yamalo-Nenets region is determined by permafrost, cold Karskoye Sea, numerous bays, rivers, marshlands and lakes. On the whole long winter (up to 8 months), short summer, strong winds and little snow are typical for the nature of the okrug.
The average temperature of the year is below zero, in Extreme North it reaches 10 degs C below zero. Minimal temperature in winter reaches -59C. In summer, in July, the temperature can be up to +30C. Frequent magnetic storms are accompanied by northern lights.
The territory of the okrug is located mainly in 3 climatic zones: arctic, sub-arctic and northern part of Western-Siberian plain. The arctic climate is characterized by long, cold and severe winter with heavy storms, frosts and frequent snowstorms (the lowest temperature is -70C), little precipitation, very short summer (50 days), thick mists.
The sub-arctic zone occupies the southern part of Yamal peninsula. The climate is more of continental type here: most precipitation is rain and summer lasts up to 68 days. The climate of the northern part of Western-Siberian plain is of sharp continental type, the average temperature is higher, summer is warm enough and humid (up to 100 days).
The relief of Yamalo-Nenets okrug is plain, it consists of tundra and forest-tundra with a lot of lakes and marshlands and its mountainous part. The mountains in the west of the okrug stretch 200 km, their height are up to 1,500 m.
Yamalo-Nenets region nature view
Yamalo-Nenets region lake
Yamalo-Nenetsia district scenery
Water resources of Yamalo-Nenets region differ in variety and size. They include Karskoye Sea coast, numerous bays and inlets, rivers, marshlands and underground waters. The Ob inlet - Karskoye Sea bay - is one of the largest sea bays of Russian Arctic, it is 44,000 sq. km. There are about 300,000 lakes and 48,000 rivers in the okrug, the largest rivers are the Ob and its mouth as well as the Nadym, Taz and Pur.
One of the longest rivers in Russia, the Ob River, flows in 2 massive branches within the okrug. The typical feature of Yamalo-Nenets autonomous okrug are the lakes most of which are of glacial origin. Underground waters are characterized by huge artesian basin of 3 mln. sq. km, they include thermal waters as well.
The region takes one of the leading places in Russia in hydro-carbon resources, especially gas and oil. The following deposits are located on the territory of the okrug: Urengoyskoye, South-Russian, Nakhodkinskoye, Yamburgskoye, Yety-Purovskoye.
About 90% of all natural gas of Russia (23% of world produce) and over 14% of Russian oil is produced in Yamal. In general the region produces over 54% power resources of Russia. And besides, most of the natural resources of the region have not yet been prospected.
One of the global long-term projects is prospecting of gas deposits of the peninsula and of Karskoye Sea. 11 gas- and 15 oil-fields are found here. Potential resources of the shelf are considered 50,5 trillion cubic meters, liquid hydro-carbon - over 5 milliard tons.
One of the peculiarities of Yamal is the fact that 2 absolutely different types of management came along: industrial prospecting of lands and traditional activities of indigenous peoples of Extreme North.
The largest in the world livestock of caribou (600,000) is herded in the region, in Ob basin one third of all world resources of freshwater fish of the salmon species is fished out.
One tenth of the whole territory of the region (about 8 mln. hectares) is the territory of nature conservation.
Yamalia region nature
Yamalia region landscape
Yamalia region scenery
Yamalia region village
Yamalo-Nenets okrug chum
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