A region is an economic, territorial, and administrative structural unit, a subject, which is part of the Russian Federation. In turn, the regions are subdivided into smaller constituent elements. These include areas, districts. Management of the region is concentrated in one of its constituent cities, which serves as the administrative center.
General characteristics of the Yaroslavl region
One of the oldest and most developed constituent entities of the Federation is the Yaroslavl region. Its area exceeds thirty-six thousand square kilometers, and the indicators of economic and social development are ahead of many others, both larger and smaller Russian regions.
The region is located in the very center of the European part of Russia, in the time zone “MSC”. The entire area of the Yaroslavl region is located in the Volga basin, which, of course, affected its landscape, climate and natural features.
In the region of:
- 4,327 small and large rivers;
- 83 different sized lakes;
- 30 large underground freshwater deposits and 29 brine and mineral.
As for the ecological state of waters, it is defined as moderately polluted. This is not surprising, because the area of the Yaroslavl region is the concentration of industrial and agricultural enterprises and facilities.
No less than the number of ponds here and forests. Of course, there are not so many wild animals and birds in them now as in the past, but it is quite possible to meet moose, black grouse, wild boar, foxes and wolves outside the hunting reserves.
About climate
The climate in the region is moderate, with distinct features characteristic of each season. The beginning of autumn has a special appeal. As a rule, until mid-October there are dry and warm days, which are replaced by time of prolonged drizzling rains.
There are no severe frosts in the winter in the region, as well as pronounced heat in the summer. This is due to the high humidity of the climate, because the evaporation level here is not very small, since the area of the Yaroslavl region is literally covered with various reservoirs.
As for temperature indicators, in July the thermometer column is kept at +18 degrees Celsius, and in January it rarely drops below -12.
From the history of the region
According to historians and archaeologists, the area of the Yaroslavl region was inhabited in the late Paleolithic period. This means that the sites of ancient people appeared on the territory of the region immediately after the retreat of the glaciers. Those who lived in these lands during the Neolithic, were mainly engaged in fishing and hunting. The sites of the tribes belonging to this historical period, scientists find along the banks of the rivers. In the Bronze Age, tribes of people displaced from Transnistria invaded the lands of the region. They brought with them new occupations - cattle breeding and farming.
The first city that appeared in these lands was not Yaroslavl at all. According to annalistic sources, Rostov emerged earlier than all other urban-type settlements in the region (now it is the district center of the Yaroslavl region). This happened no later than 862. Around the city formed the Principality of Rostov. This ancient Russian city today stands on the shores of Lake Nero, attracting tourists with a special ancient Slavic flavor. Yaroslavl, the administrative, economic and cultural center of the region, appeared much later. The city was founded by Prince Yaroslav the Wise in 1010. Initially, Yaroslavl was part of the Rostov principality, but very quickly became the center of its own. The Principality of Yaroslavl lasted until the Time of Troubles.
In the XIV-XV centuries, the territory of the region was absorbed by the Moscow principality. All local cities lost their independence and entered the Grand Duchy with a center in Moscow. In 1719, the territory of the region was divided between two large administrative centers - St. Petersburg and Moscow.
After the revolutionary events and the Civil War in 1929, the land of the region became part of an industrial area with a center in Ivanovo. But already in 1936, on March 11, the region regained its independence. It included almost all the territories that were in the pre-revolutionary province.
Administrative characteristics of the area
The total area of the Yaroslavl region is 36 177 square kilometers. This is quite comparable with the territory of any of the European states. The administrative structure includes hundreds of municipalities.
These include:
- three large districts with centers in Yaroslavl, Rybinsk and Pereslavl Zalessky;
- 10 urban settlements and 70 rural settlements;
- seventeen municipal districts.
Only the area of the Yaroslavl region exceeds the size of a country such as Monaco. Only the Yaroslavl region, formed in 1929 and located in the eastern part of the region, has an area of 1,936.7 square kilometers.