Probably, each of our compatriots knows about the existence of the Lipetsk region. Most can even easily show it on the map. However, not everyone can name the area of the Lipetsk region, the largest cities and industrial facilities. We will try to fill this gap.
Geographic location
To begin with, it is located in the European part of Russia. It borders with the Tambov, Tula, Oryol, Kursk, Voronezh and Ryazan regions. The total area of the Lipetsk region in square. km is small - only 24,047 square kilometers. Therefore, in Russia it is one of the smallest, occupying 72nd place out of 82 possible. However, 24 thousand square kilometers is still more than the area of many European states, for example, Slovenia, Montenegro or Macedonia. And there are about a dozen Luxembourgs in this territory.
It is not surprising that in the Lipetsk region the area is so small - it appeared relatively recently, only in 1954. Several districts that were previously part of the Oryol, Voronezh, Tula and Ryazan regions formed a completely new administrative entity.
Largest settlements
Knowing the area of the Lipetsk region, we can talk about its population. The total number, according to the 2018 census, is 1,150,201 people. However, due to lack of work, the number of residents is rapidly falling. People are moving from dying villages to regional centers, and from there to cities of regional significance and even to the capital, hoping to get a higher-paying job. Low birth rate does its job. Therefore, the average density is only 48 people per square kilometer.
Of course, the largest settlement in the region is Lipetsk. Today, almost half of the region’s population lives there - 510 thousand people. The suburbs account for about 100 thousand inhabitants.
The second most populated area is Yelets - 107 thousand people live here. The five also include the cities of Gryazi, Lebedyan and Dankov with a population of 46, 21 and 20 thousand inhabitants, respectively.
In total, the region accounts for seventeen settlements with a population of more than 5 thousand people.
The population is almost exclusively Russian - more than 96%. Another 1% is accounted for by Ukrainians and 3% by other ethnic groups.
The area of the districts of the Lipetsk region is quite divided - the largest areas have an area of only two times larger than the smallest.
The percentage of urbanization is relatively small - in 2010, 64% of the population lived in cities. Almost a third of the population falls on small villages and villages.
Climate
The climate here is quite monotonous, mild, although all seasons are quite pronounced.
Winter is not too cold, in January the average temperature is only -10 degrees Celsius. And in recent years there has been a tendency to noticeable warming. There is not too much snow, but the snow cover is formed in early December, it is coming to the end of March. Rarely more than 30 centimeters of snow fall during the winter.
But the summer is very warm and long. Extreme heat is quite rare - in July the average temperature is + 20 ... + 22 ° C. Up to 550 mm of precipitation falls annually. Moreover, about 75% of them are from April to October. There are no early frosts, so the vegetation period here reaches 180 days.
The mild climate, regular rainfall, the absence of frost and strong heat combined with fertile black soil make the Lipetsk region a great place for agricultural development.
Industry
The industry can be safely called the strength of the region. In the regional center alone there are several large companies involved in the production of a wide variety of products - from freezing equipment to building materials. Fortunately, the area of the cities of the Lipetsk region is large enough to accommodate all these plants.
For example, in Lipetsk there is a metallurgical plant, which is the largest in the country. He specializes in the production of both steel billets and finished products with polymer and zinc coating.
Refrigerators and freezing equipment are produced here under the license of Indesit International.
Lipetskcement CJSC produces more than 2 million tons of cement per year.
The company "Limak" (short for "Lipetsk pasta") includes 11 branches for the production of bread and bakery products, pasta, cakes, waffles, breakfast cereals. Most of them were built and put into operation in the Soviet era - from 1920 to 1988.
Natural resources
The main natural wealth, of course, are chernozems. But the region also boasts significant mineral reserves. For example, it is here that the country's largest carbonate reserves are located. Also, the Lipetsk lands store rich deposits of dolomites, limestone, clay, sand, cement raw materials. There are also significant deposits of peat - a very promising and widely used raw material.
As early as 1871, therapeutic mud was discovered, on which today there are dozens of sanatoriums that receive visitors all year round.
There are also rich deposits of brown iron ore with a high content of valuable raw materials - up to 42%.
Of course, this is neither oil nor gas, but if used correctly, such treasures can become a guarantee of prosperity for the entire region and its population.
Interesting Facts
The city of Lipetsk boasts seven streets bearing the names associated with space: Tsiolkovsky, Gagarin, Cosmonauts, Zvezdnaya, German Titov, Valentina Tereshkova and Filipchenko. Moreover, they are all located in one area.
After a terrible fire in 1806, Lipetsk was almost destroyed - there were few stone buildings here, and wooden ones burned out quickly and without a trace. Therefore, in subsequent years, almost all houses here were built of brick. And now they were built not as horrible as possible, but in accordance with a specially developed plan. Some of them can be seen today.
During the entire Great Patriotic War, not a single air raid was carried out on Lipetsk. There is a legend that German Goering himself, the Reichminister of Aviation, once lived here. He did not dare to bomb the streets on which he walked in his youth, to destroy houses where he was possibly visiting.
The main element of the coat of arms of the region is the golden linden.
Despite the small size of the city, one of the richest museums in Russia is located here. In comfortable cages, more than 4,000 animals, reptiles and birds live. There is also a contact zoo, which children love to visit.
Conclusion
So our article came to an end. From it you learned about how many residents live today in the Lipetsk region and its largest settlements. And at the same time they read about the main wealth, industry, and even some historical facts. Surely this information will significantly expand your horizons.