Tomsk oblast

General statistic data

Code of National Classifier of Administrative Territorial Entities: 69 401 000 000

Digital automobile code: 70

Area: 314,4 ths. sq. km.

Economic region: West-Siberian rayon

Okrug: Siberian federal okrug

General information about the oblast

Administrative center of the Tomsk oblast is the city of Tomsk (509.5 ths. citizens). Total area – 314.400 km2. Total population is 1034.900 people. Density of population is 3.27 persons per km2.

The Tomsk oblast is located in the geographic center of Siberia: in the south-east of the West-Siberian Plain. In borders with the Kemerovo and Novosibirsk oblasts in the south, the Omsk oblast in the south-west, with the Khanty-Mansy Autonomous Okrug in the west, north-west and north, and with the Krasnoyarsk territory in the north-east and east.

The relief is represented mainly by flat waterlogged plains. The river Ob in its middle stream divides the oblast into two practically equal parts, crossing it from the south-east to north-west. High right bank is not as bogged up as the left one and is marked by higher population density. River valleys occupy 1/5 of all the territory of the oblast.

Main zones: central taiga, southern taiga, and forest steppe.

The Tomsk oblast has large reserves of natural resources and raw materials. Almost half of all geologic oil and gas reserves are explored. The Tomsk Oblast ranks second in Russia in peat reserves. Besides, 12 metallic mineral deposits were discovered: iron, titanium, zirconium, scandium, kaolin, copper etc. Forecast reserves of the Bakchar iron ore deposit account for 110 billion tons. Potential geological reserves of carbohydrates are estimated to be 5.47 billion tons and 28.7 billion tons of peat.

The total area of the forest stock constitutes over 26722.000 ha, including areas covered by coniferous species – 10105.6000 ha. Total timber stock of main forest species accounts for 2602.8 mln cu. m. Woodlands cover about 60% of the territory of the Tomsk oblast. A major part is made up of commercial forests. Coniferous species, especially Siberian cedar pine, spruce, silver fir and larch appear to prevail amongst commercial forests. That is why the Tomsk oblast is often called “ the territory of cedars.”

Main branches of industry comprise machine building and metal-working, timber and oil. All machine building and metal-working enterprises are concentrated mainly in Tomsk and partially in Kolpashevo and Seversk. Large woodworking plants are clustered in Tomsk, Asino, Ket and Mogochino. Oil production is carried out mainly in the north-west and in the north of the oblast, near the settlement of Alexandrovo and in the basin of the Vasyugan River. Near Tomsk the large petrochemical plant is located.

Agriculture lands cover about 5% of the oblast territory. Here small quantities of wheat, flax, potatoes, and vegetables of are being cultivated. Cattle, pigs, sheep and goats, poultry are bred. Fur trade (squirrel, sable, musk-rat) and animal breeding (silver fox) are developed.