The Republic of Tatarstan This information below is provided from Republic of Tatarstan, Investor's Guide, 1998. For more information, please visit their Web Site at http://www.tatar.ruGeography Tatarstan is situated in the center of the Russian Federation on the East-European Plain at the confluence of the two greatest rivers - the Volga and the Kama. The overall territory of the Republic is 67,836 sq. km. The Republic extends some 290 km north to south and 460 km west to east. Tatarstan has no borders with foreign states. The territory of the Republic is a plain which lies in forest and forest-steppe zone with small hills on the right bank of the Volga and in the south-east of the Republic. 90 per cent of the territory is 200 m above sea level. The major part of Tatarstan lies in the forest zone with only its south regions located in the forest-plain zone. However, today only a small part of Tatarstan is covered with forest (16% of a total area). The Pre-Kama region is dominated by coniferous and mixed forests. Banks of the Volga, the Kama, the Vyatka and other rivers are covered with coniferous forests. Broad-leaved and birch and aspen forests prevail in the Pre-Volga and the Trans-Kama regions. As noted above, deciduous trees generally prevail in the Republic, i.e. nearly 85% of a total forested area, which includes oak (27%), lime (14%), birch (11%) and aspen (24%). Among conifers, pine is the most frequent (nearly 12% of a total forested area). Dry valleys and steppe areas still exist on non-cultivated hillsides in southern and south-eastern regions. Marshes prevail in the vicinity of shoals of water reservoirs and in forests. The climate is moderate-continental. Droughts are occasional. Average temperature of the coldest month (January) is -13C, of the warmest (July) -19C. Annual average amount of precipitation is 460-520 mm. Vegetation period is about 170 days. Soils are very diverse. Nearly one third of the total area of the Republic (32%) is occupied by black-earths. As indicated above, black-earths prevail in the Pre-Volga regions, in the west and in the east of the Trans-Kama region. Greyish and dark greyish forest and podzol soils, which cover nearly 38% of the Tatarstan's territory, frequently occur in the Pre-Kama region, in the north of the Pre-Volga region, in the north-east and in the center of the Trans-Kama region. Turf-podzol soils prevail in the north of Tatarstan, on the left bank of the Volga and the right bank of the Kama. The share of such soils constitutes some 17% of the territory. Alluvial soils dominate in river bottoms.
Education According to the State Committee of the Republic of Tatarstan for Statistics, Tatarstan has 20 state institutions of higher education (including subsidiaries) with 67,900 students. 3,400 students are being educated in 8 non-state institutions of higher professional education. Kazan institutions of higher education include Kazan University, one of the oldest universities in Russia (founded in 1804), Medical, Technical, Technological and Teachers-Training universities, Academy of Architecture and Construction, Veterinary Academy, Academy of Agriculture, Academy of Culture and Arts, Conservatory, Institute of Finance and Economy, etc.
Science The Republic of Tatarstan has powerful scientific potential: the competence of Kazan scientists in the fields of mathematics, mechanics, physics, chemistry, biology and linguistics, is recognized world-wide. In Kazan, the Tatarstan Academy of Science and Kazan Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Science are located, uniting numerous academic institutions of All-Russian level. More than 60 branches of scientific and research institutes operate in the Republic. The following are the basic fields of fundamental and applied studies: physics and techniques of magnetic phenomena, medicine and medical equipment, optical and microelectronics, theory and techniques of oil extraction, organic and physical chemistry, development of technology of composite materials, various fields of modern mechanics and mathematics, etc.
Economic Potential Tatarstan is one of the most economically developed republics of the Russian Federation. It is situated in the center of the biggest industrial region of the Russian Federation, 800 km eastwards to Moscow. The economic potential of the Republic is in industry and agriculture; less developed is infrastructure. The Republic possesses big potential of scientific and technical intelligentsia, highly qualified labor force. According to the Tatarstan United State Register of the Enterprises and Organizations of all forms of property and economy (USREO), the number of entities registered in the territory of the Republic of Tatarstan including enterprises, associations, their affiliates and other separate subdivisions made 45,030 as of January 1, 1998. In fourth quarter 1997, 1163 new economic entities were registered and 380 entities were liquidated on the ground of the absence of activity. Tatarstan is a crossroads of transport highways between the Urals, Siberia, the Far East and the European part of the Russian Federation. From North to South the Republic is crossed by the Volga - the main water route, which connects industrially-developed northern part of the European Russia with southern regions. The most loaded railroads carrying cargo flows between eastern and western part of Russia and between northern and southern parts of the Volga-Ural industrial region run through the Republic. From the East, the Republic is crossed by main oil and gas pipelines, which secure access of fuel to the European part of Russia, CIS and further to the West. Natural Resources The main wealth of Tatarstan is crude oil. Its biggest oil deposits are the Romashkinskoye, Novo-Elkhovskoye, Pervomaiskoye and Bondyuzhskoye oil fields located in the Southeast and the Northeast of Tatarstan. The first industrial oil deposit (the Shugurovskoye) was discovered in July 1943; industrial exploitation started in September, 1946. In the whole period of oil production the total amount of oil extracted made up 2.6 bn tons. The current oil reserves of the Republic are still large (0.8-0.9 bin. t), though its substantial part is concentrated in medium and small deposits still awaiting their development. The largest deposits are nearly exhausted, e.g. the Romashkinskoye exhausted 83% of its reserves, the Novo-Elkhovskoye - 69 per cent). Along with crude oil, bradenhead gas is extracted in the amount of about 40 cu. m per ton of oil. There are good outlooks for involvement of natural bitumens into the economic turnover, since estimated reserves in the territory of the Republic make up 12.5 bn t. Among other fuel resources, Tatarstan possesses brown and black coal, combustible slates and peat. There are about 800 peat deposits with overall square of more than 35,000 hectares. In the territory of eastern regions the large coal deposits were discovered, but their industrial development is complicated by deepness of their occurrence. Reserves of combustible slates are available in the south-western part of the Republic. They can be of industrial importance in prospect. The deposits of the Permian formation avail sediments of carbonate rocks, vast deposits of gypsum and other minerals used as construction materials. Among the biggest reserves are deposits of sand-gravel mix (246 mn. cu. m), loam (73.5 mn. cu. m), gypsum (72 mn. t), limestone and dolomite (66 mn. t), construction stone (35 mn. cu. m), bentonite clay (24 mn. t), clay for production of foamed clay (15 mn. cu. m), and 45 mn. cu. t. of mason's sand. Besides, large deposits of phosphorite, chalky sandstone, mineral water, therapeutic mud and components for production of cement. Tatarstan, as no other republic or region, is rich in rivers. There are numerous lakes and underground waters. As noted above, the biggest rivers of the Republic are the Volga and the Kama and two confluents of the Kama river - the Vyatka and the Belaya. Besides, there are about 500 small rivers with length no less than 10 km and numerous brooks. Huge water resources are accumulated in two biggest reservoirs - the Kuibyshevskoye and the Nizhnekamskoye. There are also over 8,000 small lakes and ponds in the Republic. The Republic has substantial reserves of underground waters varying from highly mineralized water to slightly salted and fresh.
Manufacturing Industry Manufacturing industry prevails in the aggregate product of the Republic with its share of 68-70%, thus ensuring its decisive influence on economic and social development. Production growth continues to be the trend in the Republic's industry of 1997, The Republic ranked 9th in the industrial output of 1997 among the Russian Federation subjects. The key industries are mechanical engineering and metalworking, chemical and petrochemical sectors, oil and electric energy production. In 1997, chemistry and petrochemistry (26%) came first in industrial output (in roubles), next were fuel industry (23%), mechanical engineering and metalworking (17%), electrical energy production (12%) and food industry (10%). According to the results of 1997, the Republic saw growth in the physical index of industrial production by 4 per cent as compared with 1996. The leading sectors of mechanical engineering in Tatarstan are automotive and aircraft industries and instrument-making. The largest representative of Tatarstan automotive industry is Kamsky Motor Works (KamAZ), a joint stock company located in the city of Naberezhnye Chelny. KamAZ is the biggest industrial amalgamation of the Republic and one of the biggest in the CIS. It employs some 1/5 of the industrial labor force of Tatarstan and manufactures trucks and cars. Besides, KamAZ manufactures engines which it uses for its own needs and supplies to other automotive enterprises of Russia and foreign countries. In recent years, the truck tractor production is started there. Aircraft industry came to Tatarstan over 60 years ago and is currently prespondents deal in goods manufactured in China and Korea because of the lower prices and a wider range of offers. Speaking about CIS-manufactured goods, 50% of respondents prefer goods made in Belarus, and 33% - made in Ukraine.
Foreign Trade According to the Tatar Customs Board and the State Committee of the Republic of Tatarstan for Statistics, the foreign trade turnover of the Republic of Tatarstan in 1997 (with account for volume of commodity export to the Republic of Belarus and oil export via mediator-organizations and via direct connections) made up $2,297 mn. Additional volume of services in foreign economic activity made up $32 mn. (far abroad countries) and RUR 27 bn (CIS countries). In comparison to 1996, the foreign trade turnover volume declined by 3% at the cost of lowering trade volumes with CIS countries (39%). It is worth mentioning that trade volume decline with the near abroad countries occurred both in export and import operations. At the same time, in 1997 the foreign trade circulation with far abroad countries grew in contrast to previous 1996 by 15%. In summary, the total volume of foreign trade turnover in 1997 has divided in the following way: far abroad countries - $1,826 mn, CIS countries - $472 mn. Thus, the share of the near abroad countries in the total volume of foreign trade circulation fell from 33% in 1996 to 21% in 1997. Orientation of foreign trade participants to the far abroad countries is caused, in particular, by a more clear-cut performance of financial liabilities per export contracts from the side of partners from these countries and also by contradicting customs formalities between Russia and CIS countries. The growth in 1997 of import operations with the far abroad countries is elucidated by substantial upturn (1.4 times) in contrast to 1996 of hi -tech products of mechanical engineering and tool making industries in the general volume of the Republican imports. In contrast to 1996, the year 1997 the foreign trade turnover structure became more balanced: the positive saldo of trade balance by the outcomes of 1997 amounted to $989 mn., that is export exceeded Republican import 2.5 times (in 1996, almost 3 times). In 1997, Tatarstan's ultimate trade volume developed with Germany: $494 mn. Besides Germany, the five leaders as per export-import operations with Republic of Tatarstan are Ukraine ($300.2 mn.) Poland ($149.8 mn.), Finland ($125.4 mn.) and Lithuania ($105.5 mn.).
Exports In 1997, the total volume of commodity export from the Republic of Tatarstan made up $1,643 mn, or 93% as compared to 1996. The decrease of export deliveries is explained by decrease, by 46%, of export to CIS countries. At the same time, export to the far abroad countries has grown, as compared to 1996, by 10%. The result is that the total volume of export operations in 1997 divided as follows: far abroad countries: $1,352 mn, CIS countries- $291 mn. In 1997, export structure was quite diverse representing various products manufactured in the Republic, though a significant part (59%) of the total volume of exports traditionally fell on petrochemical and chemical sectors, aircraft engineering and automotive industry and machine-building and instrument-making. Analyzing the changes in the range of export items for 1997, one can note a certain decrease, as compared to 1996, of export volumes of oil (by 9%). At the same time, the export volume of oil products grew by 25%. In general, despite the changes in volumes of certain export commodities, the export structure of the Republic remained practically unchanged.
Imports The volume of import deliveries to the Republic of Tatarstan in 1997 totaled $654,3 mn which is by 9% higher than in 1996. The growth of import volume is connected with increase of import volumes from the far abroad countries which produce a material part of the republican imports: $474 mn. (by 32% higher than in 1996). Commodity import from CIS countries has dropped by 24% and made up in 1997 $181 mn. In 1997, as in 1996, the import structure of the Republic of Tatarstan was dominated by products of machine-building (machinery, equipment, motor vehicles, etc.): 61% of the total volume. Traditional imported commodities also include ferrous metals and pipes thereof, medications, liquors and beverages, grains, sunflower oil, sugar, meat. and meat products. The major change in import structure in 1997 is the growth, by 7 times, of motor vehicle purchases. Their share in the total volume of imports made up 8%. The purchases of sunflower oil in imports of food stuffs increased 1.5 times, while volume of import of grains and sugar has dropped.
Last Updated: November 27, 2001. |