FROM geographic point view, the European part of Russia belongs to the European continent - it is the most populated and economically well-developed part of the country, where Russian statehood was born. Today, about 78% of the population lives in these territories.

History of the development of the European part of Russia

The oldest human settlements in this area date back to the Paleolithic and are found on the territory of the Voronezh region in the village of Kostenki, on the territory of the Vladimir and Moscow regions.

During the V-lll millennia, people living in the European part of Russia, there is a slow transition to settled agriculture. The most striking examples of the cultures of that time are the Dnieper-Donetsk and the Comb Pottery Culture, as well as the later Maikop and Koban cultures that flourished in the North Caucasus in the lV-lll millennia.

Proto-Indo-European past

At the same time, the so-called Samara culture was formed on the territory of the southern Russian steppes, which is recognized by many researchers as Proto-Indo-European.

Summarizing, it is worth saying that the European part of Russia for many millennia was the scene of a clash of constantly moving human masses. Tribes of the Arkaim culture moved from the east to Europe, from the west Finno-Ugric tribes came to the territory of the East European Plain, who managed to achieve hegemony in a significant part of the European north.

The origin of Russian statehood

By 862, historians discover the first traces of Slavic statehood in the northwest modern Russia, numerous peoples have already passed through the territory of Eastern Europe, such as the Huns, Hittites and Alans, who left their mark on local cultures, which some peoples carry to this day.

However, it is worth noting that the Varangians did not come to an empty place, but to already existing settlements in the south of Lake Ladoga and in the Upper Volga. It is reliably known that the so-called state of Rurik included the cities of Staraya Ladoga, Novgorod, Beloozero and Rostov.

The main part of the population consisted of various Slavic tribes, which were still in a state of decomposition of the communal-clan system, and Finno-Ugric tribes. The Varangians occupied the vacant place of the military aristocracy, but rather quickly assimilated by the local population, which is quite clearly seen in the evolution of the names of local rulers, who in the first centuries were exclusively Northern European, and later - Slavic.

Neighbors of medieval Russia

Of great importance for the formation of the statehood of a relatively young union of tribes, which was Russia, was the interaction with the Khazar Khaganate and the Byzantine Empire, which were important economic partners and political rivals of Ancient Russia.

An important historical event for the young Russian state was the invasion of the Mongols in 1237 and the ensuing yoke, which lasted until 1480 in some regions of North-Eastern Russia. Since that time, despite numerous changes in the borders and the name of the state, the hegemony of the Russian people over the East European Plain has remained unchanged, although its statehood has experienced numerous crises and been tested by foreign interventions.

Geography of European Russia

Which part of Russia is European has been determined for a long time, despite the fact that in some geographical areas this presents some difficulties. It is generally accepted that the border with Asia runs along the eastern slopes of the Ural Mountains, the Russian-Kazakhstan border, the coast of the Caspian Sea, along the channels of the Kuma and Manych rivers, the mouth of the Don River, and is further limited by the territories of other Eastern European states. It is worth considering that the islands of the seas washing the northern shores of the European part of Russia also belong to Europe.

From an administrative point of view, the considered part of the country is divided into the North-Western, Central, Volga and Southern federal districts. The Ural Federal District is also partly on European territory.

Among specialists, it is customary to consider this area as one of the large macro-regions, among which the European part, the Caucasus, the Urals and Siberia with the Far East stand out. A significant part of the European territory is occupied by the East European or Russian Plain.

Administrative division

In the European part of Russia, regions, republics and territories are located both completely and partially. For example, the Republic of Bashkiria, Krasnodar Territory, Chelyabinsk and Orenburg region are located simultaneously in Asia and Europe, while another forty-five entities are located entirely in Europe.

The Central Federal District includes Moscow and the region, Belgorod, Bryansk, Vladimir, Voronezh, Ivanovo, Kaluga, Kostroma, Kursk, Lipetsk, Ryazan, Orel, Smolensk, Tambov, Tver, Tula and Yaroslavl regions. That is, only eighteen regions.

The Northwestern District includes eleven regions, including such a city in the European part of Russia as St. Petersburg, as well as the Nenets autonomous region, which is part of the Arkhangelsk region. The largest cities in this federal district are St. Petersburg, whose population has recently reached five million, and Murmansk, which, with a population of 295,000, is the largest settlement beyond the Arctic Circle and an important commercial port.

The Southern Federal District includes the Astrakhan, Volgograd and Rostov Regions, as well as the Republic of Kalmykia. Since 2014, two more regions have been included in the district: the Republic of Crimea and the federal city of Sevastopol.

Largest cities

The largest concentration of cities with a population exceeding one million inhabitants is observed in the Volga Federal District. Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Samara, Perm and Ufa belong to that region of the European part of Russia, where the paths of Western and Eastern civilizations traditionally crossed, therefore the Volga region is distinguished by diversity both nationally and culturally.

In the Central District are Voronezh and Moscow, which is also one of the most populated cities in Europe, second only to Istanbul in this indicator and ahead of London. It is worth saying that in terms of the number of millionaire cities, Russia is ahead of other European countries.

What part of Russia is European is most difficult to determine on its southern borders, where there are no pronounced geographical landmarks. Therefore, some scholars include or exclude the Caucasian steppes from Russian Europe. However, there is no doubt that Rostov-on-Don and Volgograd are the largest cultural, industrial and economic centers south of Russia.

Instead of a resume

Despite the fact that the European part of the territory of Russia is only 20% of the area of ​​the entire country, it is nevertheless larger than any of the foreign European states.

For example, it is six times larger than Ukraine, and it is the largest state foreign Europe, and more than seven times the territory of the French Republic.

It is also worth mentioning that the geographical and climatic conditions in this part of the country are different, and include both polar tundra and alpine meadows, as well as dry steppes and semi-deserts. The central part of the region is famous for its fertile soils. On the same day in different regions of the European part of Russia, the temperature can vary by 20 degrees.

In the section on the question, how many regions, territories, republics are there in the European part of Russia? given by the author Neurologist the best answer is Subjects of the Federation in the European part of Russia (administrative centers in brackets):
Central Federal District (in full)
1. Belgorod region(Belgorod)
2. Bryansk region (Bryansk)
3. Vladimir region(Vladimir)
4. Voronezh region (Voronezh)
5. Ivanovo region (Ivanovo)
6. Kaluga region (Kaluga)
7. Kostroma region (Kostroma)
8. Kursk region (Kursk)
9. Lipetsk region (Lipetsk)
10. Moscow
11. Moscow region (Moscow)
12. Oryol Region(Eagle)
13. Ryazan region (Ryazan)
14. Smolensk region(Smolensk)
15. Tambov region (Tambov)
16. Tver region (Tver)
17. Tula region (Tula)
18. Yaroslavl region (Yaroslavl)
Northwestern Federal District (except for the Kaliningrad Region)
19. Arkhangelsk region (Arkhangelsk)
20. Vologodskaya Oblast(Vologda)
21. Republic of Karelia (Petrozavodsk)
22. Republic of Komi (Syktyvkar)
23. Leningrad region (St. Petersburg)
24. Murmansk region (Murmansk)
25. Novgorod region (Novgorod the Great)
26. Pskov region (Pskov)
27. St. Petersburg
28. Nenets Autonomous District (Naryan-Mar, part of the Arkhangelsk region)
Southern Federal District
29. Astrakhan region(Astrakhan)
30. Volgograd region (Volgograd)
31. Republic of Kalmykia (Elista)
32. Rostov region (Rostov-on-Don)
33. Krasnodar Territory (Krasnodar)
North Caucasian Federal District
34. Dagestan (Makhachkala)
35. Ingushetia (Magas)
36. Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (Nalchik)
37. Karachay-Cherkess Republic (Cherkessk)
38. North Ossetia (Vladikavkaz)
39. Stavropol Territory (Stavropol)
40. Chechnya (Grozny)
41. Adygea (Maikop)
Privolzhsky Federal District (west of the Urals)
42. Kirov region(Kirov)
43. Republic of Mari El (Yoshkar-Ola)
44. Republic of Mordovia (Saransk)
45. Nizhny Novgorod Region(Nizhny Novgorod)
46. ​​Penza region (Penza)
47. Samara region (Samara)
48. Saratov region (Saratov)
49. Republic of Tatarstan (Kazan)
50. Udmurt Republic (Izhevsk)
51. Ulyanovsk region (Ulyanovsk)
52. Chuvash Republic (Cheboksary)
Total: 52 entities Russian Federation located in the European part of the country. Of these, 32 are regions, 15 republics, 2 territories, 1 autonomous district, and 2 federal cities.
Note: Sometimes the Kaliningrad region is also referred to the European part of Russia, which in fact is a special region, part of the Baltic.

Many residents of this or that settlement in Russia do not even know the surrounding sights, not to mention those that the neighboring city or other region is famous for. Foreigners often have only a vague idea of ​​the country. Fortunately, the level of service is constantly growing, which gradually stimulates the development of tourism.

Geographic location

The territory of the European part of Russia is bounded in the east by the Ural Mountains, the southern border runs through the North Caucasus. Its size is about 4,000,000 square kilometers, that is, it is almost half of all of Europe, but only 23% of all great country. This is the most developed and densely populated part of the state. It is here that noisy metropolises, ultra-modern buildings are located, and very close by are original and beautiful nature. The population of the European part of Russia is about 80 million people - this is half of all the inhabitants of the country.

One and indivisible

The European and Asian part of Russia is one big whole, although the second geographically belongs to Asia. Its area is about 13,000,000 square kilometers, although relatively few people live on it. This is due to the small number major cities and adverse climatic conditions. The entire vast territory is inhabited by about 70 million people.

The Asian part is divided into 4 regions: Ural, Siberia East and West and Far East. These are expanses from the Pacific Ocean to the Ural Mountains, the birthplace of endless forests and beautiful rivers. Despite the abundance of natural wealth concentrated in the eastern part of Russia, construction here is much more expensive, due to the harsh climate, permafrost, mountainous terrain, forests and swamps. That is why vast territories remain practically untouched.

Paradise for nature lovers and hikers

Largest cities The Asian part of Russia is Tyumen. The incredible beauty of the surroundings attracts tourists from all over the world. The famous sanatorium "Belokurikha", the magnificent Belukha mountain range and the protected area of ​​the Altai Mountains make it possible to implement dozens of tourist routes of varying complexity.

Kamchatka gives you the opportunity to get acquainted with active volcanoes and geysers. Thermal springs and therapeutic mud offer great opportunities for improving health. Unique vegetable and animal world. Luxurious fishing will give an unforgettable experience.

The already mentioned Altai Mountains and Lake Baikal attract many tourists every year.

Administrative division

There are the following economic regions European part of Russia:

• Central.
• Northwestern.
• Southern.
• North Caucasian.
• Privolzhsky.

The European part of Russia consists of well-maintained cities, already little different from the megacities of Europe - the brilliance of night lights, luxurious hotels and restaurants, great shopping ... Each region is ready to offer its own program for tourists, so we will consider their sights separately. The population of the European part of Russia consists of representatives of 39 nationalities. Among them Russians, Tatars, Ukrainians are in the lead.

We have already spoken about the Asian territory, so it will not be considered here. The European part of Russia stretches from the western borders of the country to the Urals. The cities are located compactly, close to Europe, there is access to the Atlantic Sea.

Most natural and are concentrated in the eastern part of the country, here only iron mining is in the lead. The main emphasis in the western part is on manufacturing and agriculture. The banking sector is much more developed.

Central region of western Russia

Beauty-Moscow, the ancient Kremlin, architectural monuments and museums. Every tourist strives to visit the Golden-domed, but besides it, there are other parts of Russia that are no less interesting. Any travel agency will offer you a tour of the Golden Ring, visiting Suzdal, Kostroma, Yaroslavl, Ivanovo and other cities. Ancient temples and unique works of ancient architects will give a lot of impressions.

The second direction for travel can be the places of life of great people. The most famous of them, of course, is Yasnaya Polyana, although the estates of the Pushkins, Sheremetyevs, Shcherbatovs, Bolshoye Boldino are undeservedly forgotten.

The Smolensk Lakeland, the forest Trans-Volga - a dozen years will not be enough to visit every amazing corner. The developed infrastructure and the absence of problems with transport and hotels make it possible to successfully receive even foreign tourists.

This region includes such regions of the European part of Russia as Moscow, Belgorod, Yaroslavl, Bryansk, Tula, Vladimir, Tver, Voronezh, Tambov, Ivanovo, Smolensk, Kaluga, Ryazan, Kostroma, Oryol, Kursk and Lipetsk. A budget vacation on the banks of majestic forests and beautiful rivers will benefit you, charge you with health and good mood.

Northwestern region

This is a large and underdeveloped part of the country. This includes the Arkhangelsk, Pskov, Vologda, Novgorod, Murmansk, Leningrad regions, Komi, Karelia and the creation of Peter, sung by A.S. Pushkin, - St. Petersburg. What is interesting here for tourists? The north of the European part of Russia is a fabulous virgin taiga. In summer, a fresh breeze rustles in the treetops, birds sing. If the vacation fell on a sultry July, better place not to be found: the lakes are already warming up for comfortable swimming, and on the shore the sun does not burn the skin. In autumn, the taiga pleases with colors, crimson and gold are everywhere. Leaves are falling, nature is quiet in anticipation of winter...

Karelia provides great scope for water adventures. Local lakes are interconnected by rapid rapids, so rafting enthusiasts will like it here. famous among beginners in skiing, but classes are best done before the onset of severe winter frosts.

There are many architectural monuments in the North, ancient monasteries (Solovki, Valaam), Kizhi Church in Lake Onega and much more.

South Region

River, forest and sun... A dream can come true here. The specified district includes the Krasnodar Territory, Adygea, Astrakhan, Volgograd Region. The presence of large and very beautiful rivers, such as the Volga and the Don, opens up endless opportunities for spending holidays. At the same time, you don’t even have to plan a trip to the Black Sea, Sochi or Anapa.

If we talk about visiting tourists, they most often prefer comfortable hotels on the Black Sea coast with a visit to the local arboretum and other interesting places to wild holidays in tents. But for the local population with an average income, a vacation in a tent camp on the Volga, a ferry trip to the museum city of Myshkin, and any other budget option may be suitable.

North Caucasian District

This district includes the Stavropol Territory, North Ossetia, Ingushetia, Dagestan. Today these places are world famous as the only subtropical climatic zone in the country, which gives us the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. Thousands of tourists rest and improve their health here every year. It is impossible not to mention the local mineral waters. Kislovodsk is a former all-Union health resort, which is still very popular today.

Climbers have long chosen these places, since Elbrus, the highest peak in Europe, is located here. Routes of varying severity allow you to master the basics of a difficult sport.

The life and customs of the Caucasian peoples attract tourists to these beautiful lands. Cultural and ethnographic sights and museums are frequently visited objects. Local cuisine is a separate conversation, none of the tourists will go home without trying fragrant lamb skewers.

Privolzhsky District

These are territories located near the Urals. Republic of Chuvash, Udmurt, Tatarstan, Mordovia, Mari El. In addition to them, the Kirov, Nizhny Novgorod, Penza, Samara and Saratov regions are also part of the district. Many people live here, in terms of tourism the area is very promising. Stunning mountainous areas, inexhaustible water resources, excellent fishing and just relaxing in the bosom of nature - such prospects attract tourists and provide opportunities for numerous tourism organizations to work.

The proximity of the Ural Mountains allows you to go mountain climbing, as well as lead groups of sports and adventure tourism. The area allows everyone to find something to do, including climbers the highest category(they will be especially interested in the Subpolar Urals).

The unique Komi forests have the status of a world natural heritage. So far, tourist routes here are undeveloped, although they have great prospects.

Bashkortostan is a place of amazing beauty. It is even hard to imagine that forty percent of the area of ​​the entire republic is occupied by forests, and besides them, more than 10,000 rivers flow here, there are about 2,500 lakes, ponds and reservoirs. Three nature reserves, two natural parks, more than a hundred and many nature reserves for protection medicinal plants- all this makes it impossible to get acquainted with even one republic during the vacation. The European part of Russia is truly immense.

Summing up

We have only briefly touched on the description of the riches that these vast territories conceal. The European part of Russia includes five regions, each of which includes from six to eighteen regions. A region may include several dozen cities, large and small.

Tourists can find everything they want here. Big cities and ancient archeological monuments, untouched forests of Siberia and the highest mountains... Russia has always been famous for its water resources, mother nature's reserves are truly inexhaustible! Rivers, streams, ponds, lakes, small and fragile, powerful and majestic, fast mountain streams for lovers of extreme sports or the Volga slowly carrying its waves - nowhere in the world can you find such diversity. Not only the cities themselves, but also the surroundings are radically different from each other.

Europe is a part of the world, which is located in the northern hemisphere of our planet, it is washed by numerous seas and, together with Asia, forms Eurasia. In ancient Greek mythology, Europe is a Phoenician princess who was treacherously kidnapped by Zeus and taken to the island of Crete.

There is a hypothesis that this name comes from the Greek word, which the Greeks used to designate all territories located to the west of the Aegean Sea. There are other theories regarding the origin of this name.

General information

Today, more than 740 million people or 10% of the total population of the Earth live here. General area- more than 10 million square kilometers.

The shores of Europe are washed by two oceans: the Atlantic and the Arctic, as well as numerous seas. The coast is strongly indented, a large area is occupied by numerous peninsulas. Most of Europe is occupied by vast plains.

There are a large number of rivers and many large lakes. The climate is temperate, in the western part - oceanic, in the eastern part - continental. Europe is rich in minerals and other natural resources. It is here that the countries with the most developed economies are located.

This part of the world has played an important role in human history. It should be noted the great richness and diversity of European cultures.

Borders

The borders of Europe have changed in different periods of human history, the debate around them does not subside to this day. The ancient Greeks considered the northern part of their country to be Europe. Gradually, people got to know their world better, and the borders gradually moved further east.

However, people mastered more and more new territories, went further to the east. The famous Russian historian Tatishchev proposed to divide the mainland at the foot of the Ural Mountains. This point of view was first adopted in Russia, and then by foreign geographers.

However, there are currently controversial points regarding the exact boundaries of this part of the world. They are not global. Now there are several options for drawing borders. This issue plays an important political role, because where the border of Europe passes depends on which countries are included in it.

The border in the north runs along the coast of the Arctic Ocean, the western - along Atlantic Ocean, the eastern border - along the foot of the Ural Mountains, along the Emba River to the Caspian Sea and along the Manych and Kuma rivers to the mouth of the Don. Then the border goes along the northern coast of the Black Sea and the Black Sea straits.

According to another opinion, the border runs along the Caucasus Range. There are other options for drawing the border, which transfer it to the south of the Caucasus Mountains.

Countries that are part of Europe

Europe is often divided into Eastern and Western, Southern and Northern, although such a division is somewhat arbitrary. It has more to do with political and cultural characteristics. On the European political map you can find both large states (Russia, Ukraine, France) and very tiny ones. Several countries are only partially located in Europe.

In total, this part of the world includes (in whole or in part) 49 countries. Of these, several states are not always included in Europe. There are also several territories with undetermined status. They declared independence, but it was not recognized by the world community.

The borders of European states have changed over the centuries as a result of numerous wars and revolutions.

So, which countries are considered European today? We have prepared a list for you, divided into four parts: States Western Europe, the countries that are in its north, the countries of Southern and Eastern Europe. As well as those countries that are only partially located in this part of the world.

Western part:

1. France
2. Great Britain
3. Austria
4. Belgium
5. Germany
6. Ireland
7. Luxembourg
8. Liechtenstein
9. Monaco
10. Switzerland
11. Ireland

East End:

1. Bulgaria
2. Romania
3. Ukraine
4. Poland
5. Slovakia
6. Hungary
7. Czech
8. Moldova
9. Belarus

1. So, you have studied the regions of the European part of Russia, which together form the western economic zone. List the most characteristic historical, physical-geographical, socio-economic features that characterize the European part of Russia.

Physical and geographical features:

It occupies the East European Plain, the borders are the Ural Mountains, the border with Kazakhstan and the Kuma and Manych rivers. The relief is flat, so the territory is developed fairly evenly. The mainland of European Russia is located in the subarctic and temperate climatic zones. At the same time, most of them are in the temperate climate zone. Larger river. Volga, dense river network, bn internal runoff, Atlantic, North. There are many glacial lakes in the north. The large length of the plain from north to south determined a well-defined zoning in the distribution of its landscapes.

The coast of the Barents Sea is occupied by cold, heavily waterlogged plains. This part of the plain is located in the zone of tundra and forest-tundra. There are no conditions for the development of agriculture, but reindeer breeding and hunting and trade are developed, large deposits coal, oil, gas, iron ore, non-ferrous metal ores and apatites. In the middle zone of the East European Plain, typical forest landscapes used to dominate - dark coniferous taiga, mixed, broad-leaved oak and linden forests. Currently, many forests have been cut down, and forest landscapes have turned into forest fields - a combination of forests and fields. In this part of the plain, the main part of the population lives, cities and industrial enterprises are located. In the south of the plain there are expanses of steppes and forest-steppes on fertile chernozem soils. This is the area with the most favorable Agriculture climatic conditions. Here is the main agricultural zone of the country, the richest deposits iron ore KMA, oil and gas of the Volga and Ural regions

The European part of Russia accounts for 1/3 of the country's territory, about 80% of the population, 85% of industrial and agricultural production, and about 90% of the country's non-productive sector. The European part of Russia forms the Western macro-region. The Western macro-region includes six natural and economic regions: the European North, the North-West, Central Russia, the Volga region, the European South, and the Urals. The Western economic zone is distinguished by the outstripping development of manufacturing industries. In the Volga region, in the Urals and in the Northern region, extractive industries are added to them. The North Caucasus acts as a major processor of agricultural products. The northern region is very similar to the eastern regions, where the raw material component prevails.

2. Assess the general natural conditions and Natural resources European part of Russia. How much do they contribute economic development territories? Which of the regions stand out as the most favorable in terms of natural conditions, wealth in natural resources?

The natural conditions of the European part of Russia are the most favorable and contribute to the economic development of the territories. Among the areas rich in mineral raw materials, the Northern, Ural and Central Black Earth stand out. Agro-climatic resources are most favorable in the southern regions of the European part of the country.

3. Compose brief characteristics- images of different regions of European Russia. To do this, complete the pivot table.