Tyumen region

Tyumen region is one of the largest regions in the Russian Federation. It includes two autonomous okrugs, Khantia-Mansia and Yamalia. Tyumen region is situated in the Western Siberia. Tyumen region belongs to the Urals Federal district.

Tyumen region was founded on August 14, 1944. The territory of Tyumen region is 1, 435, 200 square kilometers. It borders on Omsk, Kurgan, Sverdlovsk region and Kazakhstan.

The climate of Tyumen region is continental. There are four natural plant formations: to the north is tundra, then comes a small strip of forest-tundra, then taiga and forest-steppe.

The population of Tyumen region is 3, 264, 841 inhabitants. It is considered to be one of the most multicultural regions in Russia. There are thirty-six ethnic groups there. People of different nationalities: Russians (71.56%), Tatars (7.18%), Ukrainians (6.47%), Bashkirs (1.43%), Belarusians (1.10%), Chuvash (0.93%), Nenets (0.87%), Germans (0.83%), Khants (0.82%), Kazakhs (0.57%), Mansi (0.32%) and others live and work side by side here.

There are 25, 000 rivers and 650, 000 lakes in our region. The largest rivers are the Ob, the Irtysh, the Tura and the Tobol. The largest lake is Chyornoe (Black – 224 square kilometers).

Boglands occupy almost half of the region’s territory. 43 mln. hectares of Tyumen region are covered by forests. Agricultural lands occupy about 3 per cent of the region’s land fund. The sown area is 1, 736, 000 hectares and the major part of it is under grain and fodder crops. The farmers grow spring wheat, potatoes, oats, rye and maize.

Tyumen region is very rich in oil, gas, peat, quartz sand, limestone, forestry products and others. In 1948, oil was discovered in Tyumen region, and in the 1960s and 1970s the oil industry became a vital component of the region's economy. Tyumen region is the leading oil and gas producer in Russia.

Different branches of industry are developed in our region: oil and gas industry, power-engineering, machine-building, woodworking, light and food branches of industry. Fuel industry is the main branch of Tyumen region.

The chief trends in cattle-raising are beef farming and dairy farming. The farms obtain on the average 4, 000 kg of milk per cow per year.

Borovskaya poultry-breeding factory is the largest in Siberia. This enterprise produces more than a million eggs every day.

Reindeer-breeding is highly developed in the north of our region. Reindeer provide us with meat and hides. Beautiful clothing and foot-wear are made of the hides of these animals.

Some farms in the north are engaged in raising fur-bearing animals, mainly silver and polar foxes.

Hunting and fish-farming are main occupations of the people in the north.

the emblem of Tyumen region

 

1. Memorize the following words and expressions:

1) to occupy – занимать

2) on the average – в среднем

3) side by side – бок о бок

4) bogland – заболоченная земля

5) power-engineering – электроэнергетика

6) woodworking industry – деревообрабатывающая промышленность

7) sown area – посевная площадь

8) fodder crop – кормовая культура

9) spring wheat – яровая пшеница

10) dairy farming – молочное животноводство

11) beef farming – мясное животноводство

12) reindeer-breeding – оленеводство

13) hide – шкура

14) silver fox – черно-бурая лиса

15) polar fox – песец

16) foot-wear – обувь

17) to be engaged in smth. – заниматься чем-либо

18) raising – выращивание, разведение

19) fur-bearing animal – пушной зверь

20) hunting – охота

21) fish-farming – рыбоводство

22) occupation – занятие

23) peat – торф

24) quartz sand – кварцевый песок

25) limestone – известняк

26) fuel industry – топливная промышленность

 

2. Answer the following questions:

1) What part of the Russian Federation is Tyumen region situated?

2) When was Tyumen region founded?

3) What district does Tyumen region belong to?

4) What is the territory of Tyumen region?

5) What regions does Tyumen region border on?

6) What is the climate of Tyumen region?

7) What is the population of Tyumen region?

8) What nationalities live and work in our region?

9) What are the largest rivers of Tyumen region?

10) What is the largest lake of our region?

11) What natural resources is Tyumen region rich in?

12) What branches of industry are developed in our region?

13) What can you say about agricultural lands?

14) What crops do the farmers grow?

15) What are the chief trends in cattle-raising?

16) What is the average milk yield per cow per year?

17) What is the average egg production of Borovskaya poultry-breeding factory?

18) What are the main occupations of the people in the north?