§ 24. The western kazakhstan

The Aktobe, Atyrau, Mangistau and West Kazakhstan ­ areas.

Territory - 736,1 thousand km².

The population - 2258,2 thousand persons.

Economic-geographical position. An environment and natural resources. The western Kazakhstan on territory wins first place in republic and includes Near-Caspian lowland, southern parts of Big Syrt and the Ural Mountains, peninsula Mangyshlak, Mugalzhar Mountains, the northwest of Turan lowland­.

The region is located between the East European plain in Russia and Central Asian deserts, therefore the climate is sharp continental and dry, winte riscold. The most part of the territory is occupied with deserts and semi-deserts with rare vegetative ­ cover owing to what the fresh water lack is felt here.

The economic region is rich with minerals, however their working out in full is not conducted.

The economy of the Western Kazakhstan began to develop since 60th years of XX century in connection with development of large oil and gas deposits.

The region takes a special place in the republic economy on extraction ­ and refining of oil and gas, to manufacture of mineral fertilizers­, ferroalloys from chromite and nickel ores and the equipment ­ for petroleum industry.

In economic region the agriculture, especially animal industries, and grain manufacture is developed also.

The Western Kazakhstan is the centre of fishing and processing of fish production.

Depending on an industry each area has corresponding specialisation. In Atyrau, Aktobe, Mangistau areas fish, oil and gas ­ crafts, in Aktobe, West Kazakhstan - ­ nickel manufacture­, chromite, ferroalloys, mineral fertilizers, gas production, light and food-processing industry are developed­­.

In region the network of the railways develops. From Makaty to Aktau and New Uzen the railway is spent, in territory of Atyrau area railway system Atyrau - Orsk is generated.

The population. On population the Western Kazakhstan takes the ­ third place in republic. Average population density is 2,9 persons on 1 km². In the direction from the north to the south population density gradually decreases. During the last years the number of inhabitants of Mangistau, Emba and Ural has considerably increased, as with ­ oil and gas development ­ there were new settlements.

The most part of inhabitants of the Western Kazakhstan is made by Kazakhs­. Except Kazakhs Ukrainians, Russian, Tatars, Koreans live­, etc.

§ 25. Geography of the economy of the western kazakhstan

On development of an economy of the Western Kazakhstan the close arrangement of the Russian economic region of the Volga region and Ural Mountains, and also presence influence its territories of considerable resources of oil and gas.

The industry. In the Western Kazakhstan the oil, gas and chemical industry are developed. In the beginning here there were two oil crafts - Dossor and Makat in Emby pool, then deposits of Uzen and Zhetybai on peninsula Mangyshlak­, Kalamkas and Karazhanbas - on peninsula Buzashy have been mastered­. The oil deposit of Tengiz has been in the early nineties installed. Now presence of stocks of oil of the North Caspian Sea shelf is defined.

Petroleum industry development has affected development of the West Kazakhstan ­ territorial and production complex­. In Emby pool and on peninsula Mangyshlak ­ oil and gas are extracted­; in Atyrau oil is processed and ­ polyethylene is made­, the factory on manufacturing of the oil-extracting ­ equipment operates­.

Around settlement Tengiz Atyrau areas integration of gasochemical complex will be generated. Its building will be finished ­ by 2015. In New Uzen and in settlements Tengiz and Zhanazhol the gas-processing industry is developed; in Aktau ­ plastic manufacture on the basis oil-gasochemical production is adjusted­­. Besides, in Aktobe the factory of X-ray functions; in Atyrau - machine-building factory; in Ural - mechanical, steel framework, ship-repair factories, instrument making factory­.

In the Western Kazakhstan from oil receive 20-30 % of finished goods. The black oil received at oil refining is used ­ in the power purposes. The railway transportation also is one of black oil consumers.

The ­ big water stocks, however water resources are necessary for development of the oil and chemical industry ­ in region are limited.

Now the main task is maintenance with oil and gas of the areas lacking raw materials and energy.

Iron and steel industry. In the northeast of the Aktobe area development of the deposit of Kempirsai rich with chromite and nickel ores has begun. In Aktobe factories of chromic connections and ferroalloys operate.

The chemical industry of area develops on the basis of oil and petrochemical manufactures. The largest enterprises ­ of the chemical industry are the Atyrau polyethylene ­ factory, the Aktobe factory of chromic connections, Aktobe chemical industrial complex which uses local phosphorites ­ and salts from lakes and hydrochloric hills of Near-Caspian lowland.

The industry of building materials. The western Kazakhstan ­ is rich with limestone, plaster and other building materials­.

In Mangistau open-cast mines on shell rock development operate. The calcareous shell rock is the basic building material ­ in Aktau. In Ural are available factory of the construction ­ equipment, asphalt-concrete factory.

The food-processing industry. From food-processing industry branches ­ in economic region it is developed fish processing branch. Among the several enterprises for extraction of fish the largest ­ is Atyrau fish processing industrial complex. In the cities of Eraliev and Bautino fish-canning factories work. In region there are flour-grinding enterprises (Aktobe).

Light industry. In economic region branches on manufacturing of fur and felt products (factory of felt products in Ural), tanning-shoe and sewing branches are developed. Large manufacturing enterprise of the Western Kazakhstan ­ is garment factory of Clara Tsetkin in Ural.

Agriculture. Leading branch of agriculture are the animal industries - 92 % of territory of economic region ­ are taken away under pastures and haymakings. In sheep breeding had development basically thick woolen and astrakhan breeds. In northern steppe zone the meat-and-milk animal industries, horse breeding ­ and camel breeding are developed­.

In connection with development of virgin lands the volume of areas under crops ­ in region has reached 3,8 million in hectare. From grain crops here grow up spring wheat, millet, winter rye, from technical ­ - a beet and sunflower as the most adapted for an arid climate.

Transport complex. Development of transport system of the Western Kazakhstan is influenced by the neighbourhood with economic region ­ of Ural Mountains and the Volga region, and also its arrangement on transit-economic means of communication with areas of republics of the Central ­ Asia.

For fast development of economy of the Western Kazakhstan it was important ­ to use effectively available resources of minerals, to increase manufacture of the transport equipment. In this connection automobile, railway and pipeline lines have been constructed.

On territory of the Western Kazakhstan pass the transit oil and gas pipelines having interstate value: Aktau - Atyrau - Samara, the Central Asia - the Center, the Central Asia - Ural (Russia). Last years in connection with opening Karashyganak oil-gasocondensate deposits ­ from Karashyganak to Orenburg oil-gasochemical deposit the gas pipeline is laid.

In the west from Atyrau to Astrakhan and in the south to peninsula Mangyshlak and a mouth of Amudariya the railways are laid.

Now in the Western Kazakhstan all types of transport - railway, automobile, air­, water and pipeline are being developed­.