Map of Novosibirsk

History

During the Middle Ages the region was populated by Siberian Tatar tribes (Baraba and Chat). Being constantly raided by Oirat nomads throughout the first centuries of the exploration of Siberia future Novosibirsk Oblast did not attract many Russian colonists, who preferred to settle around more northerly Tomsk. The first Russian village Maslyanino was founded in 1644. In 1716, officer Ivan Butkeyev built the Berd fortress that later became the city of Berdsk, the main center of future colonization and development of the region. Like many other parts of Siberia, the Berd lands became a safe haven for political dissents, fugitive serfs and religious sects from all across Russia.

Geography

Novosibirsk Oblast is located in the south of the West Siberian Plain, at the foothills of low Salair ridge, between the Ob and Irtysh Rivers. The oblast borders Omsk Oblast in the west, Kazakhstan (Pavlodar Province) in the southwest, Tomsk Oblast in the north, Kemerovo Oblast in the east, and Altai Krai in the south. The territory of the oblast extends for more than 600 kilometers (370 mi) from west to east, and for over 400 kilometers (250 mi) from north to south. The oblast is mainly plain; in the south the steppes prevail; in the north enormous tracts of woodland with great number of marshes prevail. There are many lakes, the largest ones located at the south. The majority of the rivers belong to the Ob basin, many of them falling in dead lakes.

Economy

Novosibirsk Oblast's gross regional product in 2007 was $14,950.2 million. GRP per capita was 144,869 roubles; somewhat under the national average of 198,817 roubles. For many years, the region experienced relatively high rates of industrial output growth: between 1999 and 2008 industrial output grew 170%, exceeding the Russian average growth by 23%.

Major industrial activities—accounting for over 80% of the total shipped products and services—are basic metals and fabricated metal products, electricity, gas and water supply, fuel extraction, food products and beverages.

Manufacturing accounted for 67.4% of the region's industrial output in 2007. The most notable sector was food products, beverages and tobacco (20.7%).

Demographics

Population: 2,797,176 (2021 census); 2,665,911 (2010 census); 2,692,251 (2002 census); 2,782,005 (1989 Soviet census).

Almost 3/4 of region`s population (2,069,715) reside in Novosibirsk and surrounding areas (2019).

According to the 2021 Census, the ethnic composition of the oblast was 94.2% Russians; 0.7% Volga-Ural-Siberian Tatars; 0.7% Germans; 0.4% Tajiks; 0.4% Ukrainians; 0.4% Kazakhs; 0.4% Uzbeks; 0.3% Kyrgyz; 0.2% Armenians and 0.2% Azerbaijanis. Additionally, 475,688 people were registered from administrative databases, and could not declare an ethnicity.