West Siberian economic region Западно-Сибирский экономический район | |
|---|---|
 Novosibirsk, the largest city in the region | |
.svg) Map of Central Economic Region | |
| Country |  Russia |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,454,084 km2 (947,527 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Total | 14,453,566 |
| • Density | 5.889597/km2 (15.25399/sq mi) |
| GDP | |
| • Total | ₽ 17,250 billion US$ 234.600 billion (2021) |
TheWest Siberian Economic Region[a] is one of the twelveeconomic regions of Russia.
This vast plain—marshy and thinly populated in the north, hilly in the south—is of growing economic importance, mostly due to the abundance of natural resources: oil, coal, wood, water. There are vast oilfields in theWest Siberian petroleum basin, and Russia's largest oil refinery is theOmsk Refinery. TheKuznetsk Basin aroundKemerovo andNovokuznetsk is a center ofcoal mining, and the production of iron, steel, machinery, and chemicals. Logging is a significant industry throughout the region. Hydroelectric stations dam theOb nearNovosibirsk andKamen-na-Obi. The navigable Ob-Irtysh watershed covers most of this area, and the southern part is also criss-crossed by theTrans-Siberian, South Siberian andTurkestan-Siberian rail lines. Agricultural products include wheat, rice, oats, and sugar beets, and livestock is raised.[2]
West Siberian economic region accounted for 21% of the national GRP in 2008. The official economic statistics give a positive profile to this region. Not only is GDP in total high due to its substantial total population, but also reported GDP per capita is almost half above the Russian mean, as is industrial productivity. In keeping with this, wage levels are a third above the national average. However, the likelihood of getting paid in full is 14% below the national level. The region's economy is, moreover, relatively low in privatized ex-state enterprises, and only average in newprivate sector employment.
Levels of social welfare are close to the national mean in terms of life expectancy for men and women, and the proportion of students in higher education. However, popular attitudes in the region give a negative picture of West Siberia. Compared to other regions, people are much less likely to expect life to improve, and are even more negative in their rating of the national economy.[3]
