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Murmansk Oblast

Coordinates:68°02′N34°34′E/ 68.033°N 34.567°E/68.033; 34.567
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Murmansk Oblast
Oblast
Мурманская область
Flag of Murmansk Oblast
Flag
Coat of arms of Murmansk Oblast
Coat of arms
Anthem:Anthem of Murmansk Oblast
Coordinates:68°02′N34°34′E/ 68.033°N 34.567°E/68.033; 34.567
CountryRussia
Federal districtNorthwestern[1]
Economic regionNorthern[2]
Administrative centerMurmansk
Government
• BodyOblast Duma[3]
•Governor[5]Andrey Chibis[4]
Area
[6]
• Total144,902 km2(55,947 sq mi)
• Rank26th
Population
(2021 census)[7]
• Total667,744
• Estimate
(2018)[8]
753,557
• Rank62nd
• Density4.6/km2(12/sq mi)
•Urban
93.1%
•Rural
6.9%
Time zoneUTC+3(MSKEdit this on Wikidata[9])
ISO 3166 codeRU-MUR
License plates51
OKTMOID47000000
Official languagesRussian[10]
Websitehttp:// gov-murman.ru/

Murmansk Oblast[a]is afederal subject(anoblast) ofRussia,located in the northwestern part of the country, with a total land area of 144,900 square kilometres (55,900 sq mi). Its only internal border is theRepublic of Kareliato the south, and it is bordered internationally byFinlandto the west andNorwayto the northwest and theBarents Sealies to the north andWhite Sealies to the south and east. Itsadministrative centeris thecityofMurmansk.As of the2010 Census,its population was 795,409,[7]but at the 2021 Census this had declined to 667,744.[14]

Geography

[edit]
Vaidagubskylighthousein Murmansk Oblast

Geographically, Murmansk Oblast is located mainly on theKola Peninsulaalmost completely north of theArctic Circle[15]and is a part of the largerSápmi (Lapland) regionthat spans over four countries.[16]The oblast borders with theRepublic of Kareliain Russia in the south,Lapland RegioninFinlandin the west,Finnmark CountyinNorwayin the northwest, and is bounded by theBarents Seain the north and theWhite Seain the south and east.[15]Arkhangelsk Oblastof Russia lies across the White Sea.[15]

Much of the oblast's relief is hilly, with theKhibinyandLovozeroranges rising as high as 1,200 meters (3,900 ft) abovesea leveland stretching from west to east.[15]The highest point of Murmansk Oblast isYudychvumchorr,a flat-topped peak of the Khibiny.[17]The north of the oblast is mostly covered bytundra;forest tundra prevails further south, while the southern regions are in thetaigazone.[15]There are over 100,000 lakes and 18,000 rivers in the oblast.[15]The coast contains theRybachy Peninsulaand theCape Svyatoy Nospeninsulas.

The climate is harsh and unstable, due to the proximity of theGulf Streamon one side and Arctic cold fronts on the other.[15]Sharp temperature changes, high winds, and abundantprecipitationare common throughout the year, with the heating season lasting for ten straight months.[15]However, the waters of theMurman Coastin the south remain warm enough to remain ice-free even in winter.[18]

There is also a large number of islands belonging to the oblast, the main ones being (west to east) theAynovy Islands,Bolshoy Oleny Island,Kildin IslandMalyy Oleniy Island,Kharlov Island,Vesknyak Island,Litskiye Island,Nokuyev Island,Vitte Island,Lumbovskiy Island,Goryainov IslandandSosnovets Island.

Lakes

[edit]

Climate

[edit]

Most areas of the Kola Peninsula aresubarctic climate(Köppen climate classification:Dfc). The nearby islands usually belong totundra(Köppen climate classification:ET).

Monthly average highs and lows for various cities and towns in Murmansk Oblast in Celsius and Fahrenheit
City Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Murmansk −6.5 / −12.7
(20.3 / 9.1) 		−6.4 / −12.3
(20.5 / 9.9) 		−1.9 / −8.2
(28.6 / 17.2) 		2.9 / −3.3
(37.2 / 26.1) 		8.4 / 1.5
(47.1 / 34.7) 		13.8 / 5.9
(56.8 / 42.6) 		17.7 / 9.6
(63.9 / 49.3) 		15.3 / 8.3
(59.5 / 46.9) 		10.7 / 5.1
(51.3 / 41.2) 		3.6 / −0.3
(38.5 / 31.5) 		−1.8 / −6.2
(28.8 / 20.8) 		−4.1 / −9.6
(24.6 / 14.7)
Kandalaksha −7.7 / −15.8
(18.1 / 3.6) 		−6.9 / −15.4
(19.6 / 4.3) 		−1.6 / −11.1
(29.1 / 12.0) 		3.8 / −5.1
(38.8 / 22.8) 		9.8 / 1.1
(49.6 / 34.0) 		16.2 / 7.0
(61.2 / 44.6) 		19.5 / 10.5
(67.1 / 50.9) 		16.9 / 8.4
(62.4 / 47.1) 		11.4 / 3.8
(52.5 / 38.8) 		4.0 / −1.4
(39.2 / 29.5) 		−1.9 / −7.5
(28.6 / 18.5) 		−5.0 / −12.0
(23.0 / 10.4)
Vayda-Guba −2.2 / −7.3
(28.0 / 18.9) 		−2.7 / −7.9
(27.1 / 17.8) 		−1.1 / −5.6
(30.0 / 21.9) 		1.8 / −2.6
(35.2 / 27.3) 		6.4 / 1.4
(43.5 / 34.5) 		10.3 / 5.1
(50.5 / 41.2) 		14.1 / 8.4
(57.4 / 47.1) 		13.4 / 8.2
(56.1 / 46.8) 		10.0 / 5.4
(50.0 / 41.7) 		4.8 / 1.0
(40.6 / 33.8) 		1.1 / −3.2
(34.0 / 26.2) 		−0.6 / −5.2
(30.9 / 22.6)
Sosnovets Island −5.7 / −10.7
(21.7 / 12.7) 		−6.2 / −11.2
(20.8 / 11.8) 		−3.6 / −8.7
(25.5 / 16.3) 		0.0 / −4.8
(32.0 / 23.4) 		4.3 / −0.4
(39.7 / 31.3) 		8.9 / 3.8
(48.0 / 38.8) 		12.4 / 7.2
(54.3 / 45.0) 		12.0 / 7.8
(53.6 / 46.0) 		9.6 / 5.8
(49.3 / 42.4) 		4.7 / 1.0
(40.5 / 33.8) 		−0.1 / −3.9
(31.8 / 25.0) 		−3.1 / −7.0
(26.4 / 19.4)

History

[edit]
Main article:Kola Peninsula History

TheSaami,now a very small minority, are the indigenous people of the region.Russiansstarted exploring the shores of the White Sea as early as in the 12th century, and in 1916 duringWorld War Ifounded the Russian city ofMurmanskas an ice-free supply port.[19] As of 2010 Murmansk had307,257 (2010 Russian census),[7]people - nearly 40% of the oblast's population. ManyFinnsalso immigrated to Murmansk during theFinnish famine,around the year 1860.[20]

The oblast was established on May 28, 1938 fromMurmansk OkrugofLeningrad Oblast(comprising the city of Murmansk,Kirovsky,Kolsky,Lovozersky,Polyarny,Saamsky,Teribersky,andTersky Districts) andKandalakshsky Districtof theKarelian ASSR.[11]

The area ofPechengsky District(PetsamoinFinnish), which was ceded to Finland by the1920 Treaty of Tartuand gave Finland access to theBarents Sea,became once again part of theRSFSRin 1940. After theParis Peace Treaties of 1947,the local Saami population was given the choice either of staying in Soviet Russia or resettling in Finland.[citation needed]Most of them chose the second option.[citation needed]On 30 October 1997, Murmansk, alongsideAstrakhan,Kirov,Ulyanovsk,andYaroslavlsigned apower-sharing agreementwith the government of Russia, gaining autonomy.[21]The autonomous status operated until 31 May 2003.[22]

Politics

[edit]
Oblast Administration (right) and City Administration (left) buildings on Lenina Avenue, Murmansk

During theSovietperiod, the high authority in the oblast was shared between three persons: The first secretary of the Murmansk CPSU Committee (who in reality had the biggest authority), the chairman of the oblast Soviet (legislative power), and the Chairman of the oblast Executive Committee (executive power). Since 1991, CPSU lost all the power, and the head of the Oblast administration, and eventually the governor was appointed/elected alongside electedregional parliament.

The Charter of Murmansk Oblast is the fundamental law of the region. The Legislative Assembly of Murmansk Oblast is the province's standing legislative (representative) body. The Legislative Assembly exercises its authority by passing laws, resolutions, and other legal acts and by supervising the implementation and observance of the laws and other legal acts passed by it. The highest executive body is the Oblast Government, which includes territorial executive bodies such as district administrations, committees, and commissions that facilitate development and run the day to day matters of the province. The Oblast administration supports the activities of the Governor who is the highest official and acts as guarantor of the observance of the oblast Charter in accordance with theConstitution of Russia.

Governors of Murmansk Oblast

[edit]
Name Period
Yury Yevdokimov December 1997 – March 21, 2009
Dmitry Dmitriyenko March 21, 2009 – April 4, 2012
Marina Kovtun April 4, 2012 – March 21, 2019
Andrey Chibis March 21, 2019 – incumbent

Chairmen of the Murmansk Oblast Duma

[edit]
Name Period
Pavel Sazhinov 1994–2007
Yevgeny Nikora 2007–2011
Vasily Shambir 2011–2014
Mikhail Ilinykh 2014 – Incumbent

Source:[23]

Administrative divisions

[edit]
Main article:Administrative divisions of Murmansk Oblast

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
YearPop.±%
192623,006—
1959567,672+2367.5%
1970799,527+40.8%
1979965,462+20.8%
19891,146,757+18.8%
2002892,534−22.2%
2010795,409−10.9%
2021667,744−16.1%
Source: Census data

Population:667,744.[24] (2021 Census);[25]795,409 (2010 Russian census);[7]892,534 (2002 Census);[26]1,146,757 (1989 Soviet census).[27]

The indigenous people of the area, theSaami,are only a tiny minority today. As of the2002 Census,92.2% of the oblast's population live in urban areas.[28]The most populous city is the Oblast's administrative center,Murmansk,with 270,000 inhabitants in 2021.[28]Other large cities and towns includeSeveromorsk,Apatity,Kandalaksha,Monchegorsk,andKirovsk.

The Polar Alpine Botanical Garden (Полярно-альпийский ботанический сад-институт) inKirovsk

According to the 2010 Census, the ethnic composition of the oblast was as follows:[7]

Vital statistics for 2022:[30][31]

  • Births: 5,682 (7.9 per 1,000)
  • Deaths: 8,777 (12.1 per 1,000)

Total fertility rate (2022):[32]
1.47 children per woman

Life expectancy (2021):[33]
Total — 68.29 years (male — 63.72, female — 72.85)

In 2009, the urban areas were marked by natural population decline (−0.16% per year) and the rural areas were marked by natural population growth (+0.35% per year).[34]

Religion

[edit]
Religion in Murmansk Oblast as of 2012 (Sreda Arena Atlas)[35][36]
Russian Orthodoxy
 
 41.7%
OtherOrthodox
 
 1.1%
OtherChristians
 
 3.7%
Islam
 
 1%
Spiritual but not religious
 
 28.4%
Atheismandirreligion
 
 11.7%
Other and undeclared
 
 12.4%

According to a 2012 survey[35]41.7% of the population of Murmansk Oblast adheres to theRussian Orthodox Church,3% areunaffiliatedgenericChristians,1% are Orthodox Christian believers who do not belong to any church or are members of other (non-Russian)Orthodox churches,1% are adherents ofIslam,0.4% are adherents ofRodnovery(Slavic native faith) and other indigenous folk religions, and 1% are members of theCatholic Church.In addition, 28% of the population declares to be "spiritual but not religious", 12% isatheist,and 12.5% follows other religions or did not give an answer to the question.[35]

Economy

[edit]

The Murmansk Oblast is very rich in natural resources and has deposits of over 700 minerals.[37]The main industries of the region are in the sphere of raw material extraction and basic processing.[38]The largest industries are metallurgy (36,6%), electric power-production (22,9%) and food-industry, including fishing (13,7%).[39][40]The icefree port of Murmansk plays an important role in marine transportation in Russia, and the oblast has a 41% share of the total Russian marine transport market.[41][42]The fishing industry is among the most profitable in the region, supplying 16% of Russia's total fish production. Murmansk is a key base for three fishing fleets, including Russia's largest, theMurmansk Trawl Fleet.[38]

ANorilsk Nickelplant (formerly,Severonikel) inMonchegorsk

The economy of the region is export-oriented. Main export items are nickel products,apatiteconcentrate, copper and copper products, aluminium and ferrous metals.[41]The Murmansk Region produces almost 100 percent of Russia's apatite concentrate (3.7 million tons in 1998), 43 percent of nickel, 15 percent of copper, 12 percent of iron ore and iron ore concentrate (17.7 million and 6.4 million tons in 1998), and 40 percent of cobalt.[37][39]

Further information:Western Zhdanovskoye mine

The largest companies of the region – constituting 90% of the oblast's production – arePechenganickel,Olcon,theKola Nuclear Power Plant,Sevrybkholodflot,Murmanrybprom,Murmansk Trawl FleetandMurmansk Shipping Company.[37]

Large oil and gas resources have been discovered on the shelf of the Barents sea, including the massiveShtokman field– one of the world's largest gas fields with estimated reserves of 3.8 trillion cubic meters.[37][42][43]Prospective oil fields could potentially yield up to 40 million tons in the next 10–15 years.[37]However, the development of the oil and gas resources will require considerable investment.[37]

In 2006, the Murmansk Oblast'sgross regional productwas 141.9 billion rubles, which amounts to about 0.4% of the Russian GDP.[41]Unemployment in 2006 was 3,4%.[41]GRP pro capita in 2007 was 225 044 rubles.[44]Regional automobile code is 51.

Transport

[edit]

Military

[edit]

The Murmansk Oblast plays an important role for theRussian Navy,theNorthern Fleethaving its headquarters inSeveromorsk,25 km north of Murmansk. The Navy has several other bases and shipyards in the Murmansk Oblast.

The200th Separate Motor Rifle Brigadeis stationed atPechenga.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
InKrasnoshchelye,a village on thePonoy River

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^Президент Российской Федерации. Указ №849 от 13 мая 2000 г. «О полномочном представителе Президента Российской Федерации в федеральном округе». Вступил в силу 13 мая 2000 г. Опубликован: "Собрание законодательства РФ", No. 20, ст. 2112, 15 мая 2000 г.(President of the Russian Federation. Decree #849 of May 13, 2000On the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in a Federal District.Effective as of May 13, 2000.).
  2. ^Госстандарт Российской Федерации. №ОК 024-95 27 декабря 1995 г. «Общероссийский классификатор экономических регионов. 2. Экономические районы», в ред. Изменения №5/2001 ОКЭР.(Gosstandartof the Russian Federation. #OK 024-95 December 27, 1995Russian Classification of Economic Regions. 2. Economic Regions,as amended by the Amendment #5/2001 OKER. ).
  3. ^Charter of Murmansk Oblast, Article 13
  4. ^Официальный сайт Губернатора Мурманской области:: Биография[Official website of the Governor of Murmansk Oblast].gubernator.gov-murman.ru(in Russian). April 8, 2014. Archived fromthe originalon April 8, 2014.RetrievedSeptember 18,2019.
  5. ^Charter of Murmansk Oblast, Article 14.1
  6. ^"Сведения о наличии и распределении земель в Российской Федерации на 01.01.2019 (в разрезе субъектов Российской Федерации)".Federal Service for State Registration, Cadastre and Cartography.Archived fromthe originalon February 9, 2022.RetrievedAugust 29,2023.
  7. ^abcdeRussian Federal State Statistics Service (2011).Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года. Том 1[2010 All-Russian Population Census, vol. 1].Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года [2010 All-Russia Population Census](in Russian).Federal State Statistics Service.
  8. ^"26. Численность постоянного населения Российской Федерации по муниципальным образованиям на 1 января 2018 года".Federal State Statistics Service.RetrievedJanuary 23,2019.
  9. ^"Об исчислении времени".Официальный интернет-портал правовой информации(in Russian). June 3, 2011.RetrievedJanuary 19,2019.
  10. ^Official throughout the Russian Federation according to Article 68.1 of theConstitution of Russia.
  11. ^abDecree of May 28, 1938
  12. ^"Murmansk – fylke".September 21, 2023.
  13. ^"Russisk jagerfly har styrtet i Murmansk fylke".April 26, 2023.
  14. ^Federal State Statistics Service Russia (web).
  15. ^abcdefgh2007 Atlas of Murmansk Oblast,p. 2
  16. ^Ratcliffe, p. 1
  17. ^Физико-географическая статистика России (Physical and geographical statistics of Russia) - Yudychvumchorr
  18. ^Field
  19. ^ Rybakov, Felix F. (September 23, 2005). "Murmansk". In Nuttall, Mark (ed.).Encyclopedia of the Arctic.Vol. 2. New York: Routledge. p. 1330.ISBN9781136786808.RetrievedJuly 13,2024.From its foundation as a supply port during World War I, Murmansk developed as a seaport. The port does not freeze due to the influence of the Gulf Stream. This is significant for the Russian econony because year-round navigation is impossible in the Arkhangel'sk and St Petersburg seaport areas.
  20. ^Mikko, Kuitula (2020)."Muurmannin rannalle ja Venäjän Lappiin: Suomalaisten siirtolaisuus Kuolan niemimaalle ja kuolansuomalaiset 1858–1917".
  21. ^"Yeltsin Signs Power-Sharing Agreements With Five More Russian Regions".Jamestown.November 3, 1997.RetrievedMay 2,2019.
  22. ^Chuman, Mizuki."The Rise and Fall of Power-Sharing Treaties Between Center and Regions in Post-Soviet Russia"(PDF).Demokratizatsiya:146.
  23. ^"Мурманская областная Дума. Официальный сайт".murman.ru.RetrievedJanuary 26,2017.
  24. ^Federal State Statistics Service Russia (web).
  25. ^Russian Federal State Statistics Service.Всероссийская перепись населения 2020 года. Том 1[2020 All-Russian Population Census, vol. 1](XLS)(in Russian).Federal State Statistics Service.
  26. ^Federal State Statistics Service(May 21, 2004).Численность населения России, субъектов Российской Федерации в составе федеральных округов, районов, городских поселений, сельских населённых пунктов – районных центров и сельских населённых пунктов с населением 3 тысячи и более человек[Population of Russia, Its Federal Districts, Federal Subjects, Districts, Urban Localities, Rural Localities—Administrative Centers, and Rural Localities with Population of Over 3,000](XLS).Всероссийская перепись населения 2002 года [All-Russia Population Census of 2002](in Russian).
  27. ^Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 г. Численность наличного населения союзных и автономных республик, автономных областей и округов, краёв, областей, районов, городских поселений и сёл-райцентров[All Union Population Census of 1989: Present Population of Union and Autonomous Republics, Autonomous Oblasts and Okrugs, Krais, Oblasts, Districts, Urban Settlements, and Villages Serving as District Administrative Centers].Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 года [All-Union Population Census of 1989](in Russian). Институт демографии Национального исследовательского университета: Высшая школа экономики [Institute of Demography at the National Research University: Higher School of Economics]. 1989 – viaDemoscope Weekly.
  28. ^abФедеральная служба государственной статистики (Federal State Statistics Service) (May 21, 2004)."Численность населения России, субъектов Российской Федерации в составе федеральных округов, районов, городских поселений, сельских населённых пунктов – районных центров и сельских населённых пунктов с населением 3 тысячи и более человек"[Population of Russia, its federal districts, federal subjects, districts, urban localities, rural localities—administrative centers, and rural localities with population of over 3,000].Всероссийская перепись населения 2002 года (All-Russia Population Census of 2002)(in Russian). Federal State Statistics Service. Archived fromthe originalon July 8, 2018.RetrievedApril 17,2009.
  29. ^"ВПН-2010".perepis-2010.ru.Archived fromthe originalon December 25, 2018.RetrievedJanuary 26,2017.
  30. ^"Information on the number of registered births, deaths, marriages and divorces for January to December 2022".ROSSTAT.Archived fromthe originalon March 2, 2023.RetrievedFebruary 21,2023.
  31. ^"Birth rate, mortality rate, natural increase, marriage rate, divorce rate for January to December 2022".ROSSTAT.Archived fromthe originalon March 2, 2023.RetrievedFebruary 21,2023.
  32. ^Суммарный коэффициент рождаемости[Total fertility rate].Russian Federal State Statistics Service(in Russian). Archived fromthe original(XLSX)on August 10, 2023.RetrievedAugust 10,2023.
  33. ^"Демографический ежегодник России"[The Demographic Yearbook of Russia] (in Russian).Federal State Statistics Service of Russia(Rosstat).RetrievedJune 1,2022.
  34. ^"Миграция населения по потокам".Archived fromthe originalon August 22, 2011.RetrievedApril 27,2011.
  35. ^abc"Arena: Atlas of Religions and Nationalities in Russia".Sreda, 2012.
  36. ^2012 Arena Atlas Religion Maps."Ogonek", № 34 (5243), 27/08/2012. Retrieved 21/04/2017.Archived.
  37. ^abcdef"Overview of Murmansk Region".Federation of American Scientists.RetrievedJune 5,2009.
  38. ^abMurmansk OblastGlobalsecurity.org
  39. ^ab"Murmansk region".Häme Polytechnic. Archived fromthe originalon July 20, 2011.RetrievedJune 5,2009.
  40. ^"Murmansk Region".RetrievedJune 5,2009.
  41. ^abcd"Non-working link message – Barentsinfo".barentsinfo.org.RetrievedJanuary 26,2017.[permanent dead link]
  42. ^abEconomic Development in the Murmansk Region in 2007
  43. ^"UPDATE 1-Russia's Gazprom ups Shtokman reserves to 3.8 tcm".Reuters.November 15, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 26,2017.
  44. ^Валовой региональный продукт на душу населенияФедеральная служба государственной статистики
  1. ^
    • Russian:Му́рманская о́бласть,romanized:Murmanskaya oblast',Russian pronunciation:[ˈmurmənskəjəˈobləsʲtʲ]
    • Kildin Sami:Мурман е̄ммьне,romanized:Murman jemm'ne
    • Norwegian:Murmansk fylke[12][13]

Sources

[edit]
  • Мурманская областная Дума. Закон от 26 ноября 1997 г. «Устав Мурманской области», в ред. Закона №1448-01-ЗМО от 27 декабря 2011 г. «О внесении изменения в статью 58 Устава Мурманской области». Вступил в силу на двенадцатый день со дня официального опубликования в газете "Мурманский Вестник". Опубликован: "Мурманский Вестник", №235, стр. 6–7, 6 декабря 1997 г.(Murmansk Oblast Duma. Law of November 26, 1997Charter of Murmansk Oblast,as amended by the Law #1448-01-ZMO of December 27, 2011On Amending Article 58 of the Charter of Murmansk Oblast.Effective as of the day twelve days after the official publication in theMurmansky Vestniknewspaper.).
  • Президиум Верховного Совета СССР. Указ от 28 мая 1938 г. «Об образовании Мурманской области». Опубликован: "Ведомости Верховного Совета СССР", №7, 1938.(Presidium of the Supreme Sovietof the USSR. Decree of May 28, 1938On Establishing Murmansk Oblast.).
  • Министерство транспорта Российской Федерации. Федеральное агенство геодезии и картографии (2007).Мурманская область. Атлас.Санкт-Петербург: ФГУП "Геодезия".
  • Ratcliffe, Derek A. (2005).Lapland: A Natural History.Yale University Press.ISBN0-300-11553-9.
  • Wm. O. Field, Jr.The Kola Peninsula. Gibraltar of the Western Arctic.The American Quarterly on the Soviet Union.July 1938. Vol. I, No. 2.
[edit]
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