Pskov region is one of the regions of the Russian Federation. Located in the western part of the European territory of Russia, on the European Plain. In the west it borders with the Baltic countries, in the north - with the Leningrad region, in the south - with the Republic of Belarus.
Geographical characteristics of the Pskov region
The area of the region is about 55 thousand square kilometers. The population is 700–750 thousand people (with a urban share of 67%). In total, there are 14 cities and 13 large urban-type settlements in the region. The average population density in the region is 13 people / m 2. The population of the districts of the Pskov region is characterized by relative racial homogeneity. The most significant in the region is the share of the Russian population. Among other nationalities, Ukrainians and Belarusians predominate.
The administrative center of the Pskov region is the city of Pskov. Pskov is an ancient Russian city. Its history goes back over 1, 000 years. In the Middle Ages, it was a major center of military affairs, culture, economics and politics. The region itself was formed recently - in 1944. It is part of the Northwestern Federal District.
The climate is temperate, relatively humid, continentality is weakly expressed, which is associated with the influence of air masses from the Atlantic. Annual precipitation is 600–650 mm. Winters are relatively mild, and summers are hot and moderately humid.
Nature of the area
Natural vegetation is represented by forests: both deciduous and coniferous. Therefore, picking berries and mushrooms is quite popular. Natural conditions favor the development of tourism, especially water tourism.
There are many swamps and lakes in the region, including one of the largest in Europe - Lake Peipsi-Pskov. They produce rare fish called smelt.
Economics and transport
The industry of the region is focused on the production of electronics, textiles, food and machinery. Mostly production is concentrated in Pskov and Velikiye Luki. The production of natural products, primarily milk, is more widespread.
In the Pskov region there are all the main types of transport: road, rail, air, water and pipeline. The most important highways are federal highways connecting Moscow with Riga (M9 highway) and St. Petersburg with Vitebsk (M20 highway). The latter passes through the city of Pskov.
The railway network totals 1, 100 km of railway lines. Basically, these are single-track lines that use diesel traction.
The total length of water routes is 500 km. For the most part, they are concentrated on Lake Peipsi-Pskov. In addition to transport links, water bodies provide the functioning of the fishing fleet.
Air transport is represented by the Pskov airport. There are no international airports in the area.
The pipeline is used for pumping gas and is of federal importance. Gas is supplied to Riga through it.
The population of the Pskov region: general information
The population in the region for 2017 amounted to 642 thousand people. The share of urban population is 71%. The population density in 2017 was 11.6 people per km 2.
A typical trend in the region is the outflow of people to other regions, which is reflected in the dynamics of the population. Basically, the region leaves youth. Thus, the proportion of representatives of older age groups is steadily increasing. The decline in numbers occurs to a greater extent due to the rural population than urban. Rural settlements are characterized by low occupancy.
Demographic dynamics
The population of the Pskov region has been falling since 1926, and the urban population since 1989. The reasons for the migration outflow are insufficient industrial development and low economic attractiveness. As a result, employment in the Pskov region is declining. In terms of the decrease in the number of residents, the Pskov Region is one of the leaders in Russia. Only in certain regions of the Arctic, this figure is even higher.
Population growth is noted in the city of Pskov and some other cities of the Pskov region. The population in the remaining settlements is decreasing.
The distribution of people by gender is fairly uniform. The proportion of men is 45 percent, and women - 55.
Urban and rural population
The urban population lives in 28 settlements, of which 14 are typical cities. The urban population is 454, 000 (in 2017). These are mainly residents of the two largest cities - Pskov and Velikiye Luki, with a total population of 302, 600. At the same time, in 1959, citizens accounted for only 22.6 percent of the number of residents of the region, and in 2010 - already about 70%.
The region is in second place in Russia in the number of rural settlements. In 2010, there were 8, 351. Only in the Tver region there are even more of them. And in terms of the number of people per settlement, there is the lowest rate in the country - only 24 people per village.
The reason for such features in the distribution of residents is natural features. First of all, this is the mosaic nature of the landscapes, when life-friendly pieces are separated by swamps, lakes and hills. The peculiar inhabited islands of the Pskov region are formed. The outflow of the population also contributes to the low population of villages.
The history of the population of the Pskov region
The first settlers settled in the region 10-12 thousand years ago. This happened after the retreat of the ice sheet. At that time, the tundra was the dominant landscape. Gradual climate mitigation contributed to an increase in the number of inhabitants. The first settlements date back to 5-6 thousand years ago. They were pile type and were found in the southeastern part of the region. Then the main activity was hunting (for water birds), fishing and gathering (including berries). The most ancient groups of people hunted reindeer. Dwellings were arranged on the sandy banks of rivers and lakes. The rise in water level due to climate warming has led to the appearance of buildings on stilts.
About 3-4 thousand years ago, due to the improvement of the climate, the population increased.
The main ethnic group were the Finno-Ugrians. Representatives of local and Baltic tribes also lived. Later, the area was populated by Krivichi. They became the main ancestors of the current population.
Until the 20th century, the birth rate in the region was high. Its decline began after the 1917 revolution.
Composition of the modern population
The bulk of the population of the Pskov region are Russians. Their share in the total number is 95%. The second line is occupied by Ukrainians. There are a little more than one and a half percent. Closing the top three Belarusians, of which about 1.3%. From other nationalities there are Armenians, Gypsies, Estonians, Latvians, Tatars, Moldavians and other peoples.
The territorial distribution of population groups is relatively heterogeneous. In the northern part of the region, the East Baltic type prevails, mixed with the Finno-Ugric. In the south, the most common is the Valdai-Upper Dnieper type, associated with a mixture of Slavs and residents of the Baltic. At the same time, there are no clear territorial and racial boundaries.
The population of the Pskov region also has some characteristic features. For example, there are traditionally many believers, a high percentage of well-educated and cultured people. The level of patriotism is traditionally high. The latter is probably due to the fact that historically the inhabitants took part in many outstanding battles and this memory is passed down from generation to generation.
The causes of the demographic crisis
One of the reasons for the demographic crisis in this region is the low level of social protection of the population. The birth rate and mortality rate were influenced by such factors as a low level of population’s income, an upward shift in childbearing age, the ratio of marriages and divorces, and especially the psychology of the local population.
A decrease in the number of medical facilities has affected the increase in mortality after 1960. The most negative fertility / mortality ratio was in 2003. The number of obstetric and feldsher posts was almost halved, and the total number of medical institutions was reduced by the same amount. From 1990 to 2012 the number of ambulance stations decreased by 1/6. Basically, these trends were characteristic of rural areas.
The overall mortality rate in the region exceeds the average for Russia by 1.5 times. The mortality rate of infants in the Pskov region is the highest in Russia. Preventive medicine is also underdeveloped.
The level of well-being of citizens is generally very low. This leads to a large number of suicides. Social disadvantage is especially characteristic of rural areas.
Nevertheless, after 2005, a slight downward trend in mortality began to appear.
