Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Within the USSR, the geography may be simply divided into three regions. In
the west, there is an abundance of human skills and there are the most
technologically based industries. East of the Urals, there are abundant resources,
including the forests of Siberia (three-quarters of the Soviet total), oil and gas,
mostly now coming from Siberia, coal in the southern Siberia basins such as
Kuzbass, copper in the Urals and Kazakhstan, tin in northeast Siberia, and
precious metals, gold and diamonds. South of Siberia lies central Asia, the region
with greatest population surplus since it has rapid population growth. Central
Asia is not rich in minerals, but has an important agricultural production.
The regions
Regional policy has been with the direct aim of colonizing and economically
opening the east, a move comparable to Brazil's drive to the west. Rather than a
means to an end, this has been the end in itself. This kind of aim is little different
to that of Argentina or Brazil, seeking to consolidate central control over
peripheral regions, and represents a geopolitical strategy for the effective growth
of the nation state in cases where the state is a somewhat artificial creation that
antedates that of the nation. In addition, an aim which came in with communism
was the elimination of inequalities between different groups, sometimes regarded
as the “nationalities question”, because the regional inequalities are in large
measure inequalities between different ethnic groups, specifically between
Russian slavs and other peoples. After 1972 this inequality was stated to be no
longer a problem (Liebowitz 1991), but evidence is that it was never resolved
and has again assumed greater prominence (Kaiser 1991, 1997).
There was no regional planning in overt form, however, for most of the Soviet
period. Only during the Sovnarkhoz period of 1956-64, under Khrushchev, were
there efforts to use a directly regional structure to make investments. For the
most part, developmental efforts were conducted through the sectoral ministries
in Moscow, which tended to centre on big projeets, such as the creation of an
iron and steel industry in the Kuzbass region of southern Siberia, which would
bring along with it commitments to open mines, build railways, or construct
workers' housing. This approach would have an uncertain effect on inequalities.
An immediate comparison may be made between this and the developmental
tendencies of Latin American countries such as Brazil, involved in large projects
for opening the interior.
Some effect on disparities has been through policies of providing equal or
higher wages in the east, to compensate for more difficult climate and
environment generally. The higher wages in Siberia do not wholly balance the
poorer production figures, but do help in this direction. There is also evidence
that higher levels of welfare are provided in some eastern regions, so that on
social measures such as schooling or availability of doctors, there are only small
differences between the regions.
