200px|thumb|Commemorative coin of the Bank of Russia with a face value of 10 rubles (2010)
The Nenets Autonomous Okrug (; ), also known as Nenetsia ( ), is a federal subject of Russia and an autonomous okrug of Arkhangelsk Oblast. Its administrative center is the town of Naryan-Mar. It has an area of and a population of 42,090 as of the 2010 Census, making it the least populous federal subject. It is the only federal subject of Russia that is divided into only one district.
A plan to merge the autonomous okrug with Arkhangelsk Oblast was presented by the governors of both federal subjects on 13 May 2020, with a referendum planned for September, but was met with opposition by locals,
leading to the merger process being scrapped completely.
Geography
The arctic ecology of this area has a number of unique features derived from the extreme temperatures and unique geologic province. Polar bears are found in this locale; in fact, the sub-population found here is a genetically distinct taxon associated with the Barents Sea region. The autonomous okrug has a size of approximately 177,000 km<sup>2</sup>. Municipally, the town of Naryan-Mar is incorporated as Naryan-Mar Urban Okrug, while the district (including the settlement of Kharuta, which geographically is an exclave surrounded by the territory of the Komi Republic) is incorporated as Zapolyarny Municipal District.
Politics
Deputies in the State Duma
- Artur Chilingarov – Deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of Russia of the I, II, III, IV, and V convocations (from 1993 to 2011) in the Nenets single-mandate constituency No. 218.
- Vladimir Pekhtin – Deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of Russia of the VI convocation (from 2011 to 2013), elected on the regional list of the United Russia party. On 20 February 2013, Pekhtin voluntarily resigned as a deputy of the State Duma in connection with allegations of concealing income and real estate.
- Elena Vtorygina – Deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of Russia of the VI convocation (since April 3, 2013). Elected on the regional list of the United Russia party.
- Irina Chirkova – Deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of Russia of the VI convocation (in 2011 she was elected on the regional list of Liberal Democratic Party of Russia.
- Sergey Kotkin – Deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of Russia of the VII convocation in the Nenets single-mandate constituency No. 221.
History
Early history
The first recorded mention of the Nenets people is found in the 11th-century Primary Chronicle, a chronicle of Kievan Rus' from about 850 to 1110, originally compiled in Kiev about 1113 by Nestor the Chronicler. At the time, Kievan Rus was under the influence of Novgorod, as was the whole of the North Eastern territories of Kievan Rus'. Zapolyarny translates as "beyond the polar [circle]", and the district was given this name because the vast majority of the district's area lies north of the arctic circle.
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Demographics
Population:
Vital statistics
:Source: Russian Federal State Statistics Service
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!
! width="70pt"|Average population (x 1000)
! width="70pt"|Live births
! width="70pt"|Deaths
! width="70pt"|Natural change
! width="70pt"|Crude birth rate (per 1000)
! width="70pt"|Crude death rate (per 1000)
! width="70pt"|Natural change (per 1000)
! width="70pt"|Total fertility rate
|-
| 1970
| align="right" | 40
| align="right" | 800
| align="right" | 295
| align="right" | 505
| align="right" | 20.0
| align="right" | 7.4
| align="right" | 12.6
|
|-
| 1975
| align="right" | 44
| align="right" | 894
| align="right" | 389
| align="right" | 505
| align="right" | 20.3
| align="right" | 8.8
| align="right" | 11.5
|
|-
| 1980
| align="right" | 48
| align="right" | 941
| align="right" | 387
| align="right" | 554
| align="right" | 19.6
| align="right" | 8.1
| align="right" | 11.5
|
|-
| 1985
| align="right" | 53
| align="right" | 1 049
| align="right" | 371
| align="right" | 678
| align="right" | 19.8
| align="right" | 7.0
| align="right" | 12.8
|
|-
| 1990
| align="right" | 52
| align="right" | 917
| align="right" | 386
| align="right" | 531
| align="right" | 17.7
| align="right" | 7.4
| align="right" | 10.2
|
|-
| 1991
| align="right" | 51
| align="right" | 852
| align="right" | 376
| align="right" | 476
| align="right" | 16.7
| align="right" | 7.4
| align="right" | 9.3
|
|-
| 1992
| align="right" | 49
| align="right" | 725
| align="right" | 431
| align="right" | 294
| align="right" | 14.7
| align="right" | 8.8
| align="right" | 6.0
|
|-
| 1993
| align="right" | 47
| align="right" | 588
| align="right" | 531
| align="right" | 57
| align="right" | 12.4
| align="right" | 11.2
| align="right" | 1.2
|
|-
| 1994
| align="right" | 46
| align="right" | 653
| align="right" | 528
| align="right" | 125
| align="right" | 14.3
| align="right" | 11.6
| align="right" | 2.7
|
|-
| 1995
| align="right" | 44
| align="right" | 602
| align="right" | 570
| align="right" | 32
| align="right" | 13.7
| align="right" | 13.0
| align="right" | 0.7
|
|-
| 1996
| align="right" | 43
| align="right" | 536
| align="right" | 481
| align="right" | 55
| align="right" | 12.5
| align="right" | 11.2
| align="right" | 1.3
|
|-
| 1997
| align="right" | 42
| align="right" | 546
| align="right" | 427
| align="right" | 119
| align="right" | 13.0
| align="right" | 10.1
| align="right" | 2.8
|
|-
| 1998
| align="right" | 42
| align="right" | 567
| align="right" | 435
| align="right" | 132
| align="right" | 13.6
| align="right" | 10.4
| align="right" | 3.2
|
|-
| 1999
| align="right" | 41
| align="right" | 518
| align="right" | 433
| align="right" | 85
| align="right" | 12.5
| align="right" | 10.5
| align="right" | 2.1
|
|-
| 2000
| align="right" | 41
| align="right" | 541
| align="right" | 531
| align="right" | 10
| align="right" | 13.2
| align="right" | 12.9
| align="right" | 0.2
|
|-
| 2001
| align="right" | 41
| align="right" | 598
| align="right" | 560
| align="right" | 38
| align="right" | 14.6
| align="right" | 13.7
| align="right" | 0.9
|
|-
| 2002
| align="right" | 41
| align="right" | 606
| align="right" | 540
| align="right" | 66
| align="right" | 14.7
| align="right" | 13.1
| align="right" | 1.6
|
|-
| 2003
| align="right" | 42
| align="right" | 665
| align="right" | 590
| align="right" | 75
| align="right" | 15.9
| align="right" | 14.1
| align="right" | 1.8
|
|-
| 2004
| align="right" | 42
| align="right" | 595
| align="right" | 519
| align="right" | 76
| align="right" | 14.3
| align="right" | 12.4
| align="right" | 1.8
| align="right" | 1.81
|-
| 2005
| align="right" | 42
| align="right" | 607
| align="right" | 513
| align="right" | 94
| align="right" | 14.6
| align="right" | 12.3
| align="right" | 2.3
| align="right" | 1.81
|-
| 2006
| align="right" | 42
| align="right" | 587
| align="right" | 540
| align="right" | 47
| align="right" | 14.1
| align="right" | 12.9
| align="right" | 1.1
| align="right" | 1.71
|-
| 2007
| align="right" | 42
| align="right" | 653
| align="right" | 528
| align="right" | 125
| align="right" | 15.6
| align="right" | 12.7
| align="right" | 3.0
| align="right" | 1.88
|-
| 2008
| align="right" | 42
| align="right" | 691
| align="right" | 537
| align="right" | 154
| align="right" | 16.5
| align="right" | 12.8
| align="right" | 3.7
| align="right" | 2.02
|-
| 2009
| align="right" | 42
| align="right" | 695
| align="right" | 495
| align="right" | 200
| align="right" | 16.6
| align="right" | 11.8
| align="right" | 4.8
| align="right" | 2.05
|-
| 2010
| align="right" | 42
| align="right" | 699
| align="right" | 500
| align="right" | 199
| align="right" | 16.6
| align="right" | 11.9
| align="right" | 4.7
| align="right" | 2.11
|}
Ethnic groups
According to the 2021 Census, the ethnic composition was:
|}
thumb|304x304px|Ethnic map of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug by urban and rural settlements, 2002 and 2010 censuses
Ethnographic maps shows the Nenets living throughout the Okrug, with the east-central section of the okrug, along the Komi Republic border, showing mixed Nenets-Komi population.
Economy
Oil and gas
The economy of Zapolyarny district is dominated by oil and gas, constituting around 99% of all industrial activity within the whole Okrug. In 2021, 99.9% of all exports from the Okrug were of crude petroleum, with the remaining 0.01% comprising fresh fish. The dominance of oil and gas exploration within the Okrug has seen associated revenues increase dramatically, with €190 million generated in 2007 compared to only €6.7 million ten years prior, However, investments in industrial and housing construction decreased by 60.6% and 90.9% respectively,
Infrastructure
As a result of the significant and speedy increase in investment in the area, the district is faced with a widespread infrastructure problem meaning that progress at many of the oil and gas exploration sites is hampered by accessibility issues, compounded by the severe arctic climate of the district. There are three types of reindeer in the district: collective, personal and private. The majority of reindeer are owned by collective farms, with Nenets people employed to look after them. Those employed in such a capacity are then permitted to own additional personal reindeer, which do not require registration, nor a permit for grazing. This meat is mainly sold within the district, but there are other markets in the Komi Republic and Arkhangelsk Oblast. These outlets are used mainly by groups such as Erv, which have come into existence since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Those groups that effectively represent a continuity of the old collective farm economy, such as Vyucheiskiy and Kharp, generally continue to provide their reindeer to a slaughterhouse as they have always done, with little change in the number of businesses and those that continue to exist still practising the same business model, making changes only to the branding of the business.
See also
- Music in Nenets Autonomous Okrug
References
Notes
Sources
- T. Tuuisku, Transition Period in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug: Changing and Unchanging Life of Nenets People. First published in: ed. E. Kasten, People and the Land: Pathways to Reform in Post-Soviet Siberia, 2002, p. 189–205. Berlin: Deitrich Reimer Verlag
- The Norwegian Barents Secretariat – Barents Monitoring, Nenets Autonomous Okrug, First Quarter, 2009
External links
- Official website of Nenets Autonomous Okrug