Map of Tomsk

History

Long before Siberia became part of Russia, the territory of modern Tomsk Oblast was inhabited by people belonging to the taiga Kulayskoy civilization known for its bronze artifacts.

The development of the region began at the end of the 16th and early 17th centuries. The oldest settlement in the area is the village (former city) Narym, founded in 1596.

The administrative center of the province, the city of Tomsk, was founded in 1604 by a decree of Tsar Boris Godunov. From 1719 to 1804 in the province of Tobolsk. In 1782, it was formed by Tomskaya oblast in the composition of Tobolsky Namestnichestva (from 1796 - Tobolskaya guberniya). In 1804 the Tomsk Governorate was founded, which existed until 1925, when it became part of the Siberian region (since 1930 - the West Siberian region).

Geography

Tomsk Oblast, part of the wider region of Siberia, is almost entirely taiga. Approximately 85% of the oblast is forested, with Siberian pines, Scots pines, spruce, fir, and larch trees being some of the common trees in the area. Major rivers which pass through the oblast include the Ob, Tom, Chulym, Chaya, Ket, Parabel, Vasyugan, and the Tym.

The average annual temperature in Tomsk Oblast is 1.75 °C, with the average temperature in July being 19.4 °C, and the average temperature in January being approximately -19-21 °C. The frost-free season typically lasts 100–105 days. Mean annual precipitation in the oblast is 435 millimeters.

Economy

Tomsk Oblast is rich in natural resources such as oil, natural gas, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, peat, and various types of waters. Forests are also among the most significant assets of the oblast: about 20% of the West Siberian forest resources are located in Tomsk Oblast. Industry makes up about half of the regional GDP, while agriculture contributes 19% and construction 13%. Chemical and oil industries are the most developed in the region, followed by machine construction. The oblast's major export items are: oil (62.1%), methanol (30.2%), and machines and equipment (4.8%). Oil extraction and lumbering are the major business of the region's joint ventures.

The oblast's main aviation center is the Tomsk Airport, which is served by a number of national airlines.

Demographics

Population: 1,062,666 (2021 census); 1,047,394 (2010 census); 1,046,039 (2002 census); 1,001,613 (1989 Soviet census).

Major ethnic groups living in the oblast are Russians (92.1%), Ukrainian-Belarusian (1.4%), Volga-Ural-Siberian Tatars (1.7%) and Volga Germans (0.9%). Slavs, Finns and Volga Germans make up more than 94.4% of the population, while Tatars, Chuvash, Armenians and Khanty make up the remaining part. Additionally, 45,016 people were registered from administrative databases, and could not declare an ethnicity.