The Republic of Kalmykia

Geographical location
The Republic of Kalmykia is situated in the western part of the Pricaspian lowland. Its eastern part is washed by the Caspian Sea. Length of the territory from north to south is 640 km, from west to east is 480 km. The republic borders on Astrakhan, Volgograd, Rostov, Stavropol regions and Republic of Dagestan. The Republic has the exit to the Caspian Sea and to the coast of the Volga.
The greater part of the republic is in the semi-desert zone. The climate is sharp continental with hot, dry summer and cold, not snowy winter.

Natural resources
Area of the Republic - 75.9 thousand sq. km - is quite perspective for farther search of hydrocarbon fields. Advantageous geo-economic position of the Republic and closeness to large industrial centres let to form big production complex on mining and processing of hydrocarbon, common salt, metal-phosphate ore, quartz sand; industrial exploitation of sun and wind power.

• Carbon raw materials. In the Republic there are 28 oil-fields. In 1998 245.5 thousand tons of oil and 88 million tons of gas were extracted. There are real preconditions to get essential growth of hydrocarbon reserves, opening of big fields in the territory of Kalmykia.
• Common salt. In the northern part of the Republic there are great supplies of salt, potassium salts. There are only 3-4 slits. Annually about 300 thousand tons of salt may be mined by foundation of big storehouses for hydrocarbon raw materials or strategic waste.
• Metal-phosphate ore. Reserves and natural resources of uranium, phosphate, rare land elements were counted. It is 2-3 times as much as in Kazakhstan. Recommendations on exploitation of ore field for production of phosphate fertilizers and uranium concentrate were prepared by the Committee of Natural Resources of the Republic.

Administrative division
In the republic there are 13 districts, 1 town of republican submission, 2 towns of district submission, 5 town settlements, 99 villages.  The capital of the republic is the town of Elista. It was founded in 1930. Distance to Moscow is 1,836 km.