Economic conditions and geographic location
The Mari El Republic is located in the center of the European part of Russia, in the middle part of the Volga river basin. It is a part of the Volga federal district.
The Mari El Republic borders on the Kirov Region, the Republic of Tatarstan, the Chuvash Republic, the Nizhniy Novgorod Region.
Its area – 23.4 thous. sq. km, population - 688.7 thous. people. The capital is the city of Yoshkar-Ola.
The Mari El Republic is located in the zone with temperate continental climate. Average air temperature in January is –19°С; in July +20°С.
Natural resources
Over 50% of the territory of the republic is occupied by forests. Sod-podzol, sandy loam, sabulous-clayey, and sandy soils prevail.
The Volga river flows through the territory of the republic. Most ecologically clean rivers of Europe are: the Ilet, the Bolshaya Kokshaga, the Yushut, and the Kundysh.
There are over 600 lakes in the republic.
Mineral resources sector
Mineral resources sector is represented by such types of raw materials as plaster stone and anhydride, carbonate rocks, ceramsite material, natural stone, concrete sand and silicate products, raw materials for brick and tiles production, peat, and sapropel. The fields for quartzy raw materials for glass production, cement raw materials, and therapeutic muds are also explored in the territory of the republic.
The Mari El Republic has also adequate supplies of mineral waters, surface waters with high mineralization.
Transport infrastructure
- 210.7 km – stretch of the railways within the republic;
- 3084 km – stretch of the automobile roads of republican status;
- 279 km - stretch of the navigable waterways on the rivers Volga, Vetluga, and Sura;
- Moscow – 753 km;
- Kazan – 147 km;
- Nizhniy Novgorod – 337 km;
- Ekaterinburg – 1096 km;
- Saint-Petersburg – 1466 km.
Goods transportation and passenger river transportation is carried out by Kozmodemyansk port OJSC on the Volga river. Regular flight connection is provided by Yoshkar-Ola airport.
Tourism
- 29 health resorts, health complexes, and recreation houses;
- 18 recreation camps;
- 8 tourist complexes.