Geographic position and natural resources of Ingush Republic

Ingush Republic is located on the northern slopes of the Large Caucasus, in its central part. In the north it borders on North Ossetia, in the east - on Chechnya, in the south - on Georgia. The border between Ingushetia and Chechnya is still not delimitated. Modern Ingushetia includes three regions of the former Chechen-Ingush ASSR: Nazran, Malgobek and Sunzha regions. The territory of Ingush Republic is crossed with the North Caucasian railway (with the station Nazran and railway junctions Karabulak, Plievo, Sleptsovsk) with access to Rostov-on-Don and Baku, as well as highway of federal significance Baku - Mineralnye Vody - Rostov-on-Don. The airport "Ingushetia" services flights within the limits of the Russian Federation and CIS. Through the main range of the Caucasian Mountains goes the Georgian Military Road, a part of which is located in the territory of Ingushetia.

The relief of the terrain is raised, consisting of mountain ranges separated with valleys and canyons. The highest point - Stolovaya Mountain (2993 m above sea level). The length of the Caucasian Mountains in the territory of Ingushetia is about 150 km. From the south to the north the republic is crossed with the rivers Terek and Assa, and from the west to the east by the Sunzha river. Average annual precipitation - 450 - 650 mm. Soils are mostly fertile chernozem. The climate is continental. Average annual temperature +10?C, average temperature in July +21?C, in January +5?C. The winter is usually mild, and the summer is hot, but the air temperature varies depending on the altitude, which is characteristic of highland regions. Natural climate conditions are favourable for development of agriculture. Agricultural lands occupy 60% of the territory, almost half of them are arable land.

An important natural resource of Ingushetia are the forests. They occupy 140 thousand ha, mostly mixed broad-leaved forests, including valuable species of wood (beech, oak, sycamore, etc.).

In Ingushetia the reserves of hydraulic power of the mining rivers are significant.

The mineral sources of raw materials at the current stage of research consists of fields of the following mineral resources: oil (forecast reserves over 60 million tons), gas, marble and marble-like building materials, dolomite, limestone-coquina, brick clay of high quality, thermal medical waters and mineral waters such as Borzhomi. The geologists have found out deposits of rare metals in Ingushetia. The balance reserves of the above types of mineral raw materials on the average are for 100 - 150 years.

The explored commercial reserves of oil estimate as 11 million tons, and with large investments the annual mining could be increased up to 500 thousand tons per year. Currently 125 thousand tons are actually produced.

Oil in Ingushetia is of high quality. The mining of oil fields is conducted by the state company "Ingushneftegazprom". In 1997 - 1998 the funds for completion of mining on Yandyr well, as well as for construction of a new oil-rig on the prospective Karabulak-Achaluki field were obtained.

Ingushetia adopted the republican law on natural resources (February 8, 1996), which determines the main principles of regulation of relations in the course at geologic research, usage and preservation of mineral resources of the republic, as well as utilisation of waste of the mining and related industries. The Committee on geology and usage of mineral resources of Ingush Republic was organised. It controls the state fund of Ingush mineral resources within the limits of its powers. The procedure of licensing during at development of fields was established.