Spatial Differentiation of Resource Territories in Russia: Assessment of Human and Natural Capital Potential

Abstract

The study defines two core regional categories of «resource» and «extractive industry» regions and describes their place and role in Russia’s national economy. Using quantitative indicators, such as area, population, gross regional product, and number of employed, a ranking of these regions is constructed. Key factors shaping their socio-economic development are identified, encompassing geographical location, natural and labour resource endowment, and economic and social potential. Building on the proposed «continent–island» framework, the study establishes key criteria for delineating resource territories, maps their spatial differentiation across the country, and assesses their natural, economic, and social potential over a multi-year period. This analysis yields five continental clusters — North-West, Volga, Ural, Siberian, and Far Eastern — and three island territories: Central (Belgorod, Kursk, and Lipetsk regions), Southern (Astrakhan Oblast), and Eastern (Sakhalin Oblast), each separated from the continental clusters by non-resource zones referred to as straits. Applying an economic-geographical approach across a unified array of resource and extractive industry territories, which occupy predominantly the northern and eastern parts of the country, the study assigns 32 constituent entities to these categories, comprising autonomous republics (6), territories (5), regions (17), and autonomous okrugs (4), with 16 resource and 16 extractive industry territories among them. Together, these territories account for 80 % of the country’s total area, 30 % of its population, and over 90 % of gross value added in the mining and minerals sector. The study identifies the key drivers of spatial differentiation among resource regions and confirms the critical role of commodity territories in Russia’s national economy and export structure.