NATURAL RESOURCE POTENTIAL OF RUSSIA AS A BASIS FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF ITS TERRITORY

Tatiana Rebrina

the candidate of Pedagogical Sciences,

Associate Professor of Bryansk State University them. AK. I. G. Petrovskogo,

Russia,Bryansk

ANNOTATION

Natural resource potential is all natural resources that form the basis for the economic development of the territory in which they are located. The relevance of studying the problem under consideration is substantiated by the concept of the natural resource potential of Russia. The potential of our country is huge and practically incalculable, but it is necessary to assess it and imagine the situation that is happening in this area today. It is required to set directions for the use of natural resource potential for the benefit of Russia. The huge resource potential of Russia is not fully utilized and it is necessary to overcome this shortcoming.

ABSTRACT

Natural-resource potential, represents all the natural resources that form the basis of economic development of the territory where you are. The urgency of studying of the problem justified the concept of natural resource potential of Russia. The potential of our country is enormous and almost incalculable, but it is necessary to assess and present a situation that is happening in this sphere to date. You want to set the direction for the use of natural resources for the benefit of Russia. huge resource of Russia is not fully used and it is necessary to overcome this potential deficiency.

Keywords: natural resource potential, economic development, needs.

keywords: natural-resource potential, economic development, needs.

Natural resource potential is all natural resources that form the basis for the economic development of the territory in which they are located. The natural resource potential can also be represented as elements in the environment that are necessary to ensure the production process, the purpose of which is to satisfy the needs of people.

The relevance of studying the problem under consideration is substantiated by the concept of the natural resource potential of Russia. The potential of our country is huge and practically incalculable, but it is necessary to assess it and imagine the situation that is happening in this area today. In addition, it is necessary to set directions for the use of natural resource potential for the benefit of Russia.

To study the natural resource potential of Russia, it is first necessary to understand and determine how it is subdivided:

• According to the natural environment. It can be water or land resources, mineral or minerals.
• By exhaustion. Sunlight is inexhaustible. Forests are a renewable resource. Oil is not renewable.
• How resources are used. In agriculture or industrial production.

The natural resource potential of Russia has the following features:

• Huge reserves of resources are concentrated and saturated in certain regions of Russia. Thus, huge oil reserves are located in Western Siberia, making up the bulk of Russia's oil production potential (Fig. 1).
• Huge amounts of resources are concentrated in sparsely populated regions of Russia, which are distinguished by harsh natural conditions and climate. So in the Nenets Autonomous Region, oil production in winter can take place at -35 degrees, which is not uncommon for this region.
• Uneven distribution of natural resource potential. For example, up to 50% of all forests in Russia are located in Siberia, and there are practically no forests in the regions of Ciscaucasia.
• Insufficient knowledge of the natural resource potential of Russia.

Figure 1. Main oil fields and oil production in Russia in 2016

Mineral resources are part of the natural resource potential and are formations in the earth's crust of natural origin that a person can use in his economy.

Mineral resources are subdivided:

• For fuel and energy. This includes oil, gas, coal, peat, etc.
• For metal ores. These are iron, gold, tungsten, etc.
• And for non-metallic raw materials. These are granite, stone, chalk and much more.

Currently, the value of all explored reserves of mineral resources is estimated at 40 trillion US dollars. The volume of potential reserves is estimated at more than 150 trillion US dollars. Such huge reserves of mineral resources provide Russia with a certain role in the world economy. In the context of industrial development and depletion of resources, other countries, such as Germany, China, Japan and many others, are increasingly turning to the potential of Russia. The growth of their industry largely depends on the resources that Russia will sell them.

There are more than 18 thousand deposits of mineral resources on the territory of Russia. It is typical that 10% of deposits contain 60% of explored mineral resources.

In terms of explored resources, Russia occupies:

• First place in terms of natural gas reserves.
• First place in iron ore reserves.
• Second place in coal reserves.
• Fourth place in terms of oil reserves.
• Sixth in terms of platinum and diamond reserves.

The main extraction of mineral resources falls on oil, gas and coal, providing about ¾ of all production.

Huge water resources are located on the territory of Russia. The total volume of water resources is approximately 7,500 cubic kilometers. This is one of the largest reserves of water resources in the world. Water resources are summarized from the volume of rivers, lakes, glaciers and reservoirs. The largest rivers in Eurasia flow in Russia: Lena, Yenisei, Ob, Amur, Volga. Five rivers make up more than half of Russia's water resources, and their volume is estimated at 2,100 cubic kilometers.

Russia's water resources are unevenly distributed across the territory. Most of the largest agricultural areas are located away from the 5 largest rivers and from large accumulations of fresh water. According to statistics, up to 80% of all rivers flow into the Arctic Ocean, on the coast of which there is no agricultural land. About 10% of farms are located in dry areas (Fig. 2).

Land resources are land that is used or suitable for use for the purpose of economic activity. Russia is the country with the largest territory in the world. There are 15 hectares of land suitable for farming per person, which is 5 times higher than the world indicator of 3 hectares.

At the same time, most of the land is located in an area with a harsh climate, where farming is almost impossible and requires specialization, such as deer breeding.

Figure 2. Distribution of hydro resources in Russia.

Land resources are distributed as follows:

• 65% of all land is occupied by forests;
• 25% went under agriculture;
• 5% for industrial and military facilities;
• 5% are settlements.

Now let's analyze the obtained data.

The vast territory of Russia is filled with a huge amount of resources. Particularly distinguished are oil - gas resources, water and land. According to all these indicators, Russia is in first place in the world. Understanding the significance of such wealth, Russia can develop its resource potential as follows:

• It is necessary to develop agriculture, which is feasible with the help of vast water and land resources. Among the minerals are huge reserves of resources that can be used for fertilizers. The state needs to create a single sector of agriculture for the development of Russia as a powerful producer of agricultural products.
• Further development of oil and gas production, but towards innovation. For example, the development of new fields on the shelves. Such developments bring the production itself to a new level.
• Development of extremely potential branches of Russia - metallurgy. Huge reserves of iron, but insufficient technologies for their processing, lead to the low role of this industry in the country's industry. This potential must be exploited.

It should be concluded that the huge resource potential of Russia is not fully used and it is necessary to overcome this shortcoming.

Bibliography:

1. Mishurov S.S., Schukov V.N. Economic potential of Russian regions and efficiency of its use. - IGTA, Ivanovo, 2002. - 58s.
2. Rebrina T.G. The essence and significance of the development of foreign economic activity at a modern enterprise // Bulletin of the Belarusian State University. - 2015. - No. 1. - S. 327-329.
3. Rebrina T.G., Silaeva V.V. Regulation and strategic planning for the development of the production infrastructure of the national economy // Innovative potential, state and development trends in the economy: a collection of scientific articles based on the results of the International Scientific and Practical Conference (St. Petersburg, October 30-31, 2013). - St. Petersburg, 2013.- P.378-380.

Introduction…………………………………………………………………………2

The concept of natural resource potential and its role in the world

economy. …………………………………………………………………4

Natural resource potential of the countries of the world…………………………8

Natural resource potential of Russia and its regions…………….15

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………22

List of used literature………………………………………..24

Introduction

The current stage of the development of the world economy is characterized by an ever-increasing scale of consumption of natural resources, a sharp complication of the process of interaction between nature and society, intensification and expansion of the sphere of manifestation of specific natural and anthropogenic processes arising as a result of technogenic impact on nature. In the context of the growing interconnection and interdependence of states, world social progress is increasingly dependent on the solution of global problems - universal problems affecting the interests and destinies of all countries and peoples that are important for the progress of human civilization as a whole.

The problem of natural resources has two aspects: global and national. Naturally, when we talk about the 21st century - the century of global problems of informatics, ecology and mineral resources with their new technologies and the expansion of the range of mineral resources - first of all, we mean the global aspect. One of the main global problems is raw materials.

In most countries with developed market economies, natural resources (especially minerals) are consumed more than they have. The missing resources are imported mainly from developing countries. Because of this, huge flows of raw materials move to the three main centers of their processing: North America, Western Europe, East and Southeast Asia. This state of affairs gives rise to two problems: the dependence of developed countries on the supply of raw materials and the raw orientation of exports of many developing countries.

In this regard, the relevance of this study is to solve the main global problems by studying the natural resource potential of the world as a whole, individual regions and countries, analyzing the systems of their economic use that have developed in various socio-economic structures of the modern world community.

The purpose of this study is the consideration and assessment of the natural resource potential of countries and regions.

Object of study is the natural resource potential of the countries of the world.

The purpose of this work predetermined the solution of the following tasks:

Consider the theoretical aspect of the natural resource potential.

Assess the natural resources of Russia, some countries and regions of the world.

Analyze the location and identify the reserves of certain types of natural resources.

As research methods the method of analysis and synthesis, description and systematization are used.

The concept of natural resource potential and its role in the global economy.

The natural resource potential (natural resources) of the world economy is diverse. It includes energy, land and soil, water, forest, biological (flora and fauna), mineral (minerals), climatic and recreational resources.

Natural resources - spatio-temporal category; their volume is different in different regions of the globe and at different stages of the socio-economic development of society. Bodies and phenomena of nature act as a certain resource in the event that a need arises for them. But the needs, in turn, appear and expand as the technical possibilities for the development of natural resources develop. For example, oil was known as a combustible substance as early as 600 BC. e., but as a fuel raw material on an industrial scale, it began to be developed only from the 60s of the XIX century. It was from that time that oil turned into a really accessible energy resource for use, the importance of which has steadily increased. However, until the second half of the XX century. oil deposited in the bottom sediments of the World Ocean shelf was not considered as a resource, since the state of the art of extracting oil made it impossible to extract it on the shelf. Only in the 1940s, for the first time in water areas (Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela, the Caspian Sea in the USSR), oil began to be developed on an industrial scale, and oil deposits in the shallow zones of the seas and oceans acquired a resource value.

Natural resources are a necessary (but not mandatory) condition for economic development. Achievements of scientific and technological progress lead to the fact that the impact of the natural resource factor on the economy of developed countries is noticeably weakening. In recent decades, countries that lack the necessary minerals (Japan, South Korea, Singapore) have developed rapidly. But other things being equal, the presence of rich and diverse natural resources gives countries - their owners additional advantages.

Most often, natural resources are identified with mineral resources (such minerals as coal, oil, natural gas, metal ores, non-metal raw materials - phosphates, potassium salts, asbestos, etc.). Often, due to the special importance of fuel, a combination of "mineral raw materials and fuel" is used.

In connection with the dual nature of the concept of "natural resources", reflecting their natural origin, on the one hand, and economic, economic significance, on the other.

In the scientific literature there are various definitions of the natural resource potential, but all reflect the fact that, on the one hand, it is of natural origin, and on the other, of economic importance.

Therefore, there are various classifications of natural resources:

Origin:

Resources of natural components - each type of natural resources is associated with a certain landscape shell, therefore, climatic, water, mineral, land, soil, flora and fauna resources are distinguished.

Resources of natural-territorial complexes - are divided into black-industrial, agricultural, recreational, etc.

On the basis of exhaustion:

Exhaustible - are divided into renewable (plants and wildlife) and non-renewable (minerals).

Inexhaustible - climatic and global water resources (solar energy, heat of the earth).

Classification by types of economic use:

industrial resources: energy (coal, oil, gas, uranium, wood), non-energy;

Agricultural resources: agro-climatic, land, vegetable, water;

Space resources;

Recreational resources (health).

All classifications are conditional to a certain extent, each has its pros and cons. Now about 200 types of mineral raw materials are used. They do not have a single classification.

Depending on the physical properties, minerals are divided into several groups:

Fuel and energy raw materials;

Ferrous, alloying, refractory, non-ferrous metals;

noble metals;

Chemical and agrochemical raw materials;

Technical raw materials;

Construction raw materials.

The reserves of raw materials also differ depending on the exploration and availability:

Proved reserves (identified, exist);

Potential (general) reserves (exist in theory).

According to the UN methodology, reserves are divided into:

Explored;

Pre-assessed;

Predictive.

The reserve ratio is the ratio of remaining reserves to current production.

The population growth predicted by 2015 to 10 billion people, even with a relative reduction in the consumption of minerals per capita, will sharply increase the demand for mineral raw materials and energy resources. According to the forecast of the International Energy Agency, by 2010 the consumption of primary energy carriers in the world will increase by 47.66%.

In most countries with developed market economies, natural resources (especially minerals) are consumed more than they have. The missing resources are imported mainly from developing countries. Because of this, huge flows of raw materials move to the three main centers of their processing: North America, Western Europe, East and Southeast Asia.

Therefore, the development of the economy of individual countries and the world economy as a whole largely depends on how fully their needs for raw materials are met. This is due to the fact that in almost all branches of material production, the main substance of the products produced is raw materials, either consumed in the form of auxiliary materials, or ensuring the flow of the production process itself. And although in recent decades, due to the entry of a number of countries into the post-industrial stage, the demand for materials and raw materials has been declining in favor of an increase in the share of industries producing knowledge and information products in the national product, but still, on a global scale, the role of the raw material factor remains very significant. . Thus, the share of raw materials and materials costs accounts for more than half of world GDP, and in world industrial production this share exceeds 70%.

The uneven distribution of mineral resources in the bowels of the Earth, as well as the different provision of countries with land and forest resources, contribute to the development of the international division of labor and, on this basis, international economic relations.

As a result of a decrease in the resource and material intensity of the economy of developed countries and the development of their own mining in some of them (USA, Canada, Australia, Norway), there has been a significant weakening of the dependence of Western countries on imports from developing countries. At the same time, the industrialization of a number of developing countries (the newly industrialized countries of Southeast Asia, India, Pakistan) leads to a significant increase in the consumption of raw materials and fuel, and, consequently, to a reduction in raw material exports from these countries and an increase in imports of these goods.

In general, the export of mineral raw materials, fuel and foodstuffs is of particular importance, especially for developing countries, since these commodity groups make up the bulk of their exports.

Natural resources, as you know, are divided into renewable and non-renewable. Particular care should be taken with non-renewable resources. It is also necessary to take effective measures in relation to renewable resources (fresh water, forest, soil), to restore their original state. Many countries of the world actively use recycled raw materials and production waste, thus saving nature's "storerooms". Finally, the world should strive to create the maximum number of low-waste and waste-free enterprises and technologies.

Determining the conditions, factors and prerequisites for sustainable development of the region is largely associated with the assessment of its natural resource (environmental) potential. The value of the natural resource potential, as the sum of the potentials of certain types of natural resources (land, water, forest, mineral resources, etc.) depends on factors such as:

list, nomenclature of natural resources available in the region (the longer the number of natural resources to be used in the production process, the greater the value of the natural resource potential); quantitative characteristics of certain types of natural resources (the amount of reserves, the timing of their exhaustion, etc.); qualitative characteristics (nutrient content, calorie content, availability, etc.); possibility of complex use of resources.

A quantitative, integral assessment of the natural resource potential of the region is possible if the private potentials of certain types of natural resources are calculated according to a single principle. The following directions are used to compare qualitatively different natural resources and determine the natural resource potential of the region:

using a point system, when experts evaluate the significance of each type of resource in points, and then the sum of the “significances” of all types of resources available in the region is determined in this way, taking into account the “weights” - the values ​​of their reserves; on the basis of cost (monetary) indicators, when the values ​​(at market prices) of the reserves of all types of natural resources of the region are estimated and then summed up; on the basis of absolute energy potentials, or a conditionally natural method, which implies the commensurability of qualitatively heterogeneous natural resources on some single, common basis (for example, different energy resources in terms of calorific value of 1 ton of standard fuel (tce) or

1 tonne of oil equivalent (toe)).

It should be noted that it is very difficult to carry out an economic assessment of different types of natural resources on a single methodological basis, therefore, the value of the natural resource potential is most often characterized in terms of natural and material indicators (area, volume of reserves, productivity, etc.).

An important aspect of assessing the natural resource potential of the region is its structural analysis, carried out taking into account national, national interests (Fig. 2).

The first structural subdivision unites the natural resources of industries with a national specialization - oil resources, mining and chemical raw materials, metal ores, mineral raw materials, etc.

The second structural subdivision includes natural resources of local industries and sectors of the national economy that determine regional production specialization - local fuel and energy resources (peat, firewood, hydropower of small rivers, etc.), forest resources for local industry, mineral resources resources for local construction, etc.

In agricultural regions, a third structural subdivision is distinguished - natural conditions and resources that ensure the functioning of the agro-industrial complex (AIC) - agro-climatic conditions and land resources, local fertilizers, etc.

The fourth division includes that part of the natural resource potential, which is considered as a territorial and resource base for the life of society (land, water, forest used as a habitat, restoration of physical and spiritual strength of a person). The natural resources of the fourth structural unit are resources of state and local significance.

It should be pointed out that the natural resource potential of the region changes in the process of nature management, which is due both to the depletion of certain types of natural resources and the irrationality of their use, and to purposeful human activities to restore and improve them (planting forests, constructing hydraulic structures, land reclamation, etc. .).

Environmental management in the region. An important element of regional governance is environmental management in the region, which refers to the activities of the state and local governments to organize the rational use and reproduction of natural resources, protect local ecological systems, and ensure the rule of law in environmental and economic relations.

It should be noted that the economic mechanism of nature management reflects both the most important features of the national economic mechanism and the local specifics of the regions, due to differences in the development and distribution of productive forces, the scale of production, the uniqueness of natural complexes and ecological systems, and the degree of anthropogenic impact on the environment. The environment, as an object of management, although fundamentally indivisible, however, is very peculiar in each specific region. Due to such a dualism of the object of management, an adequate system of governing bodies must also correspond to it, reflecting, on the one hand, the integrity of nature, and on the other hand, its regional identity. That is why environmental management in the region combines the forms and methods of organizing and regulating the processes of nature management at two levels - national and regional (local). The main goal of this management is to meet the needs of society in raw materials and materials, in the cleanliness and diversity of the environment, as well as the preservation, restoration and development of the natural resource potential of both individual regions and the country as a whole.

Nature management at the state level is carried out by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus, in relation to which 6 regional, Minsk city committees and 123 city (rai) inspections of natural resources and environmental protection are subordinate. At this level, comprehensive management of nature management in the country, state control over the use and protection of natural resources, state environmental expertise, and implementation of state environmental programs are carried out. The same state administration bodies represent and protect the legal interests of society and the state as a whole in matters of environmental management: they send relevant submissions to the judiciary, impose fines, apply other sanctions, etc. Mostly at the national level of natural resource potential management, the sectoral principle of environmental management is implemented, which consists in exercising state control over the state of natural resources and taking measures for their protection, rational use by industries and departments that belong to bodies of special competence authorized to carry out environmental protection. functions.

Along with the implementation of a national policy of environmental management, regional, city and district inspections of natural resources implement the territorial principle of managing the natural resource potential of the region. Together with the regional, city, district, settlement and rural Councils of Deputies and executive committees, they develop and approve local programs for nature protection, organize their financing, logistics and control over their implementation. The executive committees, in accordance with the Law of the Republic of Belarus "On Local Authorities" (1991), "On Environmental Protection" (1992), are given the right to establish the procedure for state environmental control in their territories, coordinate all environmental activities in the region, make decisions on prohibition of activities legal entities, individual enterprises, industries, workshops, sites located on the territory of the region, or on deprivation of the right to use local natural resources in case of environmental pollution, irrational use of natural resources.

The issues of managing the natural resource potential of the regions, both at the national and at the territorial level, are partly within the competence of such ministries and departments as:

The State Committee for Land Resources, Geodesy and Cartography, which carries out land registration, control over their use, management of the land management service, etc.; the Ministry of Forestry (in rural areas - forestries), which exercises control over the state, use, reproduction and protection of forests; State Committee for Hydrometeorology, which monitors the state of surface waters, atmospheric air, soils, radiation pollution of the natural environment; The Ministry of Internal Affairs, which, by means of the environmental police, ensures the protection of atmospheric air from the harmful effects of vehicles.

The powers of local authorities are legally detailed in certain areas of nature management. They are most widely reflected in the Land Code of the Republic of Belarus, which clearly delimits the competence of regional, city, district and rural (settlement) executive and administrative authorities in the field of land relations.

Thus, the competence of local authorities includes:

provision and withdrawal of land plots; transfer of land to private ownership; collection of fees for land; development and approval of programs for the protection and rational use of land, increasing soil fertility; control over the use and protection of land, etc.

The Water Code of the Republic of Belarus determines the competence of local authorities in the field of water use and protection, entrusting them with:

development and approval of programs and activities in the field of water use and protection, taking measures for their implementation; ensuring the needs of the population in drinking water; making a decision on granting water bodies for separate use; approval of water use limits; taking measures to carry out anti-flood measures, etc.

Let us consider the most important functions of managing the natural resource potential of the region, which are implemented both at the state and at the regional, including the local level.

1. Monitoring, accounting and control in the environmental sphere is an activity related to obtaining objective information about the natural environment of the region and the nature of anthropogenic impacts on it, as well as monitoring the state of the environment. There are regional and local monitoring of the environment. The functions of these types of monitoring are generally the same, however, if regional monitoring is associated with the collection, processing, evaluation and storage of environmental information in the whole region, then local monitoring directly monitors the sources and objects of pollution - specific polluting enterprises, the state of individual natural objects, as well as environmental components (air, surface, waste and soil water, etc.).

In turn, local monitoring can be carried out both by business entities themselves (self-monitoring) and by specially created territorial monitoring centers.

Information on the results of local and regional monitoring, obtained as a result of monitoring and monitoring the state of the natural environment of specific regions, is processed by economic, statistical and analytical methods based on standard, standard accounting forms (for example, No. 2-tp (air) "Report on the protection of atmospheric air ”, No. 2-tp (vodkhoz) “Report on water use”, etc.), and then transferred to a higher (national) level of monitoring.

2. State environmental expertise is an organizational and legal form of control and management in the field of the use of the natural resource potential of the region, which involves checking the environmental validity of making certain economic decisions related to the development or placement of productive forces in the area (construction of new facilities, increase in expansion) of production, etc.). State environmental expertise is mandatory, since financing of any projects and programs of regional development is opened only if there is a positive conclusion of the expertise. Its implementation is entrusted to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus.

3. Forecasting and planning nature management and environmental protection is an activity related to determining the future state of the natural resource potential of a region (country) and drawing up appropriate forecast plans and programs for nature management and environmental protection. Forecasting and planning as a function of managing a region can be carried out both at the state and territorial levels. In the first case, there is an ecological substantiation of the development and distribution of the country's productive forces as a whole in accordance with the basic provisions of the National Program for the rational use of natural resources and environmental protection. Planning and forecasting of nature management and environmental protection at the territorial level is associated with the development of five-year territorial (regional, city, district) programs and annual forecasts, including groups of indicators for the following media and natural components:

atmospheric air (limits on emissions of pollutants, commissioning of installations for capturing and neutralizing harmful substances from gases, etc.); water resources (volume of water used, limits on permissible wastewater discharges, commissioning of treatment facilities, etc.); land resources (areas of land reclamation, capital investments for protection and ensuring the rational use of land resources, etc.); forest resources (costs for aviation protection of forests from fires, areas for processing forest tracts with pest and disease control agents, etc.); biological resources (achieving the optimal number of animals and plants, the costs of implementing these goals, etc.); mineral resources (mineral extraction limits).

4. Financing and lending for nature management is an activity to provide financial support for the implementation of an active environmental policy and the conservation (restoration) of the region's natural resource potential. The system of financing environmental protection measures in Belarus has gone through a long evolutionary sequence of stages - from stimulating rational nature management exclusively at the expense of the state budget in the conditions of a command-administrative system to the principle of financing environmental protection activities by republican, regional, regional and city non-budgetary funds for nature protection in the mid-90s years of the last century. In order to strengthen state control over the spending of funds to maintain and restore the natural resource potential of the regions, since 1998, the funds of the Republican off-budget fund for nature protection have been included in the state budget, and the extra-budgetary fund for nature protection itself has become known as the state target budget fund for nature protection in the financing system Main State Treasury of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Belarus. Funds from territorial funds for nature protection are accumulated as part of local budgets, and domestic legislation guarantees the use of funds from funds only for environmental purposes.

In addition, the financing of environmental protection measures in the regions is carried out by business entities that, at their own expense, are building, overhauling and modernizing environmental facilities.

The presence of natural resources is the main condition for the placement of productive forces in a given territory. The natural resource potential is determined by the totality of all types of natural resources that are currently known and the use of which in the foreseeable future is possible according to technical criteria. The natural resource potential characterizes the natural wealth of the country, already involved in the economic turnover, as well as available for development with these technologies and socio-economic relations.

The composition, the magnitude of the potential, the significance of individual types of resources change over time, so their assessment is always historically relative. With the development of large sources of natural resources, large industrial centers arise, economic complexes and economic regions are formed. The natural resource potential of the region affects its market specialization and place in the territorial division of labor. The location, conditions of extraction and the nature of the use of natural resources affect the content and pace of regional development.

All natural resources have two main features - origin (natural) and use (economic). In accordance with them, their double classification has developed.

Natural classification reflects the belonging of resources to certain elements of nature. It includes:

• 1) mineral (minerals);
• 2) climatic (agro-climatic);
• 3) land (soil);
• 4) water;
• 5) vegetable;
• 6) animals.

Mineral resources are of particular importance. According to the nature of their use, mineral resources are divided into three groups: fuel and energy (oil, natural gas, coal, peat, oil shale); metal ore - ores of ferrous, non-ferrous, rare and noble metals; non-metallic (non-metallic), including apatites, phosphorites, various salts, mica, graphite, asbestos, building materials.

The sign of origin is complemented by the sign of exhaustibility and renewability of resources, which is important from the standpoint of nature conservation, the possibility of restoration and increase in stock, and determining the strategy for using resources. These features stand out:

• - exhaustible, including renewable (vegetation, nutrient supply in the soil, water supply in rivers and lakes, annual and underground runoff, flora and fauna) and non-renewable (mineral resources, groundwater, soil layer);
• - inexhaustible renewable (energy of the sun, wind, flowing water, ocean, tides, ocean water reserves, space resources, etc.).

The economic classification of natural resources is based on their predominant use in the sectors of the country's economic complex. Resources are allocated according to these criteria:

• 1) material production, including industry (fuel, metals, water, wood, fish) and agriculture (soil, irrigation water, fodder plants, game animals);
• 2) non-productive sphere, including direct consumption (drinking water, wild plants and game animals) and indirect (for example, use of green spaces and reservoirs for recreation).

According to the degree of exploration, reserves of mineral resources (minerals) are divided into the following main categories, characterized by varying degrees of exploration: A, B, C1, C2 and D. Reserves of category A are explored with the greatest detail, B and C1 - with relatively less detail, C2 - estimated preliminary, D - estimated. The industrial categories of minerals include explored and explored reserves prepared for exploitation. The total mineral reserves of a region, basin, republic or country as a whole (that is, all reserves, explored or explored, as well as forecast) are combined into general geological reserves.

According to their economic significance, mineral reserves are divided into two groups: (in terms of economic feasibility of use) mineral resources (minerals) are distinguished:

• a) balance (conditional) - these are the reserves, the use of which, with the existing technological capabilities, is economically feasible at the present time and which meet industrial requirements both in terms of the quality of raw materials and mining and technical operating conditions;
• b) off-balance (substandard) - these are the reserves, the use of which is currently not economically feasible due to the low thickness of the deposits, the low content of the valuable component, the particular complexity of operating conditions, the need to use very complex processing processes, but which in the future may be the object of industrial development.

With the development of productive forces, the involvement of territories in economic use or long-term exploitation, resources from one category can move into another.

The West Siberian, East Siberian, Volga and Far Eastern economic regions have the greatest natural resource potential in the country, the North-Western, Central and Volga-Vyatka economic regions have the smallest. The Ural, Northern, Central Chernozem and North Caucasian economic regions are among the average ones in terms of natural resource potential.