Russia - Penza Region - RussiaTrek.com

Overview:
Geographical Features: Greater part of Penzenskaya region is occupied by Privolzhskaya highland. The region borders on Saratovskaya region in the south, on Tambovskaya region in the west, on Ryazanskaya region and the republic of Mordovia in the north, on Ulyanovskaya region in the north-east and the east.
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Population: There are many ethnic groups, nationalities and immigrants that live in the Penza Region; among them are representatives of Slavic, Finno-Ugric and Turkish people. On January 1, 2003 the population of the Penza region was recorded to be 1,489,700 people, 964,300 - city-dwellers, and 525,400 - rural residents. The population density is 36.2 people per km2. Russians make up about 86% of the population, though, about 70 other nationalities also live here, among them Tatars, Mordovians, Chuvashans, Ukrainians, Belorussians. The largest cities are: Penza - 519.3 thousand people, Kuznetsk - 96.3 thousand, Serdobsk - 39.3 thousand, Kamenka - 43.5 thousand, and Nizhny Lomov - 25.5 thousand.

Economy: Penza Oblast offers particular opportunities for investment in the following sectors: food processing and packaging, consumer products, automotive components, general engineering and machine building, medical equipment and pharmaceutical industries, textile machines, watches, gas and liquid tanks and gas station production distribution.

Administrative division: Penzenskaya region is divided into 28 districts, 5 towns of the regional submission, 5 towns of district submission, 16 town settlements, 359 villages.
Centre of the region is the town of Penza. Distance to Moscow is 709 km. Main towns are Penza, Kuznetsk.

Brief History:

In the 15th century Russians settled in extensive spaces of Prisurje, increasing in number through the 16th century.
After the conquest of Kazan by Ivan Grozny and the fall of Kazan Khanate in 1552 the Penza Region was incorporated into the Russian state.
In the middle of the 17th century Russian discoverers of unknown lands approached the river Penza where it runs into the river Sura.
Here by a decree from Tzar Aleksey Mikhailovich the town of Penza was founded in 1663.
Penzenskaya region was founded in 1939. It was a part of Tambovskaya region since 1937 to 1939.

Current situation: Since the fall of the "iron curtain" around Penza in 1991, the Oblast Government has been pursuing a constant 'open doors' policy.