Moscow

Moscow, oblast (region), western Russia. The oblast surrounds and includes the city of Moscow, the capital of Russia. Moscow oblast was formed in 1929. The main feature of its relief is the Klin-Dmitrov Ridge, which stretches roughly east-west across the oblast, north of Moscow city. The ridge, a line of terminal moraines, reaches a height of 1,000 feet (300 metres) with a steep northern slope to the boulder clay plain of the upper Volga River. South of the ridge is the broad, level plain of the Oka River and its major tributary, the Moscow River, on which the capital stands. In the southeast the plain gradually drops to the Meshchera Lowland, an area of extensive swamps. South of the Oka the land rises toward the northern edge of the Central Russian Upland.

The climate is continental: winters are prolonged and cold, with January average temperatures of about 14 °F (−10 °C); summers are mild, with a July average of 64 °F (18 °C). Average annual precipitation ranges from 18 inches (450 mm) in the southeast to 26 inches (660 mm) on the Klin-Dmitrov Ridge, with the maximum precipitation falling in the summer. The natural vegetation of mixed forest, dominated by spruce, pine, oak, and birch, now survives over only 40 percent of the surface, but almost all remaining forest has been put under protective regulation for preservation. Grass marsh and peat bog occur, especially in the Meshchera Lowland. There are broad floodplain meadows along the rivers.

The oblast continues to be heavily industrialized despite the decline of industry throughout Russia in the 1990s. The area retains its historic importance, dating back to the late 17th century, as Russia’s chief producer of textiles, especially of cotton and woolen cloth. Artificial textiles, silk, linen, clothing, and knitwear are also made. The second major branch of industry, engineering, produces a wide range of heavy machinery, machine tools, locomotives, and buses. The chemical industry produces artificial fibres, plastics, and fertilizers. Old established glass and chinaware industries still flourish, especially in the north. Other manufactures include cement, furniture and other timber products, footwear, and foodstuffs. Lignite (brown coal) and phosphorite are mined in the south, and peat is extensively dug to supply peat-burning power stations, especially in the east around Shatura. Local fuel resources have been supplanted by natural-gas pipelines from the northern Caucasus, western Ukraine, and from Saratov to the south; a high-tension grid transmits power from the giant Volga hydroelectric stations.

This industrial development means that the oblast is highly urbanized; of its total population, nine-tenths live in more than 140 urban places. The city of Moscow and the satellite towns within its surrounding “forest-park” greenbelt dominate the urban scene; many workers commute into the city from adjacent areas. Although it is the oblast’s administrative centre, Moscow is administered independently.

Agriculture plays a relatively minor role in the economy; only 25 percent of the area is cultivated. Throughout the oblast, but especially around Moscow, dairying and market gardening are well developed to serve the city. In the east the emphasis is on dairy and beef cattle, and pig keeping and poultry farming are widespread. Grain, chiefly rye and oats, is of minor importance; fodder crops occupy more than half the arable land. In the west and north considerable areas are under flax. Reclamation work occurs in swampy areas.

Communications throughout the oblast are excellent. Trunk railways from all parts of Russia focus on Moscow, and there is a network of electrified suburban lines. The oblast has the highest proportion of asphalt-surfaced roads in Russia. It is also served by waterways, including the Moscow Canal from the capital north to the Volga and the Oka—all giving access to the Volga River system. Area (including Moscow city) 18,200 square miles (47,000 square km). Pop. (2006 est.) oblast only, 6,628,107.