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The regional population is 1 846 900 persons that makes 4% of population in Ukraine, including urban – 1 411 200 persons and rural – 435 800 persons.
The region has practically all basic sectors of the industry; among it the leading place is taken by electric energy, metallurgy, machine-building, metal-working and chemical industry. Basis of the regional industry is metallurgical complex where 17,7% of general state volume of steel is made, 17,5% of rolled stock, power complex (26,7% of electric power of the country) and machine-building (51,9% of output of passenger cars).
Zaporizhzhya Region is known as one of the developed agrarian regions of Ukraine with rich black earths, where basis of plant growing is cereals. Except for it, the vegetable-growing and gardening are also developed. The stock-raising sector has been dynamically developed for the last years.
The share of foreign trade turnover of Zaporizhzhya Region makes 6,2% of the foreign trade turnover of Ukraine. Zaporizhzhya Region took the fourth place by export and import (8,1% and 4,6% of volumes of Ukraine accordingly). The region constantly supports positive balance of export-import.
The favourable geographical location, high level of development of economic-social environment and population density of the territory caused development of different types of transport – railway, motor-car, water and aviation.
Out of general length of motor-car ways 399 km is of state value. A row of strategic routes passes through the region's territory: Odessa–Melitopol–Novoazovsk, Kharkiv–Simferopol –Sevastopol, Borispol –Dnipropetrovs'k –Zaporizhzhya.
The ramified network of railways connects all basic industrial centers of the region with cities of Ukraine, countries of the CIS and Western Europe.
The important role in transport system is played by large navigation artery –the Dnieper River.
The considerable share of general flow of cargo in the region belongs to Zaporizhzhya River Cargo Port specialized on industrial, in particular metallurgical cargoes.
Berdyansk Sea Port is a sea gate of Zaporizhzhya Region.
All types of communication are well-developed in the region. Introduction of modern information technologies enables to organize granting of services of computer and hybrid mail, carry out bank transactions, different types of accounts and offer information services.
Zaporizhzhya Region is one of the biggest technologically developed regions of Ukraine with huge scientific-technical and production potential.
Basis of the regional industry is metallurgical, machine-building and power complexes. The metallurgical complex is represented by such enterprises of ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy: OJSC «Zaporizhstal», OJSC «Dniprospetsstal», OJSC «Ukrgrafit», OJSC «Zaporizhzhya Production Aluminium Plant» and CE «Zaporizhzhya Titanium-Magnesium Plant».
The energy complex is the most powerful in Ukraine. Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant with the capacity of 6000 MW is located in the region.
Zaporizhzhya Region is one of the biggest producers of agricultural products and goods of food industry among Ukrainian regions. The area of regional agricultural lands makes 2 248 600 ha or 5,4% of agricultural lands in Ukraine. The area of arable earths is 1 906,9 ha.
There are favourable conditions for growing of vegetables and water-melons in all agrarian cultural zones.
Priority directions in development of stock-raising are poultry farming and pig breeding. 742 enterprises of food and processing industry operate in the region.
Zaporizhzhya Region is one of the leaders among Ukrainian regions by foreign trade volume. Over 460 enterprises constantly perform foreign trade activity. 123 countries of the world are regional partners in foreign trade.
In the general structure of regional export almost one half is covered by products of ferrous metallurgy; second and third places are taken by products of machine-building and non-ferrous metallurgy. The most volumes of export deliveries of commodities and services are provided by Russian Federation, Turkey, Germany, Byelorussia, Italy, Poland, Netherlands, Kazakhstan and Czech Republic.
Among countries-importers there are Russian Federation, Republic of Korea, Poland, China, Romania, France, Norway and Slovakia.
As of January 1, 2007 the general volume of foreign investments in the region economy made USD 624,38 mln., including USD 609,86 mln. of direct investments and USD 14,52 mln. of portfolio investments.
2,9% of invested direct foreign capital in Ukraine (7th place among Ukrainian regions) work in the regional economy .
Today among regional companies with foreign capital (over 283 companies) the most successful are follows as CJSC «Zaporizhzhya Automobile Plant», OJSC «Brewery »Slavutich« and Subsidiary «Image Holding» of JSC «Image Holding ApS».
The development of small business also positively influences on growth of regional economy. Over 12 000 small enterprises employing 73 300 workers function in the region. The small enterprises annually make products and render services with the share of 5,5% of regional general production (works, services).
Today the regional education is the sustainable system with positive development that has considerable potential. It is 673 general educational establishments of all forms of property, 544 preschool and 61 out-of-school establishments, 44 vocational schools and 35 higher educational establishments.
The higher school of Zaporizhzhya Region is the mighty factor of skilled and scientific providing of social-economic development of the region and country on the whole. Today the region has 35 higher educational establishments where over 100 000 students study, including from the different countries of the world.
Zaporizhzhya Region is one of the discoverers among Ukrainian regions in integration of educational process to the world system of education. Many thousand specialists from over 30 countries of Asia, Africa, Latin America and Central Europe are graduators of medical and technical higher educational establishment of Zaporizhzhya.
The cultural life of regional population is various and full of events. The tedious work on saving and popularization of historical-cultural inheritance is performed by libraries and museums. The recognised leader of library business is Gorky Regional Universal Scientific Library. The pride and decoration of Zaporizhzhya is V. Magar Regional Academic Ukrainian Music and Drama Theatre.
Zaporizhzhya Regional Philharmonic Society is one of the biggest concert organizations of Ukraine. The works of masters of the decorative-applied art and artists-amateurs are selected by deep knowledge of Ukrainian traditions, uniqueness and independence of artistic thought. It is over 2 500 persons in the region now: embroiderers, carvers, carpet-makers and masters of twine a wreath.
The regional medicine is the ramified network of hospitals, family out-patients, dispensaries, maternity hospitals, medical sanitary, medical assistant offices, stomatology offices and pharmacies.
Zaporizhzhya has huge recreational-resort resources. Favourable climate of the south of Ukraine, wonderful off-shore landscape of the Dnieper, sources of mineral water and mud cure and tender warm sea attract tourists.
The sights of nature and history create beneficial conditions for all kinds of mass rest.
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