Geographical Factors of Development of Russian Timber Industry in Market Economy

Abstract

The article covers geographical and technological factors which determine localization and development of Russia’s timber processing complex in market economy environment. Dynamics of the spatial structure of the timber processing complex’s goods export in 2000–2010 is analyzed. Structure of the production of timber and pulp-and-paper goods is scrutinized for the largest Russia’s inter-regional timber industry holdings. Post-soviet shifts in geographies of timber resources and demand for them are evaluated. The synthesis of the three sets of factors lead to formulating the long-term forecast of the future spatial shifts in timber industry enterprises localization. The foci of development will be the regions adjacent to Irkutsk oblast having common border with China, the largest importer of Russian timber and pulp-and-paper goods, and combining significant timber resources with relatively dense population and infrastructure.