# Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug

The Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (Russian: Яма́ло-Не́нецкий автоно́мный о́круг, romanized: Yamalo-Nenetsky avtonomny okrug; Nenets: Ямалы-Ненёцие автономной ӈокрук, romanized: Jamaly-Nenjocije awtonomnoj ŋokruk) also known as Yamalia (Russian: Ямалия) is a federal subject of Russia and an autonomous okrug of Tyumen Oblast. Its administrative center is the town of Salekhard, and its largest city is Novy Urengoy. The 2021 Russian Census recorded its population as 510,490.
The autonomous okrug borders Krasnoyarsk Krai to the east, the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug to the south, and the Nenets Autonomous Okrug and Komi Republic to the west.

## Geography

The West Siberian petroleum basin is the largest hydrocarbon (petroleum and natural gas) basin in the world covering an area of about 2.2 million km$^2$, and is also the largest oil and gas producing region in Russia.
The Nenets people are an indigenous tribe who have long survived in this region. Their prehistoric life involved subsistence hunting and gathering, including the taking of polar bears; the practice of hunting polar bears (Ursus maritimus) continues up to the present time.
Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug is traversed by the northeasterly line of equal latitude and longitude, that is, at the point 70°N and 70°E, with equal degrees. The Polar Urals rise in the western part and the highest point of the okrug, as well as of the whole Ural mountain system, is Mount Payer.
The area consists of arctic tundra and taiga, with three large peninsulas – the Yamal Peninsula, Taz Peninsula and the Gyda Peninsula (itself containing the Yavay Peninsula and Mamonta Peninsula). There are nearly 300,000 lakes in the okrug, some of the main ones being Pyakuto, Chyortovo, Neito, Yambuto, Yarroto and Nembuto.
The Ob River flows through Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug to the Kara Sea via the Gulf of Ob, which dominates the geography of the Okrug (together with its two sub-bays, the Taz Estuary and Khalmyer Bay.
A number of islands are off the okrug's coast – from west to east, the main ones are Torasovey Island, Bolotnyy Island, Litke Island, Sharapovy Koshki Islands, Bely Island, Shokalsky Island, Petsovyye Islands, Proklyatyye Islands, Oleny Island, and Vilkitsky Island.

## History

On December 10, 1930, Yamal (Nenets) National Okrug (Ямальский (Ненецкий) национальный округ) was formed based on Ural Oblast.

## Administrative divisions

| Number of districts (районы) | 7 |
| Number of towns (города) | 8 |
| Number of urban-type settlements (посёлки городского типа) | 5 |
| Number of selsovets (сельсоветы) | 41 |
| As of 2002: ||
| Number of rural localities (сельские населённые пункты) | 102 |
| Number of uninhabited rural localities (сельские населённые пункты без населения) | 19 |
Administrative and municipal divisions
| Division | Division | Structure | Structure | OKATO | OKTMO | Urban-type settlement/ district-level town* | Rural (selsovet) |
| Division | Division | Administrative | Municipal | OKATO | OKTMO | Urban-type settlement/ district-level town* | Rural (selsovet) |
| Salekhard (Салехард) | Salekhard (Салехард) | city | urban okrug | 71 171 | 71 951 | | |
| Gubkinsky (Губкинский) | Gubkinsky (Губкинский) | city | urban okrug | 71 172 | 71 952 | | |
| Labytnangi (Лабытнанги) | Labytnangi (Лабытнанги) | city | urban okrug | 71 173 | 71 953 | Kharp (Харп) | |
| Nadym (Надым) | Nadym (Надым) | city | (under Nadymsky) | 71 174 | 71 916 | | |
| Muravlenko (Муравленко) | Muravlenko (Муравленко) | city | urban okrug | 71 175 | 71 955 | | |
| Novy Urengoy (Новый Уренгой) | Novy Urengoy (Новый Уренгой) | city | urban okrug | 71 176 | 71 956 | | |
| Noyabrsk (Ноябрьск) | Noyabrsk (Ноябрьск) | city | urban okrug | 71 178 | 71 958 | | 1 |
| Krasnoselkupsky (Красноселькупский) | Krasnoselkupsky (Красноселькупский) | district | district | 71 153 | 71 913 | | 3 |
| Nadymsky (Надымский) | Nadymsky (Надымский) | district | okrug | 71 156 | 71 916 | Pangody (Пангоды) Zapolyarny | 8 |
| Priuralsky (Приуральский) | Priuralsky (Приуральский) | district | district | 71 158 | 71 918 | | 6 |
| Purovsky (Пуровский) | Purovsky (Пуровский) | district | okrug | 71 160 | 71 920 | Tarko-Sale (Тарко-Сале) town* Urengoy (Уренгой) | 5 |
| Tazovsky (Тазовский) | Tazovsky (Тазовский) | district | okrug | 71 163 | 71 923 | Tazovsky (Тазовский) | 4 |
| Shuryshkarsky (Шурышкарский) | Shuryshkarsky (Шурышкарский) | district | district | 71 166 | 71 926 | | 8 |
| Yamalsky (Ямальский) | Yamalsky (Ямальский) | district | district | 71 168 | 71 928 | | 6 |

## Demographics

Population: 510,490 (2021 Census); 522,904 (2010 Census); 507,006 (2002 Census); 486,164 (1989 Soviet census).
From 1960 to 2016, Yamal Nenets population increased from 60 000 people to more than 530 000 due to the natural resources discovered in the region. Currently, Yamal Nenets is the only Arctic Region in the Russian Federation that is not experiencing population decline. Despite the growing pressure on the regional environment, former governor Dmitry Kobylkin assured in 2016 that industrial developments are not affecting the traditional lifestyles of the native population. Official data accounts for an increment of 11 percent of the indigenous population from 2006 to 2016.

### Vital statistics

| Year | Average population (× 1000) | Live births | Deaths | Natural change | Crude birth rate (per 1000) | Crude death rate (per 1000) | Natural change (per 1000) |
| 1970 | 84 | 1,683 | 879 | 804 | 20.0 | 10.5 | 9.6 |
| 1975 | 127 | 2,307 | 819 | 1,488 | 18.2 | 6.4 | 11.7 |
| 1980 | 194 | 3,347 | 1,178 | 2,169 | 17.3 | 6.1 | 11.2 |
| 1985 | 374 | 7,838 | 1,555 | 6,283 | 21.0 | 4.2 | 16.8 |
| 1990 | 489 | 8,032 | 1,631 | 6,401 | 16.4 | 3.3 | 13.1 |
| 1991 | 483 | 7,121 | 1,623 | 5,498 | 14.7 | 3.4 | 11.4 |
| 1992 | 470 | 6,123 | 2,108 | 4,015 | 13.0 | 4.5 | 8.5 |
| 1993 | 466 | 5,697 | 2,764 | 2,933 | 12.2 | 5.9 | 6.3 |
| 1994 | 473 | 6,274 | 2,998 | 3,276 | 13.3 | 6.3 | 6.9 |
| 1995 | 483 | 6,337 | 3,107 | 3,230 | 13.1 | 6.4 | 6.7 |
| 1996 | 489 | 6,241 | 3,004 | 3,237 | 12.8 | 6.1 | 6.6 |
| 1997 | 495 | 6,208 | 2,715 | 3,493 | 12.5 | 5.5 | 7.1 |
| 1998 | 498 | 6,395 | 2,544 | 3,851 | 12.8 | 5.1 | 7.7 |
| 1999 | 498 | 6,071 | 2,608 | 3,463 | 12.2 | 5.2 | 7.0 |
| 2000 | 497 | 5,839 | 2,763 | 3,076 | 11.7 | 5.6 | 6.2 |
| 2001 | 501 | 6,388 | 3,057 | 3,331 | 12.8 | 6.1 | 6.7 |
| 2002 | 506 | 6,635 | 2,934 | 3,701 | 13.1 | 5.8 | 7.3 |
| 2003 | 510 | 7,163 | 3,093 | 4,070 | 14.1 | 6.1 | 8.0 |
| 2004 | 511 | 7,264 | 2,975 | 4,289 | 14.2 | 5.8 | 8.4 |
| 2005 | 512 | 7,148 | 3,099 | 4,049 | 14.0 | 6.0 | 7.9 |
| 2006 | 513 | 7,036 | 3,000 | 4,036 | 13.7 | 5.8 | 7.9 |
| 2007 | 515 | 7,700 | 2,937 | 4,763 | 14.9 | 5.7 | 9.2 |
| 2008 | 517 | 7,892 | 2,959 | 4,933 | 15.3 | 5.7 | 9.5 |
| 2009 | 519 | 8,216 | 2,924 | 5,292 | 15.8 | 5.6 | 10.2 |
| 2010 | 522 | 8,263 | 2,873 | 5,390 | 15.8 | 5.5 | 10.3 |
| Source: ||||||||

#### Regional demographics

| Raion | Pp (2007) | Births | Deaths | Growth | BR | DR | NGR |
| Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug | 538,600 | 5,814 | 2,202 | 3,612 | 14.39 | 5.45 | 0.89% |
| Salekhard | 40,500 | 499 | 256 | 243 | 16.43 | 8.43 | 0.80% |
| Gubkinsky | 22,300 | 263 | 71 | 192 | 15.72 | 4.25 | 1.15% |
| Labytnangi | 27,700 | 333 | 212 | 121 | 16.03 | 10.20 | 0.58% |
| Muravlenko | 37,000 | 361 | 104 | 257 | 13.01 | 3.75 | 0.93% |
| Nadym | 48,500 | 443 | 197 | 246 | 12.18 | 5.42 | 0.68% |
| Novy Urengoy | 117,000 | 1,122 | 334 | 788 | 12.79 | 3.81 | 0.90% |
| Noyabrsk | 109,900 | 1,029 | 384 | 645 | 12.48 | 4.66 | 0.78% |
| Krasnoselkupsky | 6,200 | 99 | 41 | 58 | 21.29 | 8.82 | 1.25% |
| Nadymsky | 21,300 | 221 | 67 | 154 | 13.83 | 4.19 | 0.96% |
| Priuralsky | 15,300 | 179 | 72 | 107 | 15.60 | 6.27 | 0.93% |
| Purovsky | 49,900 | 548 | 195 | 353 | 14.64 | 5.21 | 0.94% |
| Tazovsky | 17,200 | 268 | 92 | 176 | 20.78 | 7.13 | 1.36% |
| Shuryshkarsky | 9,900 | 144 | 69 | 75 | 19.39 | 9.29 | 1.01% |
| Yamalsky | 15,900 | 305 | 108 | 197 | 25.58 | 9.06 | 1.65% |
| Source: ||||||||

### Ethnic groups

The Nenets make up 8.9% of the population, preceded by ethnic Russians (62.9%), and followed by Tatars (4.7%) and Ukrainians (4.5%). Other prominent ethnic groups include Khanty (2.5%), Azerbaijanis (1.7%), Bashkirs (1.5%), Kumyks (1.2%), and Nogais (0.9%) (all figures are from the 2021 Census). Due to the area's oil and natural gas wealth, it is one of the few places in Russia where the ethnic Russian population is growing.
| Ethnic group | 1939 Census | 1939 Census | 1959 Census | 1959 Census | 1970 Census | 1970 Census | 1979 Census | 1979 Census | 1989 Census | 1989 Census | 2002 Census | 2002 Census | 2010 Census$^1$ | 2010 Census$^1$ | 2021 Census | 2021 Census |
| Ethnic group | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % |
| Russians | 19,308 | 42.1% | 27,789 | 44.6% | 37,518 | 46.9% | 93,750 | 59.0% | 292,808 | 59.2% | 298,359 | 58.8% | 312,019 | 61.7% | 253,306 | 62.9% |
| Ukrainians | 395 | 0.9% | 1,921 | 3.1% | 3,026 | 3.8% | 15,721 | 9.9% | 85,022 | 17.2% | 66,080 | 13.0% | 48,985 | 9.7% | 18.234 | 4.5% |
| Nenets | 13,454 | 29.3% | 13,977 | 22.4% | 17,538 | 21.9% | 17,404 | 11.0% | 20,917 | 4.2% | 26,435 | 5.2% | 29,772 | 5.9% | 35,917 | 8.9% |
| Tatars | 1,636 | 3.6% | 3,952 | 6.3% | 4,653 | 5.8% | 8,556 | 5.4% | 26,431 | 5.3% | 27,734 | 5.5% | 28,509 | 5.6% | 18,912 | 4.7% |
| Khanty | 5,367 | 11.7% | 5,519 | 8.9% | 6,513 | 8.1% | 6,466 | 4.1% | 7,247 | 1.5% | 8,760 | 1.7% | 9,489 | 1.9% | 9,985 | 2.5% |
| Komi | 4,722 | 10.3% | 4,866 | 7.8% | 5,445 | 6.8% | 5,642 | 3.6% | 6,000 | 1.2% | 6,177 | 1.2% | 5,141 | 1.0% | 3,556 | 0.9% |
| Selkups | 87 | 0.2% | 1,245 | 2.0% | 1,710 | 2.1% | 1,611 | 1.0% | 1,530 | 0.3% | 1,797 | 0.4% | 1,988 | 0.4% | 2,001 | 0.5% |
| Others | 871 | 1.9% | 3,065 | 4.9% | 3,574 | 4.5% | 9,694 | 6.1% | 54,889 | 11.1% | 71,664 | 14.1% | 74,625 | 14.3% | 70,873 | 15.1% |
| $^1$ 17,517 people were registered from administrative databases, and could not declare an ethnicity. The proportion of ethnicities in this group is estimated to be the same as that of the declared group. |||||||||||||||||

### Religion

Religion in Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug as of 2012 (Sreda Arena Atlas) :
| Russian Orthodoxy | Russian Orthodoxy | 42.2% | 42.2% |
| Other Orthodox | Other Orthodox | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Old Believers | Old Believers | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Protestantism | Protestantism | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Other Christians | Other Christians | 13.8% | 13.8% |
| Islam | Islam | 17.4% | 17.4% |
| Rodnovery and other native faiths | Rodnovery and other native faiths | 1.4% | 1.4% |
| Spiritual but not religious | Spiritual but not religious | 13.8% | 13.8% |
| Atheism and irreligion | Atheism and irreligion | 7.8% | 7.8% |
| Other and undeclared | Other and undeclared | 1.8% | 1.8% |
According to a 2012 survey 42.2% of the population of Yamalia adhere to the Russian Orthodox Church, 14% are unaffiliated generic Christians, 1% are believers in Orthodox Christianity who do not belong to any church, 1% are members of the Slavic neopaganism (Rodnovery) or practitioners of local shamanic religions, and 1% are members of Protestant churches; Muslims, mostly Caucasian peoples and Tatars, make up 18% of the total population. In addition, 14% of the population declare to be "spiritual but not religious", 8% are atheist, and 0.8% follow other religions or did not give an answer to the question.

## Economy

In 2009, Yamalo-Nenetsky Avtonomny Okrug is Russia's most important source of natural gas, with more than 90% of Russia's natural gas being produced there. The region also accounts for 12% of Russia's oil production. The region is the most important to Russia's largest company Gazprom, whose main production fields are located there. Novatek – the country's second-largest gas producer – is also active in the region, with its headquarters located in Tarko-Sale. According to Novatek on 22 October 2019, the natural gas reserves in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug represent 80% of Russia's natural gas and 15% of the world's natural gas supply.
Since the early 2010s Gazprom has been developing Yamal project in the Yamal Peninsula area. As of 2020, Yamal produces over 20% of Russia's gas, which is expected to increase to 40% by 2030. The shortest pipeline routes from Yamal to the northern EU countries are the Yamal–Europe pipeline through Poland and Nord Stream 1 to Germany. The proposed gas route from Western Siberia to China is known as Power of Siberia 2 pipeline.

## Notable people

* Anastasia Lapsui (b. 1944), Nenets film director, screenwriter, radio journalist