Выгодное географическое положение предопределило, that the city of Astrakhan, whose population is steadily growing today, will become a major transportation hub of the entire Lower Volga region. Sea and river ports, as well as rail and air links made the ancient city a frequently visited place not only for lovers of historical and cultural heritage. The locality has long attracted merchants, artisans and workers, many of whom subsequently remained in Astrakhan for good, shaping the modern look of the city.
Brief history of the city
Еще в тринадцатом веке появился небольшой поселок on the territory of such a future city as Astrakhan. At that time, the population was not diverse: the majority were the ruling elite of the Golden Horde, which adopted a new religion - Islam. But the city very quickly became a major hub of trade, metalworking, jewelery craftsmanship and pottery production were actively developing. After the settlement several times fell into decay, and a new period in the history of the formation of the city began since Tatar Astrakhan became Russian.
Since the sixteenth century, Astrakhan has become not onlymilitary outpost of Russia in the south-east, but also the main trade "gate" to Asia. The locality grew and developed, however, from time to time the population of Astrakhan suffered from devastating epidemics: for example, the plague of 1692 claimed the lives of two thirds of the city’s inhabitants.
The dynamics of the population of Astrakhan
The first mention of the populationAstrakhan date back to 1897. Then 112 thousand people lived in the city. By the beginning of the twentieth century, the population had increased to 120 thousand permanent residents. During the Civil War, fierce fighting broke out in the city, but the population continued to grow, mainly due to visitors. Not stopped the growth in the number of inhabitants and the Great Patriotic War. At that time, many hospitals were concentrated in the city, and the town itself became an important transit point for fuel from the Caucasus to the central part of the Russian SSR.
Even the dashing 90s did not cause a stabledemographic crisis, which was characteristic in those years for Russia as a whole. The number of residents in some years fell, but Astrakhan, whose population was replenished by visitors, has steadily increased. By 2000, the number of residents reached 486 thousand people.
Today's population and national composition
Today's populationAstrakhan is almost 532 thousand people, which equals almost half of the total number of inhabitants of the region. In the city itself, the majority of the population (about 80%) is concentrated on the left bank of the Volga.
As for the ethnic composition, Astrakhan,a population of which is represented by more than 173 nationalities, unites representatives of various nationalities. So, the majority are Russians (almost 78% of the population), the second place is the Tatars (7%), followed by the Kazakhs, Azerbaijanis, Armenians, and Ukrainians. Very few live in Astrakhan Nogai Tatars, Avars and Lezgins - the indigenous peoples of the Caucasus, Roma and other nationalities.
Other demographic indicators
Since 2007 in Astrakhan stably fixedpositive population growth. However, before this negative indicators held since 1996. Recently, the birth rate significantly (compared with the national statistics) exceed the mortality rate.
Life expectancyThe population of Astrakhan at birth (that is, excluding lifestyle, heredity, the likelihood of accidents, and so on) is now seventy-one and three months old. The indicator slightly exceeds the similar figures based on the Russian Federation as a whole (seventy years and five months).
