Kemerovo

Oblast (region) of the Russian Federation, in southern Siberia; area 95,500 sq km/36,873 sq mi; population (1996) 3,063,000 (87% urban). The capital is Kemerovo, and other cities include Kolchugino, Novokuznetsk, Kiselevsk, Prokopyevsk, Belovo, and Anzhero-Sudzhensk. The region is situated largely in the Kuznetsk Basin and has large and varied coal deposits, as well as iron ore, zinc, manganese, and gold. Industries include coal mining, iron and steel (since 1771), non-ferrous metallurgical, chemical, and engineering; grain (wheat, barley, oats) and vegetable cultivation, and dairy farming.