Routledge Revivals Siberia First published in 1987, Siberia examines the developments in the different sectors of Siberian economy and discusses the role of this vast and little- known region in the Soviet Union’s overall economic and defence strategy. It surveys historical developments and the geography of the region and focuses on the key problem areas such as manpower shortage, the difficulties involved in exploiting the territory’s natural resources, internal communica- tions – including the construction of the Baikal-Amur Railway in the Far East- and considers Siberia’s place in the context of international relations and the world economy. This book is a must read for scholars of Russian history, Russian geopolitics, European politics, international relations and European history. Siberia Problems and Prospects for Regional Development Edited by Alan Wood Firstpublishedin1987 byCroomHelm Thiseditionfirstpublishedin2022byRoutledge 4ParkSquare,MiltonPark,Abingdon,Oxon,OX144RN andbyRoutledge 605ThirdAvenue,NewYork,NY10017 RoutledgeisanimprintoftheTaylor&FrancisGroup,aninformabusiness ©1987AlanWood Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereprintedorreproducedorutilisedin any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrievalsystem,withoutpermissioninwritingfromthepublishers. Publisher’sNote Thepublisherhasgonetogreatlengthstoensurethequalityofthisreprintbutpoints outthatsomeimperfectionsintheoriginalcopiesmaybeapparent. Disclaimer The publisher has made every effort to trace copyright holders and welcomes correspondencefromthosetheyhavebeenunabletocontact. ALibraryofCongressrecordexistsunderISBN:0709936559 ISBN:978-1-032-37113-9(hbk) ISBN:978-1-003-33537-5(ebk) ISBN:978-1-032-37114-6(pbk) BookDOI10.4324/9781003335375 SIBERIA Problems and Prospects for Regional Development Edited by ALAN WOOD CROOM HELM London • New York • Sydney ©1987 Alan Wood Croom Helm Publishers Ltd, Provident House Burrell Row, Beckenham, Kent, BR3 1AT Croom Helm Australia, 44-50 Waterloo Road, North Ryde, 2113, New South Wales British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Siberia: problems and prospects for regional development 1. Siberia (R.S.F.S.R.)—Social conditions I. Wood, Alan 957'0854 HN530.S5 ISBN 0-7099-3655-9 Published in the USA by Croom Helm in association with Methuen, Inc. 29 West 35th Street New York, NY 10001 Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data ISBN 0-7099-3655-9 Phototypeset by Sunrise Setting, Torquay, Devon Contents Introduction Terence Armstrong 1 Editor's Notes 5 The Contributors 7 1. Siberia: Geographical Background Denis Shaw 9 2. From Conquest to Revolution: The Historical Dimension Alan Wood 35 3. Economic Resources Theodore Shabad 62 4. The Siberian Oil and Gas Industry David Wilson 96 5. Transport and Communications Robert North 130 6. The Baikal-Amur Railway (the BAM) Violet Conolly 158 7. Military and Strategic Factors John Erickson 111 8. Siberia and its Far Eastern Neighbours Stuart Kirby 193 9. Siberia and the World Economy: Incentives and Constraints to Involvement JohnJ. Stephan 213 Index 231