The Kola Peninsula is located in the north-west of Russia. Murmansk Region is situated on it. It is one of 89 regions of Russia, the territory of which averages 145.000 sq. km., it amounts 1% of the territory of our country. Almost all the territory of the peninsula is situated beyond the Polar circle. It’s washed by the Barents Sea and the White sea. It borders on Finland and Norway. Murmansk is an administrative, transport, industrial, cultural centre of the region.

The Kola Peninsula is one of the oldest parts of the earth’ crust (земная кора). It occupies the eastern side of the Baltic crystalline shield (кристаллический щит) which is composed mainly of the ancient mountain rocks, granite and gneiss (гнейс). This fact explains the existence of enormous natural resources on the Kola Peninsula. Over 60 chemical elements form the deposits that can be of practical use. Big iron, copper (медь), nickel, mica (слюда), cobalt and aluminum fields are concentrated here, mainly in the western part of the region.
The relief of Murmansk region is heterogeneous (неоднородный). All the territory can be divided into two parts: eastern plane and western hills, where the basic deposits of the minerals are located.
Western part is characterised by the mountain ranges, which are separated from each other by hilly plains and river valleys. The largest mountain ranges are located in the central part of the Kola Peninsula. In fact, they are not very high. Their average height is 900-1000 m over the sea level. Some are tops almost 1200 m height (for example, the top of the Khibiny – Юдычвумчорр mountain).
Mountains are getting lower towards the White sea. So, the eastern part is submitted by plains (small hills and waterlogged (заболоченные) lowlands (низменности)). In eastern part the plain stretches along all the northern coast up to the mouth of the river Ponoy.
The biggest part of the Kola Peninsula is situated beyond the Polar Circle. Our climate is severe due to the changing of air-pressure during the day. It is subarctic in the centre and on the shore it is milder thanks to the North-Atlantic current. Generally climatic conditions are unfavourable in the north, because of high humidity, the lack of sunshine and frequent thaws.
Winter begins here in November and lasts for 5 moths till March. It is rather mild owing to the northern and north-eastern winds which bring warm air here. The average winter temperature is –10 degrees, but it can vary from –10 to –50. The coldest month of this season is February. Its average temperature is 10–11 degrees below zero. The most peculiar feature of our winter is the polar night which lasts from the end of November till the middle of January in different parts of the peninsula. The polar night in Murmansk lasts from the 12th of December till the 11th of January. Summer is rather cool in our region due to the southern winds, which bring cyclones here. The warmest summer month is July, its average temperature is 10-15 degrees above zero. And the most sunny months are March and April. Besides we experience polar day in this season.
Natural zones of the Kola Peninsula comply with the climate. There are three of them: tundra, forest zone and taiga. Our fauna is rich in comparison with the arctic region. 240 bird species could be found here. Animals adapt themselves to the severe conditions of our region. For winter birds and animals accumulate fate and their feathers and fur turn white. Here are animals which change the colour of their fur. They are hares, arctic foxes, partridges, ermines (stoats) and squirrels.
The Kola Peninsula faces a lot of ecological problems today. There are places in our region, where the by-products of people's activity have destroyed the nature. Though nowadays the industry in our region, as well as in our country, is decaying rather than developing, the area around Monchegorsk still looks like a moonscape: no birds or animals can live there, no plants can grow there any more. Moreover, one of the most beautiful lakes of our peninsula, the Imandra, is poisoned by the waste of the plants in Monchegorsk. Some 20-30 years ago the lake was extremely rich in fish, and now it is dangerous to bathe in its waters.
In our region there is a nuclear power station, which is already rather old. Its resource is coming to an end, and it's becoming more and more dangerous for the whole peninsula. But many people are against the construction of a new reactor. On the other hand, it's hard to survive without a reliable source of energy. However, wind power stations can be an alternative to the nuclear ones. They are becoming more and more popular in Europe now, and there is even one in Murmansk.
One more problem, which is not a regional, but a national and even a global one, is the atomic fleet. A great number of old submarines on the Barents Sea coast are waiting for their turn to dismantle their nuclear reactors. Our northern neighbors, as well as other countries, help Russia in this project.
The atomic submarine Komsomolets which went down in the Norwegian Sea in 1989 (more than 10 years ago), is also very dangerous for all living beings. As scientists say, in some 30 years the seawater will destroy its covers and the whole northern region will be poisoned by radiation. Fortunately the atomic submarine Kursk, which was shipwrecked in the Barents Sea two years ago, has been successfully raised from the sea bottom. The situation in the Kola Bay is also rather serious due to the waste of the numerous ships and vessels in the bay.
Murmansk is the biggest city in the county. Nearly 420 000 people live here. But in fact the population of our city is reduced. It is because of migration. During the last years the level of migratory activity has decreased. The number of people who arrive in our city has decreased too. The other factor of reduction of a population is the natural loss. Unfortunately, the number of died people annually exceeds the number of born people.