Murmansk Region

General information

The Murmansk Region is located in the northwest of the European part of Russia along the Barents and White Seas and shares a land border with Finland and Norway.

Approximately 70% of its territory lies north of the Arctic Circle, and the region is fully included in Russia’s Arctic zone.

Administrative centre: Murmansk.

Population of the region: more than 700,000.

Area of the region: 144 900 km².

Time zone: UTC+3. Moscow and the Murmansk Region are in the same time zone.

Cities

Murmansk

Founded in 1916

Population: approximately 300,000

Largest city in the world beyond the Arctic Circle.

Severomorsk

Founded in 1896

Population: approximately 60,000

Main naval base of the Russian Northern Fleet.

Apatity

Founded in 1916

Population: approximately 50,000

Economy

Mineral extraction

More than 60 large deposits at which roughly 30 types of minerals are mined, including 100% of the country’s apatite, nepheline, and baddeleyite concentrates.

100%
of apatite concentrate mined

Sea freight

The port of Murmansk has year-round navigation and accepts vessels up to 340 metres long and with a draught of up to 17 metres. It is among the top five largest Russian ports in terms of transhipment volumes. It processed 55 million tonnes of cargo in 2021.

Among the

TOP 5
largest ports in Russia

Fishing industry

In 2021, the region’s enterprises caught 650,000 tonnes of aquatic biological resources, or 12.8% of Russia’s total catch. The region is also home to commercial fish farming.

650,000 tonnes of seafood caught

Sightseeing attractions

Pasvik Nature Reserve

The state-owned Pasvik Nature Reserve is part of a large conservation area protected by Russia, Norway, and Finland. Northern forests make up almost half of the area, while the rest is wetlands.

Teriberka

An old fishing village with a picturesque “ship cemetery” that dates back to the first half of the last century. The annual Teriberka festival is part of the cultural programme of Russia’s Chairmanship of the Arctic Council.

Khibiny

A mountain range that is around 390 million years old. The ski season lasts from November to May. At the foot of the mountain range is the Polar-Alpine Botanical Garden-Institute, the northernmost botanical garden in Russia.