[2] The area is exceptionally rich in various ores and minerals, such as valuable chalcopyrite, nickel oxide, chromite, magnetite, bauxite, potassium salts, manganese, aluminium, gold, platinum, as well as coal, oil and natural gas.

The area is famous for semi-precious stones, such as emerald, amethyst, aquamarine, jasper, rhodonite, malachite and diamond.

Nationwide importance have ferrous and nonferrous metallurgy, mechanical engineering, chemistry, mining of minerals and natural gas, logging and wood processing.

The basin of Kama River (Berezniki, Solikamsk, Perm, Krasnokamsk, Chaikovsky) has developed chemical, timber and wood processing industries, machine building and some areas of agriculture (mostly potato, vegetable and dairy products).

[2] Ural economic region contains major metallurgical and chemical enterprises of Russia, such as Uralmash, Uralkhimmash, Uralhydromash, etc.

Developed is also production of Coke (fuel), rubber, paint, synthetic fibers and yarns, plastics and resins (Sverdlovsk, Nizhny Tagil, etc.

Ural is one of the most important Russian mining and processing regions of talc (Miass deposit), magnesite (Satka field) and construction materials.

[2] There is significant mining of coal (in Kizelovsky, Serovsky and Chelyabinsk areas), oil (Kama and Orenburg areas), gas and peat, but it is not sufficient for the industry and therefore Urals imports coal from the Kuzbass and Karaganda, gas (from Western Siberia and Central Asia) and oil.

The electrical network is connected to the power grids of the Tyumen and Aktobe regions and the central European parts of Russia.

Food and closes industries produce flour, meat and dairy, leather and footwear, garment and textile.

The region is crossed by several major pipelines supplying and transporting natural gas from the Tyumen Oblast and Central Asia and oil from Western Siberia.

Most industry is based on large enterprises; their structure has not been affected much by the privatization and reforms after the collapse of the Soviet Union.