Kryvyi Rih metropolitan area

Kryvyi Rih Metropolitan Region Криворізька агломерація
Map of the Kryvyi Rih metropolitan region
Coordinates: 47°55′0″N 33°15′0″E
Country	Ukraine
Oblast	Dnipropetrovsk Oblast
Largest Cities	Kryvyi Rih Zhovti Vody
Population
• Metro	1 010 000
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)

The Kryvyi Rih Agglomeration, or Kryvbas, is an urban area in central Ukraine. With a population of one million, it is one of the largest urban agglomerations in Ukraine. It consists of several large, industrial cities bordered by the rivers Saksahan and Inhulets to the north.

From west to east, the region includes the cities of Kryvyi Rih, Zhovti Vody as well as parts of the more "rural" Shyroke Raion, Piatykhatky Raion, Apostolove Raion, Sofiyivka Raion and Kryvyi Rih Raion. The Kryvyi Rih area doesn't have an administrative center; each city in the area has its own administration.

History

The presence of iron ore in the regions around Kryvyi Rih has been known since at least 1781 and was rumoured before; being known to the ancients. Throughout the 1800s the region was investigated for its mineral wealth. Iron ore of 70% iron content and manganese ores were found. In 1881 the industrial extraction of iron ore from the near region began, alongside other developments such as the construction of the Kryvyi Rih railway. By 1884 over 100,000 tons of iron ore had been extracted, and the railway though Kryvyi Rih (the Yekateryninska railway), 477 versts (505,6 km) long, from Yasynuvata station via Kryvyi Rih to Dolynska station had been opened. The production expanded rapidly in the next years, as it did in other industrialized regions and countries. By 1896 there were 20 mines producing over 1,000,000 tonnes of ore in the Kryvyi Rih Basin, and the population had exploded though the toll on the health of the working men had begun to be noticed. Industrial expansion continued in the region up to 1917. Production dropped during the first world war due to lack of labour.

After the formation of the Soviet Union and the expulsion of Austro-Hungarian forces and then anti-communist forces under Anton Denikin occupying the region relative normalcy was resumed. Planning for the Kryvorizhstal began in 1929, with the intention being to produce an integrated steel plant taking iron ore and carbon all the way to finished steel products. In 1931 the chairman of the Supreme Economic Council of the USSR - Grigori (Sergo) Ordzhonikidze signed a decree ordering its construction and the same year the foundation stone of the metallurgical works was laid, workers included prison labourers, and initially German and Americans as well. In August 1934 the first metal was produced at Kryvorizhstal; then known as 'Kryvyi Rih Metallurgical Works' (криворожский металлургический комбинат)

Before the onset second world war the works operated 3 blast furnaces (of 3,160m³) and 2 open hearth furnaces along with a heat and power Kryvorizhstal, in 1941 a blooming mill of 1.7 million tonnes p.a. and a fourth blast furnace and a third open hearth furnace came on line shortly before nazi occupation.

Prior to occupation by German military forces equipment and workers were evacuated to Nizhny Tagil. During the German administration (from the 14th of August 1941 to the 22nd of February 1944), the Kryvorizhstal was destroyed.,

After the recapture of the area the complex was rebuilt, and continued to grow again; blast furnace No.7 was built in 1962, in 1970 blast furnace No.8 was built making the Kryvorizhstal the largest in Europe, and in 1974 blast furnace No.9 was opened the biggest in the world with a volume of 5000m³.

Steel companies of the region (except Mittal Steel-owned Kryvorizhstal) are controlled by either the Privat Group or the SCM. From the 1990s until 2004, these once united and state-owned industries went through a hard and scandal-ridden process of privatization.

Economy

The economy is largely based on industry and exports.

Largest companies

• ArcelorMittal
• Metinvest
• SCM Holdings
• Privat Group
• Northern Iron Ore Enrichment Works
• Ingulets Iron Ore Enrichment Works
• Central Iron Ore Enrichment Works

Transport

Public transport

All public transport companies in the Kryvyi Rih are local gov. owned. The Kryvyi Rih region is well-integrated into the national rail system, the Ukrainian Railways, for both passenger and goods services.

Road transport

Kryvyi Rih has good motorway networks in all of the region, with dozens of local roads crossing the region. The H11 motorway is mostly used by through traffic, while other ways have a more regional function. Both have several missing links, in various stages of planning. Some missing sections are currently not planned to be constructed.

Air transport

Kryvyi Rih Airport is the intercontinental airport for region and is within 17 km of most of the city area. It is a low-sized airport, offering rare flights to domestic destinations.