Geography
Ridder town is located in the northeast of Kazakhstan, its geographical coordinates are 50 degrees of North latitude and 83 degrees of East longitude, 811 m above sea level. The town’s landscape is mountainous, forest-steppe in character: dark-coniferous taiga, mixed forests, shrubs and large herbs. The Pine Forest occupies the significant area around the town. There is a well developed network of rivers, a lot of small watercourses and streams. All the rivers are mountain, with turbulent current and stony riverbeds. A source of water supply of Ridder town is Maloulbinski water basin, located in a mountain hollow.
HISTORY
Ridder town was founded in 1786 as Ridder settlement and named after a mining engineer Phillip Ridder - an explorer of ore deposits. The history of Ridder town is connected with exploitation of the polymetallic ores deposits, opened in the end of 17 centuries.
Until the establishment of Soviet rule, Ridder deposits were belonged to an English businessman Urkart who had quickly organized the production, a small power station, a concentrating plant were constructed and the railway was laid up to Ust-Kamenogorsk city. In May, 1918 it was signed the decree on nationalization of enterprises of Ridder and their transfer to the Soviet authority. Ridder’s and other deposits’ regular exploitation already started in 20th years. In the first five-year period Ridder town became one of the basic suppliers of nonferrous metals in the country. After the Great Domestic War mass construction of housing, objects of cultural and community service, network objects and other engineering networks, and communications began.
Now Ridder town is an industrial district of East Kazakhstan region. Mining industry, metallurgical and machine-building branches are the basis of its economy. In longtime prospect the town has got a high development potential.
TERRITORY
3,4 thousand square kilometers (1,2 % of the territory of East Kazakhstan region)
BORDERS
The administrative territory of Ridder town borders on the Republic of Altai of the Russian Federation. The distance from Ridder town to the Russian Federation’s border is 62 km. Construction of the Kazakhstan section of highway “Ridder-the Republic of Altai’s border” was completed in 2006.
A question of construction of the Russian road section with the length of 242 km is under consideration. Commissioning of the highway “Ridder- the Republic Altai” opens for the region wide opportunities of strengthening of foreign economic relations, with forming the perspective directions for investments.
Distance from Ridder town to:
Ust-Kamenogorsk - 135 km,
Semey-339 km,
Almaty - 1236 km,
Astana - 1150 km.
POPULATION
The Population of Ridder town is 58.057 people.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Ridder town has 15 comprehensive schools, 2 colleges, 15 children's preschool institutions, 3 institutions of additional education. Ridder telecommunications facility operates in the town which includes the central operating unit, 5 city post departments, 2 post offices and a payment acceptance point at the Population Service Centre of Ridder town.
PRODUCTION
Priority directions of development of Ridder are the mining industry and supporting branches of metallurgy and mechanical engineering. The mining industry comprises the Ridder mining and processing complex of “Kazzinc” Ltd which includes three mines and a concentrator. Ridder mining and processing complex specializes in extraction and processing of polymetallic ores. Ridder metallurgical complex processes zinc concentrates, produces zinc, cadmium, sulphuric acid.
The economy comprises the industrial production, accounting for 74,5 %, agriculture - 1,2 %, construction - 7,8 %, service sector -16,5 %.
The Basic industries:
- mining – the share of 1,6 %;
- metallurgical - the share of 68,4 %;
- mechanical engineering - the share of 12 %;
- electro-supply - the share of 6,4%
- water supply and water discharge - the share of 0,6%
- others - the share of 11%
LAND RESOURCES
The total area of lands of agricultural purposes in turnover makes up 13835 hectares, the total area of lands of industrial purposes - 3442 hectares, the total area of lands of the state reserve makes up 17366 hectares.
LABOR RESOURCES
As at September 1, 2017 the number of officially registered unemployed makes up 336 people. 253 vacancies are opened in the labour market because of the fact that applicants do not meet the qualifying requirements of employers.
254 new jobs are created within the framework of employment activities, 27 persons are directed to the youth practice, 36 social jobs are organized, 53 persons are directed to training and retraining. 188 unemployed are involved in public works.
The level of employment made up 66,2 % of the total number of applicants.
PERSONNEL POTENTIAL
Ridder Agrarian-Technical College prepares the following experts in:
Forestry, landscape construction - 303;
Office-work and archival study - 16;
Underground mining development - 156;
Mineral processing - 127;
Accounting and Audit - 63;
Technical service, repair and maintenance of auto transport - 76;
Mechanical services and repair of mining electromechanical equipment - 90;
Metallurgy of nonferrous metals - 121;
Technical operation, repair and service of electrical and electromechanical equipment - 38.
Ridder Multi-Purpose College prepares 376 students:
Crane machine-operator - 50;
Bulldozer machine-operator - 22;
Cook - 54;
Tile placers - 23;
Electrical engineer for repair and service of electrical equipment - 74;
Electrical/Gas Welder - 64;
Turner - 22;
Confectioner - 40;
Mechanic - 14;
Bricklayer - 13.
INVESTMENT POTENTIAL
In 2017 Ridder is realizing the investment project of “Kazzinc” Ltd “Development, further exploration and mining of Valley deposit” that has been included into the Business Development Map for 2017-2021, and also 23 projects of small and medium business, directed to development of the tourist branch, building industry, modernization of operating and construction of new facilities of the food branch, development of agriculture through creation of dairy farms.
NEED FOR LABOR RESOURCES
Newspaper correspondent, courier, personal assistant, salesman or presenter of goods, yard-keeper, music director, psychologist, human resources inspector, laboratory assistant, expert-appraiser, onsite engineer of security systems, marketer , shop administrator, sales person, Internet-manager, assistant manager, operator (at home) PR expert, information manager, accountant, IE SHAK administrator.
TOURIST POTENTIAL
In the district there are 7 resorts, 2 skiing centres, 3 public tourist organizations, 9 hotels.
It has the West-Altai State Nature Reserve and the Altai Botanical Garden.