Socio-economic description
There are 59 administrative settlements in the study area of Marksovsky District. Total population of this administrative district is 68,500 people (48% live in urban area - Marks town - and 52% in rural areas). The sex ratio is 47.5% male to 52.5% female. In urban areas the sex ratio is 46% male to 54% female, in rural areas there is a slight domination of female population (45.3% male to 54.7% female). The average population density is 25 people/kmē.
There are around 58 nationalities living in this area, predominantly Russian (77%); further Kazakh (7%), Ukrainian (4%), German (3.5%), Tatarian (2.5%). The 3.5% of "Russian Germans" can be explained by history. A proclamation by Catherine the Second (queen of Russia) of open immigration for foreigners wishing to live in the Russian Empire, dated July 22, 1763, marked the beginning of presence for Germans in the Empire. German colonies in the Lower Volga River area were founded almost immediately afterwards. German immigration was motivated in part by religious intolerance and warfare in central Europe as well as by frequent economic difficulties.
Most people in rural areas are working in agricultural production (collective farms, individual farmers, process industry). Most families are owners of personal subsidiary plots. These plots provide them vegetables for their own use. The majority of the families have cattle (cows, pigs, and sheep) and birds (chickens, ducks) to improve their livelihood.
Degradation of land affects people's income by decreasing food production (yields become lower and lands become abandoned due to salinization). The young generation is leaving rural areas due to low quality of life and the chances to find more income in the urban area. Lack of information about sustainable land management, climate instability and weak institutional as well as financial support from the government are making life for people in this region difficult.
