Non-ferrous metallurgy deals with extraction and processing of various metals. It can be rare elements, like germanium, zirconium; light metals (sodium, potassium, magnesium, aluminum), precious (gold, silver, platinum). The main group is represented by copper, lead, zinc, tin.

In Russia produces about 70 different metals. According to this indicator the country lags behind the US, Japan and Germany. The main branches of nonferrous metallurgy are:
aluminum;
gold mining;
copper;
- lead-zinc, and others.


In Russia there are many centers for the extraction and enrichment of metal ores. They are mainly located in the Urals, the far East and the North. These centers are unevenly distributed. The determining factors for their placement serve as a resource base and provision with fuel.


The highest value for the extraction of non-ferrous metals has Ural. There are the old centres of this industry. This area is rich in copper, gold, zinc, lead, aluminium. There are also many rare metals. All this was a prerequisite to the emergence of important centers.

The most significant are such enterprises as plant in Bashkiria, the Karabakh plant for the melting of copper, the plants in Kirovograd and Krasnouralsk. Extraction of zinc is 65 % of the total in the country, copper is 43 %.

In addition to the Urals an important role for the extraction of non-ferrous metals have centers located in the far East and Siberia. In Siberia, Norilsk is the most important centre for the extraction of copper ore. It has a resource base called Sherlovaya Gora, where mining of metals, their processing and transportation to other areas for final implementation. It is very actively developing in this area of aluminium production. It should be noted that non-ferrous metallurgy is the main industry in these regions.

Most known deposits of Nickel in the Northern region is the Monchegorsk, Monchegorsk and he is a major center for smelting of copper Nickel ores.

It should also be noted that Russia has few bases with large reserves of ore: Ural, Central and Siberian.
Russia is one of the richest countries in the production of non-ferrous metals. In addition, it is one of the main exporters on the world market.