Penza

Penza is a city (since 1663) in the center of the European part of Russia, the administrative center of the Penza region (since 1939) . It is a city of regional significance, forms the municipality of the urban district of the city of Penza[7].

Population - 516 450 people. (2021).

By the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated May 20, 2021, the city was awarded the title "City of Labor Valor"

Etymology

The name of the city is associated with the name of the Penza River, on the steep bank of which the fortress was built.

Physical and geographical characteristics

Geographical position

Penza is located in the center of the European part of Russia on the Volga Upland, 629 km (along the M-5 Moscow-Chelyabinsk highway) southeast of Moscow. The city is located on both banks of the Sura River. The area of ​​the city is 310.4 km².

The average height above sea level is 174 m. The highest point (280 m above sea level) is on the hill Boevaya Gora, stretched from SW to NE like a ridge. The lowest is 134 m.

Penza from the bridge

Historical center of Penza over Sura

The length of the city from north to south is 19.3 km, from west to east - 25.3 km.

Hydrography

In addition to Sura (the main water artery of the city), the Penza, Penzyatka, Ardym, Staraya Sura, Moika, Barkovka, Prokop and Bezymyanny streams flow through the city. Some of them within the city partly flow in sewers.

Timezone

Penza is located in the MSK (Moscow time) time zone. The offset of the applicable time from UTC is +3:00. In accordance with the applicable time and geographic longitude, the average solar noon in Penza occurs at 12:00. This is due to the fact that the meridian 45°00′ passes through Penza.

Flora and vegetation

In accordance with the general plan of Penza approved in 1973, the total area of ​​the green zone was more than 25% of the total area of ​​the city and, according to this indicator, was recognized in the 1980s as the greenest city in the Volga region, but since 1990 there has been an intensive reduction in urban squares, suburban green areas and parks due to development of the territory. [source not specified 3440 days]

Natural forest plantations in the urban area are represented on the left bank of the Sura, mainly by broad-leaved forests (oak forests with linden, maple, aspen and birch), on the right bank of the Sura - by pine-broad-leaved forests; the total area is about 9.8 thousand hectares.

Climate

The climate of Penza is temperate continental. Winter in Penza is moderately cold and long, lasting from the beginning of November to the end of March, the coldest month is February with an average temperature of -9.1 °C. Summer is warm, lasts from the end of May to the beginning of September, the average temperature in July is 20.4 °C. The average annual temperature is 5.5 °C. The climate of Penza is close to Moscow, but the continentality is higher, and there is less precipitation.