Territory
The region occupies territory of 25.1 square kilometers.

Population
The population of the region is 1135 thousand people. Density of the population is 45 people per one square kilometer.

Table 1. «The population of area»
Table 2. «Manpower»
Table 3. «Distribution of the population by ownership patterns»

Transport corridors
The region has a developed transport infrastructure, 10 motor and railway frontier admission points, extensive network of gasoline- and gas- filling stations, hotels and cafes.

Length of general-purpose hard-carpet roads is over 11 thousand kilometers. Minsk-Oshmiany-Vilnius, Minsk-Lida-Grodno, Baranovichy-Slonim-Volkovysk-Grodno, Vilnius-Lida-Slonim are the main roads.

Railways connect the region with Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine, Russia. Cargo transportation is possible in narrow (European) gauge cars. The largest railway junctions are Grodno, Lida, Volkovysk, Mosty.

Airport is located not far from Grodno.

Economics of the region
More than 295 industrial enterprises are operating in the region today. Their production output maked 4170 billion roubles in 2004.

Table 4. «Indices of the main social and economic indicators»
Table 5. «The main industrial performances»
Table 6. «Indices of total production volume by branches of industry»
Table 7. «Indices of production volume in agriculture»
Table 8. «The main investments and construction indicators»

The range of goods produced in the region is manifold: mineral fertilizers; chemical fibre and threads; paintwork materials; agricultural equipment, harvesters including; buses’ componentry for motor vehicles and tractors; construction materials; medications; vitamins; tobacco goods; products of light, woodworking and processing industries – totally about 400 kinds of products.

The largest enterprises of this area, located near the Neman, are: Grodno-Azot Public Joint Stock Company; «Grodno Khimvolokno»,Belcard Public Joint Stock Company;Neman Tobacco Factory of Grodno,Grodno Auto-Aggregate Works, Republican Unitary Enterprise; РGrodno Works of Trade Equipment, Republican Unitary Enterprise;Grodno Works of Trade Equipment, Republican Unitary Enterprise; Radiovolna Republican Unitary Production Enterprise; STF Public Joint Stock Company; Krasnoselskstroymaterialy Public Joint Stock Company; Neman Glass Factory Public oint Stock Company; Lakokraska Public Joint Stock Company; Skidel Sugar Refinery Public Joint Stock Company; Smorgonsilikatbeton Public Joint Stock Company; ОАО Lidagroprommach Public Joint Stock Company; Slonim Worsted Spinning Factory, Public Joint Stock Company; Mostovdrev Public Joint Stock Company; Autoprovod Plant of Stchuchin, Public Joint Stock Company; Novogrudik Gas Equipment Works, Public Joint Stock Company.

Foreign economic activities in the region
Foreign trade indices for Grodno region

Table 9. «The main indices of foreign trade»
Table 10. «Foreign trade with certain countries outside CIS»
Table 11. «Foreign trade of the region with CIS member-countries»

Area shows a steady growth of trade turnover with CIS countries and outside the CIS.
Structure of the external supply is made up of a wide range of goods and services. Mineral fertilizers and cardan shafts, chemical fibers, paints and varnishes, building materials, products of light industry and agricultural production are widely known as the Republic of Belarus and abroad.
Grodno region today - is 1,7% of world market of urea and 2% ammonium sulfate, about 6% of world production of cord and industrial yarn.
Grodno region has foreign trade with 112 countries. Goods supplied to the markets of 81 States, imported products from 100 countries.
Main trading partners of the region are Russia, which accounts for more than 50% of exports, China, Poland, Germany, Ukraine, Brazil, Lithuania, India.

The results of foreign economic activity in 2004 to 2007. characterized by an increase in turnover in 1,7 times: from 1.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2004 to 2,5 billion U.S. dollars in 2007. Exports in 2007 reached 1,4 billion U.S. dollars and exceeded the volume of imports (1.1 billion U.S. dollars).

Throughout the area evolved into a positive balance of foreign trade.
In 2008 the turnover amounted to 3,072.8 million of U.S. dollars, an increase over the corresponding period of 2007 to 24,6%, including export - U.S. $ 1,563.7 million (an increase of 10,9%), imports -- 1509.1 million U.S. dollars (by 42,9%). The balance of foreign trade positive - 54,6 million dollars.

Trade with Russia amounted to 1,134.7 million dollars, including exports - 803.9 million (123%), import - 330,8 million (140,8%). Balance had the positive - 473,1 million dollars.
The volume of foreign trade of Grodno region with European countries as a whole is characterized by dynamic growth in trade turnover.
Principal supplies - chemicals, building materials, lumber, textiles, meat and dairy products.
Successfully operate in global markets, enterprises: JSC "Grodno Nitrogen", JSC "Grodno Khimvolokno", JSC "Belkard, GRUPPP" airwaves ", OOO" Conte Spa ", JSC" Beck ", JSC" Grodno meat

In January-November 2008 the volume of external trade in services amounted to 117,3 million U.S. dollars, an increase over the corresponding period of 2007 to 30,7%, including export - 94,6 million U.S. dollars (growth rate -- 135%), import - 22,7 million (115,6%). As a result, foreign trade surplus in services has developed in the amount of 71,9 million U.S. dollars.

Decisive influence on the export of services Grodno region have transportation services, their share in total exports was 62,3% (58,9 million U.S. dollars). Largest exporters of transport services are: CHUTEP "Karat-Expedition", OOO "Company MOKA" TPUE "Stelkargo" TODO "Jumbo-Trans.
Sustained export growth is observed on the following types of services: services of road transport (149.8%), travel (325.4%), construction (163.1%), computer (187.6%), information (178.3%) services.

Foreign investments
22 countries invest in the economy of the region. The largest investor countries are: Poland, USA, Austria, Germany, Lithuania, Italy, United Kingdom, Latvia, Russia.

Priority areas for investment: Modernization of food, chemical, woodworking, light, fuel, machinery, building materials, electric power.

Renovation and equipping of modern technological equipment complexes for breeding and fattening cattle, pigs, poultry farms, large dairy farms.

Establishment of industries utilizing local raw materials and components manufactured by local companies.

Creation of production facilities to produce high technology products, including:
- Optical and opto-mechanical devices and equipment;
- Communication and computing;
- Household appliances and machines;
- Devices for medicine, physiology and biology;
- Chemical and pharmaceutical products;
- Medical equipment.

Development of infrastructure for tourism and leisure, border and roadside service.

Implementation of transport and telecommunication projects.

Operating in the region 327 joint ventures and foreign enterprises.
In 2003, IOOO "Crown" (Russia) in Grodno the project of building the market squares RUE Gronitex. Total investment amounted to 5 million.

With the participation of a foreign partner from Cyprus to establish a JV Grodnobioproduct "carrying out the production of vegetable oil from rape seed. The cost of the investment project - 0.8 million dollars.

A number of large investment projects implemented by the resident of FEZ "Minsk: Belarusian-Polish joint venture" Mebel-Neman "implementing an investment project worth 1.5 million dollars for furniture production.

Belarus-Poland-Russia joint venture ZOVPLITA implementing an investment project worth 2.6 million dollars for furniture production.

Belarusian-Polish-French-British joint venture "Amtaka Interneshional" implementing an investment project worth 1.2 million dollars for furniture production.

Belarusian-Russian joint venture BAZALIS implementing an investment project worth 1.2 million dollars for the production of heat-sensitive paper.

Belarusian-American joint venture PolyUniPack implementing an investment project worth 1.3 million dollars for the production of PVC window-sills.

In order to implement the investment project "Production of Thermo-kinetic Heaters $ 5 million established Italian company Sipa-Invest".

JSC "Grodno Building Materials Plant" started to implement an investment project "Reconstruction of Cellular Concrete. It is planned to produce plate heat insulation volume weight of 150, 200, 250 kg/m3, which has no analogues in the Republic of Belarus. Investment project - 7,8 million U.S. dollars.

In 2008, the volume of accumulated foreign investment in the region amounts to 139,2 million U.S. dollars, of which 85,4 million U.S. dollars - straight lines. The main activities are: production of furniture and wooden packaging, maintenance and repair of vehicles, the organization of cargo transportation.
By relative weight of accumulated foreign investment in the most active are investors from Russia, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, United States, Austria and Israel.
Many economic entities operating successfully in the market of Belarus for more than 10 years. At one time, JV Conte "was implemented the investment project for the production of hosiery. Now the brand "Conte" is known far outside Belarus. JV Bigan Close "was created by the production of sausage casings with flexography, products are supplied to many countries of the CIS.
Representatives of the Austrian business successfully implemented in Grodno investment project FLLC Vogel & Noot "for the production of metal cans with drawing painting and graphic arts. The organization of production invested more than 3,5 million U.S. dollars. Created 55 jobs, plans to further expand production. Together with foreign investors being the expansion and maintenance of furniture production JV "CALL-Len-Arun Manufacturing Services Pvt. With the participation of the Swedish capital in Vaukavysk created a closed joint stock company "RindiBel" one of the main activity is the production of new fuels from wood waste.
With the participation of the Lithuanian capital in the establishment and operation: JV "Krisver" - the production of sanitary ware of plastics, FE "Vilosh" - timber, JV "EvroAlvita" - production of windows and doors made of plastic, OOO Technoplast "- production of plastic products packaging, IPCHUP "Medis" - wood-processing and other enterprises.
The region has successfully implemented state program of development of regions, small and medium towns of the Republic of Belarus for 2007 - 2010 years. To implement the policy directions adopted by a number of normative acts providing for exemptions and preferences for investors, implementing investment projects on creation of new enterprises and industries, new jobs in small and medium-sized urban areas with the assistance of various funding sources, including foreign ones.