The Nenets Autonomous Area was formed on July 15, 1929. The Area is situated at the north of the East European Plain and is a tough place to live, since its territories are mainly located behind the Arctic Polar Circle. The Area includes several islands and the Kanin peninsula, and its shores are washed by the White, Barents, Pechora and Kara seas of the Arctic Ocean.

The Nenets Autonomous Area is mainly plain with minor elevations. Territories are covered with tundra and taiga vegetation. The climate is very severe with low temperatures throughout the year and permafrost. Lands, which belong to the Area, are covered with a dense network of small rivers, with Pechora being the largest of them, and shallow lakes, which often are connected with each other.

Natural dwellers of these territories are not very abundant, with rodents being the most often met mammals. First human settlements appeared in the area about 8 thousand years before Christ during Paleolithic era. Archeologists unearthed many sites of the Bronze age, which date back to 2-1 thousand years BC. During 5^th centuries of modern era the territories were inhabited by tribes, which ethnic background is still a mystery for scientists. Russians called them “pechera”, and Nenets name for these people was “sirtya”. Mystarious people had left several sites, which are now extremely valuable for archeologists.

Nenets people have migrated to these territories from lower course of the river Ob’ – migration happened in the beginning of the second millennium AD. At nearly the same time Russians from Novgorod started colonization of north-eastern territories of the European Russia. Russian chronicles mention that in the 9^th century people of Pechora and Yugra were governed by Dukes of Kiev, who levied tribute from local population.

In 2002 population census revealed about 42 000 people living in the Area. Nenets Autonomous Area has one city and one urban-type settlement, with all other settlements being villages.