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The Russian Far East is Russia’s Pacific "empire" and stretches from the Arctic to Southeast Asia. Since 1639, after a band of Cossacks led by Ivan Moskvitin reached the Okhotsk Sea of the Pacific Ocean, it became and has remained an important border for Russia for trade and defense with Asia. The border in the north divides the Little (USA) and Big (Russia) Diomede Islands. Contact with Japan and China has been historically maintained along the Ussuri, Amur and Argun River system. In the north, a small border is maintained with North Korea. Due to remoteness, a predominantly mountainous landscape, a mix of thick subtropical and endless Siberian taiga with climates ranging from Arctic winds to Mongolian heat, the region remains one of the least explored and inhabitant lands of Russia.
The Russian Far East is full of many unique natural wonders: volcanoes, the Geyser Valley of Kamchatka, the Amur Tiger (the world's largest cat), rare Japanese Cranes and wild ginseng. More than one hundred species of flowering plants, such as arctic poppy and snow buttercup, are found in the Arctic wilderness, populated by polar bears and foxes in the winter and, in summer, huge bird colonies. Many cliffs of Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands have recently been opened to civilian visitors after years of being reserved for military use only.
The Russian Far East is comprised of ten federal districts; its largest cities are Vladivostok and Khabarovsk. Economically and politically, it can be divided into two economic areas: southern and northern. The southern area includes the Khabarovsk, Primorski, Sakhalin, Amur and Jewish districts, is more densely populated, and features a well-developed transportation system, industries and agriculture. The northern area, including Kamchatka, Magadan, Chukotka, Yakutia (Sakha), and Koryak districts, are populated more sparsely. Fishing, reindeer breeding, hunting, and extraction of natural resources are the major economies. The diamonds deposits of Yakutia (Sakha) are the world's largest, placing Russia as the top diamond producer in the world. Extreme weather is the main challenge to life in the northern area. In January or December, don’t be surprised if you notice a strange noise when you exhale. The dry and dense frost turns your breath immediately into flourishing snowflakes and ice and you will hear the crystallization of your breath. Tomtor settlement of Yakutia (Sakha) republic owns the world record for the lowest (-71.2 C / -96 F) temperature ever registered (1926) in a populated area. Yet, cold winters lead to toughness and ingenuity; People gather together indoors to bring each other good cheer, camaraderie and artistic and creative expression.
There have been many Russian explorers who gained fame in the Russian Far East. Despite this, much of the land remains largely unknown and uninhabited. Poor transportation and communication systems are a chronic problem of the northern territories. The presence of large rivers such as the Lena, Amur, Kolyma, Zeya, and Vilui help move cargo around, but only during the short summers, when rivers are free of ice. When winters come, the frost helps to cement the ground allowing construction of quick and cheap temporary roads called zimniki. The spring and fall muddy seasons present the most difficult obstacles, leaving almost no means of transport to many areas except by helicopters, cross-country vehicles and light aircraft. More challenging, only planes or icebreakers can reach the Arctic territories. Meanwhile, the southern part of the region is connected by the Trans-Siberian and Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM) railroads to the rest of Russia. Active recruitment of peasants from European Russia to move to the Far East began in 1861 with the Stolypin agricultural reforms. Freedom from serfdom and free land were offered in exchange for relocation. In 1882, the Russian government funded a campaign to bring 2,500 families annually from Odessa, Ukraine. Later, settlement was supplemented with GULAG and WWII prisoners. These unwitting settlers took part in building new roads and gold mines. Sakhalin Island and the city of Magadan became centers of exile. More than a million people who were declared enemies of the state by Stalin in the 1930s spent their lives in Magadan camps.
| Main industries: Fishing, shipping, trade, military |
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