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Russian Far East

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

The Russian Far East is a huge region in North Asia.

Vladivostok. Zolotoy Rog Bay DSC01337 2300
Vladivostok. Zolotoy Rog Bay DSC01337 2300

It is the easternmost part of Russia and the Asian continent. This area sits between Lake Baikal and the Pacific Ocean. It shares land borders with Mongolia, China, and North Korea. To the northeast, it sits near the United States by the Bering Strait.

Vladivostok in the 1900s 05
Vladivostok in the 1900s 05

Many people think of this place as part of Siberia. However, Russian history often treats it as its own separate area.

This land is very vast and mostly empty. It covers more than one-third of all of Russia. Because it is so big, there are fewer than one person for every square kilometer.

Population of the Russian Far East, 1990-2015
Population of the Russian Far East, 1990-2015

Most of the people live in the southern parts of the region. The largest city is Khabarovsk, followed by the port city of Vladivostok.

RIAN archive 370051 Students celebrating St.Tatyana's Day, or Russian Students Day
RIAN archive 370051 Students celebrating St.Tatyana's Day, or Russian Students Day

Most people living here are ethnic Russians or Ukrainians. Many different groups, like the Sakha and the Chukchi, have lived here for a long time.

History shows how people moved into this area over many years. Russians first reached the Pacific coast in 1647 at a place called Okhotsk. Later, in the 1800s, the Russian Empire grew its control over the region. This growth included taking part of Chinese Manchuria between 1858 and 1860.

Vladivostok in the 1900s 05
Vladivostok in the 1900s 05

In the early 1900s, Russia and Japan fought a war. Russia wanted a warm-water port for its navy to use all year. Japan won that war in 1905 and took the southern half of Sakhalin island.

Moving around this huge place can be a big job. For a long time, there were no big highways connecting it to the rest of Russia. The M58 highway was not finished until 2010.

Метеор-236 на Лене
Метеор-236 на Лене

Railways are very important for travel and trade here. The Trans-Siberian Railway and the Baikal–Amur Mainline connect the region to Siberia. In very remote spots, people must use planes to travel. Boats are also vital for moving goods along the Pacific and Arctic coasts.

Even though it is far away, the region is connected to the world. Many cars in the area have right-hand drive. This is unusual for Russia, but 73% of cars there use it.

Vladivostok. Zolotoy Rog Bay DSC01337 2300
Vladivostok. Zolotoy Rog Bay DSC01337 2300

The region is also a place of great natural beauty. You can find volcanoes like Koryaksky in the area.

View from Radionuclide Station RN60 - Flickr - The Official CTBTO Photostream
View from Radionuclide Station RN60 - Flickr - The Official CTBTO Photostream

Nature here includes many animals like elk, wild boar, and sika deer.

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🖼️ Images & Media (7)
File:View from Radionuclide Station RN60 - Flickr - The Official CTBTO Photostream.jpg
View from Radionuclide Station RN60 -...
File:Vladivostok in the 1900s 05.jpg
Vladivostok in the 1900s 05.jpg
File:RIAN archive 370051 Students celebrating St.Tatyana's Day, or Russian Students Day.jpg
RIAN archive 370051 Students celebrating...
File:Population of the Russian Far East, 1990-2015.png
Population of the Russian Far East, 1990-2015.png
File:Vladivostok. Zolotoy Rog Bay DSC01337 2300.jpg
Vladivostok. Zolotoy Rog Bay DSC01337 2300.jpg
File:Метеор-236 на Лене.JPG
Метеор-236 на Лене.JPG
File:Набережная стадиона им Ленина Хабаровск фото1.JPG
Набережная стадиона им Ленина Хабаровск фото1.JPG
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