Sakhalin is an island region of the Russian Federation, located off the Asian east coast. It is an area formerly owned by Japan, steeped in Japanese culture, rich in natural resources and with a small population of half a million. This island attracts tourists with its interesting mixed culture and unusual geographical position. Below are some interesting facts.
Sakhalin is a Russian island, bearing the title of the largest. But earlier Sakhalin belonged to Japan and was called differently - Karafuto. The main city - the administrative and economic center of the island - Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk appeared in the nineteenth century as a hard labor settlement of Vladimirovka, and during the period of Japanese occupation it was called Toyohara. Literally translated into Russian, this means "fertile valley."
It's funny that the island looks like a silhouette of a fish, and quite long - the length of Sakhalin is almost nine hundred and fifty kilometers. By the way, the Sakhalin region is the only Russian subject in the form of an island.
About thirty thousand Koreans live on Sakhalin (about five percent), who were brought here by the Japanese for forced labor at a time when the island was still part of Japan and was called Karafuto. During the war years, Koreans brought here prepared the infrastructure for war. And by its end, more than forty thousand Koreans remained on the island.
The indigenous population of Sakhalin are the Nivkh and Ainu peoples. However, there are extremely few of them left here - about one percent. And the bulk of the population is the Russian people, accounting for about eighty-five percent.
This island was for forty years hard labor and a place where people were sent into exile. Perhaps this was due to the climatic conditions that prevail on Sakhalin.
From Japan, Japanese culture remained on the island, mixing with Russian. On the island you can see Japanese buildings, various monuments, monuments.
The inhabitants of Sakhalin call almost any mountain a hill, and the whole of Russia - the mainland.
If a tourist wants to try caviar or fish here, he will have to spend much more money on this here than even in the Russian capital - Moscow. However, this happens not only here, but also in Kamchatka and Chukotka, because the fishing industry is quite well developed here.
On Sakhalin, Japanese cars are mainly used as transport. In principle, this is what happens in many cities of the Far East, and this is logical. After all, this part of Russia is closest to Japan.
There are no wolves on this island. Once, the only wolf in history came from the mainland to Sakhalin, a stuffed animal of which was even preserved in the Museum of Local Lore.
Sakhalin Island is one of the most remote regions of Russia from Europe, which, of course, makes it very interesting. Since European influences get here late, Sakhalin is quite different from most other Russian regions, and it is very interesting to visit here. In addition, despite the remoteness from Moscow, other large cities are very close here - Vladivostok, Khabarovsk, megacities of China and Japan.
- In winter, the narrowest part of the strait that separates Sakhalin Island from the mainland freezes completely, covered with a thick layer of ice.
- The shores of Sakhalin are washed by two seas, the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk (see).
- Of all the islands belonging to Russia, Sakhalin is the largest.
- About half a million people live here, which is more than in many European capitals.
- Until the end of World War II, Sakhalin was divided between Russia and Japan.
- This island was discovered, oddly enough, by Dutch sailors. This happened in the middle of the 17th century.
- The length of Sakhalin reaches almost a thousand kilometers. More precisely, 948, which is also impressive.
- At the time of the discovery of Sakhalin by Europeans, there was an indigenous population on the island, but it was still in the Stone Age. Their descendants still live here, but they are only about 1% of the population on the island.
- For the first 200 years after the discovery, it was believed that Sakhalin was not an island, but a peninsula.
- In the 19th century, Sakhalin served as a place of exile for convicted convicts, who soon accumulated 25 times more than the local population. Chekhov wrote the book "Sakhalin Island" about their life (see).
- In some cities of Sakhalin, you can still admire ancient Japanese buildings.
- About 97% of all cars on the island are made in Japan.
- The mountains are usually called hills by the inhabitants of Sakhalin.
- In winter, due to bad weather, the airport and seaports sometimes stop working for several days. At such a time, it is impossible to get out of the island.
- In 1962, the largest potato in the world was grown on Sakhalin. The weight of the tuber was 3.2 kg.
- In the 19th century, the indigenous inhabitants of Sakhalin, catching fish, threw away caviar along with offal, considering it inedible.
- It was here that the famous breed of dogs, the Sakhalin Huskies, was bred.
- Almost all representatives of the small Orok people living now live on Sakhalin. Out of a little less than 300 representatives of the Orok people, about 250 live here (see).
- The ancestors of modern humans settled Sakhalin about 20,000 years ago, probably crossing the ice of the frozen strait to the island in winter.
- Sakhalin is often hit by powerful storms coming from the ocean.
- About a third of the entire population of the island lives in its capital, the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.
- In the middle of the 20th century, there was a project for a tunnel under the strait that would connect Sakhalin with the mainland, but in the end it was canceled.
- In remote areas of the island, poaching flourishes, mainly associated with the production of red caviar.
- The gauge of some sections of the railway on Sakhalin differs from that adopted in Russia, because it was once built by the Japanese according to their own standards.
- About 380 species of birds and 44 species of mammals live on Sakhalin, including bears, sables and deer.
Sakhalin is the largest Russian island. The Japanese lustfully call this island Karafuto, which means "the land of God's mouth."
The island was discovered in 1643 by the Dutchman de Vries. And for a long time Sakhalin was considered a peninsula. Probably because the strait that separates the island from the mainland freezes in winter.
Sakhalin is washed by the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk, separated from the continent by the Tatar Strait, and from Japan by the La Perouse Strait. The total area of Sakhalin is just over 76,000 sq. km. And in shape, it resembles a fish, predatory stretching along the coast of Asia. Mountains predominate in the south of the island, towards the north they are replaced by lowlands, and only on the Schmidt Peninsula, the extreme northern tip of Sakhalin, mountain peaks are again visible. Such a complex relief, as well as the proximity of the ocean and seas, determined the originality of the flora and fauna.
Flora of Sakhalin
Most of the island is covered in taiga. The local forests are unique, since the Sakhalin taiga is the richest in Russia in terms of species diversity. Judge for yourself - about 200 species of trees and shrubs grow on the island.
The main tree of Sakhalin is the Gmelin larch. Slightly less common are other types of trees: thin-leaved larch, Ayan spruce, Sakhalin fir. Among hardwoods, white and stone birches, aspens, fragrant poplars, dewy willows, Japanese elms, yellow maples, and alder predominate.
But the main feature of Sakhalin can be called an amazing neighborhood of southern plants and northern representatives of the kingdom of flora. So, in the south it is quite possible to see tropical lianas, larch feels very good surrounded by polar birches, lemongrass and rhododendrons often bloom next to spruce trees. Cedars get along well next to cork trees, and firs are often decorated with blooming hydrangeas. Rose hips, honeysuckle and aralia are often hidden in high thickets of ferns. And the trunks of hornbeams, cherries, elderberries and mountain ash are buried in high herbs.
Sakhalin is also rich in fruits and berries. Cherries, currants, blueberries, raspberries, blueberries, redberries and cranberries grow here. And in the south of the island you can observe the most unique natural combination: a coniferous forest surrounded by thickets of Sakhalin bamboo. You will not see such a union anywhere else in the world. Bamboo, of course, is not tall here, but its thickets are, in fact, the most difficult to pass, as elastic trunks intertwine in the most amazing way, and sharp leaves, like knives, can easily cut the skin.
In spring and summer, Sakhalin shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow: these are flowers in bloom. For example, thickets of flame create fire-red meadows of incredible beauty. There are a lot of poppies, irises, peonies, lilies, the island of willow-tea colors in pale lilac tones, snow-white fields of daisies delight the eye.
But in the north, the climate is more severe, the relief is smoother, and therefore the area is very swampy. But there are a lot of mosses, lichens and reindeer moss. These places are often surrounded by meadows, where sedge and various herbs predominate. And in the very north of the island, forests begin again - taiga, coniferous, with the richest reserves of cedars, blueberries and wild rosemary.
Fauna of Sakhalin
Unfortunately, over the past 250 years, the fauna of Sakhalin has become significantly poorer. Once upon a time, spotted deer jumped around the island and wild boars filled the surrounding forests with their cry. Neither one nor the other is left. Later, moose and red deer were exterminated. By the middle of the last century, due to increased deforestation, sable and raccoon dogs disappeared. Mountain sheep and river otters left the island forever.
Typical representatives of the Sakhalin forests are animals that are typical for the milking of the mainland taiga: these are numerous weasels, ermines. In the south of the island there are columns. These animals were brought from Japan, but so far their numbers are small.
The most popular and formidable predator of Sakhalin is the brown bear. The growth of these giants reaches two meters, and weight - up to 500 kg. There are many foxes in the forests - red, gray and silver-black. There is a white hare, in the floodplains of the rivers you can see river otters.
But the deer on Sakhalin are mostly domesticated. Wild ones are found only in the northern part of the island. The musk deer also migrates serenely around the island. It is listed in the Red Book.
But the bird kingdom on Sakhalin is much richer. There are up to 700 species of birds that live here, many nest, many are "raids" during the winter. Most of the birds are on Tyuleniy Island, where up to 600 thousand guillemots, flocks of puffins, hatchets, and gulls live. There are a lot of waterfowl: geese, mallards, dives, goldeneyes, pebbles, pintails, long-tailed ducks. But swans are found only in the most remote corners of the island.
A certain scarcity of the land fauna of Sakhalin is fully compensated by the richness of the ichthyofauna. The island has one of the largest fur seal rookeries in the world. There are sea lions, sea otters, several types of seals. Sperm whales, killer whales, beluga whales often swim to the coast, near the island you can see sivals, humpback whales, blue whales.
Interestingly, it was on the island that the Sakhalin Husky was bred - a breed of dogs that are distinguished by high intelligence and boundless devotion to the owner.
Climate on Sakhalin
The climate of the island is usually classified as temperate monsoon. But the weather at any time of the year varies considerably in the north and south.
Summer is humid, warm, with heavy rains. In summer, the difference between the eastern and western coasts of Sakhalin is very noticeable. It is warmer in the west, as the coast is washed by the warm Tsushima Current.
Winter on Sakhalin is very cold and snowy. Most of the island is affected by the Siberian anticyclone, which brings snowfall and frost. But in the south of the island, the influence of the Southern Cyclone is also noticeable, which endows the island with powerful snowstorms and hurricane winds.
The Sea of Okhotsk, washing the island from the north, works like a huge thermal accumulator. It willingly retains heat and does not let go of the cold for a very long time. Therefore, spring on Sakhalin is lingering, cool, but autumn is very warm and friendly. For example, many flowers on Sakhalin bloom until mid-November.
In general, all seasons on the island begin 3-4 weeks late. The hottest month is August and the coldest month is February.
There are so many stories, unusual facts and legends about him that it seems that there is no more mysterious and mysterious place on this planet. Sakhalin is a large and unusual island, 76,400 km, located in the east of Russia.
The secret of the Ainu people, Sakhalin
For a very long time it was believed that this is a peninsula. Only in 1849, thanks to G. I. Nevelskaya, it became known that this was an island. In what time period people began to live here, no one knows for sure, but thanks to archaeological work, human remains were found among the remains of mammoths, whose age is more than 63 thousand years!
The indigenous people of the island are the people Ainu. There are many issues associated with them that are still unresolved today. For example, archaeologists discovered the remains of the culture of this people, which are more than 12 thousand years old, while the artifacts found show that at that time the culture of this people was very high for that time, at the level of ancient China and India. The main evidence of the antiquity of their culture is considered to be the Ainu Jemon ceramics, which is officially the oldest in the world.
Regarding where people came from here, and even with such a developed culture, 2 main opinions have been put forward:
- The ancestors of the Ainu have always been here. categorically and incomprehensibly.
- In the early Paleolithic period, people sailed to Sakhalin from Australia.
Europeans first learned about this island only in 1295, and Marco Polo himself told them this amazing news. It is also available that he personally was not there either. But upon arrival in Europe, a Chinese map fell into his hands, in which the island was indicated. But Russian explorers should be given their due, because they put a lot of effort and work into the study of distant islands.
Sakhalin Island has many secrets. Many tourists come here to see the local volcanoes. By the way, many scientists are sure that in the very waters that wash them, there are still a lot of discoveries waiting for them. Speaking about the main Ushishir volcano, it is worth saying that this is generally an unusual place, because it is here that it is possible to conduct a study of chemosynthesis without diving into the ocean.
New mysteries are constantly emerging on Sakhalin. Some are unraveled, others are not. But having been in these parts, you will see the remains of hairy giant fish, anomalous zones, strange plants and hear about huge worms found, and much more. It is also worth adding that it is beautiful here.
How to get here
Undoubtedly, the best and most convenient, and most importantly, without transfers to get here by plane. Fly from Russia - about 8 hours. You can also buy tickets to Khabarovsk. And in the port of Vanino, buy tickets for the ferry to the island itself. The port can also be reached by car.
Connect Sakhalin with a bridge to the Japanese island of Hokkaido. The head of state called this idea a project of "absolutely planetary character." "MIR 24" has collected the most important facts about Sakhalin.
Name
Sakhalin received its name by mistake. The Manchus called the Amur River with the word "Sakhalyan-Ulla" ("Rocks of the Black River"). This toponym appeared on one of the maps, and cartographers unfamiliar with local realities attributed it not to the river, but to the island.
In Japan, the Russian island is called Karafuto - from the Ainu "kamuy-kara-puto-ya-mosir", which means "land of the god of the mouth." Currently, in the Land of the Rising Sun, it is customary to call the object in Russian - Sakharin (this is the transliteration of the Russian name).
Story
A modern man entered Sakhalin about 20 thousand years ago along one of the land "bridges" between the island and the mainland, which arose as a result of glaciation. Throughout the Middle Ages, peoples who lived in Siberia and on the northernmost Japanese island, Hokkaido, migrated to Sakhalin. For a long time, the island was in the orbit of Chinese influence, until in the middle of the 19th century it became a stumbling block between Russia and Japan.
Then there is a real discovery of Sakhalin, which for a long time was considered an island. Gennady Nevelsky, who made this discovery in 1849, even wanted to be deprived of the captain's rank, but soon his data was confirmed. The status of the island was soon determined: according to the Shimoda Treaty (1855), it was declared joint possession of Japan and Russia. Twenty years later, Sakhalin finally became part of the Russian Empire, and Tokyo received the Kuril Islands in return.
The defeat in the Russo-Japanese War led Russia to the southern part of the island. During the years of the civil war, Japan occupied northern Sakhalin for five. After the victory of the USSR and its allies in World War II, the entire island passed to the Soviet Union.
Geography
The area of Sakhalin is 76.4 thousand square meters. km, length - 948 km, from Cape Crillon in the south to Cape Elizabeth in the north. The relief of the island is composed of medium-altitude mountains in the south and plains in the north. The highest point of the island is Mount Lopatina, its height is 1609 m.
The climate of Sakhalin is temperate monsoon. In winter, there can be severe frosts (-24 ° C in the north), and in summer relatively warm weather sets in (up to +19 in August). In summer, the contrast between the western and eastern coasts of the island intensifies. This occurs due to the warm Tsushima Current of the Sea of Japan and the cold East Sakhalin Current of the Sea of Okhotsk. The dominance of two currents determines the weather, which is unusual by the standards of the European part of Russia: snow here lies until the end of May, while flower beds in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk can bloom until early November.
The island is constantly threatened by hurricanes. The most powerful of them, Typhoon Phyllis, hit Sakhalin in 1981. From August 4 to August 7, 322 mm of precipitation fell in the south of Sakhalin (about three monthly norms). The flood caused human casualties (their exact number is unknown), more than two thousand families were left without a roof over their heads.
Natural resources
Sakhalin and it are especially rich in minerals. In terms of gas condensate reserves, the Sakhalin Region ranks 4th in Russia, gas - 7th, coal - 12th, oil - 13th. In addition, wood, gold, mercury, platinum, germanium, chromium, talc, zeolites, etc. are mined in the region.
Population
Sakhalin is the largest island in Russia in terms of population. Now 510.9 thousand people live there, more than 37% of them live in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. About 84% of the population are Russians, the largest ethnic minorities are Koreans (5.6%), Ukrainians (4.0%), Tatars (1.2%). The indigenous population of the region - Nivkhs and Oroks - are a minority (0.5% 0.06% respectively). About 30% of the population are pensioners.
Economy and transport
Most of the population of Sakhalin is engaged in oil and natural gas production (see Sakhalin Shelf Projects) and fishing. Other traditional industries - woodworking, coal mining, ship repair - are going through hard times. Thus, in recent years, 11 pulp and paper mills have been closed.
You can get to the island either by ferry or by plane. Projects for the construction of a tunnel that would connect Sakhalin with the mainland have been developed since the 1950s, but have remained unrealized. The project of a railway bridge across the Nevelskoy Strait also remains on paper for the time being. The idea to connect Sakhalin with the Japanese island of Hokkaido, which Putin voiced today, appeared back in the 2000s. At one time, it was criticized by the head of Russian Railways, Vladimir Yakunin. According to him, the implementation of the project is hindered by “unresolved issues between the Russian Federation and Japan.”
