Sakha

I

Introduction

Sakha or Yakutia, autonomous republic in eastern Siberia, eastern Russia, bordered by the Laptev and East Siberian seas of the Arctic Ocean to the north, Chukot Okrug (district), Magadan Oblast (province), and Khabarovsk Kray (territory) to the east, Amur, Chita, and Irkutsk oblasts to the south, and Evenki and Taymyr okrugs to the west. Yakutsk is its capital city. Including the New Siberian Islands in the Arctic Ocean, Sakha is 3,103,200 sq km (1,198,152 sq mi) in area, making it almost as large as India, but is sparsely populated. Forty per cent of the republic is north of the Arctic Circle.

II

Land and Resources

Sakha is divided topographically into three sections. In the western part of the republic lies the Central Siberian Plateau, which varies in elevation from about 500 to 700 m (1,640 to 2,300 ft) and is bounded on the north and east by lowlands. In southern Sakha is the Aldan Plateau, with elevations varying from 650 to 1,000 m (2,130 to 3,280 ft), bounded by the Stanovoy mountain range to the south and the Lena Plateau to the north. Eastern Sakha contains the Verkhoyansk and Chersky ranges. The republic’s highest peaks are Peak Pobeda (3,003 m/9,852 ft), in the Chersky Range, and Muskhaya, which was originally believed to be 2,959 m (9,708 ft) but recent satellite calculations estimate its true elevation to be around 3,011 m (9,879 ft).

A number of rivers cross Sakha, all flowing into the Arctic Ocean. The principal river of the republic is the Lena, with its tributaries the Aldan, Vilyui, and Olekma. Other important rivers include the Olenëk, Yana, Indigirka, and Kolyma. Sakha lies in the permafrost zone, which can reach a depth of about 800 m (2,600 ft). The tundra vegetation of northern Sakha, which consists of mosses, lichens, and some dwarf shrubs, gives way to large areas of taiga (boreal forest), consisting of larch, pine, spruce, and birch trees. In total, around 47 per cent of Sakha is covered by taiga.

Sakha has a harsh climate with long, extremely severe winters and short, hot summers. The temperature in January falls to as low as -50° C (-58° F), and in July rises to 38° C (100° F). North of Yakutsk the small village of Oimyakon has recorded a temperature of -70° C (-100° F), making it the world’s coldest permanently inhabited settlement. Precipitation levels are generally low, varying from about 150 to 200 mm (6 to 8 in) in central Sakha to about 500 to 700 mm (20 to 27 in) on the eastern mountain slopes.

III

Population

Sakha has a population of about 948,100 (2002); the republic is 63 per cent urban. The republic is very sparsely populated—the average population density is 0.30 per sq km (0.8 per sq mi). Yakutsk, the capital, has a population of 194,000 (1997 estimate). The main centres of population are concentrated in the south of the republic and are primarily located in the valleys of the many rivers. Towns include Neryungri, Aldan, and Mirnyy.

According to the 2002 census, the indigenous Yakut constitute nearly 46 per cent of the population, with Russians accounting for 41 per cent. Small minority groups, including Ukrainians, Evenks, and Evens, make up the remainder. The Yakut people, who call themselves Sakha, speak Yakut, a member of the Turkic group of Altaic languages. The Yakut language has been written using the Cyrillic alphabet since the 1930s. After Sakha came under Russian rule in the 17th century, much of the population converted from shamanism, the indigenous religion, to Orthodox Christianity. However, the Yakut have preserved many traditional religious elements, particularly shaman rituals. Educational institutions in Sakha include Yakut State University, Yakut State Agricultural Academy, and a branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

IV

Economy

Settled agriculture in Sakha is largely confined to the valleys of the River Lena and its tributaries, where grains and vegetables are grown. Livestock-raising, hunting, and fishing are the main economic activities in Sakha’s rural areas. The republic has considerable mineral and timber resources and is the source of most of Russia’s diamond output. Other important industries include the mining of gold, tin, and antimony; woodworking; and food processing. Industrial centres in the republic include the cities of Yakutsk, Mirnyy, and Aldan. Because of Sakha’s harsh climate and rugged terrain, rivers and winter sled trails serve as the most important transport routes. Air links from Yakutsk supplement the republic’s limited road and rail transport.