Where is southern sakhalin located. Where is sakhalin island on the map of russia. Yacht club "Vodnik" in the city of Kholmsk

From Japanese, this area is translated as "the land of the god of the mouth", the Manchu language calls it "Sakhalyan-ulla". Initially, Sakhalin was identified on maps as a peninsula, but subsequent expeditions provided a lot of evidence in favor of the opinion that Sakhalin is still an island.

The harsh lands of Sakhalin are located east of the Asian coast. The island is the largest in the Russian Federation and is a neighbor of the Kuril Islands. A traveler who has visited these places remains deeply impressed for a long time. Natural monuments are the main treasure of the island.

Description and location of the island

The cold waters of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk wash the territory of Sakhalin, warm waters are taken from the Japanese and Pacific Oceans. Treason, La Perouse and Soviet are the only border with the state of Japan. The distance from Sakhalin to the mainland is completely occupied by water.

The area of ​​Sakhalin is 87 thousand square kilometers. This figure includes the islands of Tyuleniy, Ush, Moneron, the Kuril ridge with the Kuril archipelago.

From the extreme southern point of the island to the northern one, there are 950 km. The entire area of ​​Sakhalin looks like a scaly fish (from the height of the ISS flight), where the scales are a lot of rivers and lakes scattered across the island.

Separates Sakhalin and the mainland. There are two capes in the strait, the width between which is about seven kilometers. For the most part, the coast is flat with numerous mouths of rivers that flow into the seas.

Story

The historical background of the island begins with the Early Paleolithic, about three hundred thousand years ago.

Today, more than 10,000 kilometers separate the Sakhalin area from the Russian capital. The plane flies through seven time zones before reaching the airport of the largest city, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

Russian travelers in the 17th century often became pioneers, discovering new lands of their vast country. In the 50s of the 19th century, an expedition led by Nevelsky finally proved the Japanese theory that Sakhalin was an island formation. At the same time, the island was inhabited by peasants, and became the border point of Russia and Japan, so military posts were placed throughout the territory. The next 30 years turned this place into a colony where exiles were sent.

Treaties between Russia and Japan had a great impact on the study of the Sakhalin land. For ninety years, the Russian-Japanese border has changed four times. Due to the armed intervention by the Japanese in 1920, the entire area of ​​Sakhalin was occupied. The troops were withdrawn only in 1925, and seven years later the island became part of the Far East, as the Sakhalin region.

Wandering from one country to another, the Kuriles finally returned to the Soviet Union after the Second World War. The modern border of the region was formed in 1947.

The capital of Sakhalin is the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, which was formed by settlers at the end of the 19th century.

Tourism on Sakhalin

The geography of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands is a treasure trove of the Far East. Until now, the development of island attractions continues. The development of tourism, according to the authorities, should bring the region's economy to a qualitatively new level of development. About 60 travel companies operate on the island, and most of the tourists are from neighboring Japan. They are attracted by the variety of not only natural, but also historical monuments. The authorities of the island also monitor the Japanese heritage left over from the occupation.

In recent years, ecotourism has begun to actively develop on Sakhalin. But taking into account the fact that the Japanese are more focused on comfortable conditions of stay, travel companies are limited to field trips, and hotels and hotels are increasingly improving the services provided. Almost all hotels have a menu with oriental dishes (including Japanese).

A program of hikes to Chekhov Peak is being implemented. The territories are being improved more and more, including the construction of a tourist complex in the village of Goryachiye Klyuchi and the Aquamarine tourist center. A project is being prepared for the construction of complexes near thermal mineral springs.

Of the sights, one can single out: the incredible beauty of the Bird's Lake; the partially destroyed Devil's Bridge; the largest waterfall on the island of Kunashir - Ptichy; active volcanoes Kuriles - Golovnin, Tyatya; lighthouse at Cape Aniva; the coast of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk covered with white rocks; picturesque lake Tunaicha; Treasury of the nature of the Kuril Islands - Iturup Island; northern hot springs of the island; formation on the rocks Kunashir - Cape Stolbchaty; the southern point of the island is Cape Crillon; the most beautiful waterfall on Russian territory - Ilya Muromets.

Population of Sakhalin

It has about 500 thousand multinationals, the population consists of Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Koreans, Mordovians, Tatars, as well as indigenous people.

Includes several nationalities: Nivkhs, Tonchis, Evenks, Ainu, Nanai, Uilta. These are the inhabitants of these lands who lived on them before the establishment of modern borders. Indigenous peoples, unfortunately, are very few in number. However, they are still engaged in the development of their national economy and lead a national life.

Flora

Diversity among the flora and fauna of Sakhalin is not observed. Compared to the Japanese Islands, the territory of the Sakhalin Region is quite poor in terms of the number of flora and fauna representatives.

F. Schmidt began to study the flora of the island in the middle of the 19th century. At the moment, there are about 1,500 plant species on Sakhalin that have vessels for carrying water, dissolved mineral salts and other organic elements (vascular).

About seventy percent of Sakhalin is occupied by forests, despite the environmental problem of deforestation and annual fires, the north of the island is still occupied by coniferous trees. This area is considered dark coniferous taiga. New trees grow very slowly due to lack of sunlight. In order for a young tree to receive a good dose of sun, it has to wait until one of the old representatives of the forest falls and brings light into the dark taiga shroud.

There are, of course, light coniferous forests, but their representatives are mainly larches, which are not very common on the island. Why is this happening? The special soil is to blame for everything, under which clay layers are located. They do not allow water to pass through and, accordingly, do not allow trees to develop and grow well. And a very small part of the forest area is occupied by deciduous forests.

Sakhalin forests are rich in wild rosemary, which forms serious thickets and swamps. Of the berries, blueberries and cranberries are common here, and cloudberries grow in the swamps. There are many perennial herbs and shrubs.

Fauna

Allows forty-four species of mammals to live on the island. Bears, reindeer, otters, wolverines, raccoon dogs and a large number of rodents are common here, about 370 different types of birds, of which 10 are predators.

During the period of development of the island, a large amount of flora and fauna was destroyed by man, therefore, a rather long list of endangered animals and plants of Sakhalin has been included in the Red Book.

Industry

The Sakhalin industry is developing at a fairly rapid pace, it included the oil and gas production, coal, fishing and energy industries. Of course, the advantage for many years remains oil and gas production. Thanks to the developments of Sakhalin scientists, Russia entered the list of leading countries in the export of liquefied natural gas. Sakhalin provides gas to Japan, Thailand, Korea, Mexico and China.

The development of shelf deposits made it possible to improve the condition of roads, residential premises, and so on in terms of money. For the constant growth of the region's economy, work is underway to attract continuous investment in existing projects.

Climate of Sakhalin

The climatic conditions of the island are moderate monsoons, due to the direct proximity to the water. Winter here is quite snowy and long, and summer is cold. For example, January weather has strong northern winds and frosts. Quite often you can get into a snowstorm. Snow avalanches are also not uncommon here, sometimes the winter wind reaches an incredible speed of hurricane force. In winter, the temperature drops to -40 degrees, and adjusted for the wind, even lower.

Summer on Sakhalin is short - from mid-June to early September with temperatures from 10 to 19 degrees above zero. It is quite rainy, the Pacific Ocean brings high humidity.

The warm current of the Sea of ​​Japan flows in the southwest, while the eastern coast is washed by the Sea of ​​Okhotsk with a cold current. By the way, it is the Sea of ​​Okhotsk that dooms Sakhalin to cold spring weather. The snow usually doesn't melt until May. But there were also record highs of +35 degrees. In general, each season here comes with a three-week delay. Therefore, in August, the warmest days, and in February - the coldest.

The summer season brings floods to the island. In the 80s, Sakhalin suffered from a powerful typhoon. He left more than 4,000 people homeless. And in 1970, a typhoon poured more than a month's rainfall in a few hours. A fifteen-year-old typhoon brought mudslides and landslides. Usually such weather conditions come from the Pacific Ocean.

Geography and geology

The geographical relief of Sakhalin Island is determined by mountains of medium and low height, as well as flat areas. The West Sakhalin and East Sakhalin mountain systems are located in the south and in the center of the island. The north is represented by a hilly plain. The coast is marked by four peninsular points and two large bays.

The relief of the island consists of eleven areas: the Schmidt Peninsula is a land with a steep rocky coast and mountainous terrain; the plain of northern Sakhalin is a territorial area with hills and many river networks, it is here that the main oil and gas fields are located; mountains of the western part of Sakhalin; lowland Tym-Poronayskaya - located in the center of the island, its main part is swampy; Susunai lowland - located in the south and most of all populated by people; the eponymous ridge - Susunaisky, which includes the famous Chekhov and Pushkinsky peaks; mountains of eastern Sakhalin with the highest point - Mount Lopatin; peninsula of Patience with its lowlands; plateau Korsakovskoe; lowland Muravyovskaya, consisting of numerous lakes, popular among local residents; the Tonino-Anivsky ridge is famous for the Kruzenshtern mountain and its deposits of the Jurassic period.

Minerals

The first place among the natural resources of Sakhalin Island is occupied by biological ones, moreover, this niche brings the region to the first place in the Russian Federation. The island is rich in hydrocarbon reserves and coal deposits. In addition, Sakhalin produces a large amount of wood, gold, mercury, platinum, chromium, germanium and talc.

How to get to the mainland?

The distance from Sakhalin to the mainland of Russia can be overcome in several ways: by plane (for example, from the nearest city of Khabarovsk), by ferry from Vanino, and for extreme people in winter, you can overcome the water part on foot on frozen ice.

Considered the narrowest point between the mainland and the island, its width is about seven kilometers.

However, the island has an interesting history of the frozen construction of the railway, which began under Stalin. Moreover, the trains had to pass through special tunnels through the already mentioned Cape Nevelskoy and Cape Lazarev. The construction of railway lines was carried out by convicts from Gulag prisons. Work progressed at a rapid pace, but the death of the leader completely stopped the project. Many prisoners were amnestied.

Surprisingly, not a single bridge has been built in all the past years. Therefore, modern developments begin precisely with the intentions of constructing bridge crossings. Moreover, Russia intends to connect Sakhalin with Japan for more fruitful cooperation between the regions.

I posted a note about Sakhalin and illustrated it with such wonderful photographs that I can’t resist reposting it:

Sakhalin is the largest island in Russia. It is located off the eastern coast of Asia, and is washed by the waters of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and the Sea of ​​Japan. Sakhalin is separated from the mainland by the Tatar Strait, which connects the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and the Sea of ​​Japan. And from the Japanese island of Hokkaido - the La Perouse Strait. From north to south, Sakhalin stretches for 948 km, with an average width of about 100 km.

Nivkhs. Photo by IK Stardust



The indigenous inhabitants of Sakhalin - the Nivkhs (in the north of the island) and the Ainu (in the south) - appeared on the island during the Middle Ages. At the same time, the Nivkhs migrated between Sakhalin and the lower Amur, and the Ainu migrated between Sakhalin and Hokkaido. In the 16th century, Tungus-speaking peoples, the Evenks and Oroks, also came to Sakhalin from the mainland, and began to engage in reindeer herding.

Sakhalin Ainu

Many, perhaps, will be surprised to learn that several place names of the Sakhalin region are of French origin. For this, we must thank the great navigator Jean-Francois La Perouse, who, during his round-the-world trip in 1787, plotted the strait between Sakhalin and Hokkaido on the world map. Now this body of water, 101 kilometers long, bears the name of its discoverer. It was sung about him in a soulful Soviet song: "And I throw pebbles from the steep bank of the wide La Perouse Strait."

Strait of La Perouse

The presence of the French in this region, far from the banks of the Seine, is reminded, for example, by the Crillon Peninsula, named after the bravest commander of the time of Henry IV, Louis Balbes Crillon. Fans of Alexandre Dumas remember this colorful character from the novels The Countess de Monsoro and Forty-Five. “Why am I not a king,” he whispers to himself on the last page of The Countess, ashamed of his monarch’s indifference to the villainous murder of the Comte de Bussy.

Dinosaurs of Cape Crillon. Photo by Olga Kulikova

By the way, on the Crillon Peninsula there are earthen ramparts of the medieval fortress of Siranusi. It is not known for certain who it was built by - it could be either an outpost of the Mongol empire, or the Tungus tribes of the Jurchens, who created the Jin empire on the territory of Primorye and northern China. One thing is obvious: the fortification was built according to all the rules of fortification of that time.

Ramparts of the fortress of Siranusi and the lighthouse at Cape Crillon

Moneron Island in the Tatar Strait was also named La Perouse, in honor of his associate, engineer Paul Moneron. On this piece of land is the first marine natural park in Russia.

Tourist complex on the island of Moneron

Moneron is famous for its unique waterfalls, columnar rocks and wildlife. The island has every chance of becoming the Mecca of the country's underwater photographers in the near future.

Sea lions on Moneron Island. Photo Vyacheslav Kozlov

On Moneron. Photo Vyacheslav Kozlov

After La Perouse, Russian expeditions began to explore the region. In 1805, a ship under the command of Ivan Krusenstern explored most of the Sakhalin coast. By the way, for a long time on different maps Sakhalin was designated either as an island or a peninsula. And only in 1849, the expedition under the command of Grigory Nevelsky put an end to this issue, passing on the military transport ship "Baikal" between Sakhalin and the mainland.

Lighthouse at Cape Aniva. Anvar Photos

In the 19th century, Sakhalin land was for more than thirty-five years a haven for exiles - the official Russian penal servitude. Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, who visited the island in 1890, called it "hell on earth". The most hardened criminals of the empire were serving their sentences here, for example, the thief Sonya the Golden Hand, who tried to escape from here three times and became the only woman who was ordered to be shackled by the penal servitude administration.

The famous thief Sonya Zolotaya Ruchka in Sakhalin penal servitude

After the capture of Sakhalin by the Japanese in 1905 and the signing by the tsarist government, under pressure from the United States, the Portsmouth Treaty was abolished. At the same time, the southern part of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands were proclaimed the governorship of Karafuto and went to Japan. 15 years later, the Japanese occupied the northern part of the island and left it only in 1925 thanks to the efforts of Soviet diplomacy. Only after the end of the Second World War did Sakhalin again become part of our state. Although to this day Russia and Japan are arguing about whose foot first set foot on this island.

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Monument at the site of Vladimirovka

In 1882, the settlement of Vladimirovka was founded on Sakhalin for the convicts who had served their terms. From 1905 to 1945, when South Sakhalin was a territory of Japan, Vladimirovka was the center of Karafuto Prefecture and bore the name of Toyohara.

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Sir Fisher Photos

In 1945, the territory was occupied by Soviet troops, and South Sakhalin became part of the USSR. A year later, Toyohara was renamed Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, and a year later it became the capital of the Sakhalin Region.

Regional Museum. Photo Illusionist

Regional Museum. Photo by Irina V.

Perhaps one of the most striking sights of the island can be called the Sakhalin Regional Museum of Local Lore. It is located in the building of the former Japanese governorship of Karafuto, built in 1937; this is almost the only monument of Japanese architecture in Russia. The museum's collections cover the period from ancient history to the present day.

Eleven-inch gun model 1867. The gun was made in 1875 in St. Petersburg, and during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. took part in the defense of Port Arthur

The museum of Chekhov's book "Sakhalin Island" is another pride of the Sakhalin people. The museum building was built in 1954, has an attic and resembles Chekhov's "house with a mezzanine" in its architecture. This museum can tell a lot of interesting things about the writer's Sakhalin journey: for example, about the fact that Anton Pavlovich took a pistol with him on a voyage to the local shores in order to ... have time to shoot himself if the ship goes down. The classic was terribly afraid of drowning.

Near the station there is a museum of railway equipment, which contains samples of Japanese equipment that worked on Sakhalin, including the Japanese snowplow "Wajima" shown in the photograph and the head section of the Japanese passenger diesel train ("Ki-Ha")

Resurrection Cathedral in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Photo by Igor Smirnov

Skiing is one of the most popular entertainments among Sakhalin residents. The most beautiful place within the boundaries of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is the mountain air camp site. At night, it can be seen from almost anywhere in the city.

View of the "Mountain Air" route from Victory Square

Sakhalin apocalyptic

Damn bridge. Photo father Fedor

Abandoned tunnel and bridge on the old Japanese railway Kholmsk - Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Going into the tunnel, the road deviates to the right and rises, then, after exiting the tunnel, it goes around the hill and then crosses itself over the bridge. above the entrance portal of the tunnel. Thus, a giant coil of a spiral is formed, which ensures the rise of the road to the ridge while maintaining an acceptable slope.


And here are the remains of the Luga steamer, which ran aground off Cape Crillon sixty years ago.

Danger Stone Island

Lighthouse on the stone of Danger

The Danger Stone is a rock located 14 km southeast of Cape Crillon, the southernmost point of Sakhalin Island, in the La Perouse Strait. The rock greatly impeded the movement of ships along the strait. To avoid a collision, sailors were posted on the ships, whose duty it was to listen to the roar of the sea lions located on the Danger Stone. In 1913, a concrete tower with a lighthouse was erected on the rock.

Flora and fauna

Sakhalin crab. Raido Photos

A fish day for a Sakhalin citizen is a common thing. Fish, fish roe, crustaceans, mollusks, algae - all this variety makes incredibly tasty dishes rich in protein.

A giant sandwich with red caviar was prepared for the City Day of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. The dimensions of the culinary masterpiece are 3 by 5 m. It was made in the form of a heart, symbolizing love for the birthday man.

Sakhalin fox. Photo Andriy Shpatak

According to scientists, more than 500,000 tons of fish, about 300,000 tons of invertebrates, and about 200,000 tons of algae can be harvested annually in Sakhalin waters without compromising reproduction. The fishing industry has been and remains the main one for the region.

Sakhalin is the largest island in Russia, resting among the waters of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and the Sea of ​​Japan.

With the very name of the island there was an embarrassment. The Japanese called it Karafuto, reproducing in its own way the name given to the island by its indigenous population - the Ainu. But the toponym "Sakhalin" appeared as a result of an error of unlucky cartographers. Since the travels of La Perouse, it has been believed that Sakhalin is a peninsula.

In the middle of the 19th century, the captain of the Baikal ship, G. Nevelsky, was able to go around Sakhalin. Naturally, it became necessary to make changes to existing geographical maps, which the cartographers did. They carefully copied the shape of the island and indicated its coordinates. And then - either the cartographer was busy and entrusted the matter to the student, or his glasses were with lower diopters than necessary, but what happened happened. Cartographers mistakenly took the autochthonous name of the Amur River - Sakhalyan Ulla, indicated in the previous map, for the name of the new island. So Sakhalin became Sakhalin. The name has taken root, and now even conservative Japanese are beginning to forget the former toponym "Karafuto".

Interesting! By the way, Sakhalin was discovered many times. The expeditions of Poyarkov, Kruzenshtern, Khvostov, Davydov and Laperouse went to him. All expeditions searched and found something of their own. La Perouse, for example, was looking for evidence of the existence of the legendary Tartaria. Therefore, he called the strait he discovered Tartar. Subsequently, "Tartar" turned into "Tatar". This can mislead an unprepared tourist, so it is worth clarifying that the Tatars have nothing to do with the history of the island.

Climate and weather on Sakhalin

The climate on Sakhalin is cool, determined by many geographical factors. Winters are snowy and long, imperceptibly turning into not very hot summers - excellent conditions for skiers and valuable varieties of fish. There are a great many of those and others on Sakhalin.

When is the best time to go to Sakhalin

The tourism industry of Sakhalin is a rare indicator for our country that it is possible to work not only on the use of natural gifts. There is a reason for this. The vast majority of tourists on Sakhalin are Japanese, who are difficult to attract with uncomplicated Soviet conditions for recreation. The Japanese demand good food and quality service. Therefore, comfortable hotels and a developed restaurant business have become the norm for Sakhalin. In addition, on Sakhalin, by attracting funds from Japanese investors, the following tourist infrastructure facilities have already been created and are still being created:

  1. Tourist complex "Hot Keys".
  2. Tourist base "Aquamarine".
  3. The historical center at the Japanese ancient temple "Karafuto Jinja".
  4. A massive tourist complex "Sakhalin City Center" is under construction, capable of attracting tourists from all over the world in the future.

With all the variety of modern infrastructure facilities, the possibility of ecotourism, beloved by many, with elements of survival remains.

Sakhalin, of course, is not a museum center, but still provides tourists with the opportunity to see something unusual, namely the South Sakhalin Museum of Railway Engineering. With many grown-up boys and girls of all nationalities retaining a reverent love for railroad toys, the museum has no shortage of visitors.

Ecotourism and health tourism

For lovers of ecotourism and hot healing springs, Sakhalin Island is a real find. Both natural monuments and thermal waters are abundant here.

natural attractions

  1. Seal Island is a protected area that can be reached as part of an excursion. The island has a world-famous fur seal rookery. In terms of the number of pinnipeds resting there, the Island has no analogues. Only the Commander Islands are comparable to it. A real paradise for zoologists, zoophotographers and ecotourists.
  2. Sakhalin amber deposits - Starodubsky and Vzmorsky beaches. Amber here can be harvested like berries. By the way, Sakhalin amber is really a berry, cherry shade.
  3. Nituisky waterfall, which is of particular interest during the spawning season of salmon.
  4. Stone idols of Cape Stukabis, carved from rocks of volcanic origin by nature itself. Here, near the cape, there is an ideal place for fishing, where successful fishermen caught hefty Amur whitefish. Depending on the season, you can watch the nesting of Japanese cormorants and the mating of St. John's sea lions. Also, Cape Stukabis is highly valued by esotericists, Buddhists and hunters of the elusive Shambhala. They say that the contemplation of the statues and the two rushing waterfalls plunges them into nirvana.
  5. Cape Lamanon is a real gift for ornithologists and amateur geologists. Rare Steller's sea eagles are found here, and mountains of volcanic origin give prospectors samples of quartz and calcite.

How to get to the thermal springs

There are many of them on Sakhalin, and in all of them you can swim and heal.

Popular ones include:

Sinegorsk hot springs, throwing out cubes of water with a complex chemical composition and a high content of arsenic. The type of Sinegorsk water is rare in the world and treats serious disorders of cell metabolism and the consequences of radiation sickness. Sinegorsk is located 20 km from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk,

Balneological health centers they treat with mud of the Tatar (Tartar) Strait, namely the mouth of the Lechebnaya River and Lake Changeable. The mud of these natural health resorts save people with severe skin diseases and intractable skin ulcers. Mud procedures are carried out in:

  • Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk sanatorium "Aralia" (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Komsomolskaya st. 371).
  • Sanatorium "Gornyak" (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Gornaya st. 1).
  • Sanatoriums "Chaika" and "Sakhalin". Located 20 km from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, near the Sinegorsk thermal springs.

Daginskiye hot waters help with arthritis, arthrosis and other troubles that affect the musculoskeletal system of humans and swans. In any case, the swans have chosen the Dagin thermal springs as their habitat and do not complain about illnesses.

Goryachiye Klyuchi is a village with the same name thermal springs. Getting there is easy. From Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to Nogliki, and then 30 km following the signs to Klyuchi. The road is not of Japanese quality, unpaved, but the Japanese drive on it. Probably, they sometimes want the exotic. You can stop in the Keys themselves. Or you can go to Nogliki and go to Klyuchi for procedures. Most do just that, because after a ten-minute procedure in hot waters, there is absolutely nothing to do in the Keys, except to wander around the campground and play Bear Grylls. In Nogliki conditions are much more comfortable. There is a small hotel. The cost of the room exceeds 2000 rubles per day. In the private sector, a little cheaper - 1200 rubles per person per day.

The equipment of the hot springs in the Keys themselves varies. There are well-equipped, with clean sunbeds and neat walls. There are both running and wild. The best are those belonging to the Dagi cordon house. The cost of one procedure is 100 rubles. Wild springs are not equipped at all or are poorly equipped. Dilapidated walls, holes covered with cellophane tape, slippery deck chairs and a leaking roof. But each type of source has its fans.

Sakhalin for skiers

International ratings of ski resorts do not ignore Sakhalin. To the pride of the domestic tourism business, Sakhalin is far from being an outsider. Due to climatic conditions, the mountain snow cover of Sakhalin lasts up to 6 months a year, and thanks to Japanese investments, ski slopes and tourist bases are being equipped.

An interesting feature of Sakhalin ski tourism is the ability to combine business with pleasure. Speaking exaggeratedly, after descending from the mountain, you can ride to a geothermal spring and take a healing bath.

The tourist complex "Mountain Air" is located in the center of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, on Victory Square, on the slope of Mount Bolshevik. The complex operates from early December to mid-May.

Important! To ski on the slopes of the complex, you need to purchase either a weekly pass for 8,000 rubles or a one-day ski pass for 1,200 rubles. Skating is allowed from 9 am to 9 pm, the day off is Monday.

In total, the complex has 14 downhill slopes, good quality skis and snowboards are available for rent. On the territory there are funiculars, left-luggage offices, holiday houses, ski jumps, a children's room.

At the complex "Mountain Air" there are hotels with different levels of amenities and services provided. Tops the rating "Imperial Palace". The name is somewhat loud, but the hotel itself is quite good. Approximately equal to him in the rating of "Mitos" and "Santa Rizot". There are hotels that are simpler and, accordingly, cheaper, with names familiar to every post-Soviet person - Rubin and Gagarin. You can eat in several cafes on the territory of the complex and in hotel restaurants.

Food and nutrition

You can taste everything on Sakhalin that your heart desires. The food supply to the island is stable and plentiful. Due to the large number of Japanese and Chinese tourists with their own gastronomic preferences, there are many restaurants and cafes of Japanese and Chinese cuisine in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Due to the geographical proximity of these countries, restaurant chefs have the opportunity to undergo internships in restaurants in Tokyo or Beijing, and the abundance of fish resources precludes the very concept of using any salted herring or mayonnaise in the manufacture of sushi. Therefore, sushi in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is really sushi, and not rice squares according to the recipe of the village vocational school. The same can be said about Chinese dishes.

Every South Sakhalin cafe has Korean cuisine. It has grown so firmly and long into the life of Sakhalin that it is a real culinary culture.

Interesting! A separate story about five-minute caviar, which has long become the hallmark of Sakhalin. In the season of catching chum salmon or pink salmon, the Sakhalin market explodes with an abundance of caviar. After gutting pink salmon, the Sakhalin people wash the caviar, roll it on cheesecloth and dip it in a strong saline solution. Then, in the same gauze, the solution is allowed to drain from the caviar. Five minutes is ready. You can sit at the table and eat with spoons. Tasty and healthy. But in most cases, it's expensive.

On Sakhalin it is a sin not to eat fish. Chum salmon, pink salmon, coho salmon, smelt, trepang, halibut, octopus - this is not a complete list of the Sakhalin fish abundance.

By autumn, Sakhalin enters the season for crabbing, and the markets are filled with huge crab claws hanging from the shelves.

Scallops are another Sakhalin delicacy, which is obtained in an artisanal way, wandering through the shallow sea and feeling for scallops with your feet. To fully enjoy their taste, it is better to eat them right on the shore, throwing scallops on the hot coals of a fire. The doors will immediately open, and inside there will be a piece of white and pink meat, which must be eaten piping hot.

Sakhalin for active tourists

The Kuril Islands are an integral part of the Sakhalin Region, and therefore trips to the Kuriles are among the services provided by travel agencies as part of a trip to Sakhalin. Helicopter travel over the Kuriles is one of the most expensive tours. The flight to Mount Spamberg, to an absolutely wild and secluded area near Lake Superior, is not inferior in cost.

A little cheaper is the possibility of group or individual hunting for bears, fur-bearing animals or deer.

Relatively inexpensive tours include hiking for mushrooms and berries, fishing or diving.

Travel agency "Imperial Tour" organizes trips for travelers on all-terrain vehicles and cars to places far from popular tourist routes.

The travel agency "Moguchi" is engaged in the organization of recreation for corporate clients. Tourists are guided by professional huntsmen who will accompany travelers on hikes around the island of Hirano. Tourists will be taught how to catch pink salmon, cook five-minute caviar, make fire, bake pink salmon on coals and do many other exciting things in the spirit of the Discovery Channel. True, according to Russian custom, guests will not only not be allowed to starve, but will even be deprived of the slightest opportunity to lose weight. Throughout the trip, tourists will receive first-class fresh food from fish and seafood. In between meals, travelers will be able to admire seal rookeries and cormorant flights. Still, a wild vacation with survival in Russian is very satisfying and tasty.

Conclusion

Theoretical physicists and just enthusiasts of this matter say that time travel is possible. Some refer to Tesla, some conduct experiments with speed and particles, however, success and victorious reports have not yet been heard. Apparently, because of this, the favorite argument of the temporary workers is moving into the past when traveling from west to east. It is enough to get on a plane at the right time, for example, in St. Petersburg and fly to Sakhalin. After a few hours of flight, the tourist will fall into yesterday. And returning back in the same way, will fall into tomorrow. During the experiment, a time traveler can have a very good rest at the numerous tourist bases of Sakhalin, swim in hot springs, catch fish and wander around the railway museum.

Europeans discovered Sakhalin in the 17th century. The first to visit the island in 1640 were the Cossacks, led by the ataman and explorer Ivan Moskvitin. Three years later, the expedition of the Dutch navigator Martin de Vries went there. However, Freese erroneously considered Sakhalin to be a peninsula connected to Hokkaido. Disputes about whether it connects to the mainland or other islands continued until the middle of the 19th century. In 1849, Admiral Gennady Nevelskoy crossed the strait between the island and the mainland on the military ship Baikal. Sakhalin was marked on maps as an island, and the strait was later given the name of Nevelskoy.

In 1869, those who were sentenced to penal servitude, most often for life, began to be exiled here. Initially, prisons for them were built only in the northern part of the island, but then settlements appeared in the south. Gradually, convicts became the main part of the population of Sakhalin.

At the end of the 19th century, Anton Chekhov came to the island. He got acquainted with the life of convicts, wrote down petitions and memoirs of Sakhalin residents, and conducted a population census here. Later, the writer published the artistic and publicistic book "Sakhalin Island", in which he described in detail the local nature, the way of life of the indigenous people and the exiles, included here fragments of documents, statistical data, records of scientists and travelers who had been on the island before. A whole museum in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is dedicated to this book: its exposition includes exhibits related to the life and work of Chekhov (including his personal belongings). Several settlements of the Sakhalin region are named after the writer. Monuments to Chekhov have been erected in several cities of the island, and the Literary and Art Museum of A.P. Chekhov "Sakhalin Island".

The indigenous people of Sakhalin are the Nivkhs and the Ainu. However, today they make up less than 1% of all inhabitants of the island. In addition to Russians, Koreans, Ukrainians, and Tatars live in the Sakhalin Region.

Historical and cultural monuments of Sakhalin

Sakhalin passed from Russia to Japan and back several times, and many monuments of Japanese culture have been preserved on the island. One of them is the building of the Museum of Local Lore in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. It was built in traditional Japanese style in 1937. The modern exposition of the museum includes more than 170 thousand exhibits: they include samples of flora and fauna, household items of the indigenous inhabitants of the island, historical documents, ancient weapons.

Another monument of Japanese architecture is a ritual torii gate made of white marble near the village of Vzmorye. Previously, there was a temple of Tomarioru Jinja behind them, but it has not survived to this day.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Japanese built the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk-Polyakovo railway line on the island. Nowadays, it is not used for its intended purpose and has become a historical monument. From the Devil's Bridge - the highest in the Sakhalin Region - a beautiful view of the surroundings of the railway opens up.

Island nature

The flora and fauna of Sakhalin is poorer than on the mainland, but dense forests grow here and there are animals and plants listed in the Red Book. In addition, scientists have recorded a phenomenon that is unique to this region: herbaceous plants on Sakhalin often grow to gigantic sizes. Nettle, buckwheat, bear's pipe and other herbs can reach 3-5 meters in height.

Different species of birds nest on Lake Tunaicha, and on Seal Island near Sakhalin there is a large seal rookery and huge bird colonies. In the vicinity of the highest point of the island - Mount Vajda - there are karst caves. From the top of the Zhdanko mountain range, a view of the picturesque surroundings opens up. On Cape Velikan, you can see natural arches, grottoes and pillars that arose under the influence of wind and salty sea water. Sakhalin has an active mud volcano, as well as mineral and thermal springs.

Russia Region Sakhalin region Population 520 thousand people

Sakhalin island

Sakhalin- an island off the east coast of Asia. It is part of the Sakhalin Oblast, the largest island in the Russian Federation. It is washed by the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and the Sea of ​​Japan. It is separated from mainland Asia by the Tatar Strait (in the narrowest part, the Nevelskoy Strait, it is 7.3 km wide and freezes in winter); from the Japanese island of Hokkaido - by the La Perouse Strait.

The island got its name from the Manchu name of the Amur River - "Sakhalyan-ulla", which means "Black River" - this name, printed on the map, was mistakenly attributed to Sakhalin, and in further editions of the maps it was already printed as the name of the island. The Japanese call Sakhalin Karafuto, this name goes back to the Ainu "kamuy- kara-puto-ya-mosir", which means "the land of the god of the mouth".

In 1805, a Russian ship under the command of I.F. Kruzenshtern explored most of the coast of Sakhalin and concluded that Sakhalin is a peninsula. In 1808, Japanese expeditions led by Matsuda Denjuro and Mamiya Rinzo proved that Sakhalin was an island. Most European cartographers were skeptical of the Japanese data. For a long time, on various maps, Sakhalin was designated either as an island or a peninsula. Only in 1849 did the expedition under the command of G. I. Nevelsky put an end to this issue, passing on the military transport ship Baikal between Sakhalin and the mainland. This strait was subsequently named after Nevelskoy.

Geography

The island is elongated meridionally from Cape Crillon in the south to Cape Elizabeth in the north. The length is 948 km, the width is from 26 km (the Poyasok isthmus) to 160 km (at the latitude of the village of Lesogorskoye), the area is 76.4 thousand km².

Map of Sakhalin Island 1885

Relief

The relief of the island is composed of medium-altitude mountains, low mountains and low plains. The southern and central parts of the island are characterized by mountainous relief and consist of two meridionally oriented mountain systems - the West Sakhalin (up to 1327 m high - the city of Onor) and the East Sakhalin mountains (up to 1609 m high - the city of Lopatina), separated by the longitudinal Tym- Poronai lowland. The north of the island (with the exception of the Schmidt Peninsula) is a gentle hilly plain.

The shores of the island are slightly indented; large bays - Aniva and Patience (widely open to the south) are located respectively in the southern and middle parts of the island. There are two large bays and four peninsulas in the coastline.

In the relief of Sakhalin, the following 11 regions are distinguished:

  1. The Schmidt Peninsula (about 1.4 thousand km²) is a mountainous peninsula in the far north of the island with steep, sometimes steep coasts and two meridional ridges - Western and Eastern; the highest point is Mount Three Brothers (623 m); connected to the North Sakhalin Plain by the Okha Isthmus, the width of which at its narrowest point is just over 6 km;
  2. The North Sakhalin Plain (about 28 thousand km²) is a gently undulating area south of the Schmidt Peninsula with a widely branched river network, weakly expressed watersheds and individual low mountain ranges, stretching from Baikal Bay in the north to the confluence of the Nysh and Tym rivers in the south, the highest point - Daakhuria (601 m); the northeastern coast of the island stands out as a subarea, which is characterized by large lagoons (the largest are Piltun, Chaivo, Nyisky, Nabilsky, Lunsky bays), separated from the sea by narrow strips of alluvial spits, dunes, low sea terraces - it is in this subarea that the main Sakhalin oil and gas fields are located on the adjacent shelf of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk;
  3. The West Sakhalin Mountains stretch for almost 630 km from the latitude with. Hoe (51º19 "N) in the north to the Crillon Peninsula in the extreme south of the island; the average width of the mountains is 40-50 km, the largest (at the latitude of Cape Lamanon) is about 70 km; the axial part is formed by Kamyshovy (north of the isthmus Belt) and South Kamyshovy ridges;
  4. The Tym-Poronai lowland is located in the middle part of the island and is a hilly-ridged lowland stretching for about 250 km in the meridional direction - from Terpeniya Bay in the south to the confluence of the Tym and Nysh rivers in the north; reaches its maximum width (up to 90 km) at the mouth of the Poronay River, the minimum (6-8 km) - in the valley of the Tym River; in the north it passes into the Nabil lowland; covered with a thick cover of Cenozoic sediments, composed of sedimentary deposits of the Quaternary period. sandstones, pebbles; the heavily swampy southern part of the lowland is called the Poronai "tundra";
  5. The Susunai lowland is located in the southern part of the island and stretches for about 100 km from Aniva Bay in the south to the Naiba River in the north; from the west, the lowland is bounded by the West Sakhalin Mountains, from the east - by the Susunai Range and the Korsakov Plateau; in the southern part, the width of the lowland reaches 20 km, in the center - 6 km, in the north - 10 km; absolute heights in the north and south do not exceed 20 m above sea level, in the central part, on the watershed of the Susuya and Bolshoi Takaya river basins, they reach 60 m; refers to the type of internal lowlands and is a tectonic depression filled with a large thickness of Quaternary deposits; within the Susunai lowland are the cities of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Aniva, Dolinsk and about half of the island's population lives;
  6. The East Sakhalin Mountains are represented in the north by the Lopatinsky mountain junction (the highest point is the city of Lopatina, 1609 m) with ridges extending radially from it; two spurs of the opposite direction represent the Nabil Range; in the south, the Nabilsky Range passes into the Central Range, in the north, sharply lowering, into the North Sakhalin Plain;
  7. the lowlands of the Patience Peninsula - the smallest of the districts, occupies most of the Patience Peninsula east of Patience Bay;
  8. The Susunai Range stretches from north to south for 70 km and has a width of 18-120 km; the highest points are Mount Pushkinskaya (1047 m) and Chekhov Peak (1045 m); composed of Paleozoic deposits, at the foot of the western macroslope of the ridge is the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk;
  9. The Korsakov plateau is bounded from the west by the Susunai lowland, from the north by the Susunay ridge, from the east by the Muravyovskaya lowland, from the south by Aniva Bay, has a slightly undulating surface formed by a system of flat-topped ridged ridges elongated in a northeast direction; at the southern end of the plateau on the shores of Aniva Bay is the city of Korsakov;
  10. The Muravyovskaya lowland is located between Aniva bays in the south and Mordvinov bays in the north, has a ridged relief with flat tops of the ridges; within the lowlands there are many lakes, incl. the so-called "Warm Lakes", where people from South Sakhalin like to go on vacation;
  11. The Tonino-Aniva Range stretches from north to south, from Cape Svobodny to Cape Aniva, for almost 90 km, the highest point is Mount Kruzenshtern (670 m); composed of Cretaceous and Jurassic deposits.

View of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk from the high shore near the lighthouse in the area of ​​the Warm Lakes

Climate

The climate of Sakhalin is cool, moderately monsoonal (the average temperature in January is from -6ºС in the south to -24ºС in the north, in August - from +19ºС to +10ºС, respectively), maritime with long snowy winters and short cool summers.

The following factors influence the climate:

  1. Geographical position between 46º and 54º N. latitude. determines the arrival of solar radiation from 410 kJ/year in the north to 450 kJ/year in the south.
  2. The position between the Eurasian continent and the Pacific Ocean determines the monsoonal nature of the climate. A humid and cool, rather rainy Sakhalin summer is associated with it.
  3. Mountainous terrain affects the direction and speed of the wind. A decrease in wind speed in intermountain basins (in particular, in the relatively large Tym-Poronai and Susunai lowlands) contributes to cooling the air in winter and warming it in summer, it is here that the greatest temperature contrasts are observed; while the mountains protect the named lowlands, as well as the western coast from the effects of the cold air of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bOkhotsk.
  4. In summer, the contrast between the western and eastern coasts of the island is enhanced by the respectively warm Tsushima Current of the Sea of ​​Japan and the cold East Sakhalin Current of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk.
  5. The cold Sea of ​​Okhotsk affects the climate of the island like a giant thermal accumulator, determining a long cold spring and a relatively warm autumn: snow in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk sometimes lasts until mid-May, and the flower beds of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk can bloom until early November. If we compare Sakhalin with similar (in terms of climatic indicators) territories of European Russia, then the seasons on the island succeed each other with a delay of about three weeks.

Air temperature and precipitation in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk in the 21st century (temperature: II.2001-IV.2009; precipitation: III.2005-IV.2009):

Options / Months I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII Year
Maximum air temperature, ºС 1,7 4,1 9,0 22,9 25,0 28,2 29,6 32,0 26,0 22,8 15,3 5,0 32,0
Average air temperature, ºС −11,6 −11,7 −4,6 1,8 7,4 12,3 15,5 17,3 13,4 6,6 −0,8 −9,0 3,2
Minimum air temperature, ºС −29,5 −30,5 −25,0 −14,5 −4,7 1,2 3,0 4,2 −2,1 −8,0 −16,5 −26,0 −30,5
The amount of precipitation, mm 49 66 62 54 71 38 37 104 88 96 77 79 792

The maximum temperature on Sakhalin (+39ºС) was noted in July 1977 in the village. Border on the east coast (Nogliki district). The minimum temperature on Sakhalin (-50ºС) was recorded in January 1980 in the village. Ado-Tymovo (Tymovsky district). The registered temperature minimum in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is -36ºС (January 1961), maximum - +34.7ºС (August 1999).

The highest average annual precipitation (990 mm) falls in the city of Aniva, the smallest (476 mm) - at the Kuegda meteorological station (Okhinsky district). The average annual amount of precipitation in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (according to long-term data) is 753 mm.

The earliest stable snow cover appears on Cape Elizaveta (Okhinsky district) and in the village of Ado-Tymovo (Tymovsky district) - on average October 31, the latest - in Korsakov (on average December 1). The average dates of snow cover melting are from April 22 (Kholmsk) to May 28 (Cape Elizabeth). In Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, stable snow cover appears on average on November 22 and disappears on April 29.

The most powerful typhoon in the last 100 years (“Phyllis”) hit the island in August 1981. The maximum precipitation then occurred on August 5-6, and in total from August 4 to 7, 322 mm of precipitation fell in the south of Sakhalin (about three monthly norms) .

Inland waters

The largest rivers of Sakhalin:

River Administrative region(s) Where does it flow Length, km Basin area, km² Average annual runoff, km³
Poronai Tymovsky, Smirnykhovsky, Poronaysky Gulf of Patience, Sea of ​​Okhotsk 350 7990 2,49
Tym Tymovsky, Nogliksky Nyisky Bay of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk 330 7850 1,68
Naiba Dolinsky Gulf of Patience, Sea of ​​Okhotsk 119 1660 0,65
Lutoga Kholmsky, Anivsky Aniva Bay of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk 130 1530 1,00
Shaft Nogliki Chayvo Bay of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk 112 1440 0,73
Ainu Tomarinsky lake Ainu 79 1330 ...
Nysh Nogliki Tym river (left tributary) 116 1260 ...
Charcoal (Esutoru) Uglegorsky Sea of ​​Japan (Tatar Strait) 102 1250 0,57
Langeri (Langry) Okhinsky Amur Estuary of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk 130 1190 ...
Big Okhinsky Sakhalin Bay of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk 97 1160 ...
Rukutama (Vitnica) Poronai lake Nevsky 120 1100 ...
reindeer Poronai Gulf of Patience, Sea of ​​Okhotsk 85 1080 ...
Lesogorka (Taimyr) Uglegorsky Sea of ​​Japan (Tatar Strait) 72 1020 0,62
Nabil Nogliki Nabil Bay of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk 101 1010 ...
Malaya Tym Tymovsky Tym river (left tributary) 66 917 ...
Leonidovka Poronai Poronay river (right tributary) 95 850 0,39
Susuya Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Anivsky Aniva Bay of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk 83 823 0,08

There are 16120 lakes on Sakhalin with a total area of ​​about 1000 km². The areas of their greatest concentration are the north and southeast of the island. The two largest lakes of Sakhalin are Nevsky with a mirror area of ​​178 km² (Poronaisky district, near the mouth of the Poronai River) and Tunaicha (174 km²) (Korsakovsky district, in the north of the Muravyovskaya lowland); both lakes belong to the lagoon type.

Natural resources

Sakhalin is characterized by a very high potential of natural resources. In addition to biological resources, in terms of reserves of which Sakhalin is one of the first places in Russia, hydrocarbon reserves are very large on the island and its shelf. In terms of explored reserves of gas condensate, the Sakhalin Region ranks 4th in Russia, gas - 7th, coal - 12th and oil - 13th, while within the region, the reserves of these minerals are almost entirely concentrated in Sakhalin and his shelf. Other natural resources of the island include timber, gold, platinum.

Flora and fauna

Both the flora and fauna of the island are depleted both in comparison with the adjacent areas of the mainland, and in comparison with the island of Hokkaido located to the south.

Flora

As of the beginning of 2004, the flora of the island includes 1521 species of vascular plants belonging to 575 genera from 132 families, with 7 families and 101 genera represented only by invasive species. The total number of alien species on the island is 288, or 18.9% of the composition of the entire flora. According to the main systematic groups, vascular plants of the Sakhalin flora are distributed as follows (excluding adventitious ones): vascular spores - 79 species (including lycopods - 14, horsetails - 8, ferns - 57), gymnosperms - 9 species, angiosperms - 1146 species ( including monocots - 383, dicots - 763). The leading families of vascular plants in the flora of Sakhalin are sedge ( Cyperaceae) (121 species excluding aliens - 122 species including aliens), Compositae ( Asteraceae) (120 - 175), cereals ( Poaceae) (108 - 152), rosaceous ( Rosaceae) (58 - 68), ranunculus ( Ranunculaceae) (54 - 57), heather ( Ericaceae) (39 - 39), clove ( Caryophyllaceae) (38 - 54), buckwheat ( Polygonaceae) (37 - 57), orchids ( Orchidaceae) (35 - 35), cruciferous ( Brassicaceae) (33 - 53).

Fauna

Pink salmon goes to spawn in a nameless river that flows into Mordvinov Bay

"Red Book"

The fauna, flora and mycobiota of the island include many rare protected species of animals, plants and fungi. 12 mammal species recorded on Sakhalin, 97 bird species (including 50 nesting species), seven fish species, 20 invertebrate species, 113 vascular plant species, 13 bryophyte species, seven algae species, 14 fungi species and 20 lichen species (t ie 136 species of animals, 133 species of plants and 34 species of fungi - a total of 303 species) have protected status, i.e. are listed in the "Red Book of the Sakhalin Region", while about a third of them are simultaneously included in the "Red Book of the Russian Federation".

Of the "federal Red Book" flowering plants, the flora of Sakhalin includes Aralia heart-shaped ( Aralia cordata), calypso bulbous ( Calypso bulbosa), Glen's cardiocrinum ( Cardiocrinum glehnii), Japanese sedge ( carex japonica) and lead gray ( C.livida), lady's slippers real ( Cypripedium calceolus) and large-flowered ( C. macranthum), Gray's double leaf ( Diphylleia grayi), leafless chin ( Epipogium aphyllum), Japanese kandyk ( Erythronium japonicum), high paunch ( Gastrodia elata), iris xiphoid ( Iris ensata), walnut ailantolium ( Juglans ailanthifolia), calopanax seven-lobed ( Kalopanax septemlobum), tiger lily ( lilium lancifolium), Tolmachev's honeysuckle ( Lonicera tolmatchevii), long-legged winged seed ( macropodium pterospermum), miyakiya whole-leaved ( Miyakea integrifolia) (miyakia is the only endemic genus of vascular plants on Sakhalin), nest flower ( Neottianthe cucullata), peonies obovate ( Paeonia obovata) and mountainous ( P. oreogeton), bluegrass rough ( Poa radula) and Viburnum Wright ( Viburnum wrightii), i.e. 23 types. In addition, eight more "federal Red Book" plants are found on the island: two types of gymnosperms - Sargent's juniper ( Juniperus sargentii) and yew spiky ( taxus cuspidata), three species of ferns - Asiatic half-grass ( Isotes asiatica), Mikel's leptorumora ( Leptorumohra miqueliana) and Wright's mecodium ( Mecodium wrightii), two species and one variety of mosses - Japanese bryoxiphium ( Bryoxiphium norvegicum var. japonicum), northern necker ( Neckera borealis), and plagiothecium obtuse ( Plagiothecium obtusissimum).

Population

According to the results of the 2002 census, the population of the island was 527.1 thousand people, incl. 253.5 thousand men and 273.6 thousand women; about 85% of the population are Russians, the rest are Ukrainians, Koreans, Belarusians, Tatars, Chuvashs, Mordovians, several thousand people each of representatives of the indigenous peoples of the North - Nivkhs and Oroks. From 2002 to 2008 the population of Sakhalin continued to slowly (by about 1% per year) decline: mortality still prevails over births, and attracting labor from the mainland and from countries neighboring Russia does not compensate for the departure of Sakhalin residents to the mainland. At the beginning of 2008, about 500 thousand people lived on the island.

The largest city of the island is the regional center Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (173.2 thousand people; 01.01.2007), other relatively large cities are Korsakov (35.1 thousand people), Kholmsk (32.3 thousand people), Okha (26.7 thousand people), Nevelsk (17.0 thousand people), Poronaysk (16.9 thousand people).

The population is distributed among the regions of the island as follows (results of the 2002 census, people):

Area All population %% of total Urban population Rural population
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and subordinate settlements 182142 34,6 177272 4870
Aleksandrovsk-Sakhalinsky 17509 3,3 14764 2746
Anivsky 15275 2,9 8098 7177
Dolinsky 28268 5,4 23532 4736
Korsakovsky 45347 8,6 39311 6036
Makarovsky 9802 1,9 7282 2520
Nevelsky 26873 5,1 25954 921
Nogliki 13594 2,6 11653 1941
Okhinsky 33533 6,4 30977 2556
Poronai 28859 5,5 27531 1508
Smirnykhovsky 15044 2,9 7551 7493
Tomarinsky 11669 2,2 9845 1824
Tymovsky 19109 3,6 8542 10567
Uglegorsky 30208 5,7 26406 3802
Kholmsky 49848 9,5 44874 4974
Sakhalin as a whole 527080 100 463410 63670

Story

Archaeological finds indicate that people appeared on Sakhalin in the Paleolithic, about 20-25 thousand years ago, when, as a result of glaciation, the level of the World Ocean dropped and land "bridges" were restored between Sakhalin and the mainland, as well as Sakhalin and Hokkaido. (Then on another land "bridge" between Asia and America, located on the site of the modern Bering Strait, Homo sapiens moved to the Americas). In the Neolithic (2-6 thousand years ago), Sakhalin was inhabited by the ancestors of modern Paleo-Asian peoples - the Nivkhs (in the north of the island) and the Ainu (in the south).

These same ethnic groups made up the main population of the island in the Middle Ages, with the Nivkhs migrating between Sakhalin and the lower Amur, and the Ainu between Sakhalin and Hokkaido. Their material culture was similar in many ways, and their livelihood was provided by fishing, hunting and gathering. At the end of the Middle Ages (in the 16th-17th centuries), Tungus-speaking peoples appeared on Sakhalin - Evenks (nomadic reindeer herders) and Oroks (Uilta), who, under the influence of the Evenks, also began to engage in reindeer herding.

According to the Shimodsky Treaty (1855) between Russia and Japan, Sakhalin was recognized as their joint indivisible possession. Under the St. Petersburg Treaty of 1875, Russia received ownership of the island of Sakhalin, in return transferring to Japan all the northern Kuril Islands. After the defeat of the Russian Empire in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05 and the signing of the Treaty of Portsmouth, Japan received South Sakhalin (part of Sakhalin Island south of the 50th parallel). As a result of the victory over Japan during World War II, the entire territory of Sakhalin Island and all the Kuril Islands were included in the Soviet Union (RSFSR). On the territory or part of the territory of about. Sakhalin currently has no claims from either Japan or any other country.

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk was founded by Russians in 1882 under the name of Vladimirovka. After the victory of the USSR and its allies in World War II, together with the entire island, it passed to the USSR.