Chukotka Autonomous Okrug: Difference between revisions
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===Western influence=== |
===Western influence=== |
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Chukotka remained mostly outside the control of the Russian Empire and consequently other foreign powers (American, |
Chukotka remained mostly outside the control of the Russian Empire and consequently other foreign powers (American, British, Norwegian) began to hunt and trade in the area from about 1820 onwards. After the [[Alaska Purchase|sale of Alaska]] to the United States, American whalers and traders especially extended their activities into Chukotka and foreign influence reached its peak. By 1880, the Russians reacted by setting up coastal patrols to stop American ships and confiscate their property. And in 1888, the administrative region of Anadyr was created. Yet Russian control diminished again and around 1900, a large stream of foreigners entered Chukotka, lured to the region by the [[Klondike Gold Rush|Yukon gold rush]] in 1898. |
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In 1909, in order to keep the region within Russian control, two districts are created within the Anadyr Region: the districts of Anadyr and Chukotka. The Russian government granted concessions to foreign companies such as the [[Hudson's Bay Company]] and the US Northeast Siberia Company, which was granted gold, iron, and graphite mining rights in the entire Chukotka between 1902 and 1912. |
In 1909, in order to keep the region within Russian control, two districts are created within the Anadyr Region: the districts of Anadyr and Chukotka. The Russian government granted concessions to foreign companies such as the [[Hudson's Bay Company]] and the US Northeast Siberia Company, which was granted gold, iron, and graphite mining rights in the entire Chukotka between 1902 and 1912. |
Revision as of 16:45, 2 May 2010
Chukotka Autonomous Okrug | |
---|---|
Country | Russia |
Federal district | [1] |
Economic region | [2] |
Population | |
• Estimate (2018)[3] | 49,348 |
Time zone | UTC+12 (PETT) |
OKTMO ID | 77000000 |
Official languages | Russian[4] |
Chukotka Autonomous Okrug (Russian: Чуко́тский автоно́мный о́круг, tr.: Chukotsky avtonomny okrug; Chukchi: Чукоткакэн автономныкэн округ, tr: Chukotkaken avtonomnyken okrug), or Chukotka (Чуко́тка), is a federal subject of Russia (an autonomous okrug) located in the Far Eastern Federal District.
Chukotka has an area of 737,700 km2 (284,800 sq mi) and a population of 53,824 according to the 2002 Census. The principal town and administrative center is Anadyr. It is the most northeasterly region of Russia and, since the sale of Alaska to the United States, has been the only part of Russia lying partially in the Western Hemisphere (east of the 180th meridian).
Lake El'gygytgyn, an important site for scientific research on climate change, is located in Chukotka, as is the village of Uelen, the closest substantial Russian settlement to the United States.
Geography
Chukotka is bordered on the north by the Chukchi Sea and the East Siberian Sea, which are part of the Arctic Ocean; on the east by the Bering Strait and the Bering Sea, part of the Pacific Ocean; on the south by the Kamchatka Krai and Magadan Oblast; and on the west by the Sakha Republic. The Chukchi or Chukotski Peninsula projects eastward forming the Bering Strait between Russia and Alaska, and encloses the north side of the Gulf of Anadyr. The peninsula's eastern-most point, Cape Dezhnev, is also the eastern-most point of mainland Russia.
Ecologically, Chukotka can be divided into three distinct areas: the northern arctic desert, the central tundra, and the taiga in the south. About half of its area is above the Arctic Circle. This area is very mountainous, containing the Chukotsky Mountains and the Anadyr Range.
Chukotka's rivers spring from its northern and central mountains. The major rivers are:
- Anadyr River, with tributaries Belaya, Tanyurer, and Velikaya Rivers, flowing east to the Gulf of Anadyr.
- Omolon and the Great and Little Anyuy Rivers that flow west into the Kolyma River in Yakutia (Sakha).
- Rauchua, Chaun, Palyavaam, Pegtymel, and Amguyema Rivers that flow north into the arctic seas.
The largest lakes are Krasnoye, west of Anadyr, and El'gygytgyn in central Chukotka.
Large parts of Chukotka are covered with moss, lichen, and arctic plants, similar to western Alaska. Surrounding the Gulf of Anadyr and in the river valleys grow small larch, pine, birch, poplar, and willow trees. More than 900 species of plants grow in Chukotka, including 400 species of moss and lichen. It is home to 220 bird species and 30 fresh water fish species.[6]
Climate
Chukotka's climate is influenced by its location on the three neighboring seas: the Bering Sea, the East Siberian Sea, and the Chukchi Sea. The weather is characterized by cold northerly winds that could quickly change to wet southern winds. Cape Navarin has the highest number of hurricanes and storms in Russia.
The coastal areas are windy with little precipitation, between 200 and 400 mm per year. Temperature varies from Template:C to F to Template:C to F in January and from Template:C to F to Template:C to F in July. Growing season is short, only 80 to 100 days per year.
History
The first inhabitants were Paleo-Siberian hunters who came to Chukotka from Central and East Asia. The area was then part of the Beringia land bridge that is believed to have enabled human migration to the Americas.
Traditionally Chukotka was the home of the native Chukchi people, Siberian Yupiks, Koryaks, Chuvans, Evens/Lamuts, Yukaghirs, and Russian Old Settlers.
Russian exploration and conquest
After the Russians conquered the Kazan and Astrakhan Khanates in the 16th century, the trade routes to the Urals, Siberia, and Central Asia opened for travel and traders and Cossacks moved eastwards. The Cossacks built forts in strategic locations and subjected the indigenous people to the Tsar.
During the first half of the 17th century, Russians reached the far north-east. In 1641, the first reference to Chukchi people was made by the Cossacks. In 1649, Russian explorer Semyon Dezhnyov explored the far north-eastern coast and established winter quarters on the upstream portion of the Anadyr River that became the fortified settlement of Anadyrsk. Dezhnyov tried to subjugate the Chukchi and exact tribute during the next ten years, but was mostly unsuccessful. Eventually the fort was abandoned because of the harsh northern conditions and lack of game animals for food.
At the end of the 17th century, the fort regained some importance when the sea route from Anadyrsk to Kamchatka was discovered. It was used as the staging base for expeditions to Kamchatka and all other forts and settlements were made subject to Anadyrsk. When the wealth of Kamchatka's natural resources was discovered, the Russian government started to give the far north-eastern region more serious attention. In 1725, Tsar Peter the Great ordered Vitus Bering to explore Kamchatka and Afanasy Shestakov to lead a military expedition to subjugate the Chukchi. This expedition failed when the fleet suffered shipwreck and the survivors, including Shestakov, were killed by the Chukchi.
In 1731, Dmitry Pavlutsky tried again, aided by Cossacks, Yukaghirs, and Koryaks (indigenous Siberian tribes that were subjugated earlier). Pavlutsky sailed up the Anadyr River and destroyed the Chukchi garrison on the Arctic Ocean. His ruthless methods had some limited success in forcing tribute from some Chukchi. But in 1747, the Chukchi defeated the Russian regiment and killed Pavlutsky.
Realizing that the Chukchi could not easily be subjugated by military means, the Russians changed tactics and offered the Chukchi citizenship in the Russian Emprire. A peace treaty was concluded in 1778 in which the Chukchi were exempted from paying yasak.
That same year, British Captain James Cook made an exploration of Cape North (now Cape Schmidt) and Providence Bay. Anxious that European powers would occupy the area, Tsar Catherine II ordered to explore and map the area. Starting in 1785, an expedition led by Joseph Billings and Gavril Sarychev mapped the Chukchi Peninsula, the west coast of Alaska, and the Aleutian Islands. Then from 1821 to 1825, Ferdinand von Wrangel and Fyodor Matyushkin led expeditions along the coast of the East Siberian Sea and explored the Kolyma, Great Anyuy, and Little Anyuy Rivers.
Western influence
Chukotka remained mostly outside the control of the Russian Empire and consequently other foreign powers (American, British, Norwegian) began to hunt and trade in the area from about 1820 onwards. After the sale of Alaska to the United States, American whalers and traders especially extended their activities into Chukotka and foreign influence reached its peak. By 1880, the Russians reacted by setting up coastal patrols to stop American ships and confiscate their property. And in 1888, the administrative region of Anadyr was created. Yet Russian control diminished again and around 1900, a large stream of foreigners entered Chukotka, lured to the region by the Yukon gold rush in 1898.
In 1909, in order to keep the region within Russian control, two districts are created within the Anadyr Region: the districts of Anadyr and Chukotka. The Russian government granted concessions to foreign companies such as the Hudson's Bay Company and the US Northeast Siberia Company, which was granted gold, iron, and graphite mining rights in the entire Chukotka between 1902 and 1912.
Wrangel Island in particular was subject to claims by the United States and Canada. In 1916, the Russians officially claimed the uninhabited island. But in 1921, Canadian Vilhjalmur Stefansson made a serious attempt to claim it for Canada by populating it and building a small settlement. Another contingent arrived in 1923 but a year later, the Soviets permanently conquered the island, removing the remaining inhabitants, and thereby ending all foreign influence.
Soviet period
From 1919 onwards, the region was subject to collectivization and resettlement of the indigenous people.
When Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union in 1941, everything was done to start tin production as quickly as possible in Chukotka. Mining rapidly developed, and this industry would become its economic base. Also during the war, geologists discovered large reserves of gold that would be mined in the 1950s.
In 1977, Chukotka became part of the Magadan Oblast.
Post Soviet-Union
In 1991, Chukotka declared its independence to become a subject of the Russian Federation in its own right, a move that was confirmed by the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation in 1993.
From 2000 to 2008, Roman Abramovich was Governor of Chukotka. He invested billions of rubles, including his own money, into the Chukotka economy by developing its infrastructure, schools, and housing. This has helped to double the GDP of the region and to more than triple the income of its residents. In 2004, Abramovich tried to resign from this position but was reappointed governor for another term by Vladimir Putin.
Economy
Chukotka has large reserves of oil, natural gas, coal, gold, and tungsten, which are slowly being exploited, but much of the rural population survives on subsistence reindeer herding, hunting, and fishing. The urban population is employed in mining, administration, construction, cultural work, education, medicine, and other occupations.
Transportation
Chukotka is mostly roadless and air travel is the main mode of passenger transport. There are local constant roads between some settlements. In the winter on the rivers are laid Winter road which connect region settlements in a uniform network. In 2009 replacement of the emergency bridge through Loren river on constantly operating local road from Lavrentiya to village Lorino became the main event of transport of Chukotka.
The main airport is Ugolny Airport near Anadyr. Coastal shipping also takes place, but the ice situation is too severe for at least half the year.
Administrative divisions
Chukotka Autonomous Okrug is administratively divided into the following districts:
Arctic coast: northern Bilibinsky District (northwest), Chaunsky District around Chaunskaya Bay, Shmidtovsky District, northern Iultinsky District, Chukotsky District at the eastern cape.
Pacific coast: Providensky District south of Chukotsky, southern Iultinsky District around Kresta Bay, eastern Anadyrsky District at the Anadyr Estuary, Beringovsky District in the south.
Interior: The western quarter of the Okrug is Bilibinsky District and the rest of the interior is Anadyrsky District.
Demographics
- Population (2002): 53,824
- Ethnic groups: Indigenous peoples make up less than one third of the total population. According to the 2002 Census the ‘national composition’ was • Russian 51.86% • Chukchi 23.45% • Ukrainian 9.22% • Eskimo 2.85% • Even 2.61% • Chuvan 1.778% • Tatar 0.99% • Belarusians 0.96% • Yukaghir 0.34% • Chuvash 0.30% • Moldovan 0.24% • Buriat 0.22% • German 0.22% • Bashkir 0.22% • Azeri 0.20% • and a few other groups of less than one hundred persons each. In addition, 2.23% of the inhabitants chose not to specify their ethnic background on the census questionnaire.[7] Historical figures are given below:
census 1939 | census 1959 | census 1970 | census 1979 | census 1989 | census 2002 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chukchis | 12,111 (56.2%) | 9,975 (21.4%) | 11,001 (10.9%) | 11,292 (8.1%) | 11,914 (7.3%) | 12,622 (23.5%) |
Chuvans | 944 (0.6%) | 951 (1.8%) | ||||
Eskimos | 800 (3.7%) | 1,064 (2.3%) | 1,149 (1.1%) | 1,278 (0.9%) | 1,452 (0.9%) | 1,534 (2.9%) |
Evens | 817 (3.8%) | 820 (1.8%) | 1,061 (1.0%) | 969 (0.7%) | 1,336 (0.8%) | 1,407 (2.6%) |
Russians | 5,183 (24.1%) | 28,318 (60.7%) | 70,531 (69.7%) | 96,424 (68.9%) | 108,297 (66.1%) | 27,918 (51.9%) |
Ukrainians | 571 (2.7%) | 3,543 (7.6%) | 10,393 (10.3%) | 20,122 (14.4%) | 27,600 (16.8%) | 4,960 (9.2%) |
Others | 2,055 (9.5%) | 2,969 (6.4%) | 7,049 (7.0%) | 9,859 (7.0%) | 12,391 (7.6%) | 4,432 (8.2%) |
All | 21,537 | 46,689 | 101,194 | 139,944 | 163,934 | 53,824 |
Ethnographic maps shows the Yupik Eskimos as the indigenous population of some villages near Provideniya, Chuvans in the Chuvanskoye village some 100 km west of Markovo, the Evens in some inland areas, and the Chukchi throughout the rest of the region.[8]
- Vital statistics
- Source: Russian Federal State Statistics Service
Births | Deaths | Birth rate | Death rate | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1970 | 1,751 | 599 | 17.0 | 5.8 |
1975 | 2,113 | 627 | 17.0 | 5.1 |
1980 | 2,208 | 653 | 15.4 | 4.6 |
1985 | 2,659 | 627 | 17.3 | 4.1 |
1990 | 2,208 | 598 | 13.8 | 3.7 |
1991 | 1,912 | 631 | 12.5 | 4.1 |
1992 | 1,565 | 763 | 11.5 | 5.6 |
1993 | 1,191 | 907 | 10.1 | 7.7 |
1994 | 1,153 | 884 | 11.1 | 8.5 |
1995 | 935 | 816 | 10.4 | 9.1 |
1996 | 935 | 816 | 11.5 | 10.1 |
1997 | 818 | 598 | 10.9 | 8.0 |
1998 | 855 | 612 | 12.3 | 8.8 |
1999 | 672 | 530 | 10.4 | 8.2 |
2000 | 686 | 570 | 11.5 | 9.6 |
2001 | 719 | 701 | 12.7 | 12.4 |
2002 | 653 | 611 | 12.0 | 11.3 |
2003 | 679 | 562 | 13.0 | 10.8 |
2004 | 787 | 623 | 15.4 | 12.2 |
2005 | 795 | 597 | 15.7 | 11.8 |
2006 | 771 | 585 | 15.3 | 11.6 |
2007 | 801 | 595 | 15.9 | 11.8 |
2008 | 751 | 620 | 15.1 | 12.4 |
Governor
The governor of Chukotka until July 3, 2008, business oligarch Roman Abramovich, also the owner of Chelsea F.C. has spent over US$1 billion in the region (partly as normal tax payments) on developing infrastructure and providing direct aid to the inhabitants[9] since becoming governor in 2000. In 2004 there were also reports, however, that Chukotka gave Abramovich's company Sibneft tax breaks in excess of US$450 million[10].
Religion
The Russian Orthodox Church in Chukotka is represented by the Eparchy (Diocese) of Anadyr and Chukotka (Russian: Анадырская и Чукотская епархия). The controversial conservative Bishop of Anadyr and Chukotka, Diomid, who had occupied the Anadyr see since 2000 and had been instrumental in the development of the church in the peninsula, was sacked by the Holy Synod in the summer of 2008. The diocese has been since run by the archbishop of Khabarovsk and the River, Mark (Tuzhikov) (ru).
See also
References
- ^ Президент Российской Федерации. Указ №849 от 13 мая 2000 г. «О полномочном представителе Президента Российской Федерации в федеральном округе». Вступил в силу 13 мая 2000 г. Опубликован: "Собрание законодательства РФ", No. 20, ст. 2112, 15 мая 2000 г. (President of the Russian Federation. Decree #849 of May 13, 2000 On the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in a Federal District. Effective as of May 13, 2000.).
- ^ Госстандарт Российской Федерации. №ОК 024-95 27 декабря 1995 г. «Общероссийский классификатор экономических регионов. 2. Экономические районы», в ред. Изменения №5/2001 ОКЭР. (Gosstandart of the Russian Federation. #OK 024-95 December 27, 1995 Russian Classification of Economic Regions. 2. Economic Regions, as amended by the Amendment #5/2001 OKER. ).
- ^ "26. Численность постоянного населения Российской Федерации по муниципальным образованиям на 1 января 2018 года". Federal State Statistics Service. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
- ^ Official throughout the Russian Federation according to Article 68.1 of the Constitution of Russia.
- ^ "Сведения о наличии и распределении земель в Российской Федерации на 01.01.2019 (в разрезе субъектов Российской Федерации)". Federal Service for State Registration, Cadastre and Cartography. Archived from the original on 9 February 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
- ^ WWF International, The Bering Sea Ecoregion, Chukotka's Natural Heritage at a Glance (Template:PDFlink)
- ^ "National Composition of Population for Regions of the Russian Federation" (XLS). 2002 Russian All-Population Census. 2002. Retrieved 2006-07-20.
{{cite journal}}
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(help) - ^ Map 3.6 (Chukotskiy Avtonomnyi Okrug) from the series prepared for the INSROP (International Northern Sea Route Programme) Working Paper No. 90 in 1997.
- ^ What Abramovich may do with his money BBC News, 29 September 2005
- ^ Abramovich region found bankrupt BBC News, 21 May 2004
Josh Newell, 'The Russian Far East, A Reference Guide for Conservation and Development',2004