Sakha Republic

Sakha (Yakutia) Republic (English) Республика Саха (Якутия) (Russian) Саха Республиката (Sakha)
-  Republic  -
Coat of arms of the Sakha Republic	Flag of the Sakha Republic
Anthem	National Anthem of the Sakha Republic
Political status
Country	Russia
Political status	Republic
Federal district	Far Eastern[1]
Economic region	Far Eastern[2]
Capital	Yakutsk
Official languages	Russian[3]; Sakha[4]
Statistics
Population (2002 Census)[5]	949,280 inhabitants
- Rank within Russia	58th
- Urban[5]	64.3%
- Rural[5]	35.7%
- Density	0.31 /km2 (0.80 /sq mi)[6]
Area (as of the 2002 Census)[7]	3,103,200 km2 (1,198,152.2 sq mi)
- Rank within Russia	1st
Established	April 27, 1922
License plates	14
ISO 3166-2:RU	RU-SA
Time zones	YAKT/YAKST (UTC+9/+10)
	VLAT/VLAST (UTC+10/+11)
	MAGT/MAGST (UTC+11/+12)
Government (as of November 2008)
President[8]	Vyacheslav Shtyrov[9]
Legislature	State Assembly (Il Tumen)[8]
Constitution	Constitution (Basic Law) of the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic
Official website
http://www.sakha.gov.ru/

The Sakha (Yakutia) Republic (Russian: Респу́блика Саха́ (Яку́тия), Respublika Sakha (Yakutiya); Sakha: Саха Республиката, Sakha Respublikata) is a federal subject of Russia (a republic). The population of Yakutia mainly consists of ethnic Yakuts and Russians.

Comprising half of the Far Eastern Federal District, it is the largest subnational governing body by area in the world at 3,103,200 km² (1,198,200 sq mi), yet it has a population of only 949,280 inhabitants. Its capital is Yakutsk.

History

Sakha people (Yakuts) arrived relatively recently in the 13th century to their current geographical area from Central Asia. They are heterogeneous blend of Turkic and Mongolic origin. They conquered the indigenous Altaic hunter-gatherer tribes and began to call themselves "Sakha", the origin of which is not clear, therefore much debated.^[10]

The Evenki referred to the Sakha as "Yako" and this term was adopted by the Russians when they began arriving in the region in the early 17th century. Tygyn, a king of the Khangalassky Yakuts, granted territory for Russian settlement in return for military pact that included war against indigenous rebels of all North Eastern Asia (Magadan, Chukotka, Kamchatka and Sakhalin). King of Megino-Khangalassky Yakuts, Kull began a Sakha conspiracy by allowing the first stockade construction. In August of 1638, the Moscow Government formed a new administrative unit with the administrative center of Lensky Ostrog, which cemented the town's his relative Tygyn to enter into tricky pact with Russians in plan to conquer all of North Eastern Asia in centuries to come. The Lensky Ostrog (Fort Lensky), the future city of Yakutsk, was founded by Pyotr Beketov, a Cossack, on September 25, 1632 (the date of ascendancy in the territory).

The date of arrival and the origin of the Russian settlers at the extremely remote Russkoye Ustye in the Indigirka delta, whose later residents were known for their archaic culture, remains somewhat enigmatic. Most historians speculate that it took place some time in the 17th century as well.^[11]

Russians established agriculture in the Lena River basin. The members of religious groups who were exiled to Sakha in the second half of the 19th century began to grow wheat, oats, and potatoes. The fur trade established a cash economy. Industry and transport began to develop at the end of the 19th century and in the beginning of the Soviet period. This was also the beginning of geological prospecting, mining, and local lead production. The first steam-powered ships and barges arrived.

On April 27, 1922 the former "Yakutskaya land" was proclaimed the Yakut ASSR, although in fact the eastern part of the territory, including the city of Yakutsk, was controlled by the White Russians (see Yakut Revolt). In 1992, after the fall of the Soviet Union, Yakutia was recognized in Moscow as the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic under the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation.

Yakutia's remoteness, even compared to the rest of Siberia, made it a place of exile of choice for both Czarist and Communist governments of Russia. Among the famous Czarist-era exiles were the democratic writer Nikolai Chernyshevsky, Doukhobor conscientious objectors (whose story was told to Leo Tolstoy by Vasily Pozdnyakov), and the Socialist Revolutionary and writer Vladimir Zenzinov, who left an interesting account of his Arctic experiences.

Politics

The head of government in Sakha is the President. The first president of the Sakha Republic was Mikhail Yefimovich Nikolayev.^[12] As of 2008, the president is Vyacheslav Shtyrov, who was elected on January 27, 2002; his vice president is Evgeniya Mikhailova.

The supreme legislative body of state authority in Sakha is a unicameral State Assembly known as the Il Tumen. The government of the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic is the executive body of state authority.

Economy

Industry generates slightly above 50% of the gross national product of Sakha, stemming primarily from mineral exploitation. Industrial enterprises are concentrated in the capital Yakutsk, as well as in Aldan, Mirny, Neryungri, Pokrovsk, and Udachny. The diamond, gold and tin ore mining industries are the major focus of the economy. Uranium ore is beginning to be mined. Turkic-language Sakha are in politics, government, finance, economy and cattle-breeding (horses and cows for milk and meat). The Paleoasian indigenous peoples are hunters, fishermen, and reindeer herders.

Transportation

Water transport ranks first for cargo turnover. There are six river ports, two sea ports (Tiksi and Zelyony Mys). Four shipping companies, including the Arctic Sea Shipping Company, operate in the republic. The republic's main waterway is the Lena River, which links Yakutsk with the rail station of Ust-Kut in Irkutsk Oblast.

Air transport is the most important for transporting people. Airlines connect the republic with most regions of Russia. Yakutsk Airport has an international terminal.

Two federal roads pass the republic. They are Yakutsk–Bolshoy Never and Yakutsk–Magadan. However, due to the presence of permafrost, use of asphalt is not practical, and therefore the roads are made of clay. When heavy rains blow over the region, the roads often turn to mud, sometimes stranding hundreds of travellers in the process.^[13]

The Berkakit–Tommot railroad is currently in operation. It links the Baikal Amur Mainline with the industrial centers in South Yakutia. Construction of the Amur-Yakutian Railway continues northward; the plans are for it to reach Yakutsk by 2012.

Education

The most important facilities of higher education include Yakutsk State University and Yakutsk State Agricultural Academy.

Religion

Before the arrival of the Russian Empire, the majority of the local population believed in Tengrianism common to Turkic-language people of Central Asia, or in Paleoasian indigenous shamanism with both 'light' (community leading) and 'dark' (healing through spirit journey) shamans. Under the Russians, the local population was converted to the Russian Orthodox Church and required to take Orthodox Christian names, but in practice generally continued to follow traditional religions. During the Soviet era, most or all of the shamans died without successors.

Currently, while Orthodox Christianity maintains a following (however, with very few priests willing to be stationed outside of Yakutsk), there is interest and activity toward renewing the traditional religions. As of 2008, Orthodox leaders described the world view of the republic's indigenous population (or, rather, those among the population who are not completely indifferent to religion) as dvoyeverie (dual belief system), or a "tendency toward syncretism", as evidenced by the locals sometimes first inviting a shaman, and then an Orthodox priest to carry out their rites in connection with some event in their life.^[14]

Geography

• Borders:
  • internal: Chukotka Autonomous Okrug (E), Magadan Oblast (E/SE), Khabarovsk Krai (SE), Amur Oblast (S), Chita Oblast (S), Irkutsk Oblast (S/SW), Krasnoyarsk Krai (W).
  • water: Arctic Ocean (including Laptev Sea and Eastern Siberian Sea) (N).
• Highest point: Peak Pobeda (3,003 m), Peak Mus-Khaya (2959 m or 3,011 m)
• Maximum N->S distance: 2,500 km (1,600 mi)
• Maximum E->W distance: 2,000 km (1,200 mi)

Sakha stretches to the Henrietta Islands in the far north and is washed by the Laptev and Eastern Siberian Seas of the Arctic Ocean. These waters, the coldest and iciest of all seas in the northern hemisphere, are covered by ice for 9–10 months of the year. New Siberian Islands are a part of the republic's territory. After Nunavut was separated from Canada's Northwest Territories, Sakha became the largest subnational entity (statoid) in the world, with an area of 3,103,200 square kilometers (1,198,200 sq mi), slightly smaller than the territory of India (3.3 million km²).

Sakha can be divided into three great vegetation belts. About 40% of Sakha lies above the Arctic circle and all of it is covered by permafrost which greatly influences the region's ecology and limits forests in the southern region. Arctic and subarctic tundra define the middle region, where lichen and moss grow as great green carpets and are favorite pastures for reindeer. In the southern part of the tundra belt, scattered stands of dwarf Siberian pine and larch grow along the rivers. Below the tundra is the vast taiga forest region. Larch trees dominate in the north and stands of fir and pine begin to appear in the south. Taiga forests cover about 47% of Sakha and almost 90% of the cover is larch.

The Sakha Republic is the site of Pleistocene Park, a project directed at recreating pleistocene tundra grasslands by stimulating the growth of grass with the introduction of animals which thrived in the region during the late Pleistocene — early Holocene period.

Time zones

Detailed map of the three timezones in the Sakha Republic

Sakha spans three different time zones:

1. 
   Yakutsk Time Zone (YAKT/YAKST). UTC+9 (YAKT)/ UTC+10 (YAKST). Covers the republic's territory to the west of the Lena River as well as the territories of uluses located on the both sides of the Lena River.
2. 
   Vladivostok Time Zone (VLAT/VLAST). UTC+10 (VLAT)/UTC+11 (VLAST). Covers most of the republic's territory located between 127°E and 140°E longitude.
3. 
   Magadan Time Zone (MAGT/MAGST). UTC+11 (MAGT)/UTC+12 (MAGST). Covers most of the republic's territory located east of 140°E longitude.

Rivers

Amga River

Navigable Lena River (4,310 km), as it moves northward, includes hundreds of small tributaries located in the Verkhoyansk Range. Other major rivers include:

• Vilyuy River (2,650 km) Lena River tributary
• Olenyok River (2,292 km)
• Aldan River (2,273 km) Lena River tributary
• Kolyma River (2,129 km)
• Indigirka River (1,726 km)
• Alazeya River (1,590 km)
• Amga River (1,462 km) Aldan River tributary
• Olyokma River (1,320 km) Lena River tributary
• Markha River (1,181 km) Vilyuy River tributary
• Tyung River (1,092 km) Vilyuy River tributary
• Maya River (1,053 km) Aldan River tributary
• Anabar River (939 km)
• Yana River (872 km)
• Morkoka River (812 km) Markha River tributary
• Uchur River (812 km) Aldan River tributary
• Linde River (804 km) Lena River tributary
• Nyuya River (798 km) Lena River tributary
• Selennyakh River (796 km) Indigirka River tributary

Lakes

There are over 800,000 lakes in the republic.^[15] Major lakes and reservoirs include:

• Mogotoyevo Lake
• Nedzheli Lake
• Nerpichye Lake
• Vilyuyskoye Reservoir

Mountains

Sakha's greatest mountain range, the Verkhoyansk Range, runs parallel and east of the Lena River, forming a great arc that begins the Sea of Okhotsk and ends in the Laptev Sea.

The Chersky Range runs east of the Verkhoyansk Range and has the highest peak in Sakha, Peak Pobeda (3,003 m). Recent satellite photos, however, revealed that Peak Mus-Khaya may in fact be a higher point, reaching 3,011 m.

The Stanovoi Range borders Sakha in the south.

Udachnaya pipe

Natural resources

Sakha is well endowed with raw materials. The soil contains large reserves of oil, gas, coal, diamonds, gold, silver, tin, tungsten and many others. 99% of all Russian diamonds are mined in Sakha, accounting for over 25% of the world's diamond production.

Climate

Sakha is known for its climate extremes, with the Verkhoyansk Range being the coldest area in the northern hemisphere. The Northern Hemisphere's Pole of Cold is at Verkhoyansk, where the temperatures reached as low as −67.8 °C (−90 °F) in 1892, and at Oymyakon, where the temperatures reached as low as −67.7 °C (−89.9 °F) in 1933.

• Average January temperature: −28 °C (−18.4 °F) (coast) to −47 °C (−52.6 °F) (Pole of Cold).
• Average July temperature: +2 °C (35.6 °F) (coast) to +19 °C (66.2 °F) (central parts). However, it gets very hot during the day in Yakutsk in July (record = 38.3 °C (100.9 °F)).
• Average annual precipitation: 200 mm (central parts) to 700 mm (mountains of Eastern Sakha).

Administrative divisions

Demographics

The official languages are both Russian and Sakha, also known as Yakut, which is spoken by approximately 25% of the population. The Yakut language is Turkic with Mongolian influence and some borrowings from Sakha's Paleosiberian indigenous peoples.

Breakdown of population changes, 1939–2002

• Population: 949,280 (2002)
  • Urban: 609,999 (64.3%)
  • Rural: 339,281 (35.7%)
  • Male: 464,217 (48.9%)
  • Female: 485,063 (51.1%)
• Females per 1000 males: 1,045
• Average age: 30.0 years
  • Urban: 31.0 years
  • Rural: 27.4 years
  • Male: 30.0 years
  • Female: 26.6 years
• Number of households: 305,017 (with 937,954 people)
  • Urban: 212,593 (with 600,696 people)
  • Rural: 92,424 (with 337,258 people)
• Vital statistics:

Source: Russian Federal State Statistics Service

• Ethnic groups: According to the 2002 Census the national composition is • 432,290 Yakuts (45.54%), • 390,617 Russians (41.15%), • 34,633 Ukrainians (3.65%), • 18,232 Evenks (1.92%), • 11,657 Evens (1.23%), • 10,755 Tatars (1.13%), • 7,266 Buriats (0.77%), • 4,236 Belarusians (0.45%), • 2,764 Armenians (0.29%), • 2,355 Bashkirs (0.25%), • 2,293 Azeris (0.24%), • 2,283 ethnic Germans (0.24%), • 2,255 Moldovans (0.24%), • 2,072 Mordovians (0.22%), • 1,815 Koreans (0.19%), • 1,700 Chuvash (0.18%), • 1,454 Kyrgyz (0.15%), • 1,272 Dolgans (0.13%), • 1,272 Uzbeks (0.13%), • 1,105 Tajiks (0.12%), • 1,097 Yukagirs (0.12%), • 1,000 Ingush (0.11%), and other groups of less than one thousand persons each. (0.28% of the inhabitants declined to state their nationality on the census questionnaire.)^[16]
  Historical population figures are shown below:

See also

Notes

References

• Верховный Совет Республики Саха (Якутия). 4 апреля 1992 г. «Конституция (основной закон) Республики Саха (Якутия)», в ред. Конституционного закона №581-З 53-IV от 22 июля 2008 г. (Supreme Council of the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic. April 4, 1992 Constitution (Basic Law) of the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic, as amended by the Constitutional Law #581-Z 53-IV of July 22, 2008. ).

External links

• (Russian) Official website of the government of Sakha Republic
• (Russian) Sakhalife – Live news
• (Russian) Photo gallery at the site of the Ministry of Construction of the Sakha Republic with pictures of residential buildings, schools, colleges, hospitals, theaters, stadiums, etc. constructed in Yakutia
• (English) (Russian) Official website of the Ministry of Foreign Relations of Sakha (in development)
• (Yakut) Orto Doydu — Samples of music, songs and video in Sakha
• (Yakut) Kyym — weekly newspaper
• (English) Yakutia Organized — Independent Travelogues, Photo Blogs, General Info
• (Russian) Official website of the Yakutsk State University
• (English) Information on Sakha from Scott Polar Research Institute
• (Russian) History of Yakutia
• (English) Anthem of Sakha
• (English) Ask Yakutia
• (English) eYakutia – English Yakutia – Blog about the life in Yakutia

Turkic-speaking regions Federal subjects of Russia shown in italics.     Western Turkic  Azerbaijan1  Bashkortostan  Chuvashia  Northern Cyprus Eastern Turkic  Altai Republic  Khakassia  Kyrgyzstan  Gagauzia (Moldova)  Kabardino-Balkaria  Karachay-Cherkessia  Karakalpakstan (Uzbekistan)  Sakha Republic  Tuva  Kazakhstan  Tatarstan  Turkey  Turkmenistan  Uzbekistan  Xinjiang (China)  Bayan Olgiy (Mongolia) 1 Includes the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.