Sakhalin makes an indelible impression on the traveler. Just look at the photographs of these places, you will fall in love with this amazing land in absentia, the local landscapes are so beautiful. There are sights here that are historical heritage, but the main wealth Sakhalin region- its natural monuments.

Local history museums in the region display exhibitions reflecting the life of indigenous peoples. In addition, here you can see exhibitions dedicated to the modern culture of Eastern countries, and walk through Chekhov's places. Of course, the museum of railway equipment in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is interesting, which is rightfully considered one of the most visited attractions in the region.

The museum is interesting, first of all, for its unique technology, as well as for the narrow-gauge railway, which has no analogues in the whole world: its gauge is 1067 mm, and it is fully operational. So part of the museum's collection is located directly under open air. Here you can see a variety of carriages, mini-steam locomotives from the 30s of the 20th century, and other ancient equipment.

Also interesting are such island rarities as the old railway line located between Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and Kholmsk, or the Nogliki-Okha narrow-gauge railway, which operates to this day in the north of Sakhalin and other heritage monuments of the Karafuto governorate, as well as lighthouses with a century-old history, an unusual tunnel in the shape of a broken line on Cape Zhonkier, not far from Aleksandrovsk-Sakhalinsky, laid in solid rocky soil by convicts, sites of ancient man and much more.

However, the greatest interest is created not by man, but by nature itself. A place that any tourist will want to see is a tiny piece of land in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk east of Sakhalin, which is marked on all maps of the world as Tyuleniy Island. There is a unique rookery of fur seals here; you can see such a concentration of these marine animals only here and near the Commander Islands in the USA. And although no ship has the right to approach the protected area closer than 30 miles, and aircraft It is prohibited to fly over this place; you can go on a tour here.

The attractions of Sakhalin include its thermal springs: Lesogorsk (near the village of Lesogorsk, along the Lesogorka River), Lunsky (on Lunsky Bay, in the isthmus area), Daginsky (in the village of Goryachiye Klyuchi, half a kilometer from the Nogliki-Okha highway).

In the Krasnogorsk area you can see a grove of relict yew trees, not far from the village of Vakhrushev you can admire the amazingly beautiful waterfall of the Nituy River, marvel at the huge stone sculptures similar to the idols from Easter Island on Cape Stukabis or the rocky arches of Cape Velikan, and not far from the villages of Staradubskoye and Vzmorye Sakhalin amber is the color of thick tea with a cherry tint, and its qualities are not inferior to Baltic amber.

These, of course, are not all the wonders of Sakhalin, which these lands are so generously endowed with. You simply can’t tell everything. Perhaps the last thing I would like to mention is salmon spawning, which is also one of the main natural attractions of the Sakhalin region. Anyone who has never seen how persistently this sea fish goes to its spawning grounds, jumping over rapids and overcoming waterfalls and streams flowing into the ocean, will be extremely interesting to watch this amazing natural phenomenon.

mountain Sister Sakhalin Island

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT SAKHALIN

Sakhalin is the largest island of Russia, washed by the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and the Sea of ​​Japan, separated from the mainland by the narrow Tatar Strait and the Nevelskoy Strait, and from the island of Hokkaido by the La Perouse Strait.

Until the 19th century, the status of Sakhalin was not determined. It was first assigned to Russia by the St. Petersburg Treaty of 1875, according to which the island of Sakhalin passed to Russia, and the northern Kuril Islands became the property of Japan.

Immediately after the conclusion of this treaty, Tsarist Russia designated Sakhalin as a place of exile and hard labor for criminals. After the end of the Russo-Japanese War and the signing of the Portsmouth Treaty, Japan received Southern Sakhalin, but in 1920 the Japanese occupation of Northern Sakhalin began, which lasted until 1925. After the end of World War II, the entire territory of Sakhalin Island was included in the USSR.

Sakhalin attracts tourists primarily for its unique nature. Mount Vaida (height 900 meters above sea level) and Vaida Cave - unique natural complex. In the cave you can admire bizarre stalactites and stalagmites and other wonders.

In addition to its healing properties, Daginsky thermal springs are also unique monument nature. This is a very unusual sight - steaming ponds in which wild swans swim, surrounded by pristine nature.

Sakhalin is famous for its mineral springs And therapeutic mud. Near Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk there is a unique mineral spring Sinegorsk of carbonic hydrocarbonate-chloride sodium water with a high content of arsenic. This rare type of natural mineral water is used in the treatment of diseases with impaired cellular metabolism and radiation sickness. Procedures with carbon dioxide-arsenic waters are also used to treat hematopoietic organs.

On the shores of the Tatar Strait there are balneological health resorts using marine silt sulfide mud. These muds are used to treat slow-healing ulcers and other skin diseases of various origins.

The Daginsky thermal springs of Sakhalin treat such severe diseases of the musculoskeletal system as arthrosis, arthritis, polyarthritis, neuritis, radiculitis, osteochondrosis, as well as most skin diseases.

On the eastern outskirts of the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk there is a modern, well-equipped ski resort "Mountain Air". About 10 kilometers ski slopes of varying difficulty levels are laid along the slopes of Mount Bolshevik. A modern snow park, equipped with jumps and rails, has been built for snowboarders, and a special chute has been built for tubing enthusiasts. The slopes are equipped with a rope tow and a gondola chairlift.

Burunnaya Bay Sakhalin Island

GEOGRAPHY OF SAKHALIN ISLAND, WHERE IT IS, HOW TO GET THERE

Sakhalin (Japanese: 樺太，Chinese: 库页/庫頁) is an island off the eastern coast of Asia. It is part of the Sakhalin region. The largest island in Russia. It is washed by the Seas of Okhotsk and Japan. It is separated from mainland Asia by the Tatar Strait (at its narrowest part, the Nevelskoy Strait, it is 7.3 km wide and freezes in winter); from the Japanese island of Hokkaido - the La Perouse Strait.

The island got its name from the Manchu name of the Amur River - “Sakhalyan-ulla”, which translated means “Black River” - this name, printed on the map, was mistakenly attributed to Sakhalin, and in subsequent editions of maps it was 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 “land of the god of the mouth”. In 1805, a Russian ship under the command of I. F. Krusenstern explored most of the coast of Sakhalin and concluded that Sakhalin was a peninsula. In 1808, Japanese expeditions led by Matsuda Denjuro and Mamiya Rinzou proved that Sakhalin is an island. Most European cartographers were skeptical of the Japanese data. For a long time, on various maps Sakhalin was designated either an island or a peninsula. Only in 1849 did an expedition under the command of G.I. Nevelsky put a final point on this issue, passing on the military transport ship “Baikal” between Sakhalin and the mainland. This strait was subsequently named after Nevelsky.

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

Tikhaya Bay Sakhalin Island

TOURISM ON SAKHALIN

Tourism in the Sakhalin region

The tourism potential of the Sakhalin region is enormous, although it has not been fully exploited. The island of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands is a treasure trove of Far Eastern nature. And the focus on tourism, which local authorities and business representatives are making today, will bring it to one of the leading positions in the islands’ economy.

The area is primarily of interest to Japanese tourists due to the presence of natural and historical resources. As for infrastructure, it is poorly developed. However, at the beginning of 2011, there were 57 travel companies operating in the region, of which 34 were tour operators and 23 travel agents.

The Sakhalin region is an attractive area for the development of ecotourism. True, most travel companies are still focused on outbound tourism. 90% of those entering are Japanese citizens who require high level comfort from accommodation, transport, information services, not inferior to Japanese. Therefore, today many hotels in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk strive to provide high quality services in terms of safety, sanitation and comfort. Many hotel restaurants offer a menu, including oriental cuisine, and even Japanese cuisine.

In addition, with the assistance of the regional leadership, a number of measures have been implemented using investors’ funds, the purpose of which is to support and develop the tourism industry. As part of the work to preserve monuments Japanese culture An action was carried out to improve the territory of the former treasury of the Karafuto Jinja Temple.

The Sakhalin Energy company, together with the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations for the Sakhalin Region, carried out a project to develop an ecological route to Chekhov Peak. The construction of a tourist complex in the village continues. Hot Keys, Nogliki district. Landscaping has been carried out tourist base“Aquamarine” (Lesnoye village, Korsakov district). The issue of building a tourist complex on the territory of the Lesogorsk thermal mineral springs is being discussed. A catalog of investment proposals in the field of tourism has been compiled, including a proposal for the development of beach areas in the Sakhalin region.

And finally, a mega-project is currently being implemented in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to create the Sakhalin City Center, which will globally change the emphasis in the tourism sector, because investors expect that upon completion of the project, Sakhalin will become a tourist mecca, and incoming tourism will generate income.

natural rock arch at Cape Kuznetsov

Today, the Sakhalin region has one of the best ski resorts in the region. For this type of recreation, the Sakhalin winter provides excellent opportunities. In the south of the island, abundant snow cover lasts for an unusually long time (up to 6 months) not only at medium-high mountain peaks, but also in the valleys - which is ideally consistent with the standards of winter Olympic outdoor sports. If desired, skiers can extend the season for another couple of months on the slopes of the highest Sakhalin mountain, Lopatina, which is located in the middle part of the island.

A wide variety of health routes with visits to thermal springs in different parts of the region, where you can take advantage of unique medicinal mineral waters and mud that meet a wide range of medical needs, ranging from gastrotherapy, neuropathology, to severe skin diseases and diseases of the musculoskeletal system.

Some travel companies are already ready today to provide the most interesting entertainment and sports programs. This and water tourism, with kayaking, rafting and catamarans, sea travel on yachts, and auto tourism, and the most interesting walking routes around Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands, and helicopter trips to completely inaccessible corners of the Sakhalin region.

Well, exotic. Unique geological natural monuments, abundance and variety of seafood, races on relict reindeer sleds and state-of-the-art motor sleighs, bear hunting, professional fishing, all kinds of water activities, visits to marine animal rookeries and much more.

Sea of ​​Okhotsk

ROUTES IN SAKHALIN

Routes around Sakhalin Island

The Sakhalin land is beautiful and amazing, there are so many interesting things here that you can fall in love with it in absentia. It’s difficult to tell about everything, but it’s easy to imagine how difficult a tourist’s choice is, because you want to see as much as possible. And this despite the fact that the tourism sector is not fully developed here, especially in the Kuril Islands, which are part of the Sakhalin region. The routes are very different, from quite budget ones, to ones that are amazing in their cost and scope of plans, like helicopter trips to the Southern Kuril Islands or around Sakhalin, for example, to Lake Verkhneye, which has no connection with the outside world, on Mount Spamberg.

Quite expensive tours include bear hunting and deer hunting. However, most belong to the category of ecotourism, including fishing, berry picking, diving, and boat trips on lakes.

Imperial Tour LLC is ready to take you to the Dolinka River on an all-terrain vehicle, to Lake Ainskoye in a GAZ-66 car, and provide assistance on trips to the Kura River and Bird Lake.

The travel company Moguchi LLC offers routes for corporate holidays, in particular delivery to the remote Sakhalin peninsula - Cape Crillon. Here vacationers will find the rocky islands of Hirano, a seal rookery, and a visit to historical places(Cape Kanabeev, Ho She Minh trail, old Japanese bridges, grottoes), numerous waterfalls and weeping rocks. The huntsman-guide will demonstrate how commercial fishing for pink salmon works, then show how to prepare five-minute red caviar in field conditions, Sakhalin-style fish soup, and pink salmon baked in burdocks. It must be said that seafood and fish will always be present on your table, regardless of the direction of the path that you choose.

The company organizes trips to the north of Sakhalin, to its Okha region, where you can hunt bears, fur-bearing animals and game birds, go fishing and simply watch local birds and animals. From here you will certainly bring unique photographs.

Row interesting routes Intour-Sakhalin offers. The 50th Parallel program is a journey through the Japanese places of the island. The route begins in Korsakov, then tourists visit lakes Tunaicha and Izmenchivoe, Poronaisk, the former border between the USSR and Japan, the so-called 50th Parallel, the settlements of Pobedino, Smirnykh, and the city of Kholmsk.

The company organizes the route Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk - Tikhaya Bay, with a stop in the village of Vzmorye and a visit to a Japanese temple. Intour-Sakhalin has many one-day programs: a tour to the Mogutan mud volcano in the village of Pugachevo and a geological monument in the vicinity of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, nicknamed the “frog” for its shape; excursion around the territory of the South Sakhalin ski resort; A boat trip to Cape Windis and Cape Kuznetsov, on the slopes of the sea terraces of which countless cormorants, gulls, guillemots nest and where all year round you can see sea lions and seals. In the form of one-day routes, you can get acquainted with other attractions of Sakhalin (Moneron Island, Cape Giant, Cape Crillon).

In winter, those who wish can relax in Nekrasovka (Nogliki district of Sakhalin) with a dog sled ride through Cape Tatyana to Moskalev and back.

In summer, a 6-day route to the Susunai Valley is good for relaxation (Lake Tunaicha, fishing on the Komissarovka River, in the vicinity of the village of Pervaya Pad and on the Warm Lakes, as well as a visit to Cape Svobodny on the coast Sea of ​​Okhotsk). Sakhalin island

In the south of the island, “Intour-Sakhalin” offers to take the cable car and gondola to Mount Bolshevik, climb Chekhov Peak, relax on Lake Tunaicha and the coast of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and go to Starodubskoye to get acquainted with the collection site of amber that the sea throws ashore after the storm.

The Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk - Nogliki route includes a visit to the village of Goryachiye Klyuchi, not far from which there are healing hot springs. The concert of the folk ensemble “Nivkhinka” adds an exotic touch to the trip.

Wellness routes include a trip to Sinegorsk, which is famous for its mineral springs and the Sinegorsk Mineral Waters sanatorium. Water from these sources is also used in medical institutions in Dolinsk.

There are routes for lovers active rest. One of them is the conquest of Mount Lopatina (1609 m).

As part of a 9-day tour Travel Company"Mishka Tour" offers a walking excursion to an unusually beautiful natural monument - the Zhdanko mountain range. Accompanied by qualified guides and certified rescuers of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation, you can go on a speleological tour to the caves of Mount Vaida or climb the 20-meter Khomutovsky rocks, climb Peak Smely, take an ice climbing course on the unusually beautiful icefalls of the Zhdanko Ridge. Each excursion participant receives special equipment, undergoes mandatory instruction and learns how to work with rope, at heights and in caves. The route leader always has animal repellents (false flares), radios, a satellite phone, a first aid kit, and rescue equipment available.

An extreme tour in the Dolinsky region involves a rope crossing over a roaring mountain river rapids and a deep canyon. You will have the opportunity to walk around the area and see uniquely beautiful places.

Also, with experienced instructors of the travel agency, you can dive in the area of ​​​​Cape Juno or in the place of the sea lion rookery in the Nevelsk area to observe the life of these animals under water, explore sea ​​bottom near the village of Prigorodnoye (Snorkeling), see gray whales from the lighthouse of Cape Piltun, challenge the Sakhalin lakes by mastering kayaking.

For extreme sports enthusiasts, a one-day rafting trip along the upper reaches of the Krasnoarmeyka River, with the passage of the Bykovsky rapids, one of the most difficult and beautiful in the south of Sakhalin. Another extreme route is a 3-day catamaran rafting trip along the Lyutoga. Each participant of the excursion is provided with high-quality equipment. At another time and in another way, you can come to the upper reaches of the Lyutoga to watch salmon spawning.

In addition, "Mishka Tour" provides one-day boat trips along hard-to-reach capes and bays off the western coast of the Tonino-Aniva Peninsula, along the ancient volcanoes of the Zhdanko ridge, a trip to Cape Burunny, to Cape Kuznetsov.

The Ostrov travel agency specializes in fishing and hunting tours. It offers its clients routes to Nyisky and Nabil bays, to the Dagi, Tym, Lyutoga, Poronai rivers, rafting on the Evay River with fishing in Chaivo Bay, hunting in the central and southern parts of the island.

With the travel company LLC “Island Travel “Sivuch” you can see the most beautiful waterfalls of the island. Visit the shore of the waterfalls at Cape Ptichye, admire the Uyunovsky and Aikhor waterfalls, as well as the waterfall on Olkhovatka, and go to the Imperial Lake.

Zametny Island, Tikhaya Bay

RELIEF OF SAKHALIN ISLAND

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 terrain and consist of two meridionally oriented mountain systems - the Western Sakhalin Mountains (up to 1327 m in height - the city of Onor) and the East Sakhalin Mountains (up to 1609 m in height - the city of Lopatina), separated by the longitudinal Tym- Poronayskaya lowland. The north of the island (with the exception of the Schmidt Peninsula) is a gently rolling plain.

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

The following 11 districts are distinguished in the relief of Sakhalin:

Schmidt Peninsula (about 1.4 thousand km²) is a mountainous peninsula in the far north of the island with steep, sometimes steep banks and two meridional ridges - Western and Eastern; highest point— Three Brothers (623 m); connected to the North Sakhalin Plain by the Okha Isthmus, the width of which is bottleneck— just over 6 km;

The North Sakhalin Plain (about 28 thousand km²) is a gently rolling territory south of the Schmidt Peninsula with a widely branched river network, poorly defined watersheds and individual low mountain ranges, stretches from the Bay of Baikal in the north to the confluence of the Nysh and Tym rivers in the south, the highest point is the city of Daakhuria (601 m); The north-eastern coast of the island stands out as a sub-region, 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 sub-region that the main Sakhalin oil and gas fields are located on the adjacent shelf of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk;

The Western Sakhalin Mountains stretch almost 630 km from the latitude of the village. Khoe (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 Kamysovy (north of the Poyasok isthmus) and South Kamyshovy ridges;

The Tym-Poronayskaya lowland is located in the middle part of the island and is a hilly lowland stretching approximately 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 Poronai River, its 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”;

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 limited by the Western Sakhalin Mountains, from the east by the Susunaisky ridge 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 altitudes in the north and south they do not exceed 20 m above sea level, in the central part, on the watershed of the Susuya and Bolshaya Takaya river basins, they reach 60 m; belongs to the type of internal lowlands and is a tectonic depression filled with a large thickness of Quaternary deposits; within the Susunay lowland are the cities of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Aniva, Dolinsk and about half of the island’s population lives;

The East Sakhalin Mountains are represented in the north by the Lopatinsky mountain cluster (the highest point is Lopatin, 1609 m) with ridges radiating from it; two spurs in the opposite direction represent the Nabilsky ridge; in the south, the Nabilsky ridge passes into the Central Ridge, in the north, sharply descending, into the North Sakhalin Plain;

The lowland of the Terpeniya Peninsula is the smallest of the areas, occupies most of the Terpeniya Peninsula east of Terpeniya Bay;

The Susunaisky ridge 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;

The Korsakov plateau is bounded from the west by the Susunay lowland, from the north by the Susunay ridge, from the east by the Muravyovsky lowland, from the south by Aniva Bay, and has a slightly undulating surface formed by a system of flat-topped ridges elongated in the northeast direction; at the southern end of the plateau on the shores of Aniva Bay is the city of Korsakov;

The Muravyovskaya Lowland (illustrated) is located between Aniva Bay in the south and Mordvinova Bay in the north, has a ridged topography with flat tops of the ridges; within the lowland there are many lakes, including the so-called “Warm Lakes”, where South Sakhalin residents like to go on vacation;

The Tonino-Aniva ridge stretches from north to south, from Cape Svobodny to Cape Aniva, almost 90 km, the highest point is Mount Kruzenshtern (670 m); composed of Cretaceous and Jurassic deposits.

Cape Velikan, Sakhalin

ATTRACTIONS OF SAKHALIN ISLAND

Bird Lake

A beautiful and amazing lake in the south of Sakhalin Island

Devil's Bridge on Sakhalin

A unique structure on Sakhalin, located in this moment in a semi-disassembled state.

Bird Waterfall

Most big waterfall Kunashir Island, which annually attracts a large number of tourists.

Volcano Golovnina

An active volcano on Kunashir Island with two amazing lakes at the bottom of the crater

Cape and Lighthouse Aniva

Cape in the Southeast of Sakhalin Island with the lighthouse of the same name

White Rocks of Sakhalin

Amazing white cliffs on the shores of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk

Lake Tunaicha

One of the most favorite vacation spots for Sakhalin residents

Aikhor waterfall Sakhalin

Volcano Tyatya

A huge active volcano located on the island of Kunashir, Kuril Islands.

Iturup Island

The southern island of the Kuril ridge, a real treasure trove of natural attractions and an excellent place for outdoor recreation.

Cape Stolbchaty

A unique rock formation on Kunashir Island.

Hot springs of Sakhalin

Unique source medicinal water in the north of Sakhalin.

Cape Crillon

Cape Crillon is the most South point Sakhalin Islands

Ilya-Muromets waterfall

One of the largest and beautiful waterfalls Russia.

Tatar Strait Sakhalin

CLIMATE OF SAKHALIN

The climate of Sakhalin is moderate monsoon ( average temperature January from −6ºС in the south to −24ºС in the north, August - from +19ºС to +10ºС, respectively), maritime with long cold snowy winters and average warm summers. The average annual temperature in the north of the island (according to long-term data) is about −1.5ºС, in the south - +2.2ºС.

The climate is influenced by the following factors:

Geographical location 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.

In winter, the weather is largely determined by the Siberian anticyclone: ​​at this time, northern and northwestern winds predominate, and severe frosts can occur, especially in the central part of the island with a moderate continental microclimate. At the same time, winter cyclones (which are practically absent in the mainland regions of the Russian Far East) can come from the south, causing strong and frequent snowstorms. Thus, in the winter of 1970, a series of heavy snow cyclones hit the region, accompanied by numerous avalanches. The wind reached hurricane force (individual gusts up to 50 m/sec), snow cover in the southern part of Sakhalin exceeded the norm by 3-4 times, reaching 6-8 m in some places. Storms paralyzed the work of all types of transport, sea ports, and industrial enterprises .

Position between the Eurasian continent and Pacific Ocean determines the monsoon climate. It is associated with the humid and warm, rather rainy Sakhalin summer. Summer begins in June and ends in September.

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 air cooling in winter and warming in summer; it is here that the greatest temperature contrasts are observed; at the same time, the mountains protect the named lowlands, as well as West Coast from exposure to the cold air of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk.

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, which reaches the southwestern tip of Sakhalin, and the cold East Sakhalin Current of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, running along the eastern coast from north to south.

The cold Sea of ​​Okhotsk affects the island's climate as a giant thermal accumulator, determining a long cold spring and relatively warm autumn: snow in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk sometimes lasts until mid-May (and in 1963 heavy snowfall was observed on June 1), while flower beds in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk can bloom until early November. If we compare Sakhalin with similar (in terms of climatic indicators) territories European Russia, then the seasons on the island succeed each other with a delay of about three weeks. For the same reason, the warmest month of the year on Sakhalin is August, and the coldest month is February. The average temperature in September is almost always higher than the average in June.

Nevelsk city

Air temperature

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

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

The earliest stable snow cover appears on Cape Elizaveta (Okha district) and in the village of Ado-Tymovo (Tymovsky district) - on average October 31, the latest - in the city of Korsakov (on average December 1). The average dates for the disappearance of snow cover 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.

Frequent cyclones are often accompanied by floods. The latter occurred in the southern part of the island already in 2009. In both June and July 2009, three monthly norms of precipitation fell in the south of Sakhalin; on July 15-16, the amount of precipitation in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk reached 107 mm, that is, almost two months normal Many rivers overflowed their banks; twice, due to the destruction of the railway track, traffic on the Sakhalin Railway, connecting the south and north of the island, was stopped.

The most powerful typhoon in the last 100 years, Phyllis, moving from the Pacific Ocean to the northwest, hit the island in August 1981. The maximum precipitation then fell on August 5-6, and in total from August 4 to 7, 322 fell in the south of Sakhalin mm of precipitation (about three monthly norms). The typhoon was accompanied by catastrophic floods. The water in some rivers rose by 6.5 m, and landslides and mudflows were observed. The situation was aggravated by stormy southeast winds, causing a surge of sea water on the coasts of Aniva and Terpeniya bays. The flood caused human casualties, more than two thousand families were left homeless. Anivsky, Smirnykhovsky and Poronaisky districts were especially affected.

Typhoon "Georgia" hit the south of Sakhalin on September 18-19, 1970. In a matter of hours, a month's worth of precipitation fell, the water on the rivers rose by 5 m, crops were flooded, a large number of livestock died, roads and railways were washed out. Hurricane winds led to massive destruction of power lines. There were human casualties.

2002 turned out to be a good year for powerful typhoons: from July 11 to 15, Typhoon Chataan and tropical depression Nerry caused very heavy rains in the south of Sakhalin, mudflows, and landslides. Roads were washed out and houses were flooded. On September 2, Typhoon Rusa again brought heavy rains to the south of the island. The water in the rivers rose by 2.5-4.5 m. 449 houses were flooded, 9 bridges were destroyed. In the Nevelsky district, 80 mudflows occurred. Finally, on October 2-3, Typhoon Higos, moving from the Japanese Islands, crossed the southern part of Sakhalin and caused very heavy rains and stormy winds. As a result of numerous accidents on power lines, there was no electricity in twenty settlements, and roads were washed out. A ship sank in Terpeniya Bay. In Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, strong winds knocked down more than a thousand trees, and several people were injured from their fall.

There are 16,120 lakes on Sakhalin with total area about 1000 km². The areas of their greatest concentration are the north and southeast of the island. The two most large lakes Sakhalin - Nevskoe with a surface area of ​​178 km² (Poronaisky district, near the mouth of the Poronai River) and Tunaycha (174 km²) (Korsakovsky district, in the north of the Muravyovskaya lowland); both lakes belong to the lagoon type.

Aniva Bay

NATURAL RESOURCES

Sakhalin has very high potential natural resources. In addition to biological resources, the reserves of which Sakhalin ranks among the first in Russia, the island and its shelf have very large reserves of hydrocarbons and coal. In terms of the volume of explored reserves of gas condensate, the Sakhalin region ranks 4th in Russia, gas - 7th, coal - 12th (in the illustration) and oil - 13th, while within the region the reserves of these minerals are almost entirely focused on Sakhalin and its shelf. Other natural resources of the island include wood, gold, mercury, platinum, germanium, chromium, talc, and zeolites.

FLORA AND FAUNA

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

The history of the floristic study of Sakhalin, probably begun by Fyodor Bogdanovich Schmidt in 1859, goes back more than 150 years.

As of the beginning of 2004, the flora of the island includes 1,521 species of vascular plants, belonging to 575 genera from 132 families, with 7 families and 101 genera represented only by alien species. The total number of alien species on the island is 288, or 18.9% of the entire flora. According to the main systematic groups, the vascular plants of the Sakhalin flora are distributed as follows (excluding aliens): vascular spores - 79 species (including lycophytes - 14, horsetails - 8, pteridophytes - 57), gymnosperms - 9 species, angiosperms - 1146 species (including including monocotyledons - 383, dicotyledons - 763). The leading families of vascular plants in the flora of Sakhalin are sedges (Cyperaceae) (121 species excluding aliens - 122 species including aliens), Asteraceae (120-175), grasses (Poaceae) (108-152), Rosaceae (58 - 68), buttercups (Ranunculaceae) (54 - 57), heathers (Ericaceae) (39 - 39), cloves (Caryophyllaceae) (38 - 54), buckwheats (Polygonaceae) (37 - 57), orchids (Orchidaceae) (35 - 35), cruciferous vegetables (Brassicaceae) (33 - 53).

According to life forms, the vascular plants of Sakhalin are distributed as follows: trees - 44 species, lianas - 9, shrubs - 82, dwarf shrubs - 54, subshrubs and subshrubs - 4, perennial grasses - 961, annual and biennial grasses - 79 (all figures are given without taking into account alien species).

The main forest-forming species of coniferous forests of Sakhalin are Gmelin larch (Larix gmelinii) and fine-scaled larch (Larix leptolepis) introduced from Japan, Ayan spruce (Picea ajanensis) and Glenn spruce (Picea glehnii), Sakhalin fir (Abies sachalinensis), introduced Scots pine (Pinus sylves tris ). The predominant deciduous species are stone birch (Betula ermanii) and white birch (Betula alba), downy alder (Alnus hirsuta), aspen (Populus tremula), sweet poplar (Populus suaveolens), dew willow (Salix rorida), goat willow (Salix caprea) and heartleaf (Salix cardiophylla), Chosenia (Chosenia arbutifolia), Japanese elm (Ulmus japonica) and lobed elm (Ulmus laciniata), yellow maple (Acer ukurunduense).

There are 44 species of mammals on the island, the most well-known of which are bear, sable, otter, American mink, reindeer, wolverine, musk deer, represented here by a special Sakhalin subspecies, raccoon dog, sea lion and others. Approximately half of the species of Sakhalin theriofauna are rodents.

378 bird species have been recorded on Sakhalin; 201 of them (53.1%) nest on the island. The largest number of species (352) was recorded in the southern part of the island, 320 species were recorded in the central part, and 282 species were recorded in the northern part. Most breeding birds (88 species) are passerines; in addition, the avifauna contains a large proportion of Charadriiformes (33 nesting species), lamellibiformes (22 nesting species), owls and diurnal birds of prey (11 nesting species each).

fur seal rookery

RED BOOK

The fauna, flora and mycobiota of the island include many rare protected species of animals, plants and fungi. 18 species of mammals recorded on Sakhalin, 97 species of birds (including 50 nesting), seven species of fish, 20 species of invertebrates, 113 species of vascular plants, 13 species of bryophytes, seven species of algae, 14 species of fungi and 20 species of lichens (i.e. 136 species of animals, 133 species of plants and 34 species of fungi - a total of 303 species) have protected status, that is, they are listed in the Red Book of the Sakhalin Region, while about a third of them are simultaneously included in the Red Book Russian Federation».

Among the “federal Red Book” flowering plants, the flora of Sakhalin includes Aralia cordata, Calypso bulbosa, Cardiocrinum glehnii, Japanese sedge (Carex japonica) and lead-gray sedge (Carex livida), lady's slippers ( Cypripedium calceolus) and large-flowered (Cypripedium macranthum), Gray's bifoil (Diphylleia grayi), leafless beetroot (Epipogium aphyllum), Japanese candyk (Erythronium japonicum), tall bellied (Gastrodia elata), xiphoid iris (Iris ensata), ailanthifolia (Juglans ailanthifolia) ), Kalopanax septemlobum, tiger lily (Lilium lancifolium), Tolmachev's honeysuckle (Lonicera tolmatchevii), macropodium pterospermum, whole-leaved miyakea (Miyakea integrifolia) (miyakea is the only endemic genus of vascular plants on Sakhalin), nest cap flower (Neottianthe cucullata), obovate peonies (Paeonia obovata) and mountain peonies (Paeonia oreogeton), rough bluegrass (Poa radula) and Wright's viburnum (Viburnum wrightii), that is, 23 species. In addition, eight more “federal Red Book” plants are found on the island: two species of gymnosperms—Sargent’s juniper (Juniperus sargentii) and pointed yew (Taxus cuspidata), three species of ferns—Isoëtes asiatica, 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 obtusissimum.

POPULATION

Sakhalin is the largest island in the Russian Federation by population. As of January 1, 2010, the population of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands was 510.9 thousand people, the population of Sakhalin Island was about 493 thousand people.

According to the 2002 census, there were 527,268 people living on the island, including 253,304 men and 273,964 women. About 84% of the population are ethnic Russians, the rest are Koreans (5.6%), Ukrainians (4.0%), Tatars (1.2%), Belarusians (1.0%), Mordovians (0.5%), less than 1% of the population are representatives of the indigenous peoples of the North - Nivkhs (0.5%) and Oroks (0.06%). From 2002 to 2009 the population of Sakhalin continued to decline slowly (by about 1% per year): mortality still prevails over the birth rate, and the number of migrants arriving on the island from the mainland and from countries neighboring Russia (China, North Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan ), lower than the number of Sakhalin residents leaving the island.

The largest city in Sakhalin is the regional center of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (190,227 people), others are relatively big cities— Korsakov (33,148 people), Kholmsk (29,563 people), Okha (21,830 people), Poronaysk (15,476 people), Dolinsk (11,885 people), Nevelsk (10,965 people).

HISTORY OF SAKHALIN

Archaeological finds indicate that people could have appeared on Sakhalin in the Early Paleolithic era, approximately 250-300 thousand years ago. During the Pleistocene era, as a result of periodic glaciations, the level of the World Ocean dropped several times and land “bridges” appeared between Sakhalin and the mainland, as well as Sakhalin, Hokkaido and Kunashir. During the late Pleistocene, Homo sapiens entered Sakhalin: sites of modern humans, 20-12 thousand years old, were discovered in the southern and middle parts of the island, at the same time along another land “bridge” between Asia and America, located on the site of the modern Bering Strait , Homo sapiens moved to the American continent). In the Neolithic (10-2.5 thousand years ago), the entire territory of Sakhalin Island was inhabited. Fishing and hunting sea animals formed the basis of the material culture of the people of that time, who led a sedentary lifestyle along the sea coast.

The ancestors of modern Paleo-Asian peoples - 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 - between Sakhalin and Hokkaido. Material culture They were similar in many ways, and their livelihoods came from fishing, hunting and gathering. At the end of the Middle Ages (in the 16th-17th centuries), Tungus-speaking peoples migrated to Sakhalin from the mainland - Evenks (nomadic reindeer herders) and Oroks (Uilta), who, under the influence of the Evenks, also began to engage in reindeer herding.

Cape Kuznetsov

How Sakhalin was discovered

At the end of the 16th century, as a result of Ermak’s campaign beyond the Urals, vast lands stretching along the Ture, Tobol and Irtysh rivers were annexed to the Moscow state. The Russians established themselves in these lands. The stories that reached them about the unprecedented riches of Siberia, about the incalculable abundance of precious fur-bearing animals, attracted service people - Cossacks and brave industrialists - further and further to the east. Moving in small detachments along rivers and portages, crossing the virgin Siberian taiga, fighting warlike local peoples, overcoming inhuman difficulties, cold and deprivation, Cossacks and industrialists over the course of several decades traveled a long way from the Ob River to the shores of the Pacific Ocean. They discovered new lands, made as detailed descriptions of them as possible, and by right of discovery annexed them to Russia. The names of Dezhnev, Khabarov, Atlasov, Poyarkov and many other explorers have become glorious milestones in the history of our country.

In July 1643, Cossack foreman Poyarkov left Yakutsk with a small detachment to discover and explore new lands. He and his detachment climbed up the Aldan River, crossed the watershed ridge and reached the Zeya River, along which he descended to the Amur. The following year, 1644, Poyarkov reached the mouth of the Amur and went out to sea. In the summer of 1646, Poyarkov returned to Yakutsk and brought the first descriptions of the Amur, Shantar Islands and Sakhalin.

In subsequent years, Russians visited Sakhalin more than once. In 1742, a member of Vitus Bering's expedition, Lieutenant Shelting, on the double-boat "Nadezhda" sailed along the eastern coast of Sakhalin and entered the strait, later named the Strait of La Perouse, in honor of the famous French navigator, who in 1787 on the frigates "Bussol" and "Astrolabe" visited Sakhalia. La Perouse gave French names to several points on the island, including the Douai River, as well as the bay of Castries he discovered on the mainland.

In 1805, the first Russian round-the-world expedition, Krusenstern, explored the shores of Sakhalin. The following year, 1806, Russian officers Khvostov and Davydov visited southern Sakhalin and raised the Russian flag there.

However, for a long time the geography of the lower Amur and the island of Sakhalia remained unclear. Sailors who visited Sakhalin or passed near it believed that Sakhalin was a peninsula connected by an isthmus to the mainland. This conclusion was made by both La Perouse and Kruzenshtern and the commander of the Russian brig "Konstantin" - Gavrilov, sent in 1846 to study the mouth of the Amur and Sakhalin. Only in 1849, the research of Captain G.I. Nevelsky on the Baikal transport proved that Sakhalin is an island.

[As it turned out later, the Japanese scientist Mamia-Rinzo established back in 1808 that Sakhalin was an island, but the data about his journey, published in Japanese, were not known to Europeans.]

The narrow part of the strait separating Sakhalin from the mainland now bears the name of Captain Nevelsky.

Origin of the name of Sakhalin Island

In the 18th century, maps published in Western Europe, off the coast of the Pacific Ocean, north of China, depicted the huge country of Tataria. The French navigator La Perouse was also convinced of the existence of this mysterious Tataria. Having reached the strait separating Sakhalin from the mainland on his ships, La Perouse, without hesitation for long, named it Tatar. As a result of this misunderstanding, the strait still bears a random and unfounded name.

The Tatar Strait is the name given to the entire body of water separating the island from the mainland. The narrowest part of the strait is named after Nevelskoy. The part of the strait lying in the north merges closely with the Amur Estuary. Therefore, when many people talk about the Amur Estuary, they mean the northern part of the strait.

The name of the island itself is no less random. The Amur River was called "Sakhalyan-ulla" in Mongolian. On one of the maps of "Tataria", published in Western Europe and depicting Sakhalin as a peninsula, at the site of the mouth of the Amur the inscription was made: “Sachalien anga-hata”, which in Mongolian means “rocks of the black river”. After Captain Nevelsky established that Sakhalin is an island, the map compilers attributed this inscription to a new island, which has since become known as Sakhalin.

The Japanese call Sakhalia Karafuto or Kabafuto, which means "birch island".

First steps to explore the island

After the discovery of Nevelskoy, work on the study and development of Sakhalin was carried out quite intensively.

In 1852, midshipman Boshnyak was sent to Sakhalin to check information about the presence of coal deposits there. Boshniak drove along the western shore to Douai, crossed the island and reached its eastern shore at the mouth of the Tym River. Boshnyak's research confirmed information about the wealth of Sakhalin in coal.

The following year, 1853, a military unit with artillery was landed in the southern part of the island and the Russian flag was raised over the island again. On south coast The Korsakovsky military post was created on the island, and the Ilyinsky post was created on the western shore.

In the same year, Rimsky-Korsakov, on the schooner Vostok, made a detailed survey of the western shores of the island and identified places suitable for anchorage sea ​​vessels.

Soon, small-scale mining of hard coal began at the so-called “Chikhachevsky mining sites” in Douai.

In 1854, 1855 and 1856, the island was explored by zoologist L.I. Shrenk. He made several long and very difficult trips around the island, covered the physical geography of Sakhalin in some detail, described it indigenous people, vegetable and animal world.

Participants visited the island big expedition Russian Geographical Society F.B. Schmidt, P.P. Glen, Lieutenant Rashkov, topographer Shebunin and Doctor Brylkin. As a result of their work, a map of Sakhalin was compiled.

In 1867-1868, geological exploration of the island was carried out by mining engineer Lopatin.

As a result of all these studies, the fossil, plant and fish riches of Sakhalin were increasingly revealed and the great strategic importance of the island, which is a natural outpost of the Russian state in the Far East and covers Russia’s outlets to the Pacific Ocean, became increasingly obvious.

Sakhalin was inhabited by the Ainu, Tungus, Gilyak and Orochon. They were engaged in hunting, fishing and reindeer herding. By the time of the first Russian visits to the island, the indigenous inhabitants of Sakhalin were completely independent of any state.

The Japanese did not settle on Sakhalin until the end of the 18th century. They came to the island only for the fishing season. Then, after the appearance of Russian Cossacks and industrialists, the Japanese began to little by little take the island into their own hands. In 1787, the Japanese built two small villages on the island. In subsequent years they spread throughout the southern half of the island. The uninvited aliens exploited the Ainu, actually turned them into their serfs, and forced the Ainu to do the most difficult and exhausting work for free.

It took quite a long time until the tsarist government finally realized the importance of Sakhalin for Russia and sent the first military post there (in 1853). By this time, uninvited guests had already settled on the island. The appearance of Russian guards not only did not weaken the resettlement of the Japanese there, but, on the contrary, strengthened Japanese expansion. Russian troops could not prevent the penetration of the Japanese. Soon Japan laid claim to its “rights” to the island. According to the Shimoda Treaty of 1854, Japan achieved joint ownership of this island with Russia.

The capture of Sakhalin by the Japanese clearly threatened Russian Far Eastern possessions and exits from the Amur. In addition, the Japanese predatorily destroyed the natural resources of Sakhalin. Japan readily agreed to renounce its imaginary “rights” to Sakhalin on the condition that Russia would give it the Kuril Islands in “exchange.” In 1875 this deal took place. Sakhalin completely came into the possession of Russia, and Japan, as a result of this extremely beneficial deal for it, acquired the Kuril Islands, relying on which it could control Russia’s outlets to the Pacific Ocean.

However, Japan did not abandon the exploitation of Sakhalin's natural resources. The short-sighted tsarist government allowed the Japanese to maintain fisheries in southern Sakhalin. At the end of the 19th century, Japan annually produced 40-45 thousand tons of fish from Sakhalin. Russian fish production in those years did not exceed 13-15 thousand tons.

Having “bought off” the Japanese at a high price, the tsarist government began to colonize the island and develop its natural resources, showing no more intelligence in this matter than in the “trade” of the islands.

Sakhalin hard labor

The tsarist government found a unique use for Sakhalin - hard labor was created on the distant island. Severe natural conditions Sakhalin, combined with a hard labor regime, was a severe punishment for those convicted. It was decided to use the labor of convicts in the development of coal, logging, etc. The escape of prisoners from the island, separated from the mainland by the stormy Tatar Strait, in the opinion of the organizers of the penal servitude, was impossible.

Convicts who had served their sentences were supposed to be forced into permanent permanent settlement here on the island, so that they would be primarily engaged in agriculture.

In 1869, the first batch of convicts, consisting of 800 people, was delivered to Sakhalin. From that time on, the dark pages of the history of Sakhalin began. One after another, batches of convicts arrived. Hundreds, thousands of people. At first only men. Then women appeared: some of the convicts were voluntarily followed by their wives and children into exile to Sakhalin.

Shackled in hand and leg shackles, and sometimes chained to a wheelbarrow, the convicts worked mainly in the coal mines in the areas adjacent to Aleksandrovsk.

The inept organization of mining operations, the lack of any tools other than a pick and shovel, and the convict labor regime did not at all contribute to the development of the coal industry. The amount of coal mined was small. The coal was not sorted and went to the consumer along with the rock. Coal was carried out of the mines on stretchers or in bags, causing it to be crushed. All this sharply reduced the quality of coal and made it difficult to sell.

The harsh convict regime and the arbitrariness of the administration led to a massive exodus of convicts. Some fugitives managed to cross the Tatar Strait and return to European Russia. But many remained within the island. To get food for themselves, they robbed settlers who had already served their sentences.

The life of the settlers was not much different from the life of convicts.

The organization of settlements was also affected by the complete arbitrariness of the tsarist administration. A convict who served his sentence was given an axe, a hoe, a shovel, two pounds of rope, one saw for five people, and was given the place where he was to settle. Places for settlement were chosen without any plan, without taking into account environmental conditions. It also happened that settlements turned out to be built in places completely unsuitable for agriculture, damp, flooded with water, etc. At the cost of enormous effort, literally bloody labor, the settler built himself a hut and created some kind of farm. But this did not bring him relief. He eked out a miserable existence. Besides civil rights the exiled settlers did not have and lived on the basis of a special charter. At the first opportunity, the exiled settlers abandoned their huts and “economy” and fled to the mainland.

Despite the mass flight of convicts and exiled settlers, the population of Sakhalin continuously increased due to new batches of convicts sent here. By 1904, there were about 40 thousand prisoners, exiled settlers and free residents on Sakhalin.

The exploration of Sakhalin did not stop even during hard labor. Meteorological stations were created in the village of Aleksandrovskoye and the village of Rykovskoye. Conducted great work on the study of the seas washing the shores of Sakhalin, on the study of its subsoil, soils, vegetation and animals.

First Japanese intervention. Elimination of hard labor. Japanese capture of South Sakhalin

In 1904, Japan treacherously attacked Russia. The Japanese have conquered Sakhalin. Having landed on the island, from which the Russian administration had already evacuated, the Japanese began to manage in their own way. They shot most of the convicts held in prisons and established new orders for the exiled settlers. They soon felt that life under the Japanese was even worse than hard labor and flocked en masse to the mainland. The number of Russians on the island decreased from 40 to 5-6 thousand.

After the end of the war, which was unsuccessful for Russia, Japan imposed the Portsmouth Treaty on Russia, according to which the southern half of Sakhalin went to Japan. The border between the parts of Sakhalin remaining with Russia and the parts of Sakhalin captured by Japan ran along the fiftieth parallel. Along the border, across the island, a giant clearing was cut in the taiga and border posts were installed.

With the capture of the southern half of Sakhalin, Japan closed the island ring with which it surrounded Russian possessions off the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Russia only has the northern half of the island left. By the time the war [Russian-Japanese - approx. my] there are almost no convicts left on it. Some of them were killed by the Japanese, others fled. The tsarist government did not try to resume hard labor here. And this was hardly possible given such close proximity to the Japanese.

Japanese colonization of southern Sakhalin.

After the division of Sakhalin under the Treaty of Portsmouth, the Japanese began to intensively populate the southern part of the island. Built on southern Sakhalin sea ​​ports, piers, roads. It is characteristic that the settlement of southern Sakhalin was carried out mainly by reservists trained in military affairs. Along with strategic construction, the Japanese organized fishing and forestry industries, and actively engaged in reindeer husbandry and fur farming. The population of the Japanese part of the island in 1906 was 12 thousand people, in 1912 - 42 thousand, in 1923 - 140 thousand and in 1939 - over 300 thousand.

The Russian government, for its part, also took measures to settle Northern Sakhalin. But these measures were as little successful as during the Sakhalin hard labor. Sakhalin has gained a sad reputation for itself. Stories about the horrors of Sakhalin life were passed on from mouth to mouth. The tragedy of the Sakhalin hard labor was intertwined in these stories with the tragedy of the Russian-Japanese War. Of course, there was also a share of fiction in the stories; nature was portrayed in them as exaggeratedly harsh. But it is quite clear that there were few people who wanted to go to the distant island, standing “at the end of the world”. And those who decided to go there had to endure quite a bit of grief.

Relocating to Sakhalin was far from easy. The government did not bother to build a port on the island or at least a convenient berth for sea vessels. The steamer, anchored several kilometers from the shore, disembarked passengers, with all their property, into boats, which, along the stormy waves of the strait, delivered the settlers to the deserted shore.

The gloomy Sakhalin taiga greeted the settlers unfriendly. A peasant who moved from the central, steppe regions of Russia to taiga Sakhalin found himself in unusual conditions. In order to plow the plot, it was first necessary to uproot the taiga, and this required a lot of work. The terms and methods of cultivating the land, the timing of sowing and harvesting have not been studied by anyone. The settlers had to learn them from their own, difficult experience.

Information about the conditions of life on Sakhalin, coming from the first settlers, did not at all contribute to the influx of new population. Therefore, until the establishment of Soviet power, population growth on Sakhalin was extremely weak. During the period from 1908 to 1917, the Russian population of the island increased by only 1600-1800 people. The tsarist government poorly understood that Northern Sakhalin, with its harsh climatic conditions and its enormous natural resources, required not agricultural, but, first of all, carefully thought out and prepared industrial colonization. As before, as in the days of hard labor, the tsarist government cared little about the development of the economy of the island and even less about creating normal living conditions for the settlers.

As a result, Northern Sakhalin, until the establishment of Soviet power, remained a sparsely populated outskirts, with a poorly developed economy and impassability characteristic of the outskirts.

The island's agriculture did not develop. Its products were not enough even for the small population of the island. Peasants usually combined farming with local crafts - fur-bearing animal hunting and fishing. The coal and timber industries developed slowly due to the lack of a port and berths. The issue of building the Sakhalin port has not moved beyond numerous projects. The fisheries were significant, but in terms of technical equipment and profitability they were far inferior to those of Japan.

Nevertheless, as a result of colonization carried out by the tsarist government, a fairly large number of permanent settlements, usually sparsely populated, were created on Sakhalin. Roads were also built, albeit very primitive ones, allowing wheeled communication between populated areas and the coast of the island. The population gradually began to become accustomed to the nature of the island. Based on experience, the necessary skills and rules of farming were developed. Gradually the times of hard labor were forgotten, further and further they went into the depths of the past.

Work to study the island continued. New information about the natural resources of Sakhalin has appeared in the scientific literature. An instrumental survey of the coast and some inland parts of Northern Sakhalin was carried out, and maps were compiled. Oil exploration began in a number of locations. In the Okha region, oil was discovered by the Russians back in the eighties of the last century.

An expedition of the Geological Committee, in which mining engineer P. I. Polevoy and geologist N. N. Tikhonovich took part, began studying the geological structure and mineral resources of the island in 1908-1910. Representatives of the resettlement department studied the soil, climate and vegetation of the island, identifying areas suitable for settlement.

Russian merchants and industrialists showed great interest in developing the natural resources of Sakhalin. With assistance from the government, the economy of Northern Sakhalin could develop rapidly. But the tsarist administration not only did not provide this assistance, on the contrary, it created conditions under which all attempts by the population and entrepreneurs to promote the development of Sakhalin industry remained futile.

For Tsarist Russia, the backwardness of Sakhalin was no exception. The Kola Peninsula, which has fabulous wealth and is located relatively close to St. Petersburg, was also empty and deserted. The banks of Pechora, rich in minerals, and many other outskirts of what was then Russia were deserted.

As a result of the victory over Japan during World War II, the entire territory of Sakhalin Island (as well as all the Kuril Islands) was included in the Soviet Union (RSFSR).

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk was founded as part of the Russian Empire in 1882 under the name Vladimirovka. After the victory of the USSR and its allies in World War II, along with the entire island, it passed to the USSR.

Zhdanko ridge, western Sakhalin

Transport

Railway network common use covers most of the island (the longest connection is from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to the village of Nogliki), there is also a sea ferry railway crossing to the mainland. The Sakhalin Railway is interesting because it has a 1067 mm gauge, unusual for Russia, which was inherited from Japan. In the USSR, diesel locomotives TG16 and TG22 were designed and built in series specifically for Sakhalin. Since 2004, work has been underway to convert the track to the standard 1520 mm gauge for Russia. They are planned to be completed, according to various forecasts, by 2016-2020.

Non-public railways (departmental narrow-gauge) provide transportation in areas where there are no public railways. Most of them were dismantled, leaving a functioning narrow-gauge railway in the Uglegorsk region.

Highways connect almost all settlements in the region. The quality of roads is poor; there is asphalt pavement only in the southern part.

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is connected by air with Moscow, Krasnodar, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Vladivostok, Khabarovsk, Komsomolsk-on-Amur and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, with cities and towns of the Sakhalin region (Okha, Yuzhno-Kurilsk, Burevestnik (on Iturup Island)), and also with Japan (Tokyo, Sapporo, Hakodate), South Korea (Seoul) and China (Harbin, and more recently Beijing). It is interesting that from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (the regional center) there is no direct connection with the regional center of Severo-Kurilsk, and you have to get there by a roundabout route - through Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

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SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND PHOTO:

Team Nomads.

Lutsky S. L. Sakhalin Island

Sakhalin - article from the Great Soviet Encyclopedia

Petukhov A.V., Kordyukov A.V., Baranchuk-Chervonny L.N. Atlas of vascular plants in the vicinity of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk // In the book: Introduction. (ISBN 978-5-904209-05-6) - Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: Akon, 2010. - P. 9

Barkalov V. Yu., Taran A. A. List of species of vascular plants of Sakhalin Island // In the book: Flora and fauna of Sakhalin Island (Materials of the International Sakhalin Project). Part 1. (ISBN 5-8044-0467-9) - Vladivostok: Dalnauka, 2004. - pp. 39-66.

http://www.photosight.ru/photos/5591256/

http://sakhalin.shamora.info/Recreation-in-the-Sakhalin-region/WIKI-in-the-Sakhalin-region/Attractions-of-the-Sakhalin-region/

Nechaev V. A. Review of the bird fauna (Aves) of the Sakhalin region // In the book: Flora and fauna of Sakhalin Island (Materials of the International Sakhalin Project). Part 2. (ISBN 5-8044-0507-1) - Vladivostok: Dalnauka, 2005. - pp. 246-327.

Red Book of the Sakhalin Region: Plants. — Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: Sakhalin. book. publishing house, 2005. - 348 p.

Population of the Russian Federation by municipalities as of January 1, 2013. - M.: Federal State Statistics Service Rosstat, 2013. - 528 p. (Table 33. Population of urban districts, municipal districts, urban and rural settlements, urban settlements, rural settlements).

Occupation of Northern Sakhalin and Japanese concessions

Wikipedia website.

Alexandrov S. M. Sakhalin Island. - M.: Nauka, 1973. - 183 p.

Vasilevsky A. A. Stone Age of Sakhalin Island. - Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: Sakhalin Book Publishing House, 2008. - 411 p.

Isachenko A. G., Shlyapnikov A. A. Sakhalin // Nature of the world: Landscapes. - M.: Mysl, 1989. - 504 p.

Southern part of the Far East. - M.: Nauka, 1969. - 422 p.

http://ilp-p.narod.ru/sakhalin/ostrov/ostrov1.htm

Sakhalin Island is a place extraordinary beauty, vibrant nature and unique climate. Snow lies until the end of April, but the warmth of spring appears already in February. Summer unfolds at the end of June and pleases the whole of September. Soft colorful autumn is magical, and winter is crazy with countless winds and huge levels of snow.

Sakhalin is washed by the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and the Sea of ​​Japan, it is separated from the mainland by the Strait of Tatar, and 17 large rivers, and there are more than 16 thousand lakes. The huge number of mushrooms, plants and animals found on the island are rare and protected. The relief of the island is composed of medium-altitude mountains, low mountains and low plains. According to the tradition of the Far East, mountains are called hills, the beauty of which is unforgettable all year round, especially in the numerous passes.

Sakhalin Island: photos

Sakhalin Island: where is it located

It is washed by the waters of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and the Sea of ​​Japan. It is separated from the mainland by the Tatar Strait, the width of which at its narrowest point (Nevelskoy Strait) is 7.3 km, in the south of about. Hokkaido (Japan) is separated by the La Perouse Strait. Stretched meridionally from Cape Crillon in the south to Cape Elizabeth in the north. The length is 948 km, with an average width of about 100 km, on the isthmuses of Sakhalin it narrows: on Okha to 6 km, on Poyask to 27 km. The area is 76.4 thousand km2.

Sakhalin Island on the world map

How to get to Sakhalin Island

There are two main ways to get to the island - air and water. As for the air: there are four on Sakhalin passenger airport: in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Shakhtersk, Zonal and Okha. Of these there are regular flights to different cities on the mainland, including Moscow, Khabarovsk, Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Blagoveshchensk, Vladivostok, Sovetskaya Gavan, as well as to various cities in China, South Korea and Japan.

Two airlines fly from Moscow to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: from Sheremetyevo - Aeroflot, from Domodedovo - Transaero. The local airline operating flights to different cities of the Far East is Sakhalin Airways.

There are no flights to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk from the village of Zonalnoye and the city of Shakhtersk, but you can fly from them to Sovetskaya Gavan and Khabarovsk. This can be done with the help of Amur Airlines.

You can get there by water from Vanino ( Khabarovsk region) to Kholmsk (Sakhalin region). These ferries are daily and year-round. They go without a clear schedule, and the price rises every year, significantly outpacing inflation, plus it jumps depending on the season (more expensive in summer, cheaper in winter).

Sakhalin Island: video

Flight over Sakhalin

Picture of Sakhalin - a sunny island on Earth

Geographical characteristics of Sakhalin

It is washed by the waters of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and the Sea of ​​Japan. It is separated from the mainland by the Tatar Strait, the width of which at its narrowest point (Nevelskoy Strait) is 7.3 km, in the south of about. Hokkaido (Japan) is separated by the La Perouse Strait. Stretched meridionally from Cape Crillon in the south to Cape Elizabeth in the north. The length is 948 km, with an average width of about 100 km, on the isthmuses of Sakhalin it narrows: on Okha to 6 km, on Poyask to 27 km. Area 76.4 thousand km2.

Photo of Sakhalin Island from space. Enlarged image

Geologically, Sakhalin is part of the Cenozoic folded region as part of the Pacific folded geosynclinal belt. In the structure of Sakhalig, two meridional anticlinoria are distinguished - East Sakhalin and West Sakhalin, separated by Central Sakhalin. In the core of the East Sakhalin anticlinorium, Paleozoic rocks are exposed, in the core of the West Sakhalin anticlinorium - Upper Cretaceous; The Central Sakhalin region is composed of Neogene deposits. Strong seismicity indicates ongoing mountain-building processes.

Climate of Sakhalin

Sakhalin, separated from the mainland by the Tatar Strait, stretches from north to south for almost 1000 km. Its central and, especially, southern parts are predominantly mountainous in nature. There are wide low-lying strips along the coast.

The main watershed of Sakhalin is the Western Sakhalin Ridge, dividing the river network into two groups, one of which belongs to the Okhotsk basin, the other to the Sea of ​​Japan basin. To the east of it, separated by a deep fault depression, is the short but higher Eastern Sakhalin Ridge, the highest point (peak, Nevelskogo, 2013 m) which is the highest for the entire island. The climate of Sakhalin is harsh. Winter here is long and cold, frosts reach -48°. The average monthly air temperature of the coldest month - January - in the north is -23°, in the south -8°. Summer is short and cool: The average monthly air temperature in the warmest month - July - does not exceed 15-17°.

Water resources of Sakhalin

The main rivers of Sakhalin are the Tym and Poronoy. They laid out their valleys in the central tectonic depression between the Western and Eastern ranges. The lengths of the rivers are about; 250 km, the catchment area is approximately 8000 km 2. Both rivers are distinguished by significant water content: their average annual flow exceeds 100 m 3 /sec, and modules reach 12-19 l/sec km 2. Other rivers of Sakhalin are short, mountainous watercourses, also characterized by high water content.

The regime of Sakhalin rivers is complex. The flood passes through them in three waves. In spring there is high water; from the melting of snow within the flat parts of the basins, at the beginning of summer there is a flood formed due to melting snow in the mountains, and, finally, in the middle of summer (July-August) there are floods caused by monsoon showers.

The coast of the island is replete with lakes, such as lagoons; they are shallow and separated from the sea by narrow spits; separate groups of lakes stretch along the coast for tens of kilometers. Most of them have communication and water exchange with the sea through narrow straits. Some lakes were separated from the sea and turned into fresh water bodies.

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 region, the largest island in the Russian Federation. It is washed by the Seas of Okhotsk and Japan. It is separated from mainland Asia by the Tatar Strait (at its narrowest part, the Nevelskoy Strait, is 7.3 km wide and freezes in winter); from the Japanese island of Hokkaido - through the La Perouse Strait.

The island got its name from the Manchu name of the Amur River - “Sakhalyan-ulla”, which translated means “Black River” - this name, printed on the map, was mistakenly attributed to Sakhalin, and in subsequent editions of maps it was 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 "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 Rinzou proved that Sakhalin is an island. Most European cartographers were skeptical of the Japanese data. For a long time, on various maps Sakhalin was designated either an island or a peninsula. Only in 1849 did an expedition under the command of G.I. Nevelsky put a final point on this issue, passing on the military transport ship “Baikal” between Sakhalin and the mainland. This strait was subsequently named after Nevelsky.

Geography

The island extends meridionally from Cape Crillon in the south to Cape Elizabeth in the north. Length 948 km, width from 26 km (Poyasok isthmus) to 160 km (at the latitude of the village of Lesogorskoye), area 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 - Onor) and East Sakhalin mountains (up to 1609 m high - Lopatina), separated by the longitudinal Tym- Poronayskaya lowland. The north of the island (with the exception of the Schmidt Peninsula) is a gently rolling 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. The coastline has two large bays and four peninsulas.

The following 11 districts are distinguished in the relief of Sakhalin:

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; highest point - 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 town (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 Western Sakhalin Mountains stretch almost 630 km from the latitude of the village. Khoe (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 Kamysovy (north of the Poyasok isthmus) and South Kamyshovy ridges;
4. The Tym-Poronayskaya lowland is located in the middle part of the island and is a hilly lowland stretching approximately 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 Poronai River, and its 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 limited by the Western Sakhalin Mountains, from the east by the Susunaisky ridge 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 Bolshaya Takaya river basins, reach 60 m; belongs 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 the island’s population lives;
6. The East Sakhalin Mountains are represented in the north by the Lopatinsky mountain cluster (the highest point is the city of Lopatin, 1609 m) with ridges radiating from it; two spurs in the opposite direction represent the Nabilsky ridge; in the south, the Nabilsky ridge passes into the Central Ridge, in the north, sharply descending, into the North Sakhalin Plain;
7. lowland of the Terpeniya Peninsula - the smallest of the areas, occupies most of the Terpeniya Peninsula east of Terpeniya Bay;
8. The Susunaisky ridge 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 Susunay lowland, from the north by the Susunay ridge, from the east by the Muravyovsky lowland, from the south by Aniva Bay, and has a slightly undulating surface formed by a system of flat-topped ridged ridges elongated in the 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 the Aniva Bay in the south and the Mordvinova Bay in the north, and has a ridged topography with flat tops of the ridges; within the lowland there are many lakes, incl. the so-called “Warm Lakes”, where South Sakhalin residents like to go on vacation;
11. The Tonino-Aniva ridge 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 Warm Lakes area

Climate

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

The climate is influenced by the following factors:

1. Geographical location 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 monsoon climate. It is associated with the humid and cool, rather rainy Sakhalin summer.
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 air cooling in winter and warming in summer; it is here that the greatest temperature contrasts are observed; at the same time, the mountains protect the named lowlands, as well as the western coast, from the effects of the cold air of the Sea of ​​​​Okhotsk.
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 island's climate as a giant thermal accumulator, determining a long, cold spring and relatively warm autumn: snow in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk sometimes lasts until mid-May, and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk's flower beds 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
Total precipitation, mm	49	66	62	54	71	38	37	104	88	96	77	79	792

The maximum temperature on Sakhalin (+39ºС) was observed in July 1977 in the village. Pogranichnoe 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 recorded temperature minimum in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is −36ºС (January 1961), maximum is +34.7ºС (August 1999).

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

The earliest stable snow cover appears on Cape Elizaveta (Okha district) and in the village of Ado-Tymovo (Tymovsky district) - on average October 31, the latest - in the city of Korsakov (on average December 1). The average dates for the disappearance of snow cover 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 fell 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 district(s)	Where does it flow	Length, km	Basin area, km²	Average annual runoff volume, km³
Poronai	Tymovsky, Smirnykhovsky, Poronaysky	Terpeniya Bay of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk	350	7990	2,49
Tym	Tymovsky, Nogliki	Nyisky Bay of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk	330	7850	1,68
Naiba	Dolinsky	Terpeniya Bay of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk	119	1660	0,65
Lutoga	Kholmsky, Anivsky	Aniva Bay, Sea of ​​Okhotsk	130	1530	1,00
Shaft	Nogliki	Chaivo Bay, Sea of ​​Okhotsk	112	1440	0,73
Ainskaya	Tomarinsky	lake Ainsk	79	1330	...
Nysh	Nogliki	Tym River (left tributary)	116	1260	...
Uglegorka (Esutoru)	Uglegorsky	Sea of ​​Japan (Strait of Tartary)	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 (Vitnitsa)	Poronaisky	lake Nevskoe	120	1100	...
Deer	Poronaisky	Terpeniya Bay of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk	85	1080	...
Lesogorka (Taimyr)	Uglegorsky	Sea of ​​Japan (Strait of Tartary)	72	1020	0,62
Nabil	Nogliki	Nabilsky Bay of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk	101	1010	...
Malaya Tym	Tymovsky	Tym River (left tributary)	66	917	...
Leonidovka	Poronaisky	Poronai River (right tributary)	95	850	0,39
Susuya	Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Anivsky	Aniva Bay, Sea of ​​Okhotsk	83	823	0,08

There are 16,120 lakes on Sakhalin with a total area of ​​about 1,000 km². The areas of their greatest concentration are the north and southeast of the island. The two largest lakes of Sakhalin are Nevskoye 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, the reserves of which Sakhalin ranks among the first in Russia, the island and its shelf have very large hydrocarbon reserves. In terms of the volume 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 its shelf. Other natural resources of the island include timber, gold, and platinum.

Flora and fauna

Both the flora and fauna of the island are impoverished 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 island's flora includes 1,521 species of vascular plants, belonging to 575 genera from 132 families, with 7 families and 101 genera represented only by alien species. The total number of alien species on the island is 288, or 18.9% of the entire flora. According to the main systematic groups, the vascular plants of the Sakhalin flora are distributed as follows (excluding aliens): vascular spores - 79 species (including lycosperms - 14, horsetails - 8, pteridophytes - 57), gymnosperms - 9 species, angiosperms - 1146 species ( including monocotyledons - 383, dicotyledons - 763). The leading families of vascular plants in the flora of Sakhalin are sedges ( Cyperaceae) (121 species excluding aliens - 122 species including aliens), Asteraceae ( Asteraceae) (120 - 175), cereals ( Poaceae) (108 - 152), Rosaceae ( Rosaceae) (58 - 68), ranunculaceae ( Ranunculaceae) (54 - 57), heather ( Ericaceae) (39 - 39), cloves ( Caryophyllaceae) (38 - 54), buckwheat ( Polygonaceae) (37 - 57), orchids ( Orchidaceae) (35 - 35), cruciferous ( Brassicaceae) (33 - 53).

Fauna

Pink salmon go to spawn in an unnamed river flowing into Mordvinov Bay

"Red Book"

The fauna, flora and mycobiota of the island include many rare protected species of animals, plants and fungi. 12 species of mammals recorded on Sakhalin, 97 species of birds (including 50 nesting), seven species of fish, 20 species of invertebrates, 113 species of vascular plants, 13 species of bryophytes, seven species of algae, 14 species of fungi and 20 species of lichens (t i.e. 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.

Among the "federal Red Book" flowering plants, the flora of Sakhalin includes Aralia cordate ( Aralia cordata), calypso bulbosa ( Calypso bulbosa), Glen's cardiocrinum ( Cardiocrinum glehnii), Japanese sedge ( Carex japonica) and lead gray ( C. livida), real lady's slippers ( Cypripedium calceolus) and grandiflora ( C. macranthum), Gray's bifolia ( Diphylleia grayi), leafless muzzle ( Epipogium aphyllum), Japanese kandyk ( Erythronium japonicum), tall pot-bellied ( Gastrodia elata), iris xiphoid ( Iris ensata), ailantholfolia nut ( Juglans ailanthifolia), Calopanax sevenloba ( Kalopanax septemlobum), tiger lily ( Lilium lancifolium), Tolmachev's honeysuckle ( Lonicera tolmatchevii), long-legged winged seed ( Macropodium pterospermum), miyakia wholeleaf ( Miyakea integrifolia) (Miyakia is the only endemic genus of vascular plants on Sakhalin), Nestflower capulaceae ( Neottianthe cucullata), peonies obovate ( Paeonia obovata) and mountain ( P. oreogeton), rough bluegrass ( Poa radula) and Wright's viburnum ( Viburnum wrightii), i.e. 23 species. In addition, eight more “federal Red Book” plants are found on the island: two species of gymnosperms - Sargent’s juniper ( Juniperus sargentii) and pointed yew ( Taxus cuspidata), three species of pteridophytes - asiatic grasshopper ( Isoеtes asiatica), leptorumora Mikel ( Leptorumohra miqueliana) and Wright's mecodium ( Mecodium wrightii), two species and one variety of mosses - Bryoxyphium japonica ( Bryoxiphium norvegicum var. japonicum), nekera northern ( 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 are representatives of the indigenous peoples of the North - Nivkhs and Oroks. From 2002 to 2008 The population of Sakhalin continued to decline slowly (by about 1% per year): mortality still prevails over birth rates, and the attraction of 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 on the island is the regional center of 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	Whole population	%% of total	Urban population	Rural population
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and subordinate settlements	182142	34,6	177272	4870
Alexandrovsk-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
Poronaisky	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 in general	527080	100	463410	63670

Story

Archaeological finds indicate that people appeared on Sakhalin in the Paleolithic, approximately 20-25 thousand years ago, when glaciation lowered the level of the World Ocean and restored land “bridges” between Sakhalin and the mainland, as well as Sakhalin and Hokkaido. (At the same time, along another land “bridge” between Asia and America, located on the site of the modern Bering Strait, Homo sapiens moved to the American continent). 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 formed the main population of the island during the Middle Ages, with the Nivkh migrating between Sakhalin and the lower Amur, and the Ainu migrating between Sakhalin and Hokkaido. Their material culture was similar in many ways, and their livelihood came from 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 Treaty of Shimoda (1855) between Russia and Japan, Sakhalin was recognized as their joint undivided possession. According to the Treaty of St. Petersburg 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 (the 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). To the territory or part of the territory of the island. Sakhalin currently has no claims from Japan or any other country.

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