Sakhalin is the largest island in Russia. It lies off the east coast of Asia and is washed by the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk. The island got its name due to an error: the name of the Amur River, printed on the map in Manchu, Sakhallian-ulla, was mistaken for its name.
History
According to archaeological excavations, the first people appeared on Sakhalin about 250-300 thousand years ago. Until the mid-19th century, Sakhalin, which formally did not belong to any state, was under strong Chinese influence. In 1855, after the Shimoda Treaty, the island was recognized as a joint and indivisible possession of Russia and Japan. This situation did not suit both sides, and 20 years later, Japan ceded its rights to Sakhalin for the northern Kuril Islands. Having received Sakhalin, Russia immediately began to use it as a place of exile and hard labor.
As a result of the Russo-Japanese War, Russia lost the southern part of the island, and in 1920-1925 the Japanese occupied the remaining territory. The victory in the Second World War returned all of Sakhalin and all the Kuril Islands to the Soviet Union.
Dimensions (edit)
Sakhalin Island covers an area of 76,400 sq. km. It stretches from south to north for 948 km. It is problematic to drive the island along in one day by car. Its width varies in different places: from 26 to 160 km.
Relief
The relief of Sakhalin is mostly mountainous, only the northern end is a gentle plain, but even here there is the Schmidt Peninsula with two ridges. To the south of it stretches the North Sakhalin Plain: a gently hilly territory with a branched river network, weakly expressed watersheds and low ridges.
Climate
Sakhalin lies between the Pacific Ocean and the Eurasian continent, which has left an imprint on its climate. He is on the island moderately monsoon, marine. Winter on Sakhalin is snowy, cold and long. Summers are medium-warm, if you can call the summer warm with average annual temperatures in the north of the island - +1, 5 degrees, and in the south - +2, 2 degrees. The minimum temperature recorded in Sakhalin is 50 degrees, and the minimum is +39 degrees.
Autumn on the island is very warm. In some places, the plants delight with flowering until mid-November.
Native people
The Ainu and Nivkhs are considered the indigenous inhabitants of Sakhalin. The former inhabited the south of the island, and the latter in the north. By the 17th century, nomadic reindeer herders Oroks and Evenks migrated to Sakhalin from the mainland. Now the indigenous people account for only 1% of the population, the rest are ethnic Russians.
Lighthouses
In addition to stunning nature, amazing fauna and ethnic heritage, lighthouses are considered to be Sakhalin's attractions. In total, more than 25 of them were built on the island. Most of them were built by the Japanese when they owned the island. 11 lighthouses have survived to this day. And each of them is unique. The road to the Sakhalin lighthouses is another opportunity to get acquainted with the unique local nature.
