Siberia (Russian: Сиби́рь, Sibir); is the name given to the vast region constituting almost all of Northern Asia and for the most part currently serving as the massive central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, having served in the same capacity previously for the U.S.S.R. from its beginning, and the Russian Empire beginning in the 16th century. Vasyugan (Васюга́н is a river in Russia, the left Tributary of the Ob River. In physical Geography, tundra is an area where the Tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages North Asia or Northern Asia is sometimes defined as a Subregion of Asia consisting only of the Asian portion of Russia. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya Geographically, it includes a large part of the Eurasian Steppe and extends eastward from the Ural Mountains to the watershed between Pacific and Arctic drainage basins, and southward from the Arctic Ocean to the hills of north-central Kazakhstan and the national borders of both Mongolia and China[1]. The Eurasian Steppe (sometimes referred to collectively as The Steppes or The Steppe) is the term often used to describe the vast Steppe Ecoregion Riphean redirects here For the time period see Riphean stage The Ural Mountains (Ура́льские го́ры Uralskiye A drainage divide, water divide, divide or (outside North America) watershed is the line separating neighbouring Drainage basins The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major A drainage basin is an extent of Land where Water from Rain or Snow melt drains downhill into a body of water such as a River, The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the Mongolia (mɒŋˈɡoʊliə, literally Mongol country/nation,) is a Landlocked Country in East Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES It makes up about 77% of Russia's territory (13. 1 million square kilometres), but only 30% of Russia's population (42. 2 million people).
Contents |
Origin of the name
Some sources[2] say that it originates from the Turkic for "sleeping land. The Turkic languages constitute a Language family of some thirty languages spoken by Turkic peoples across a vast area from Eastern Europe and the " Another version is that this name was the tribal name of the Sibirs, Turkic nomads later assimilated to Siberian Tatars. The Turkic peoples are Eurasian peoples residing in northern central and western Eurasia who speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family The Siberian Tatars are a sub-group of the Tatars, sometimes considered a separate ethnic group Dr. Pamela Kyle Crossley, a professor of history at Dartmouth College, asserts that the Russians named Siberia after the Sibe/Xibe. Pamela Kyle Crossley (born 18 November 1955) is a leading Historian of modern China, northern Asia and global history Dartmouth College ( is a private, Coeducational University located in Hanover, New Hampshire, U The Xibe ( Sibe;) are an Ethnic group living mostly in northeast China and Xinjiang. The Xibe ( Sibe;) are an Ethnic group living mostly in northeast China and Xinjiang. Shaman Akkanat, from the Sibirga indigenous people, one of the last shamans in Western Siberia and a leading figure in the indigenous society in Western Siberia, said that Siberia got its name from his Nation, the Sibirga people. The modern usage of the name appeared in the Russian language after the conquest of the Siberia Khanate. Siberia Khanate is an anachronistic rendering of its actual name Khanate of Sibir, a Tatar Khanate in the later Russian Siberia
Borders and administrative division
The term Siberia has a very long history. Udachnaya pipe (тру́бка Уда́чная literally lucky pipe) is a Diamond deposit in the Daldyn-Alakit Kimberlite field in Sakha Its meaning has gradually changed during ages. Historically, Siberia was defined as the whole part of Russia to the east of Ural Mountains, including Russian Far East. Riphean redirects here For the time period see Riphean stage The Ural Mountains (Ура́льские го́ры Uralskiye Russian Far East (Да́льний Восто́к Росси́и ˈdalʲnʲɪj vʌˈstok rʌˈsʲiɪ is a term that refers to the Russian part of the Far East, i According to this definition, Siberia extended eastward from the Ural Mountains to the Pacific coast, and southward from the Arctic Ocean to the border of Russian Central Asia and the national borders of both Mongolia (which included Tuva) and China. Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south Tyva Republic (Респу́блика Тыва́ Respublika Tyva, rʲɪˈspublʲɪkə tɨˈva Тыва Республика Tyva Respublika) or Tuva [3]
Soviet-era sources (GSE and others) [4] and modern Russian ones [5] usually define Siberia as a region extending eastward from the Ural Mountains to the watershed between Pacific and Arctic drainage basins, and southward from the Arctic Ocean to the hills of north-central Kazakhstan and the national borders of both Mongolia and China. The Great Soviet Encyclopedia ( Большая Советская Энциклопедия, or БСЭ; transliterated Bolshaya Sovetskaya Entsiklopediya A drainage divide, water divide, divide or (outside North America) watershed is the line separating neighbouring Drainage basins The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major A drainage basin is an extent of Land where Water from Rain or Snow melt drains downhill into a body of water such as a River, Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the Mongolia (mɒŋˈɡoʊliə, literally Mongol country/nation,) is a Landlocked Country in East Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Correspondingly, Siberia includes the federal subjects of the Siberian Federal District, some of the Urals Federal District, and Sakha (Yakutia) Republic, which is a part of the Far Eastern Federal District. Russia is a Federation which consists of 83 subjects. These subjects are of equal federal rights in the sense that they have equal Siberian Federal District (Сиби́рский федера́льный о́круг tr Urals Federal District (Ура́льский федера́льный о́круг tr The Sakha Republic (Yakutia (Респу́блика Саха́ (Яку́тия Саха Республиката is a federal subject of Russia (a Republic The Far Eastern Federal District (Дальневосто́чный федера́льный о́круг Dalnevostochny federalny okrug) is the largest of the seven This definition also includes geographically (not administratively) parts of several other subjects of Urals and Far Eastern federal districts.
Other sources may use either somewhat wider definition that states the Pacific coast, not the watershed, is the eastern boundary (that includes the whole Russian Far East) [6] or somewhat narrower one that confines Siberia to the Siberian Federal District (that excludes all subjects of other districts)[7]. However, in Russian the word Siberia is never used to substitute the name of the federal district.
Major cities include:
See also a map of the most populated area of Siberia with links to Wikipedia. Russia is a Federation which consists of 83 subjects. These subjects are of equal federal rights in the sense that they have equal Urals Federal District (Ура́льский федера́льный о́круг tr Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug—Yugra (Ха́нты-Манси́йский автоно́мный о́круг — Югра́ Khanty-Mansiysky avtonomny okrug – Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk (Ха́нты-Манси́йск is an oil boom town in Russia, the administrative center of Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug Kurgan Oblast (Курга́нская о́бласть Kurganskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an Oblast) Kurgan (Курга́н is the administrative center of Kurgan Oblast, Russia; one of the oldest cities in Siberia (geographical position) Tyumen Oblast (Тюме́нская о́бласть Tyumenskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an Oblast) Tyumen ( is a city in Russia, located on the Tura River east of Moscow. Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (Яма́ло-Нене́цкий автоно́мный о́круг Yamalo-Nenetsky Avtonomny Okrug; Nenets: Ямалы-Ненёцие’’ Salekhard (Салеха́рд Nenets: Саля'харад lit Siberian Federal District (Сиби́рский федера́льный о́круг tr Altai Krai (Алта́йский край Altaysky kray) is a federal subject of Russia (a Krai) in the Siberian Federal District For the Barnaul meteorite of 1904 see Meteorite falls. For the bird see Barn owl. Altai Republic (Респу́блика Алта́й Altay: Алтай Республика is a federal subject of Russia (a Republic) Gorno-Altaysk or Gorno-Altaisk (Го́рно-Алта́йск Altay: Туулу Алтай Tuulu Altay) is the capital of the Altai Republic Buryat Republic (Респу́блика Буря́тия Буряад Республика is a federal subject of Russia (a Republic) Ulan-Ude (Ула́н-Удэ́ Улаан-Үдэ Ulaan-Üde) is the capital city of the Buryat Republic, Russia, is located about 100 km Chita Oblast (Чити́нская о́бласть Chitinskaya oblast) was a federal subject of Russia (an Oblast) in south-east Siberia Irkutsk Oblast (Ирку́тская о́бласть Irkutskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an Oblast) located in south-eastern Irkutsk (Ирку́тск Эрхүү Erkhüü; Эрхүү Erkhüü) is one of the largest cities in Siberia and the administrative center of Republic of Khakassia (Респу́блика Хака́сия Khakass: Хакасия Республиказы or Khakasiya (ru Хака́сия is a federal Abakan (Абака́н Khakass: Ағбан is the capital city of the Republic of Khakassia in Russia, in South Siberia Kemerovo Oblast (Ке́меровская о́бласть Kemerovskaya oblast) often called Kuzbass (ru Кузба́сс after the Kuznetsk Basin Kemerovo (Ке́мерово is an industrial city in Russia, situated on the Tom River, east-northeast of Novosibirsk. Krasnoyarsk Krai (Красноя́рский край Krasnoyarsky kray; not to be confused with Krasnodar Krai) is a federal subject of Krasnoyarsk (Красноя́рск is the administrative center of Krasnoyarsk Krai of Russia, and the third largest city in Siberia. Novosibirsk Oblast (Новосиби́рская о́бласть Novosibirskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an Oblast) History The city was founded in 1893 as the future site of the Trans-Siberian Railway bridge crossing the great Siberian river Ob, and was known as Omsk Oblast (О́мская о́бласть Omskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an Oblast) located in southwestern Omsk (Омск is a city in southwest Siberia in Russia, the administrative center of Omsk Oblast. Tomsk Oblast (То́мская о́бласть Tomskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an Oblast) Tomsk (Томск is a city on the Tom River in the southwest of Siberian Federal District, Russia, the administrative centre of Tyva Republic (Респу́блика Тыва́ Respublika Tyva, rʲɪˈspublʲɪkə tɨˈva Тыва Республика Tyva Respublika) or Tuva Kyzyl ( Tuvan and Кызы́л is a city, and is the capital of the Tuva Republic, Russia. The Far Eastern Federal District (Дальневосто́чный федера́льный о́круг Dalnevostochny federalny okrug) is the largest of the seven The Sakha Republic (Yakutia (Респу́блика Саха́ (Яку́тия Саха Республиката is a federal subject of Russia (a Republic Yakutsk (Яку́тск Дьокуускай) is a city in the Russian Far East, located about 4° (450 kilometres Russia is a Federation which consists of 83 subjects. These subjects are of equal federal rights in the sense that they have equal The Far Eastern Federal District (Дальневосто́чный федера́льный о́круг Dalnevostochny federalny okrug) is the largest of the seven Amur Oblast (Аму́рская о́бласть Amurskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an Oblast) situated about 8000 km Blagoveshchensk (Благове́щенск is a city in Russia, the administrative center of Amur Oblast, located 7985 km east of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug (Чуко́тский автоно́мный о́круг tr Anadyr (Ана́дырь Chukchi: Кагыргын Kagyrgyn) is a town and the administrative centre of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug Jewish Autonomous Oblast (Евре́йская автоно́мная о́бласть Yevreyskaya avtonomnaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia Birobidzhan (Биробиджа́н) is a town and the administrative center of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Russia. Kamchatka Krai (Камча́тский край is a federal subject of Russia. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (Петропа́вловск-Камча́тский is the main city and the administrative industrial scientific and cultural center of Khabarovsk Krai (Хаба́ровский край Khabarovsky kray) is a federal subject of Russia (a Krai) located in the Russian Far Khabarovsk (Хаба́ровск xʌ'barɘfsk) is the administrative center and the largest city of Khabarovsk Krai, Russia. Magadan Oblast (Магада́нская о́бласть Magadanskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an Oblast) in the Far Magadan (Магада́н is a Port town on the Sea of Okhotsk and gateway to the Kolyma region Primorsky Krai (Примо́рский край also known as Primorye (ru Примо́рье is a federal subject of Russia (a Krai) Vladivostok ( is Russia 's largest port city on the Pacific Ocean and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai. Sakhalin Oblast (Сахали́нская о́бласть Sakhalinskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an Oblast) comprising Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (Ю́жно-Сахали́нск is a city on Sakhalin Island, Russia, administrative center of Sakhalin Oblast (which Urals Federal District (Ура́льский федера́льный о́круг tr Chelyabinsk Oblast (Челя́бинская о́бласть Chelyabinskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an Oblast) Chelyabinsk (Челя́бинск is a city in Russia, located just to the east of the Ural Mountains, on Miass River. Sverdlovsk Oblast (Свердло́вская о́бласть Sverdlovskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an Oblast) located Yekaterinburg (Екатеринбу́рг also romanized Ekaterinburg, formerly Sverdlovsk) is a major city in the central part of Russia For the Barnaul meteorite of 1904 see Meteorite falls. For the bird see Barn owl. Irkutsk (Ирку́тск Эрхүү Erkhüü; Эрхүү Erkhüü) is one of the largest cities in Siberia and the administrative center of Kemerovo (Ке́мерово is an industrial city in Russia, situated on the Tom River, east-northeast of Novosibirsk. Krasnoyarsk (Красноя́рск is the administrative center of Krasnoyarsk Krai of Russia, and the third largest city in Siberia. Novokuznetsk (Новокузне́цк is a city in Kemerovo Oblast, Russia with a population of 549870 ( 2002 Census) History The city was founded in 1893 as the future site of the Trans-Siberian Railway bridge crossing the great Siberian river Ob, and was known as Omsk (Омск is a city in southwest Siberia in Russia, the administrative center of Omsk Oblast. Tomsk (Томск is a city on the Tom River in the southwest of Siberian Federal District, Russia, the administrative centre of Tyumen ( is a city in Russia, located on the Tura River east of Moscow.
History
Siberia was occupied by differing groups of nomads such as the Yenets, the Nenets, the Huns, and the Uyghurs. The history of Siberia may be traced to the sophisticated Nomadic civilizations of the Scythians ( Pazyryk) and the Xiongnu ( Noin-Ula The Enets people (энцы singular ru энец or Yenetses Entsy Entsi Yenisei Yenisei-Samoyed Yenisey Samoyeds or Yeniseian people are a traditionally nomadic people The Huns were an early confederation of Central Asian equestrian nomads or semi-nomads with a Turkic core of aristocracy The Uyghur (also spelled Uygur, Uighur, Uigur, Uyghur: ئۇيغۇر) are a Turkic people of Central Asia. The Khan of Sibir in the vicinity of modern Tobolsk was known as a prominent figure who endorsed Kubrat as Khagan in Avaria in 630. Tobolsk (Тобо́льск Tatar: Tubıl) is a historic capital of Siberia, now an ordinary town in Tyumen Oblast, Russia. Kubrat or Kurt (Кубрат Χουβρατις was a Bulgar ruler credited with establishing the confederation of Old Great Bulgaria in 632 The Caucasian Avars are a modern people of Caucasus, mainly of Dagestan. The area was conquered by the Mongols in the 13th century and eventually became the autonomous Siberia Khanate. Siberia Khanate is an anachronistic rendering of its actual name Khanate of Sibir, a Tatar Khanate in the later Russian Siberia
The growing power of Russia to the west began to undermine the Khanate in the 16th century. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending First, groups of traders and Cossacks began to enter the area, and then the Russian army began to set up forts further and further east. The Cossacks (Каза́ки́ Kazaki; Козаки́ Kozaki; Kozacy are a group of martial people living in the southern Steppe regions of Eastern Towns like Mangazeya, Tara, Yeniseysk, and Tobolsk sprang up, the latter being declared the capital of Siberia. Mangazeya was a Northwest Siberian trans- Ural trade colony and later city in the 16-17th centuries Tara (Та́ра is a town and the administrative center of Tarsky District, Omsk Oblast, Russia, located about 300 km north Yeniseysk, also Eniseisk and other variants (Енисе́йск is a town in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, located on the Yenisei Tobolsk (Тобо́льск Tatar: Tubıl) is a historic capital of Siberia, now an ordinary town in Tyumen Oblast, Russia. By the mid-17th century, the Russian-controlled areas had been extended to the Pacific. The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions
Siberia remained a mostly unexplored and uninhabited area. During the following few centuries, only a few exploratory missions and traders inhabited Siberia. The other group that was sent to Siberia consisted of prisoners exiled from western Russia or Russian-held territories like Poland (see katorga). Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Katorga (ка́торга from medieval Greek: katergon κάτεργον Galley) was the precursor to the Gulag system
The first great change to Siberia was the Trans-Siberian railway, constructed in 1891–1916. The Trans-Siberian Railway or Trans-Siberian Railroad (Транссибирская магистраль Транссиб in Russian, or Transsibirskaya magistral' It linked Siberia more closely to the rapidly-industrializing Russia of Nicholas II. Siberia is filled with natural resources and during the 20th century large scale exploitation of these was developed, and industrial towns cropped up throughout the region.
Katorga and Gulag
Russia, later the Soviet Union, operated a series of labor camps, known as Gulags. The Gulag was the government agency that administered the penal labor camps of the Soviet Union. They became so common that "Siberia" came to be used as metaphor for exile and punishment: "a bureaucratic Siberia" [8]
By analogy, one working-class district of downtown Stockholm, Sweden, earned the name Sibirien (Siberia) in the late 19th century, referring to its low-cost tenement houses being built in outlying areas. ('stɔkhɔlm is Sweden 's Capital and its largest City. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the parliament, and the "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation.
Geography and geology
| physical map of Northern Asia | ||
|---|---|---|
- Further information: Geography of Russia
With an area of 13. Lake Baikal (о́зеро Байка́л Ozero Baykal, ˈozʲɪrə bʌjˈkɑl Байгал нуур Baygal nuur) is in Southern Siberia in Russia The Gulf of Ob (also known as Ob Bay) (О́бская губа́ Obskaya guba) is an immense bay of the Arctic Ocean in Northern Yenisei (Енисе́й is the greatest River system flowing to the Arctic Ocean, and at 5539 km (3445 mi is the fifth longest river in the world Ob River (Обь also Obi, is a major river in West Siberia, Russia, the country's fourth longest Taymyr Peninsula (Полуостров Таймыр Таймырский полуостров is a peninsula in Siberia that forms the most northern part of mainland Asia Severnaya Zemlya (Се́верная Земля́ Northern Land) is an Archipelago in the Russian high Arctic at around. The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major The Central Siberian Plateau (Среднесиби́рское плоского́рье is made up of sharply demarcated surfaces of varying altitudes occupying most of Siberia Siberian Federal District (Сиби́рский федера́льный о́круг tr The Sakha Republic (Yakutia (Респу́блика Саха́ (Яку́тия Саха Республиката is a federal subject of Russia (a Republic The Laptev Sea ( Russian: мо́ре Ла́птевых is a Marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean. The New Siberian Islands (Новосиби́рские острова Novosibirskiye Ostrova are an Archipelago, located to the North of the East Siberian This is an article about the region commonly known as Kolyma For river it is named after see Kolyma River The Kolyma (pronounced koh-lee-MAH The Verkhoyansk Range (Верхоянский хребет is a Mountain range of eastern Siberia, spanning ca Urals Federal District (Ура́льский федера́льный о́круг tr Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the Ob River (Обь also Obi, is a major river in West Siberia, Russia, the country's fourth longest Irtysh (Иртыш; Kazakh: Ertis / Эртiс; Иртеш|İrteş; Chinese: Erqisi / 额尔齐斯河) a River in Siberia The Altai Mountains (Алтай Altay; Алтай 阿尔泰山脉 are a Mountain range in central Asia, where Russia, The Tian Shan (天山 Pinyin: Tiān Shān "celestial mountains" also commonly spelled Tien Shan, is a Mountain range located in Central Syr Darya (Сырдария Сирдарё Sirdaryoسيردريا also transliterated Syrdarya or Sirdaryo) is a River in Central Asia The Taklamakan Desert (Takelamagan Shamo 塔克拉玛干沙漠 also known as Taklimakan, is a Desert in Central Asia, in the Xinjiang The Pamir Mountains are located in Central Asia and are formed by the junction or Knot of the Tian Shan, Karakoram, Kunlun, and The Hindu Kush is a Mountain range located between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Tibetan Plateau, also known as the Qinghai-Tibetan (Qingzang Plateau is a vast elevated Plateau in Central Asia covering most of the Tibet Autonomous Lake Baikal (о́зеро Байка́л Ozero Baykal, ˈozʲɪrə bʌjˈkɑl Байгал нуур Baygal nuur) is in Southern Siberia in Russia Mongolia (mɒŋˈɡoʊliə, literally Mongol country/nation,) is a Landlocked Country in East The Gobi (Говь Govi or Gov', "gravel-covered plain" Chinese: zh-t 戈壁(沙漠 Gēbì (Shāmò) The North China Plain ( is based on the deposits of the Huang He (Yellow River and is the largest Alluvial plain of eastern Asia. The Yangtze Plain ( Chinese: 长江中下游平原 Wade-Giles: Ch'ang Chiang P'ing-yüan Pinyin: Chang Jiang Pingyuan is made up of a series of Alluvial The Tibetan Plateau, also known as the Qinghai-Tibetan (Qingzang Plateau is a vast elevated Plateau in Central Asia covering most of the Tibet Autonomous Stanovoy Range (Станово́й хребе́т Chinese: 外兴安岭 or Outer Khingan Range, also spelled as Stanovoy Range, is a Mountain Manchuria ( Romanized Manchu: Manju,, Маньчжурия Mongolian: Манж is a historical name given to a vast geographic region in northeast Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries a civilization and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. Sakhalin (Сахали́н səxʌˈlʲin Japanese:nihongo|樺太|karafuto or; Chinese: 庫頁 Kùyè also Saghalien, is a large elongated The Sea of Okhotsk ( Russian: Охо́тское мо́ре English Transliteration: Okhotskoye More) is a part of the western Pacific Ocean, For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The Russian Federation stretches across much of the north of the super-continent of Eurasia. 1 million km² (5. 1 million square miles), Siberia makes up roughly 77% of the total area of Russia. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Major geographical zones include the West Siberian Plain and the Central Siberian Plateau. The West Siberian Plain (За́падно-Сиби́рская равни́на is a large Plain that occupies the western portion of Siberia and Russia The Central Siberian Plateau (Среднесиби́рское плоского́рье is made up of sharply demarcated surfaces of varying altitudes occupying most of Siberia Note that Siberia covers almost 10% of all land surface (148,940,000 km²) of our planet.
The West Siberian Plain consists mostly of Cenozoic alluvial deposits and is extraordinarily low-lying, so much so that a sea level rise of fifty metres in would cause all land between the Arctic Ocean and Novosibirsk to be inundated. The Cenozoic (also Caenozoic or Cainozoic) Era (ˌsiːnəˈzoʊɪk/ /ˌsɛn- (meaning "new life" ( Greek ( kainos) "new" Sea-level rise is an increase in Sea level. Multiple complex factors may influence this change History The city was founded in 1893 as the future site of the Trans-Siberian Railway bridge crossing the great Siberian river Ob, and was known as Many of the deposits on this plain result from ice dams; having reversed the flow of the Ob and Yenisei Rivers, so redirecting them into the Caspian Sea (perhaps the Aral as well). An ice dam (or ice jam) occurs when water builds up behind a blockage of ice The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged Sea. The Aral Sea ( Kazakh: Арал Теңізі Aral Tengizi, Orol dengizi Russian: Аральскοе мοре Tajik / Persian: Daryocha-i It is very swampy and soils are mostly peaty Histosols and, in the treeless northern part, Histels. In both the FAO soil classification and the USA soil taxonomy, a histosol is a Soil comprised primarily of Organic materials They are defined Gelisols are an order in USDA soil taxonomy. They are Soils of very cold climates which are defined as containing Permafrost within two metres of the In the south of the plain, where permafrost is largely absent, rich grasslands that are an extension of the Kazakh Steppe formed the original vegetation (almost all cleared now). This article is about frozen ground For other meanings see Permafrost (disambiguation. Kazakh Steppe or Kirghiz Steppe, is a vast region of open grassland in northern Kazakhstan and adjacent portions of Russia, extending to the east of
The Central Siberian Plateau is an extremely ancient craton (sometimes called Angaraland) that formed an independent continent before the Permian (see Siberia (continent)). The Altai Mountains (Алтай Altay; Алтай 阿尔泰山脉 are a Mountain range in central Asia, where Russia, A craton ( Greek kratos / κρἀτος ( neut. "strength" is an old and stable part of the Continental crust that has survived A continent is one of several large Landmasses on Earth. They are generally identified by Convention rather than any strict criteria with seven regions The Permian is a geologic period and system that extends from 299 Siberia is the Craton located in the heart of the region of Siberia. It is exceptionally rich in minerals, containing large deposits of gold, diamonds, and ores of manganese, lead, zinc, nickel, cobalt and molybdenum. Gold (ˈɡoʊld is a Chemical element with the symbol Au (from its Latin name aurum) and Atomic number 79 In Mineralogy, diamond is the allotrope of carbon where the carbon atoms are arranged in Manganese (ˈmæŋgəniːz is a Chemical element, designated by the symbol Mn. Characteristics Lead has a dull luster and is a dense, Ductile, very soft highly Zinc (ˈzɪŋk from Zink is a Metallic Chemical element with the symbol Zn and Atomic number 30 Nickel (ˈnɪkəl is a metallic Chemical element with the symbol Ni and Atomic number 28 Cobalt (ˈkoʊbɒlt is a hard lustrous silver-grey Metal, a Chemical element with symbol Co. Molybdenum (məˈlɪbdənəm from the Greek word for the metal " Lead " is a Group 6 Chemical element with the symbol Mo Much of the area includes the Siberian Traps which is a large igneous province. The Siberian Traps (Сибирские траппы form a Large igneous province in Siberia. Large Igneous provinces (LIPS were originally defined by Coffin and Eldholm (1992 as areas of Earth's surface that contain very large volumes of magmatic rocks (typically The massive eruptive period was approximately coincident with the Permian-Triassic extinction event. The Permian–Triassic (P–Tr extinction event, informally known as the Great Dying, was an Extinction event that occurred, and 70 percent of terrestrial The volcanic event is said to be the largest known volcanic eruption in Earth history. EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001 Only the extreme northwest was glaciated during the Quaternary, but almost all is under exceptionally deep permafrost and the only tree that can thrive, despite the warm summers, is the deciduous Siberian Larch (Larix sibirica) with its very shallow roots. Overview The term Quaternary ("fourth" was proposed by Giovanni Arduino in 1759 for alluvial deposits in the Po river valley in northern This article is about frozen ground For other meanings see Permafrost (disambiguation. A tree is a perennial Woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or The Siberian Larch or Russian Larch ( Larix sibirica; syn L russica) is a frost-hardy tree native to western Russia, from close Outside the extreme northwest, the taiga is dominant. Taiga (ˈtaɪgə from Turkic or Mongolian) is a Biome characterized by Coniferous forests Soils here are mainly Turbels, giving way to Spodosols where the active layer becomes thicker and the ice content lower. Gelisols are an order in USDA soil taxonomy. They are Soils of very cold climates which are defined as containing Permafrost within two metres of the In Soil science, Podsol (also spelled Podzol, or known as Spodosol) are the typical Soils of Coniferous, or Boreal forests
Eastern and central Sakha comprise numerous north-south mountain ranges of various ages. These mountains extend up to almost three thousand metres in elevation, but above a few hundred metres they are almost completely devoid of vegetation. The Verkhoyansk Range was extensively glaciated in the Pleistocene, but the climate was too dry for glaciation to extend to low elevations. The Verkhoyansk Range (Верхоянский хребет is a Mountain range of eastern Siberia, spanning ca At these low elevations are numerous valleys, many of them deep, and covered with larch forest except in the extreme north, where tundra dominates. In physical Geography, tundra is an area where the Tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons Soils are mainly Turbels and the active layer tends to be less than a meter deep except near rivers.
The highest point in Siberia is the active. volcano Klyuchevskaya Sopka, in the Kamchatka peninsula. Plate tectonics and hotspots Divergent plate boundaries At the Klyuchevskaya Sopka (Ключевская сопка is a Stratovolcano, and the highest mountain on the Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia, and the highest
Climate
The climate of Siberia varies dramatically. On the north coast, north of the Arctic Circle, there is just a very short (about one-month-long) summer. The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth.
 |
|
polar desert tundra alpine tundra taiga montane forest |
| Vegetation in Siberia is mostly taiga, with a tundra belt on the northern fringe, and a temperate forest one in the south. A biome is a climatically and geographically defined area of ecologically similar climatic conditions such as communities of Plants Animals and Taiga (ˈtaɪgə from Turkic or Mongolian) is a Biome characterized by Coniferous forests In physical Geography, tundra is an area where the Tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests temperate deciduous forest) --> are a Temperate and Humid Biome. |
Almost all the population lives in the south, along the Trans-Siberian railroad. The Trans-Siberian Railway or Trans-Siberian Railroad (Транссибирская магистраль Транссиб in Russian, or Transsibirskaya magistral' The climate here is continental subarctic (Koppen Dfc or Dwc), with the annual average temperature about 0 °C (32 °F) and roughly −15 °C (5 °F) average in January and +20 °C (68 °F) in July. The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems It was developed by Wladimir Köppen, a German climatologist [9] With a reliable growing season, an abundance of sunshine and exceedingly fertile chernozem soils, Southern Siberia is good enough for profitable agriculture, as was proven in the early twentieth century. Chernozem (чернозём black soil) also known as "black land" or "black earth" is a black-coloured Soil containing a very high percentage
The southwesterly winds of Southern Siberia bring warm air from Central Asia and the Middle East. The climate in West Siberia (Omsk, Novosibirsk) is several degrees warmer than in the East (Irkutsk, Chita). With a lowest record temperature of -71. 2 °C (-96. 1 °F), Oymyakon (Sakha Republic) has the distinction of being the coldest town on Earth. Oymyakon (Оймяко́н is a village ( selo) in Oymyakonsky Ulus of the Sakha Republic, Russia, located along the The Sakha Republic (Yakutia (Респу́блика Саха́ (Яку́тия Саха Республиката is a federal subject of Russia (a Republic EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001 But summer temperatures in other regions reach +36. . . +38 °C (97-100°F). In general, Sakha is the coldest Siberian region, and the basin of the Yana River has the lowest temperatures of all, with permafrost reaching 1,493 metres (4,900 ft). Yana River (Яна is a River in Sakha in Russia, located between the Lena to the west and the Indigirka to the east Nevertheless, as far as Imperial Russia plans of settlement are concerned, the cold was never viewed as an issue. In the winter, Southern Siberia sits near the center of the semi-permanent Siberian High, so winds are usually light in the winter. The Siberian High is a massive collection of cold or very cold dry air that accumulates on the Eurasian terrain for much of the year
Precipitation in Siberia is generally low, exceeding 500 mm (20 inches) only in Kamchatka where moist winds flow from the Sea of Okhotsk onto high mountains — producing the region's only major glaciers — and in most of Primorye in the extreme south where monsoonal influences can produce quite heavy summer rainfall. In Meteorology, precipitation (also known as one class of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric The Sea of Okhotsk ( Russian: Охо́тское мо́ре English Transliteration: Okhotskoye More) is a part of the western Pacific Ocean, "Glacial" and "Glaciation" redirect here For the geological periods see Glacial period. Primorye may refer to Primorye, informal name of Primorsky Krai, Russia Primorye (urban-type settlement, an urban-type settlement Despite the region's notorious cold, snowfall is generally extremely light, especially in the east of the region.
Lakes and rivers
Impact craters
Mountain ranges
Grasslands
- Ukok Plateau — part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site[10]
Economy
Siberia is extraordinarily rich in minerals, containing ores of almost all economically valuable metals—largely because of the absence of Quaternary glaciation outside highland areas. Ukok Plateau is a remote and pristine Grasslands area located in the heart of southwestern Siberia, the Altai Mountains region of Russia near United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex The M acro E xpansion T emplate A ttribute L anguage complements TAL, providing macros which allow the reuse of code across It has some of the world's largest deposits of nickel, gold, lead, coal, molybdenum, diamonds, silver and zinc, as well as extensive unexploited resources of oil and natural gas. Nickel (ˈnɪkəl is a metallic Chemical element with the symbol Ni and Atomic number 28 Gold (ˈɡoʊld is a Chemical element with the symbol Au (from its Latin name aurum) and Atomic number 79 Characteristics Lead has a dull luster and is a dense, Ductile, very soft highly Molybdenum (məˈlɪbdənəm from the Greek word for the metal " Lead " is a Group 6 Chemical element with the symbol Mo In Mineralogy, diamond is the allotrope of carbon where the carbon atoms are arranged in Silver (ˈsɪlvɚ is a Chemical element with the symbol " Ag " (argentum from the Ancient Greek: ἀργήντος - argēntos gen Zinc (ˈzɪŋk from Zink is a Metallic Chemical element with the symbol Zn and Atomic number 30 An oil is a substance that is in a viscous Liquid state ( "oily") at ambient temperatures or slightly warmer and is Natural gas is a Gaseous Fossil fuel consisting primarily of Methane but including significant quantities of Ethane, Propane, Most of these are in the cold and remote eastern part of the region, with the result that extraction has proven difficult and began on a large scale only after Stalin came to power and developed labor camps to deal with the difficulty of attracting labour to such unpleasant climates. Joseph Stalin ( ნამდვილი გვარი ჯუღაშვილი|Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili; March 5 1953 was General Secretary of the Communist Party
Agriculture is severely restricted by the short growing season of most of the region. However, in the southwest where soils are exceedingly fertile black earths and the climate is a little more moderate, there is extensive cropping of wheat, barley, rye and potatoes, along with the grazing of large numbers of sheep and cattle. Wheat ( Triticum spp is a worldwide cultivated grass from the Levant area of the Middle East. Barley ( Hordeum vulgare) is an annual Cereal Grain, which serves as a major animal Feed crop, with smaller amounts used for Rye ( Secale cereale) is a grass grown extensively as a grain and forage crop The potato is a Starchy Tuberous crop Vegetable from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae Cattle, colloquially referred to as cows, are domesticated Ungulates a member of the Subfamily Bovinae of the family Elsewhere food production, owing to the poor fertility of the podzolic soils and the extremely short growing seasons, is restricted to the herding of reindeer in the tundra — which has been practised by natives for over ten thousand years. In Soil science, Podsol (also spelled Podzol, or known as Spodosol) are the typical Soils of Coniferous, or Boreal forests Siberia has the world's largest forests. A forest is an area with a high density of Trees There are many definitions of a forest based on various criteria Timber remains an important source of revenue despite the fact that many forests in the east have been logged much more rapidly than they are able to recover. The Sea of Okhotsk is one of the two or three richest fisheries in the world owing to its cold currents and extremely large tidal ranges, and thus Siberia produces over 10 percent of the world's annual fish catch, though fishing has declined somewhat since the collapse of the USSR. The Sea of Okhotsk ( Russian: Охо́тское мо́ре English Transliteration: Okhotskoye More) is a part of the western Pacific Ocean, Characteristics A tide is a repeated cycle of sea level changes in the following stages Over several hours the water rises or advances up a beach in the flood
Industry, developed during the interwar period (1920s and 1930s) and increased vastly during World War II, has declined greatly since the collapse of the USSR. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including At one point there were huge factories in Western Siberia and many even around Lake Baikal but these have largely ceased operation since the USSR collapsed. Lake Baikal (о́зеро Байка́л Ozero Baykal, ˈozʲɪrə bʌjˈkɑl Байгал нуур Baygal nuur) is in Southern Siberia in Russia
Demographics
Siberia has population density of about three people per square kilometer. Geographically Siberia includes the Russian Urals, Siberian, and Far Eastern Federal Districts The north-central parts of Most Siberians are Russians and Russified Ukrainians. The Russian people (Русские— Russkie) are an East Slavic Ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries The Ukrainians in Russia make up the largest single Ukrainian diaspora of the Ukrainian people. Ethnic Russians are descended from Slavs who lived in Eastern Europe several hundred years ago. Eastern Europe is a general term that refers to the Geopolitical region encompassing the easternmost part of the European continent. There are approximately 400,000 ethnic Germans living in Siberia. The Volga Germans (Wolgadeutsche or Russlanddeutsche) were Ethnic Germans living along the Volga River in the region of southern European Russia [11] Such Mongol and Turkic groups as Buryats, Tuvinians, Yakuts, and Siberian Tatars lived in Siberia originally, and descendants of these peoples still live there. The Turkic peoples are Eurasian peoples residing in northern central and western Eurasia who speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family The Buryats or Buriyads, numbering approximately 436000 are the largest ethnic minority group in Siberia and are mainly concentrated in their homeland the Tuvans or Tuvinians ( Tuvan: Тывалар Tyvalar) are a group of Mongols or Turkic people. Yakuts, self-designation Sakha, are a Turkic -speaking people associated with the Sakha (Yakutia Republic. The Siberian Tatars are a sub-group of the Tatars, sometimes considered a separate ethnic group Other ethnic groups include Kets, Evenks, Chukchis, Koryaks, and Yukaghirs. Kets ( Кеты in Russian) are a Siberian people who speak the Ket language. The Evenks or Evenki (autonym Эвэнкил Evenkil; Эвенки Evenki; 鄂温克族 pny ''Èwēnkè Zú'' formerly known as Tungus Chukchi, or Chukchee (чукчи ( plural) ru чукча ( singular) are an Indigenous people inhabiting the Chukchi Peninsula Koryaks (or Koriak are an indigenous people of Kamchatka Krai in the Russian Far East, who inhabit the coastlands of the Bering Sea to the south of the The Yukaghir, or Yukagirs (юкаги́ры self-designation одул ( odul) деткиль ( detkil) are a people in East Siberia, living See the Northern indigenous peoples of Russia article for more. Including the Russian Far East, the population of Siberia numbers just above 40 million people
Recently, there has been a rather large influx of Chinese merchants and laborers in Siberia, however, they are not counted in official statistics. The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following A person who resides in and holds citizenship of the People's Republic of China (including Hong Estimates of around a million Chinese in Siberia. Other East Asians are Koreans (i. The Korean people are an East Asian Ethnic group. Most Koreans speak the Korean language. e. from North Korea) and the Vietnamese brought over as laborers during the Soviet era (from the 1950s to the 1980s) and some of their families remained in Siberia. North Korea is the commonly used short form name for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (or DPRK) a State located in East Asia, The Vietnamese people (người Việt or vi ''người Kinh'' are an Ethnic group originating from what is now northern Vietnam and southern China.
About 70% of Siberia's people live in cities. Most city people live in apartments. Many people in rural areas live in simple, but more spacious, log houses. Novosibirsk is the largest city in Siberia, with a population of about 1. History The city was founded in 1893 as the future site of the Trans-Siberian Railway bridge crossing the great Siberian river Ob, and was known as 5 million. Tobolsk, Tomsk, Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk and Omsk are the older, historical centers. Tobolsk (Тобо́льск Tatar: Tubıl) is a historic capital of Siberia, now an ordinary town in Tyumen Oblast, Russia. Tomsk (Томск is a city on the Tom River in the southwest of Siberian Federal District, Russia, the administrative centre of Krasnoyarsk (Красноя́рск is the administrative center of Krasnoyarsk Krai of Russia, and the third largest city in Siberia. Irkutsk (Ирку́тск Эрхүү Erkhüü; Эрхүү Erkhüü) is one of the largest cities in Siberia and the administrative center of Omsk (Омск is a city in southwest Siberia in Russia, the administrative center of Omsk Oblast.
Religion
There are a variety of beliefs throughout Siberia including Orthodox Christianity, Islam, Tibetan Buddhism, and denominations of Christianity. Northern Asia, particularly Siberia is regarded as the locus classicus of Shamanism. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including [12] An estimated 70,000 Jews live in Siberia. [13] The predominant group is the Russian Orthodox Church. See also Eastern Orthodox Church Structure and organization The Slavic Orthodox Church is organized in a hierarchical structure However, native religion dates back hundreds of years. The vast terrority of Siberia has many different local traditions of gods. These include: Ak Ana, Anapel, Bugady Musun, Kara Khan, Khaltesh-Anki, Kini'je, Ku'urkil, Nga, Nu'tenut, Numi-Torem, Numi-Turum, Pon, Pugu, Todote, Toko'yoto, Tomam, Xaya Iccita, Zonget. Ak Ana, the "White Mother" is the primordial creator-goddess of the Khanty and Mansi peoples of Siberia. Anapel is the goddess of Reincarnation and birth worshipped by the Koryak people of Siberia. A goddess revered by many Siberian peoples Bugady Musun was the patron of wildlife and the guardian of animals This article refers to the Turkic state Kara-Khanid Khanate (also designated as Qarakhanids Khaltesh-Anki is the Ob Ugrian Khanty Mansi goddess of the Earth. Kini'je is a Yukaghir deity responsible for the flow of Time. The Chukchi creator-deity roughly analogous to Bai-Ulgan of the Turkic pantheon Among the Nenets people of Siberia, Nga was the god of death as well as one of two Demiurges or supreme gods The chief god of the Chukchi peoples In Chukchi religious lore Nu'tenut lived in a house built of Iron. Num-Torum ( Numi-Torem or Numi-Turum) is the supreme god or father god of the Ob-Ugrian peoples. Num-Torum ( Numi-Torem or Numi-Turum) is the supreme god or father god of the Ob-Ugrian peoples. The Yukaghir god of the Sun and of Justice. He is revered as the defender of the oppressed and the punisher of evil deeds Todote is the Samoyed God of Evil and Death, identified with the Turkic god Erlik. Toko'yoto or "Crab" was the Chukchi god of the sea Specifically he was the creator and ruler of the Pacific Ocean. Among the Ket people of Siberia, Tomam was the goddess of birds Xaya Iccita is the Yakut god of mountains Zonget is a Mansi nature goddess Places with sacred areas include Olkhon, an island in Lake Baikal. Olkhon (Ольхон also transliterated as Olchon) is the fourth-largest lake-bound island in the world. Lake Baikal (о́зеро Байка́л Ozero Baykal, ˈozʲɪrə bʌjˈkɑl Байгал нуур Baygal nuur) is in Southern Siberia in Russia
Transport
The best way to tour Siberia is through the Trans-Siberian Railway. The Trans-Siberian Railway or Trans-Siberian Railroad (Транссибирская магистраль Транссиб in Russian, or Transsibirskaya magistral' The Trans-Siberian Railway operates from Moscow in the West to Vladivostok in the East. Vladivostok ( is Russia 's largest port city on the Pacific Ocean and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai. The train has 2nd class 4-berth compartments, 1st class 2-berth compartments, and a restaurant car.
See also
References
- ^ Great Soviet Encyclopedia (in Russian)
- ^ Healing oils from pristine Siberian wilderness
- ^ Малый энциклопедический словарь Брокгауза и Ефрона (The Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary, in Russian)
- ^ Сибирь—Большая советская энциклопедия (The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, in Russian)
- ^ Сибирь- Словарь современных географических названий (in Russian)
- ^ Siberia--Britannica online encyclopedia
- ^ Siberia--The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition.
- ^ What Became of the CIA?, by Gabriel Schoenfeld. Education in Siberia expanded greatly after the Trans-Siberian Railway was completed in the 19th century The Russian conquest of Siberia took place in the 16th century when the Siberian Khanate had become a loose political structure of Vassalages which were becoming Siberian separatism, or oblastnichestvo ( Russian: областничество is a political movement to form an autonomous or independent Siberian polity The Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary ( Russian: Энциклопедический словарь Брокгауза и Ефрона (35 volumes small The Great Soviet Encyclopedia ( Большая Советская Энциклопедия, or БСЭ; transliterated Bolshaya Sovetskaya Entsiklopediya Also see this
- ^ Historical Weather for Novosibirsk, Russia. weatherbase. com Last accesed November 6, 2006.
- ^ Altai: Saving the Pearl of Siberia. Retrieved on 2006-11-30. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1700 - Battle of Narva — A Swedish army of 8500 men under Charles XII defeats
- ^ Siberian Germans
- ^ Russian Embassy website — Religion in Russia
- ^ Planting Jewish roots in Siberia
External links
Wikitravel is a Web -based project "to create a free, complete up-to-date and reliable worldwide travel guide.Dictionary
Siberia
-proper noun
- The region of Russia in Asia, stretching from the Urals to the Pacific Ocean.
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic