About Khabarovsk Krai

The Khabarovsky krai is a largest area administrative and territorial unit of the Russian Federation. It occupies the central part of the Russian Far East stretching for 1,800 km from south to north and 125— 750 km from west to east. The distance from its center to Moscow is 8,533 km by rail and 6,075 km by air. The krai territory is 788.6 thousand sq. km, i.e. 4,6% of Russia’s entire territory.

The krai borders with China along the Us-sun river and the Amurskaya branch, its nearest Russian neighbors are the Primorsky krai, the Amurskaya, the Magadanskaya and the Jewish Autonomous oblasts and the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic. It is washed from the east by the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan, the Tatar and the Nevelskoy Straits separate it from Sakhalin island. The coastline indented with numerous bays is 2.5 thousand km long. Besides its main continental part the krai includes several islands the Shantarskiye islands being the largest ones.

Administrative and Territorial Structure

The Khabarovsky krai includes 17 administrative rayons, six towns subordinated to the krai and one to the rayon, 25 industrial settlements and 483 rural settlements. The capital of the Khabarovsky krai is the town of Khabarovsk.

Population

About 1,600,000 people inhabit the krai. The urban population including the industrial settlements is 80% of the total. The population density is 2 per sq. km.

In the ethnic composition of the population Russians prevail (over 86%), Ukrainians, Byelorussians, Tatars and 25 low-numbered indigenous peoples of the North are also registered.

Khabarovsk Krai History

Settling in the Far East started in 17th century. In 1639 agroup of Cossacksunder Ivan Moskvitin reached the Sea of Okhotsk shore. In the UIya river estuary on the sea shore the first ostrog (a fortified settlement with a prison) was built.

In 1643 in search of the unknown Dauria land as western Priamurye was called then the Yakutskoye voevodstvo (the military district of the time) sent a Cossack group under Vassily Poyarkov. In the spring of the following year the group having sailed down the Zeya reached the Amur. The Vologda peasant Erofei Khabarov came here after Poyarkov with the team of 100 men in 1650. A part of the team stayed in the Daurian townlet of Albazin. From that time on new settlements arose around Albazin, new crafts developed as trade did. In 1682 the Albazinskoye voevodstvo was officially included in the Russian state system. Thus in the 40— 60ies of 17th century Priamurye was in fact added to Russia’s domain.

In the middle of 18th century Russia registered the epoch-making discoveries in the Far East. The expedition of G. I. Nevelskoy (1849—1855) proved that the Amur was navigable for sea-going vessels and ascertained that Sakhalin was an island. In 1850 Nevelskoy went up the Amur estuary and started the first military post of Nikolaevsky there.

1853— 1856 was the period of the so-called Amur upstream expeditions that laid the foundation for the new era of mass population coming to Priamurye. These upstream expeditions organized by Governor General N. N. Muravyov on rafts, barges, ferries, became a prelude to the exploration of the new lands.

Landscape

The Khabarovskykrai is predominantly mountainous. About 3/4 of the krai area are mountains and plateaus from 500 to 2,000 m high in the west, 700 — 1,400 in the south-east and 800—2,500 m in its north. The largest plain is the Sredneamurskya (Midstream Amur) Lowland in the Amur river basin between the towns of Khabarovsk and Komsomolsk-na-Amure.

Flora and Fauna

The Khabarovsky krai is located in the forested area. The forests are mostly coniferous. Among other species here grow oak, ash, elm, maple. Of non-timber resources most valuable are the unique Far Eastern medicinal herbs: ginseng, eleuterococce, schizandra, aralia. The coniferous forests of the Khabarovsky krai are inhabited by the hoofed animals (elk, reindeer, boar, Siberian roe, musk deer), fur-bearing animals (sable, Siberian weasel, fox, squirrel, muskrat, river otter, brown bear, wolf, etc.), the north is habitat to northern deer, ermine, skunk bear. Lynx, Himalayan black bear and Amur tiger are found here too.

Climate

Winter on the larger part of the krai territory is long, dry and harsh. The mean January temperatures are -22°C in the south down to - 40°C in the north, while on the coast they range from -18°C to -24°C. The absolute temperature minimum even in the krai south reaches -50°C. Summer is warm and humid. The hottest month of July mean temperatures for the south are +20°C, for the north +15°C. The annual precipitation norm is 400 — 600 mm in the north and 600—800 on the plains and eastern slopes of mountain ranges. The krai south registers up to 90% of all precipitation in the season from April to October and especially much in July — August.

Economy

Industry plays a key role in the Khabarovsky krai economy. The krai is prominent not only in the Far East but also in overall Russia for many of its production items (timber, non-ferrous and precious metals, fish, casting machines, gantry cranes, the defense industry products).

The Khabarovsky krai machine-building and metal working facilities are largest and most diversified in the Far East of Russia. Transport machine-building including aircraft and vessel-manufacturing is well developed. The krai accounts for about 30% of the regional machine building industry output.

Science and Culture

The Khabarovsky krai has a considerable research potential. About 35 research centers are active in the krai: institutes, laboratories, experimental stations, design bureaus. 14 higher education institutions train specialists.

Telecommunications

Khabarovsk is the main telecommunications center for all kinds of telecommunications that exist in the world. Many reputable hotels in towns provide worldwide telecommunication service to their clients. To call to another Russian town (and some CIS states) dial 8 then the town area code and the needed number. For international connection you need to dial 8 — 10— town area code — number.

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