sakha

Sakha

Sakha,a officially he Republic of Sakha (Yaku ia),b is a epublic of Russia, i he Russia Fa Eas , alo g he A c ic Ocea , wi h a popula io of oughly 1 millio .9 Sakha comp ises half of he a ea of i s gove i g Fa Eas e Fede al Dis ic , a d is he wo ld’s la ges cou y subdivisio , cove i g ove 3,083,523 squa e kilome e s (1,190,555 sq mi).10 Yaku sk, which is he wo ld’s coldes majo ci y,11 is i s capi al a d la ges ci y. The epublic has a epu a io fo a ex eme a d seve e clima e, wi h he lowes empe a u es i he No he Hemisphe e bei g eco ded i Ve khoya sk a d Oymyako , a d egula wi e ave ages commo ly dippi g below −۳۵ °C (−۳۱ °F) i Yaku sk. The hype co i e al e de cies also esul i wa m summe s fo much of he epublic.

Sakha was fi s home o hu i g-ga he i g a d ei dee he di g Tu gusic a d Paleosibe ia peoples such as he Eve ks a d Yukaghi . Mig a i g f om he a ea a ou d Lake Baikal, he Tu kic Sakha people fi s se led alo g he middle Le a ive some ime be wee he 9 h a d 16 h ce u ies, likely i seve al waves, b i gi g he pas o al eco omic sys em of Ce al Asia wi h hem. The Russia s colo ised a d i co po a ed he a ea as Yaku sk Oblas i o he Tsa dom of Russia i he ea ly-mid 17 h ce u y, obligi g he i dige ous peoples of he a ea o pay fu ibu e. While he i i ial pe iod followi g he Russia co ques saw he Sakha popula io d op by 70%, he Impe ial pe iod also saw he expa sio of he a ive Yaku s f om he middle Le a alo g he Vilyuy Rive o he o h a d he eas displaci g o he i dige ous g oups. Yaku ia saw some of he las ba les of he Russia Civil Wa , a d he Bolshevik au ho i ies e-o ga ized Yaku sk Oblas i o he au o omous Yaku ASSR i 1922. The Sovie e a saw he mig a io of ma y Slavs, specifically Russia s a d Uk ai ia s i o he a ea. The mode Republic of Sakha was es ablished i 1991 a he ime of he dissolu io of he Sovie U io .

Co e s

E ymologyedi

The exo ym Yaku comes f om he Eve k e m Yаkо (also yoqo, ñoqa, o ñoka), which was he e m he Eve ks used o desc ibe he Sakha. This was i u picked up by he Russia s.12 The Yukaghi s, a o he eighbo i g people i Sibe ia, use he exo ym yoqol ~ yoqod- ~ yoqo – (Tu d a Yukaghi ) o yaqal ~ yaqad- ~ yaqa – (Kolyma Yukaghi ).ci a io eeded

The self-desig a io Sakha is p obably of he same o igi (*jaqa Sakha followi g egula sou d cha ges i he cou se of developme of he Yaku la guage) as he Eve k a d Yukaghi exo yms fo he Yaku s.13 I is p o ou ced as Haka by he Dolga s, whose la guage is ei he a dialec o a close ela ive of he Yaku la guage.1415

Geog aphyedi

Sakha s e ches o he He ie a Isla d i he fa o h a d is washed by he Lap ev a d Eas e Sibe ia Seas of he A c ic Ocea . These wa e s, he coldes a d icies of all seas i he No he Hemisphe e, a e cove ed by ice fo 9–۱۰ mo hs of he yea . New Sibe ia Isla ds a e a pa of he epublic’s e i o y. Af e Nu avu was sepa a ed f om Ca ada’s No hwes Te i o ies, Sakha became he la ges sub a io al e i y (s a oid) i he wo ld, wi h a a ea of 3,083,523 squa e kilome e s (1,190,555 sq mi),10 sligh ly smalle ha he e i o y of I dia (3.3 millio km2).

Sakha ca be divided i o h ee g ea vege a io bel s. Abou 40% of Sakha lies above he A c ic ci cle a d all of i is cove ed by pe maf os which g ea ly i flue ces he egio ‘s ecology a d limi s fo es s i he sou he egio . A c ic a d suba c ic u d a defi e he middle egio , whe e liche a d moss g ow as g ea g ee ca pe s a d a e favo i e pas u es fo ei dee . I he sou he pa of he u d a bel , sca e ed s a ds of dwa f Sibe ia pi e a d la ch g ow alo g he ive s. Below he u d a is he vas aiga fo es egio . La ch ees domi a e i he o h a d s a ds of fi a d pi e begi o appea i he sou h. Taiga fo es s cove abou 47% of Sakha a d almos 90% of he cove is la ch.

The Sakha Republic is he si e of Pleis oce e Pa k, a p ojec di ec ed a ec ea i g Pleis oce e u d a g assla ds by s imula i g he g ow h of g ass wi h he i oduc io of a imals which h ived i he egio du i g he la e Pleis oce e — ea ly Holoce e pe iod.

Time zo esedi

Sakha is he o ly fede al subjec of Russia which uses mo e ha o e ime zo e. Sakha spa s h ee ime zo es.16 Like he es of Russia, i does o use dayligh savi g ime.

Rive sedi

The la ges ive is he avigable Le a Rive (4,400 km). As i moves o hwa d, i i cludes hu d eds of small ibu a ies loca ed i he Ve khoya sk Ra ge.

Lakesedi

The e a e ove 800,000 lakes i he epublic.17 Majo lakes a d ese voi s i clude:

Mou ai sedi

Sakha’s g ea es mou ai a ge, he Ve khoya sk Ra ge, u s pa allel a d eas of he Le a Rive , fo mi g a g ea a c ha begi s i he Sea of Okho sk a d e ds i he Lap ev Sea.

The Che sky Ra ge u s eas of he Ve khoya sk Ra ge a d has he highes peak i Sakha, Peak Pobeda (3,147 m). The seco d highes peak is Peak Mus-Khaya eachi g 3,011 m.

The S a ovoy Ra ge bo de s Sakha i he sou h.

Pe i sulasedi

The Republic’s ex e sive coas li e co ai s a umbe of pe i sulas; f om wes o eas he mos p omi e a e:

Isla dsedi

F om wes o eas he mai isla ds of Sakha a e:

Na u al esou cesedi

Sakha is well e dowed wi h aw ma e ials. The soil co ai s la ge ese ves of oil, gas, coal, diamo ds, gold, silve , i , u gs e a d ma y o he s. Sakha p oduces 99% of all Russia diamo ds a d ove 25% of he diamo ds mi ed i he wo ld.1819

Clima eedi

Sakha is k ow fo i s clima e ex emes, wi h he Ve khoya sk Ra ge bei g he coldes a ea i he No he Hemisphe e. Some of he lowes a u al empe a u es eve eco ded have bee he e. The No he Hemisphe e’s Pole of Cold is a Ve khoya sk, whe e he empe a u es eached as low as −۶۷٫۸ °C (−۹۰٫۰ °F) i 1892, a d a Oymyako , whe e he empe a u es eached as low as −۷۱٫۲ °C (−۹۶٫۲ °F) i Ja ua y 1924.

Ave age a ual p ecipi a io : 200 mm (ce al pa s) o 700 mm (mou ai s of Eas e Sakha).

Admi is a ive divisio sedi

His o yedi

P e-his o yedi

Sibe ia, a d pa icula ly Sakha, is of paleo ological sig ifica ce, as i co ai s bodies of p ehis o ic a imals f om he Pleis oce e Epoch, p ese ved i ice o pe maf os . I 2015, he f oze bodies of Di a a d Uya he cave lio cubs we e fou d. Bodies of Yuka a d a o he woolly mammo h f om Oymyako , a woolly hi oce os f om he Kolyma Rive , a d biso a d ho ses f om Yukagi have also bee fou d.24 I Ju e 2019, he seve ed ye p ese ved head of a la ge wolf f om he Pleis oce e, da ed o ove 40,000 yea s ago, was fou d close o he Ti ekh yakh Rive .252627

Ymyakh akh cul u e (c. 2200–۱۳۰۰ BC) was a La e Neoli hic cul u e of Sibe ia, wi h a ve y la ge a chaeological ho izo . I s o igi s we e i Sakha, i he Le a ive basi . F om he e i sp ead bo h o he eas a d o he wes .28

Ea ly his o yedi

The Tu kic Sakha people o Yaku s may have se led he a ea as ea ly as he 9 h ce u y o as la e as he 16 h ce u y, hough mos likely he e we e seve al mig a io s. They mig a ed up o h f om a ou d Lake Baikal o he middle Le a due o p essu e by he Bu ya s, a Mo golic g oup.29

The Sakha displaced ea lie , much smalle popula io s who lived o hu i g a d ei dee he di g, i oduci g he pas o alis eco omy of Ce al Asia. The i dige ous popula io s of Paleosibe ia a d Tu gusic s ock we e mos ly assimila ed o he Sakha by he 17 h ce u y.30

Russia co ques edi

The Tsa dom of Russia bega i s co ques of he egio i he 17 h ce u y, movi g eas af e he defea of he Kha a e of Sibi . Tygy , a ki g of he Kha galassky Sakha, g a ed e i o y fo Russia se leme i e u fo a mili a y pac ha i cluded wa agai s i dige ous ebels of all No h Eas e Asia (Magada , Chuko ka, Kamcha ka a d Sakhali ). Kull, a ki g of he Megi o-Kha galassky Sakha, bega a Sakha co spi acy by allowi g he fi s s ockade co s uc io .ci a io eeded

I Augus 1638, he Moscow Gove me fo med a ew admi is a ive u i wi h he admi is a ive ce e of Le sky Os og (Fo Le sky), he fu u e ci y of Yaku sk, which had bee fou ded by Pyo Beke ov i 1632.

The a ival of Russia se le s a he emo e Russkoye Us ye i he I digi ka del a is also believed o da e f om he 17 h ce u y.31 The Sibe ia Gove o a e was es ablished as pa of he Russia Empi e i 1708.

Russia se le s bega o fo m a commu i y i he 18 h ce u y, which adop ed ce ai Sakha cus oms a d was of e called Yaku ya e (Якутя́не) o Le a Ea ly Se le s (ленские старожилы). Howeve , he i flux of la e se le s had assimila ed hemselves i o he Russia mai s eam by he 20 h ce u y.

Russia Empi eedi

I a admi is a ive efo m of 1782, I ku sk Gove o a e was c ea ed. I 1805, Yaku sk Oblas was spli f om I ku sk Gove o a e.

Yaku sk Oblas i he ea ly 19 h ce u y ma ked he eas e mos e i o y of he Russia Empi e, i cludi g such Fa Eas e (Pacific) e i o ies as we e acqui ed, k ow as Okho sk Ok ug wi hi Yaku sk Oblas . Wi h he fo ma io of P imo skaya Oblas i 1856, he Russia e i o ies of he Pacific we e de ached f om Sakha.

The Russia s es ablished ag icul u e i he Le a Rive basi . The membe s of eligious g oups who we e exiled o Sakha i he seco d half of he 19 h ce u y bega o g ow whea , oa s, a d po a oes. The fu ade es ablished a cash eco omy. I dus y a d a spo bega o develop a he e d of he 19 h ce u y a d i he begi i g of he Sovie pe iod. This was also he begi i g of geological p ospec i g, mi i g, a d local lead p oduc io . The fi s s eam-powe ed ships a d ba ges a ived.

Sakha’s emo e ess, compa ed o he es of Sibe ia, made i a place of exile of choice fo bo h Tsa is a d Commu is gove me s of Russia. Amo g he famous Tsa is -e a exiles we e he democ a ic w i e Nikolay Che yshevsky; Doukhobo co scie ious objec o s, whose s o y was old o Leo Tols oy by Vasily Pozd yakov; he Socialis Revolu io a y a d w i e Vladimi Ze zi ov, who lef a accou of his A c ic expe ie ces; a d Polish socialis ac ivis Wacław Sie oszewski, who pio ee ed i e h og aphic esea ch o he Sakha people.

A Sakha a io al moveme fi s eme ged du i g he 1905 Revolu io . A Yaku U io was fo med u de he leade ship of a Sakha lawye a d ci y cou cilo by he ame of Vasily Nikifo ov, which c i icized he policies a d effec s of Russia colo ialism, a d dema ded ep ese a io i he S a e Duma. The Yaku U io ac ed o make he ci y cou cil of Yaku sk s a d dow a d was joi ed by housa ds of Sakha f om he cou yside, bu he leade s we e a es ed a d he moveme fizzled ou by Ap il 1906. Thei dema d fo a Sakha epse a ive i he Duma, howeve , was g a ed.32

Sovie e aedi

Sakha was home o he las s age of he Russia Civil Wa , he Yaku Revol . O Ap il 27, 1922, fo me Yaku sk Oblas was p oclaimed he Yaku ASSR, al hough i fac he eas e pa of he e i o y, i cludi g he ci y of Yaku sk, was co olled by he Whi e Russia s.

The ea ly Sovie pe iod saw a flou ishi g of Sakha li e a u e as me such as Pla o Oyu sky w o e dow i w i i g he adi io ally o al a d imp ovised olo kho, i addi io o composi g hei ow wo ks. Ma y ea ly Sakha leade s, i cludi g Oyu sky, died i he G ea Pu ge.

Sakha expe ie ced sig ifica collec iviza io be wee 1929 a d 1934, wi h he umbe of households expe ie ci g collec iviza io isi g f om 3.6% i 1929 o 41.7% i 1932. Policies by which he Sakha we e ha shly affec ed esul ed i he popula io d oppi g f om 240,500 i 1926 dow o 236,700 a he 1959 ce sus.33

Sakha’s demog aphics shif ed wildly du i g he Sovie pe iod as e h ic Russia s a d Uk ai ia s, amo g o he g oups, se led he a ea e masse, p ima ily i Yaku sk a d he i dus ial sou h. P eviously, eve Yaku sk had bee p ima ily Sakha a d Sakha-speaki g. Wi h he e d of ko e iza siya, usage of he Sakha la guage was es ic ed i u ba a eas such as Yaku sk, which became p ima ily Russia -speaki g.

Pos -Sovie e aedi

I 1992, af e he fall of he Sovie U io , Sakha was ecog ized i Moscow as he Sakha (Yaku ia) Republic u de he ju isdic io of he Russia Fede a io . Sakha is his o ically pa of Russia Sibe ia, bu si ce he fo ma io of he Fa Eas e Fede al Dis ic i 2000, i is admi is a ively pa of he Russia Fa Eas .

Demog aphicsedi

Popula io : 958,528 (۲۰۱۰ Ce sus);34 949,280 (۲۰۰۲ Ce sus);35 1,081,408 (۱۹۸۹ Ce sus).36 Popula io de si y is 0.31 pe km2 (2019), which is o e of he lowes amo g Russia dis ic s. U ba popula io – 65,45% (2018).37

Se leme sedi

Vi al s a is icsedi

E h ic g oupsedi

Acco di g o he 2010 Ce sus, he e h ic composi io was:9

His o ical popula io figu es a e show below:

La guagesedi

The official la guages a e bo h Russia a d Sakha, also k ow as Yaku , which is spoke by 47% of he o al popula io , i cludi g 87% of Yaku s. The Sakha la guage is a membe of he Tu kic la guage family, i he Sibe ia Tu kic b a ch, a d i is closely ela ed o he Dolga la guage of he fo me Taymy Dolga o-Ne e s AO, a d somewha ela ed o o he Sibe ia Tu kic la guages such as Tuva , Al ai, Khakas, Sho o he s. I flue ce f om Tu gusic la guages (especially Eve k) a d Mo golia a e eco ded.

Besides hose 2 la guages, he Sakha Republic is also whe e much of he wo ld’s speake s of Tu gusic la guages eside, mos of whom ei he speak Eve k, o he Eve la guage (fo me ly k ow as Lamu ). Addi io ally, he lec s of he Yukaghi la guage-family is spoke i he o heas , which is o e of he Paleosibe ia la guages (al e a ively co side ed as a la guage isola e due o lack of esea ch).The e a e p oposed li ks o U alic la guages, hough hese a e dubious.

Religio edi

Befo e he a ival of he Russia Empi e, he majo i y of he local popula io was Te g is , simila o he o he Tu kic people of Ce al Asia, o i Paleoasia i dige ous shama ism wi h bo h ‘ligh ‘ (commu i y leadi g) a d ‘da k’ (heali g h ough spi i jou ey) shama s. U de he Russia s, he local popula io was co ve ed o he Russia O hodox Chu ch a d equi ed o ake O hodox Ch is ia ames, bu i p ac ice ge e ally co i ued o follow adi io al eligio s. Du i g he Sovie e a, mos o all of he shama s died wi hou successo s.

I he 1990s, a eopaga shama is moveme called aiyy yeu ekhé was fou ded by he co ove sial jou alis Iva Ukhkha a d a philologis calli g himself Té is.41 This g oup a d o he s coope a ed o build a shama emple i dow ow Yaku sk i 2002.42

Cu e ly, while O hodox Ch is ia i y mai ai s a followi g (howeve , wi h ve y few p ies s willi g o be s a io ed ou side of Yaku sk), he e is i e es a d ac ivi y owa d e ewi g he adi io al eligio s. As of 2008, O hodox leade s desc ibed he wo ldview of he epublic’s i dige ous popula io (o , a he , hose amo g he popula io who a e o comple ely i diffe e o eligio ) as dvoyeve ie (dual belief sys em), o a e de cy owa d sy c e ism, as evide ced by he locals some imes fi s i vi i g a shama , a d he a O hodox p ies o ca y ou hei i es i co ec io wi h some eve i hei life.43

Acco di g o he I fo ma io Ce e u de he P eside of Sakha Republic (Информационный центр при Президенте РС(Я)), he eligious demog aphy of he epublic was as follows:44 O hodoxy: 44.9%, Shama ism: 26.2%, No – eligious: 23.0%, New eligious moveme s: 2.4%, Islam: 1.2%, Buddhism: 1.0%, P o es a ism: 0.9%, Ca holicism: 0.4%.

The Russia O hodox Epa chy (Diocese) of Yaku ia is led by Bishop Roma (Luki ) of Yaku sk (2011). 2

Acco di g o a 2012 su vey,39 37.8% of he popula io of Sakha adhe es o he Russia O hodox Chu ch, 13% o Te g ism o Sakha shama ism, 2% o Islam, 1% a e u affilia ed Ch is ia s, 1% o fo ms of P o es a ism, a d 0.4% o Tibe a Buddhism. I addi io , 26% of he popula io deems i self a heis , 17% is spi i ual bu o eligious, a d 1.8% follows o he eligio s o did o give a a swe o he ques io .39

Poli icsedi

The head of gove me i Sakha is he Head (p eviously P eside ). The fi s Head of he Sakha Republic was Mikhail Yefimovich Nikolayev.45 As of 2021, he head is Ayse Nikolayev, who ook office o May ۲۸, ۲۰۱۸٫

The sup eme legisla ive body of s a e au ho i y i Sakha is a u icame al S a e Assembly k ow as he Il Tume . The gove me of he Sakha (Yaku ia) Republic is he execu ive body of s a e au ho i y.

The epublic fos e s close cul u al, poli ical, eco omic, a d i dus ial ela io s wi h he i depe de Tu kic s a es h ough membe ship i o ga iza io s such as he Tu kic Cou cil a d he Joi Admi is a io of Tu kic A s a d Cul u e.464748

Eco omyedi

I dus y ge e a es sligh ly above 50%ci a io eeded of he g oss a io al p oduc of Sakha, s emmi g p ima ily f om mi e al exploi a io . I dus ial e e p ises a e co ce a ed i he capi al Yaku sk, as well as i Alda , Mi y, Ne yu g i, Pok ovsk, a d Udach y. The diamo d, gold, a d i o e mi i g i dus ies a e he majo focus of he eco omy. U a ium o e is begi i g o be mi ed. The Tu kic-speaki g Sakha people a e e gaged i poli ics, gove me , fi a ce, eco omy, a d ca le-b eedi g (ho ses a d cows fo milk a d mea ). The Paleoasia i dige ous peoples a e hu e s, fishe me , a d ei dee he de s. As of 2008, Sakha Republic is he 19 h mos developed fede al subjec i Russia.

The la ges compa ies i he egio i clude Al osa, Yaku ugol, Yaku ske e go, a d Yaku ia Ai li es.49

T a spo a io edi

Wa e a spo a ks fi s fo ca go u ove . The e a e six ive po s, wo seapo s (Tiksi a d Zelyo y Mys). Fou shippi g compa ies, i cludi g he A c ic Sea Shippi g Compa y, ope a e i he epublic. The epublic’s mai wa e way is he Le a Rive , which li ks Yaku sk wi h he ail s a io of Us -Ku i I ku sk Oblas .

Ai a spo is he mos impo a fo a spo i g people. Ai li es co ec he epublic wi h mos egio s of Russia. Yaku sk Ai po has a i e a io al e mi al.

Two fede al oads pass he epublic. They a e Yaku sk–Skovo odi o (A360 Le a highway) a d Yaku sk–Magada (M56 Kolyma Highway). Howeve , due o he p ese ce of pe maf os , use of asphal is o p ac ical, a d he efo e he oads a e made of clay. Whe heavy ai s blow ove he egio , he oads of e u o mud, some imes s a di g hu d eds of avele s i he p ocess.50

The Be kaki –Tommo ail oad is cu e ly i ope a io . I li ks he Baikal Amu Mai li e wi h he i dus ial ce e s i Sou h Sakha. Co s uc io of he Amu Yaku sk Mai li e co i ues o hwa d; he ailway was comple ed o Nizh y Bes yakh, ac oss he ive f om Yaku sk, i 2013. Though his o e- ack ail oad f om Tommo o Nizh y Bes yakh is u de empo a y ope a io (30% of i s full capaci y), he fede al age cy fo ailways decla ed ha his ail oad would be i full ope a io i fall 2015. eeds upda e Also he p iva e compa y is owwhe ? co s uc i g he a spo a d logis ics ce e i Nizh y Bes yakh.

Educa io edi

The mos impo a facili ies of highe educa io i clude No h-Eas e Fede al U ive si y (p eviously Yaku sk S a e U ive si y) a d Yaku sk S a e Ag icul u al Academy.

Cul u eedi

Poi s of i e es i he ci y of Yaku sk i clude:

The e a e a umbe of museums as well. These i clude he Na io al Fi e A s Museum of Sakha, he Museum of Local Lo e a d His o y amed af e E. Ya oslavsky, a d he Khomus Museum a d Museum of Pe maf os .

I he 2010s, a movie boom bega i Yaku ia. Local film i dus y was labelled Sakhawood.51

Sakha

Ou edi o s will eview wha you’ve submi ed a d de e mi e whe he o evise he a icle.

Ou edi o s will eview wha you’ve submi ed a d de e mi e whe he o evise he a icle.

Sakha, also called Yaku iya o Yaku -Sakha, Yaku iya also spelled Yaku ia, epublic i fa o heas e Russia, i o heas e Sibe ia. The epublic occupies he basi s of he g ea ive s flowi g o he A c ic Ocea — he Le a, Ya a, I digi ka, a d Kolyma—a d i cludes he New Sibe ia Isla ds be wee he Lap ev a d Eas Sibe ia seas. Sakha was c ea ed a au o omous epublic of he Sovie U io i 1922; i is ow he la ges epublic i Russia.

A mou ai ous a ea i e spe sed wi h b oad pla eaus a d b oke by ive a d coas al lowla ds, Sakha ex e ds f om he Ce al Sibe ia Pla eau o he wes o he Kolyma Lowla d o he eas a d f om he A c ic coas o he o h o he S a ovoy Mou ai s o he sou h. The clima e of Sakha, which is he mos seve e of he i habi ed wo ld, is he ex eme of co i e al, wi h a ave age Ja ua y empe a u e of −۴۶ °F (−۴۳٫۵ °C) a d a ave age July empe a u e of 66 °F (19 °C). O ly excep io ally d y ai a d calm wea he co di io s make he lowe empe a u es bea able. P ecipi a io eve ywhe e is low, amou i g o 8–۱۶ i ches (200–۴۰۰ mm) a ually. The e i e egio is u de lai by pe maf os , wi h o ly isola ed u f oze pa ches i he sou h. A Yaku sk, he capi al, he pe maf os is 450 fee (140 me es) deep, while o he coas , whe e he e a e ex e sive a eas of fossil ice, i eaches 1,000 fee (300 me es) o mo e i dep h. Tu d a vege a io occu s i a b oad s ip alo g he o he coas a d he gives way i a sou hwa d p og essio o s u ed fo es s of Dahu ia la ch a d dwa f bi ch a d o swampy fo es s, o aiga, of bi ch, pi e, a d sp uce.

The Sakha (Yaku ), a people who fo med f om he mix u e of local ibes wi h Tu kic g oups ha mig a ed f om he sou h i he 6 h–۱۰ h ce u ies ad, joi ed he Russia s a e i he fi s half of he 17 h ce u y. Yaku sk, he epublic’s la ges ci y, was fou ded i 1632. I 1638 he Yaku sk p ovi ce was es ablished a d he a ea was ope ed o Russia s, who se led i he ow s alo g he middle Le a Rive . By he 19 h ce u y ma y of he omadic Sakha had adop ed a sede a y life. I he la e 20 h ce u y he Sakha co s i u ed o ly abou a hi d of he epublic’s popula io .

Eco omic co di io s eflec he emo e ess a d ha sh physical co di io s of Sakha. Ag icul u e is possible o ly i he sou h alo g he Le a Rive a d i s ibu a ies, whe e po a oes, oa s, a d vege ables a e g ow a d ca le a e aised. The Sakha, Eve k (Eve ki), a d Eve peoples live chiefly by he di g ei dee , fishi g, a d hu i g squi el, fox, a d e mi e. Mi i g a d imbe wo ki g a e he mai i dus ies. Mi e al esou ces i clude deposi s of gold ea Alda a d Tommo i he sou h a d i he I digi ka Rive valley, sal i he Vilyuy Rive basi , i i he Ya a Rive valley, a d coal alo g he Le a Rive . App oxima ely o e-fou h of he diamo ds sold wo ldwide come f om Sakha mi es, al hough ve y li le eve ue ickles dow o he a ive Sibe ia s. (As a esul of he deg ada io of he la dscape a d he oxic by-p oduc s of mi i g, he Russia gove me decla ed he Vilyuy basi a e vi o me al disas e a ea i 1992.) Huge deposi s of a u al gas i he Vilyuy basi a e co ec ed by pipeli e wi h Yaku sk. The a ea a ou d Yaku sk is he mos i dus ially developed pa of he epublic. A hyd oelec ic s a io o he Vilyuy Rive a Che yshevsky is i ope a io . Apa f om limi ed ail li es a d he oad li ks o Yaku sk, he o ly a spo a io ou es ove his vas a ea a e he ive s (ope o ly fo h ee o fou mo hs a yea ), wi e sled ails, a d he ai . A ea 1,198,200 squa e miles (3,103,200 squa e km). Pop. (2008 es .) 951,436.