Sakhalin is the largest island of Russia situated in the North Pacific Ocean. The island’s indigenous peoples are the Ainu, Oroks, and Nivkhs, who now number very few. Japanese fishers first settled Sakhalin along its southern coast. The first Russians entered the northern part of the island in 1853. As part of an agreement in 1855, Russia and Japan shared control of Sakhalin, but in 1875 Russia acquired the entire island in exchange for the Kurils.
Japanese forces occupied Sakhalin after the Russian Revolution, but they departed in 1924; Red Army forces retook the northern areas. At the end of World War II, the Soviet Union reclaimed the southern half of the island, the Kurils, and Sakhalin’s entire Japanese population was repatriated.
Sakhalin has a lowland area in the north, but most of its land is mountainous. The vegetation varies from tundra and stunted birch and willow in the north to a dense deciduous forest in the south. The principal economic activity along the coast is fishing, especially crab, herring, cod, and salmon. Coal mining, timber harvesting, and paper manufacturing contribute to the rest of the economy. Agriculture is mainly concerned with raising livestock. The majority of Sakhalin Island’s population is predominantly Russian; however, there has been significant emigration since 1960.
