CHUKOTKA - IN FAR EAST RUSSIA

In old days called Tartaria autonomous oblat

CHUKOTKA is an autonomous russian county in far east russia. it is the most eastern part of asia, opposite to alaska, a province of u.s.a. between them is the bering strait, named after the danish-russian explorer vitus bering, who sailed there in 1728.

originally, chukotka was settled by the "chukchi' people. the two main groups were the maritime chukchi, who have settled homes on the coast and live primarily from sea mammal hunting, and the reindeer chukchi, who nomadised in the inland region with their herds of reindeers. meanwhile

russians are the majority.

the capital of chukotka is anadir at the river anadir, a settlement provisionally established in 1649 by the russian explorer dezhnyov (the first one to cross the bering strait) but really founded as a harbour city in 1889. further small towns, such as providenyia, were military places of the soviet union during the 'cold war'; yet later abandoned. since about 2000 anadir is a modern city, and the historic dwellings are mostly discarded. however, a new orthodox cathedral was erected.

there are almost no roads in chukotka. most towns are to be reached by airplanes. in summer, a ship connects anadir and provideniya. excursions use 6w-trucks, motorboats, and even caterpillars ...

flora and fauna are rich in chukotka's tundra and taiga areas. there are very large numbers of rendeers, seals, walrusses, whales, and lots of birds, who usually live on rocky islands.

below are a few selected photos, to give a crude idea of this county.

http://www.rohrmannspace.net/travel/russiaAR/chukotka.htm

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