Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (English)
Южно-Сахалинск (Russian)
-  City[1]  -

View over a residential area of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Location of Sakhalin Oblast in Russia
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
Location of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk in Sakhalin Oblast
Coordinates: 46°58′N 142°44′E / 46.967°N 142.733°E / 46.967; 142.733Coordinates: 46°58′N 142°44′E / 46.967°N 142.733°E / 46.967; 142.733
Coat of arms
Administrative status (as of December 2011)
Country Russia
Federal subject Sakhalin Oblast[1]
Administratively subordinated to city of oblast significance of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk[1]
Administrative center of Sakhalin Oblast,[1] city of oblast significance of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk[1]
Municipal status (as of May 2010)
Urban okrug Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Urban Okrug[2]
Administrative center of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Urban Okrug[2]
Head Sergey Nadsadin[3]
Statistics
Population (2010 Census) 181,728 inhabitants[4]
- Rank in 2010 99th
Time zone [5]
Founded 1882
City status since 1946
Previous names Vladimirovka (until 1882),
Toyohara (until 1946)
Postal code(s)[6] 693000
Dialing code(s) +7 4242; +7 42422[7]
Official website
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on Wikimedia Commons

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (Russian: Ю́жно-Сахали́нск) is a city and the administrative center of Sakhalin Oblast, Russia. It was called Vladimirovka (Влади́мировка) from 1882 to 1905, then Toyohara (Japanese: 豊原市 Hepburn: Toyohara-shi)) from 1905 to 1946. Population: 181,728(2010 Census);[4] 175,085(2002 Census);[8] 159,299(1989 Census).[9]

History

Early days of Vladimirovka
This Japanese D51 steam locomotive stands outside the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Railway Station

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk began as a small Russian settlement called Vladimirovka, founded by convicts in 1882. The Treaty of Portsmouth in 1905, which brought an end to the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905, awarded the southern half of the Sakhalin Island to Japan. Vladimirovka was renamed Toyohara (meaning "bountiful plain"), and was the prefect capital of Japanese Karafuto Prefecture.

After the end of World War II, the Japanese portion of Sakhalin island was occupied by Soviet troops. Ownership of the city transferred back to the Soviet Union and it was renamed Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk ("Southern Sakhalin"). Town status was granted to it in 1946.

Administrative and municipal status

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is the administrative center of the oblast.[1] Within the framework of administrative divisions, it is, together with ten rural localities, incorporated as the city of oblast significance of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the districts.[1] As a municipal division, the city of oblast significance of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is incorporated as Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Urban Okrug.[2]

Economy and infrastructure

Central part of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk museum in Japanese days
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk museum in 2008

Due to significant investment from oil companies like ExxonMobil and Shell, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk has experienced substantial economic growth. Although this growth has primarily occurred in the northern part of the island, both companies maintain headquarters and residential complexes in the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk itself. The demand for natural resources by the Japanese, Chinese, and South Koreans has ensured continued prosperity in the foreseeable future for the entire island.

There has been significant criticism, including from Presidential Envoy Kamil Iskhakov, that Sakhalin is not caring for its citizens. Despite sizable gas deposits and incoming investments from gas companies, the regional administration does not yet have plans for the installation of gas services on the island. The oblast also continues to have the highest rate of juvenile crime in all of Russia, and more than 40% of its businesses are unprofitable.

Out of very few remaining Japanese buildings in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, one now functions as the local museum.

Transportation

The city is served by the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Airport. The city is also the hub for the island's narrow gauge railway network, the Sakhalin Railway, built under the Japanese administration in the early 20th century. In addition to railways, the town is also a hub for roadways, such as the A-391 (which travels east to Korsakov) and the A-392 (which travels west to Kholmsk).

Education

Institutes of higher education in the city include Sakhalin State University and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk institute of economics, law and informatics. Also there are some branches of other high schools:

Population

Demographics

Most residents are ethnic Russians, but there also exists a sizable population of Koreans. Of the 43,000 Sakhalin Koreans, half are estimated to live in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, comprising roughly 12% of the city's population. Also smaller numbers of indigenous minorities, such as Ainu, Nivkhs and Oroks can be found.

Religion

The Latin Catholic Church of St. James in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is the cathedral episcopal see of the missionary (exempt, pre-diocesan) Apostolic Prefecture of Yuzhno Sakhalinsk (Karafuto until 2002, missio sui iuris until 1938).

Geography and climate

The city is located on the Susuya River. It is the largest city on the island, and the only one with more than 100,000 inhabitants. The straight-line distance to Moscow is 10,417 kilometers (6,473 mi).

Due to restrictions, foreigners wishing to leave Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk in order to travel to any other part of the Sakhalin Oblast and its internal and territorial waters are required to seek permission from the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Border Guard. Scuba diving and recreating on the seacoast is permitted only in places defined by the Border Guard.[10]

The climate is humid continental (Köppen Dfb) with mild summers and cold winters. Maritime influences can be seen in that precipitation is much higher than in interior Russia and that summers are distinctly cooler than in Khabarovsk or Irkutsk, while winters are much milder. Summers are frequently foggy, reducing the amount of sunshine. Considering its southerly marine position winters are very cold, albeit warmer than expected for surrounding inland areas affected by the Siberian High.

Climate data for Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 4.3
(39.7)
6.4
(43.5)
12.5
(54.5)
22.9
(73.2)
28.5
(83.3)
30.8
(87.4)
34.4
(93.9)
34.7
(94.5)
29.0
(84.2)
23.5
(74.3)
18.1
(64.6)
8.4
(47.1)
34.7
(94.5)
Average high °C (°F) −6.7
(19.9)
−5.3
(22.5)
−0.3
(31.5)
6.9
(44.4)
13.4
(56.1)
17.7
(63.9)
20.8
(69.4)
22.4
(72.3)
19.0
(66.2)
12.3
(54.1)
3.2
(37.8)
−3.7
(25.3)
8.3
(46.9)
Daily mean °C (°F) −12.2
(10)
−11.7
(10.9)
−5.6
(21.9)
1.7
(35.1)
7.2
(45)
11.7
(53.1)
15.5
(59.9)
17.3
(63.1)
13.2
(55.8)
6.5
(43.7)
−1.5
(29.3)
−8.6
(16.5)
2.8
(37)
Average low °C (°F) −17.3
(0.9)
−17.6
(0.3)
−10.8
(12.6)
−2.4
(27.7)
2.5
(36.5)
7.4
(45.3)
12.0
(53.6)
13.6
(56.5)
8.4
(47.1)
1.7
(35.1)
−5.6
(21.9)
−13.3
(8.1)
−1.8
(28.8)
Record low °C (°F) −36.2
(−33.2)
−34.8
(−30.6)
−30.5
(−22.9)
−25.2
(−13.4)
−6.2
(20.8)
−2.1
(28.2)
1.3
(34.3)
3.6
(38.5)
−4.2
(24.4)
−11.8
(10.8)
−25.7
(−14.3)
−33.5
(−28.3)
−36.2
(−33.2)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 50
(1.97)
35
(1.38)
49
(1.93)
59
(2.32)
66
(2.6)
51
(2.01)
82
(3.23)
111
(4.37)
115
(4.53)
101
(3.98)
81
(3.19)
64
(2.52)
864
(34.02)
Average rainy days 0.3 0.4 2 10 17 17 20 19 19 19 9 2 135
Average snowy days 25 24 24 13 3 0.1 0 0 0 4 20 27 140
Average relative humidity (%) 83 81 78 76 77 83 86 87 83 80 81 83 82
Mean monthly sunshine hours 129 153 181 191 197 198 165 149 187 160 116 102 1,928
Source #1: Pogoda.ru.net[11]
Source #2: NOAA (sun 1961–1990)[12]

Twin towns and sister cities

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is twinned with:

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Law #25-ZO
  2. 1 2 3 Law #524
  3. "Сергей Надсадин вступил в должность мэра Южно-Сахалинска". astv.ru (in Russian).
  4. 1 2 Russian Federal State Statistics Service (2011). "Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года. Том 1" [2010 All-Russian Population Census, vol. 1]. Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года (2010 All-Russia Population Census) (in Russian). Federal State Statistics Service. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
  5. Правительство Российской Федерации. Федеральный закон №107-ФЗ от 3 июня 2011 г. «Об исчислении времени», в ред. Федерального закона №248-ФЗ от 21 июля 2014 г. «О внесении изменений в Федеральный закон "Об исчислении времени"». Вступил в силу по истечении шестидесяти дней после дня официального опубликования (6 августа 2011 г.). Опубликован: "Российская газета", №120, 6 июня 2011 г. (Government of the Russian Federation. Federal Law #107-FZ of June 31, 2011 On Calculating Time, as amended by the Federal Law #248-FZ of July 21, 2014 On Amending Federal Law "On Calculating Time". Effective as of after sixty days following the day of the official publication.).
  6. Почта России. Информационно-вычислительный центр ОАСУ РПО. (Russian Post). Поиск объектов почтовой связи (Postal Objects Search) (Russian)
  7. Телефонные коды Сахалина - Dialing codes of Sakhalin (Russian)
  8. Russian Federal State Statistics Service (May 21, 2004). "Численность населения России, субъектов Российской Федерации в составе федеральных округов, районов, городских поселений, сельских населённых пунктов – районных центров и сельских населённых пунктов с населением 3 тысячи и более человек" [Population of Russia, Its Federal Districts, Federal Subjects, Districts, Urban Localities, Rural Localities—Administrative Centers, and Rural Localities with Population of Over 3,000] (XLS). Всероссийская перепись населения 2002 года [All-Russia Population Census of 2002] (in Russian). Retrieved August 9, 2014.
  9. Demoscope Weekly (1989). "Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 г. Численность наличного населения союзных и автономных республик, автономных областей и округов, краёв, областей, районов, городских поселений и сёл-райцентров" [All Union Population Census of 1989: Present Population of Union and Autonomous Republics, Autonomous Oblasts and Okrugs, Krais, Oblasts, Districts, Urban Settlements, and Villages Serving as District Administrative Centers]. Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 года [All-Union Population Census of 1989] (in Russian). Институт демографии Национального исследовательского университета: Высшая школа экономики [Institute of Demography at the National Research University: Higher School of Economics]. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
  10. Freedom of movement for foreigners on Sakhalin restricted
  11. "Weather and Climate-The Climate of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk" (in Russian). Weather and Climate (Погода и климат). Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  12. "Juzno–Sahalinsk (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk) Climate Normals 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 29 November 2015.

Sources

External links

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.
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