Siberia

Siberia is a huge part of Russia that stretches across all of North Asia. It starts at the Ural Mountains in the west and ends at the Pacific Ocean in the east. This area is very big—about three-quarters of Russia's total land.

Siberia has very cold winters, with temperatures often dropping below −25 °C (−13 °F) in January. Even though it is in Asia, most people there are of European descent, mainly Russian, because of centuries of Russian settlement. However, there are also many different ethnic groups, including the Yakuts, Tuvans, Altai, Khakas, Buryats, ethnic Koreans, and others.

Big cities in Siberia include Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, and Omsk. The region is divided into three federal districts by the Russian government: the Siberian, Ural, and Far Eastern districts. Despite its cold climate and wide-open spaces, Siberia is an important part of Russia, both geographically and historically.

Etymology

The name "Siberia" might have come from many places. In Russian, people started using it after meeting the Khanat of Sibir in the 15th century. Some think it means "sleeping land" in an old language. Others believe it came from a word for "dense forest." Another idea is that it was named after the Sibe people. There are lots of guesses about where the name really comes from.

History

Main articles: Prehistory of Siberia, History of Siberia, and List of Russian explorers

Siberia has a long and interesting history. In ancient times, it was part of a huge landmass called Pangea. Over millions of years, many different animals lived there. Scientists have found remains of these animals in the icy ground.

Many groups of people, such as nomads, lived in Siberia over the centuries. In the 13th century, much of the area was taken over by the Mongol Empire. Later, Russian explorers and traders traveled into Siberia, looking for valuable furs. They built forts and towns, and more Russian people moved to the region.

During the time of the Soviet Union, Siberia became important for its natural resources. Many people moved to the region to work in mines and factories, and new cities grew around these industries.

Today, Siberia is still an important part of Russia, known for its vast forests, rivers, and natural resources like oil and gas. New projects, such as the 'Power of Siberia' gas pipeline to China, continue to shape the region's future.

Geography

Further information: Geography of Russia

Siberia is a very large part of Russia. It covers about 13.1 million square kilometres (5,100,000 mi²). It stretches from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. Siberia is part of Asia, but because it belongs to Russia, many people think of it as European in culture and politics.

The land in Siberia changes a lot. There are wide flat areas called the West Siberian Plain and flat-topped highlands called the Central Siberian Plateau. In some places, like eastern and central Sakha, there are tall mountain ranges. The highest point in Siberia is the active volcano Klyuchevskaya Sopka on the Kamchatka Peninsula. The Ukok Plateau is a special area protected by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Fauna

Siberia has many interesting birds and mammals. Some of the birds you can find there are the Hazel grouse, Siberian grouse, Black grouse, and the Siberian tiger.

The region also has many mammals, such as the Moose, Red deer, Grey wolf, and the Brown bear. These animals have learned to live in Siberia's cold and snowy weather.

Flora

See also: Category:Flora of Siberia

Siberia has many special plants, including different kinds of trees. Some of the trees there are Siberian larch (Larix sibirica), Gmelin larch (Larix gmelinii), Siberian spruce (Picea obovata), and dwarf pine (Pinus pumila). These plants can live in the cold and snowy weather of Siberia.

Politics

Siberia has been part of many different countries over the centuries. It started with ancient groups like the Xianbei state and the Mongol Empire. Later, it became part of the Russian Empire. Today, Siberia is a major part of Russia, which has controlled the area since the late 1500s. Many smaller states and republics have also existed in Siberia, showing its rich history.

Borders and administrative division

The word "Siberia" has changed over time and means different things to different people. Long ago, people thought of Siberia as all the land in Russia and North Kazakhstan east of the Ural Mountains, all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Today, many people think of Siberia as the area from the Ural Mountains to a line between rivers that flow to the Pacific and Arctic Oceans. It stretches from the Arctic Ocean down to the borders of Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and China.

Some cities in Siberia are very important. Novosibirsk is the largest city in Siberia and a key place for business, science, and culture. Other important cities include Omsk, which was once a temporary capital during a big conflict in Russian history, and Tobolsk, the first capital of Siberia. There are many other important cities such as Tomsk, Irkutsk, Barnaul, Kemerovo, Krasnoyarsk, and Novokuznetsk.

Economy

Novosibirsk is the most important city for the Siberian economy. It became a regional center for government work in 2000. Russia's largest oil refinery is the Omsk Refinery.

Siberia is rich in minerals. It has large amounts of important metals such as nickel, gold, lead, coal, molybdenum, gypsum, diamonds, diopside, silver, and zinc. It also has lots of oil and natural gas, especially in the Khanty-Mansiysk area. The Norilsk area holds a lot of the world's known nickel, and Norilsk Nickel is the biggest maker of nickel and palladium in the world.

Farming in Siberia is difficult because the growing season is very short. But in the southwest, where the soil is rich and the climate is milder, people grow wheat, barley, rye, and potatoes. They also raise many sheep and cattle. In other areas, people have raised reindeer for thousands of years. Siberia has the world's largest forests, which are an important source of timber. The Sea of Okhotsk is one of the richest fishing areas in the world, and Siberia provides a lot of the world's yearly fish catch.

Sport

bandy is a popular sport in Siberia. In 2016, a team from Krasnoyarsk named Yenisey won a big competition. Other teams from Siberia also play, including SKA-Neftyanik from Khabarovsk, Kuzbass from Kemerovo, and Sibselmash from Novosibirsk.

Krasnoyarsk is also known for rugby in Russia. The city hosted the 2019 Winter Universiade, a sports event for university students.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Siberia

See also: Siberians and Indigenous peoples of Siberia

Siberia is a very large area with about 30 million people. Most people live in cities, often in apartments, while some live in the countryside in simple log houses. The most common group of people in Siberia are Russians, but there are also many other groups. These include indigenous peoples such as the Buryats and Yakuts. People are spread out across the land, with only about three people living in each square kilometre.

Religion

See also: Shamanism in Siberia and Religion in Russia

Siberia has many different beliefs and religions. Many people practice Orthodox Christianity, Tibetan Buddhism, or Islam. There are also communities of Jews live in Siberia and the Russian Orthodox Church is the largest religious group.

Traditionally, Siberia is known for its connection to shamanism. People believe in many gods and spirits. Each area has its own special traditions and sacred places, such as the island of Olkhon in Lake Baikal.

Transport

Many cities in northern Siberia, like Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, cannot be reached by road because there are very few roads. The main way to travel across Siberia is by the Trans-Siberian Railway. This railway runs from Moscow in the west to Vladivostok in the east. For cities far from the railway, people travel by air or use another railway called the Baikal–Amur Railway.

Culture

Siberia has many special foods made by the people who live there. One popular dish is called Stroganina. It is made from raw fish that is sliced very thin and frozen. Another famous food is pelmeni, a type of dumpling. People often freeze these and keep them outside during the cold winter. The area also has many tasty dishes using berries, nuts, and mushrooms from the rich nature around them.