MAGADAN Oblast [see map]

Governor : Nikolaï Nikolaiévitch Doubov, 53 years old.

The Magadan oblast is the youngest oblast of the Russian Far East. It is located on the north side of the Okhotsk sea and borders with Tchoukotka and Iakoutia.

Geography
Alternating plains and mountains, the Magadan oblast is full of rivers and lakes : Magadan (2129 km), Omolon, Ola, Armagne… They are used as roads during winter and navigable during summer (3 months). The area is full of thermal springs which temparature goes from 17° to 95° degrees. Their currative virtue has been famous for decades.

Climate
The climate is more or less the same as in Iakoutia or Tchoukotka. On the coast the climate is milder thanks to the influence of the sea (-40° / + 20°). The climate on land is much harder (-50°, even more sometimes).

Fauna and flora
There are two different kinds of flora in the Magadan Oblast : Toundra on the main part of the territory and Taïga in the south.
The Okhost sea is one of the richest seas in the world for fishing (salmons, crabs…). On land, there are many different kinds of animals : bears, ermines, reindeers…

Population
The size of the Oblast region (462 400 km) makes it the 9th biggest region of the Russian Federation. It is also among the most inhabited areas : In 2002 the population was 222,9 thousands inhabitants (0,5 hab/km) of whom, 89% live in the city. The population is mainly composed of Russians, Ukrainians, Biolorussian and various ethnicities from the north (Tchouktches, Koriaks, Yakoutes…).

Resources
They live of their mine resources (65%), where they extract gold, tungstene, iron and tin.
Magadan is a strategic harbour of the Russian Far East. It is the arrival and departure of boats with goods coming from west Russia and boats with supplies for the most remote areas of the Kolyma. Magadan is the nicest town of the north-east both administratively ; academically and industrially and it is the most populated.