Siberia

Siberia ({{lang-ru|???????}}, common English transliterations: Sibir?, Sibir; from the Tatar for ?sleeping land?) is a vast region of Russia and northern Kazakhstan constituting almost all of northern Asia. It extends eastward from the Ural Mountains to the Pacific Ocean and southward from the Arctic Ocean to the hills of north-central Kazakhstan and the borders of both Mongolia and China. All but the extreme south-western area of Siberia lies in Russia, and it makes up about 56% of that country's territory.

Demographics

Siberia has a population density of only 3 persons per square kilometer. Most Siberians are Russians and Russified Ukrainians. Ethnic Russians are descended from Slavs who lived in Eastern Europe several hundred years ago. Such Mongol and Turkic groups as Buryats, Tuvinians, and Yakuts lived in Siberia originally, and descendants of these peoples still live there. Other ethnic groups include: Evenks, Chukchis, Koryaks, Yukaghirs. See the Northern indigenous peoples of Russia article for more.

Related Topics:
Russians - Russified - Ukrainians - Slavs - Eastern Europe - Mongol - Turkic - Buryats - Tuvinians - Yakuts - Ethnic group - Evenks - Chukchis - Koryaks - Yukaghirs - Northern indigenous peoples of Russia

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About 70% of Siberia's people live in cities. Most city people are crowded into small apartments. Many people in rural areas live in simple, but more spacious, log houses. Novosibirsk is the largest city in Siberia, with a population of about 1.5 million. Tobolsk, Tomsk, Irkutsk and Omsk are the older, historical centers. With a lowest record temperature of -71.2 Celsius, Oymyakon has the distinction of being the coldest town on Earth.

Related Topics:
Tobolsk - Tomsk - Irkutsk - Omsk - Oymyakon - Earth

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