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Fossils of Chukotka. Chukotka Autonomous Okrug What minerals are mined in Chukotka

Fossils of Chukotka

Chukotka is perhaps the least studied region of Russia geologically. Over the 70 years of the district’s existence, only 7 percent of its territory has been explored. Local residents joke that there will be enough work for geologists here for the next 100 years. It is this uncertainty that gives rise to numerous myths about the fabulous riches of the region. Some claim that oil gushers are about to emerge from the depths of the permafrost, others talk about fantastic diamond deposits, and still others are skeptical about the extreme scarcity of the region’s raw materials. In fact, all this is nothing more than speculation.

Precious and non-ferrous metals

As of 1st year The state balance of gold in the territory of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug takes into account 477 gold deposits, including 471 alluvial deposits and 6 ore deposits. With a small number of ore deposits, they account for a relatively large part of the region's gold resources, which is due to the reserves of the large Mayskoye gold-sulfide deposit. Gold reserves are estimated at approximately the same amount in complex deposits of copper-porphyry and copper-pyrite types, as well as in objects of the gold-silver formation. The main reserves of placer gold are located in five administrative districts (maximum in the Shmidtovsky district), 48 gold-bearing nodes and areas.
Predicted resources of platinum group metals in the Chukotka region Autonomous Okrug located within the Anadyr-Koryak system. In 2000, geochemical exploration began within the platinum-bearing areas, aimed at a comprehensive assessment of the platinum and chromite content of the Anadyr-Koryak metallogenic system.
The state balance sheet for the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug takes into account 83 tin deposits, including 72 alluvial and 11 ore deposits. Since 1992, due to the general economic crisis in the country, which coincided with a sharp drop in the price of tin on the world market, tin mining in the region and Russia as a whole has become unprofitable. As calculations show, cost-effective development of even the largest Pyrkakay stockwork deposits in Russia, located in Chukotka, is possible only with an increase in world tin prices.
On the territory of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, the State Balance Sheet includes 28 tungsten deposits, of which 17 are alluvial and 11 are primary.
The alluvial deposits of the Iultinsky district are intended for open-pit mining; three of them have reserves for underground mining. In addition, in the placer gold river. Lenotap is a by-product of tungsten trioxide for dredge mining. At 7 sites in the Chaunsky district explored for open-pit mining, tungsten trioxide is accounted for as an associated component with tin. Since 1992, tungsten mining has ceased for the same reasons as tin mining.
There are no copper deposits on the balance sheet of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. The prospects for the development of its mining in the district are associated with the Peschanka complex deposit of copper-porphyry type, which, in addition to copper, has resources of molybdenum, gold, silver and platinum group metals. In addition, significant copper resources are estimated over large areas that are promising for identifying deposits of the copper-pyrite formation type. The total estimate of the predicted copper resources of the district as of January 1, 1998 is 24.3 million tons.

Coal

Coal-bearing deposits on the territory of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug are known in 13 coal-bearing regions. The total resource potential of the territory's coals is estimated at 57,475.4 million tons, of which the predicted resources are 56,827.4 million tons (hard coal -86%, brown coal -14%). All Chukotka coals are suitable for use in the fuel and energy complex. In addition to being used as a fuel raw material, coals can be suitable for their deep processing on site - the creation of petrochemical and coke production and enterprises, coal processing for petrochemical products, hydrogenation, semi-coking, etc.
In the Beringovsky coal-bearing region at the Verkhne-Alkatvaamskoye deposit, the possibility of identifying coal reserves suitable for coking has been established. Involvement in the exploitation of such deposits will provide the entire Far Eastern economic region with high-quality coking raw materials. Particularly valuable grades of hard coal can be used in the production of liquid synthetic fuels, resins, phenols and other valuable products.
The current state of Chukotka's coal base makes it possible not only to satisfy its own fuel needs, but also to export coal beyond its borders. In addition, the quality of coal from the Beringovsky region meets international standards and can be quite competitive in the global market.

Hydrocarbon raw materials

Chukotka autonomous region- one of the largest "shelf" regions of Russia. Within its boundaries, 5 promising oil and gas basins have been identified: Anadyr, East Khatyr, South Chukotka, North Chukotka and East Siberian.
The identified oil and gas basins are characterized by their inaccessibility, as well as their uneven and relatively low degree of knowledge. Currently, the oil and gas basins of the Bering Sea are more accessible - Anadyr and Khatyr.
Based on the results of geological exploration, numerous oil and gas bearing structures have been identified in the continental part of the Anadyr basin. There are three most promising areas: Zapadno-Ozerny, Verkhne-Telekaisky and Lagunny. On the Zapadno-Ozerny site there is the same name gas field, the explored reserves of which are over 5 billion cubic meters. m of gas. The deposit is prepared for industrial development. Within the Verkhne-Telekaisky area, three fields have been identified (Verkhne-Telekai gas condensate, Verkhne-Echinskoe and Olkhovoe oil fields), and a number of promising oil and gas structures.
The listed fields do not exhaust the oil and gas potential of the Lower Anadyr Lowland, however, the geological structure of the land does not allow us to hope for the discovery of larger fields. Significantly greater prospects are outlined for the eastern part of the Anadyr basin, located under the waters of the Anadyr Gulf of the Bering Sea. It seems that the offshore part of the Anadyr basin is a promising area and from the point of view of its favorable geographical location, which determines the fairly stable functioning of sea transport communications. Finally, the development of the resources of the Bering Sea will be a kind of step towards the development of the more inaccessible seas of the Eastern Arctic.
The oil and gas potential of the onshore part of the Khatyr basin, which is located to the south and southwest of the Anadyr basin, is less studied. Forecast recoverable oil resources - 500 million tons and gas - 900 billion m3.
The oil and gas basins of the shelves of the East Siberian and Chukchi Seas are the least studied.
Within the Chukchi Sea there are two large oil and gas basins - North and South Chukchi. The initial recoverable resources of the Chukchi Sea shelf are 3335 million tons of equivalent fuel.
The shelf of the East Siberian Sea is even less studied, and yet even scant data allows us to assert that several large basins are hidden under the waters of this sea. The initial recoverable resources, according to estimates made as of 01/01/1993, amount to 5583 million tons of equivalent fuel.

In Chukotka, deposits of mercury, chromium, as well as ore occurrences of silver, polymetals, molybdenum, boron, bismuth, titanium, lithium, beryllium, iron, arsenic, antimony, nickel, cobalt, lead, rare and trace elements, zeolites, peat, etc. have been identified. ., as well as precious, semi-precious (demantoid, garnet, beryl, topaz, amethyst, rock crystal, axinite, etc.) and ornamental (agate, chalcedony, jasper, listvenite, rodingite, gabbro, etc.) stones.

Groundwater

Three deposits of mineral thermal energy waters have been discovered and studied in the district: Chaplinskoye, Lorinskoye and Dezhnevskoye. Thermal mineral springs of Chukotka have balneological significance - the water from them can be used to treat traumatic, skin and gastrointestinal diseases.
28 springs have been discovered in Chukotka mineral waters, on the basis of which it is possible to create sanatoriums and summer recreation centers.

— Textbooks and manuals — NATURE AND RESOURCES OF CHUKOTKA

Chapter 5. MINERAL RESOURCES

21. Minerals and their classification

Minerals have been used by humans since ancient times. Even in the Paleolithic, i.e. many tens of thousands of years BC, primitive man used minerals such as chalcedony, quartz, obsidian, serpentine, amber and many others to make tools and utensils. Later, people learned to use clay for pottery and building stone for building houses. About 25 thousand years BC. man already knew gold, and 12 thousand years ago he began to use copper ores. Products made of lead, dating back to 6 thousand BC, were discovered by archaeologists in Turkey, and products made of tin and zinc served people more than 3,500 thousand years ago. The emergence of ancient Egyptian, ancient Greek, Scythian, ancient Slavic and other cultures was closely associated with involvement in the use various types minerals. The origin and development of industry, the emergence of more and more new branches and the entire subsequent history of human development are inextricably linked with the development of productive forces and, first of all, with the identification and development of mineral resources. This process of increasing use of minerals continues today, and, of course, will continue in the future. Chukotka is very heterogeneous geologically; its different regions were formed at different times and differ in their mineral resources. Thus, in the Chukotka fold system, which is one of the important ore provinces of the world, the leading place is occupied by deposits of gold, tin and tungsten formed in the Mesozoic during the uplift of sedimentary strata. In the Oloi folded zone of Paleozoic age, located in the extreme west of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, gold, copper, molybdenum, chromium and nickel are common. The northern section of the Okhotsk-Chukotka volcanic belt is rich in various deposits of mercury, gold, silver, copper, tin and ornamental stones. The Anadyr-Koryak region is dominated by deposits of chromium, nickel, mercury, platinum group elements, copper and molybdenum, gold, zeolites, coal and oil. The most ancient Eskimo massif carries reserves building materials– graphite, gold and polymetals.

Chukotka is perhaps the least studied region of Russia geologically. Over the 70 years of the district’s existence, only 7 percent of its territory has been explored.

Precious and non-ferrous metals

As of 1.01. 2000 The state balance of gold on the territory of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug took into account 477 gold deposits, including 471 alluvial deposits and 6 ore deposits. With a small number of ore deposits, they account for a relatively large part of the region's gold resources, which is due to the reserves of the large Mayskoye gold-sulfide deposit. Gold reserves are estimated at approximately the same amount in complex deposits of copper-porphyry and copper-pyrite types, as well as in objects of the gold-silver formation. The main reserves of placer gold are located in five administrative districts (maximum in the Shmidtovsky district), 48 gold-bearing nodes and areas.

The predicted resources of platinum group metals on the territory of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug are located within the Anadyr-Koryak system. In 2000, geochemical exploration began within the platinum-bearing areas, aimed at a comprehensive assessment of the platinum and chromite content of the Anadyr-Koryak metallogenic system.

The state balance sheet for the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug takes into account 83 tin deposits, including 72 alluvial and 11 ore deposits. Since 1992, due to the general economic crisis in the country, which coincided with a sharp drop in the price of tin on the world market, tin mining in the region and Russia as a whole has become unprofitable. As calculations show, cost-effective development of even the largest Pyrkakay stockwork deposits in Russia, located in Chukotka, is possible only with an increase in world tin prices.

On the territory of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, the State Balance Sheet includes 28 tungsten deposits, of which 17 are alluvial and 11 are primary.

The alluvial deposits of the Iultinsky district are intended for open-pit mining; three of them have reserves for underground mining. In addition, in the placer gold river. Lenotap is a by-product of tungsten trioxide for dredge mining. At 7 sites in the Chaunsky district explored for open-pit mining, tungsten trioxide is accounted for as an associated component with tin. Since 1992, tungsten mining has ceased for the same reasons as tin mining.

There are no copper deposits on the balance sheet of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. The prospects for the development of its mining in the district are associated with the Peschanka complex deposit of copper-porphyry type, which, in addition to copper, has resources of molybdenum, gold, silver and platinum group metals. In addition, significant copper resources are estimated over large areas that are promising for identifying deposits of the copper-pyrite formation type. The total estimate of the predicted copper resources of the district as of January 1, 1998 is 24.3 million tons.

Coal

In the Beringovsky coal-bearing region at the Verkhne-Alkatvaam deposit, the possibility of identifying coal reserves suitable for coking has been established. Involvement in the exploitation of such deposits will provide the entire Far Eastern economic region with high-quality coking raw materials. Particularly valuable grades of hard coal can be used in the production of liquid synthetic fuels, resins, phenols and other valuable products.

The current state of Chukotka's coal base makes it possible not only to satisfy its own fuel needs, but also to export coal beyond its borders. In addition, the quality of coal from the Beringovsky region meets international standards and can be quite competitive on the world market.

Hydrocarbon raw materials

Chukotka Autonomous Okrug is one of the largest "shelf" regions of Russia. Within its boundaries, 5 promising oil and gas basins have been identified: Anadyr, East Khatyr, South Chukotka, North Chukotka and East Siberian.

The identified oil and gas basins are characterized by their inaccessibility, as well as their uneven and relatively low degree of knowledge. Currently, the oil and gas basins of the Bering Sea are more accessible - Anadyr and Khatyr.

In the continental part of the Anadyr basin, based on the results of geological exploration, numerous oil and gas bearing structures have been identified. There are three most promising areas: Zapadno-Ozerny, Verkhne-Telekaisky and Lagunny. In the Zapadno-Ozerny area there is a gas field of the same name, the explored reserves of which are over 5 billion cubic meters. m of gas. The deposit is prepared for industrial development. Within the Verkhne-Telekaysky area, three fields have been identified (Verkhne-Telekaysky gas condensate, Verkhne-Echinsky and Olkhovoye oil fields), a number of promising oil and gas structures.

The listed fields do not exhaust the oil and gas potential of the Lower Anadyr Lowland, however, the geological structure of the land does not allow us to hope for the discovery of larger fields. Significantly greater prospects are outlined for the eastern part of the Anadyr basin, located under the waters of the Anadyr Gulf of the Bering Sea. It seems that the offshore part of the Anadyr basin is a promising area from the point of view of its favorable geographical location, which determines the fairly stable functioning of sea transport communications. Finally, the development of the resources of the Bering Sea will be a kind of step towards the development of the more inaccessible seas of the Eastern Arctic.

The oil and gas potential of the onshore part of the Khatyr basin, which is located to the south and southwest of the Anadyr basin, is less studied. Forecast recoverable resources of oil - 500 million tons and gas - 900 billion m3.

The oil and gas basins of the shelves of the East Siberian and Chukchi seas are the least studied.

Within the Chukchi Sea there are two large oil and gas basins - North and South Chukchi. The initial recoverable resources of the Chukchi Sea shelf are 3335 million tons of equivalent fuel.

The shelf of the East Siberian Sea is even less studied, and yet even scant data allows us to assert that several large basins are hidden under the waters of this sea. The initial recoverable resources, according to estimates made as of 01/01/1993, amount to 5583 million tons of equivalent fuel.

Other minerals

In Chukotka, deposits of mercury, chromium, as well as ore occurrences of silver, polymetals, molybdenum, boron, bismuth, titanium, lithium, beryllium, iron, arsenic, antimony, nickel, cobalt, lead of rare and trace elements, zeolites, peat, etc. have been identified. ., as well as precious, semi-precious (demantoid, garnet, beryl, topaz, amethyst, rock crystal, axinite, etc.) and ornamental (agate, chalcedony, jasper, listvenite, rodingite, gabbro, etc.) stones.

Groundwater

Three deposits of mineral thermal power waters have been discovered and studied in the district: Chaplinskoye, Lorinskoye and Dezhnevskoye. Thermal mineral springs of Chukotka have balneological significance - the water from them can be used to treat traumatic, skin and gastrointestinal diseases.

There are 28 mineral water springs discovered in Chukotka, on the basis of which it is possible to create sanatoriums and summer recreation centers

Russian civilization

Despite the poor geological knowledge of Chukotka, its explored mineral resource potential is considered one of the highest in the Far East. The subsoil of the district contains deposits of gold, tin, silver, copper, tungsten, mercury, platinum group metals, coal, oil, gas and other minerals. Suffice it to say that the value extracted mineral resources District exceeds K 1 trillion. At the same time, 70% of this estimated cost amount falls on the share of hydrocarbon raw materials (oil, gas).

Chukotka is also rich in biological resources. For example, the potential resources of marine hunting are very significant. The seas washing the Chukotka Peninsula are inhabited in huge numbers by fin whales, minke whales, killer whales, beluga whales and other cetacean mammals; walruses, bearded seals, seals, striped seals and other pinnipeds. Deep processing of raw materials (fat, thymus, spleen, adrenal glands and other organs of marine animals) into biologically active substances (BAS) can yield up to 1 billion per year.

Fishing, which until recently played a rather modest role in the economy of Chukotka, also promises to become a highly profitable industry. The basis of agriculture in the district is reindeer husbandry. The region's food supply makes it possible to increase the number of deer here to 600-650 thousand heads. By 2005, 220-250 thousand animals were grazing on the tundra routes of Chukotka.

The hunting resources of the region provide ample opportunities for use for industrial, amateur and recreational purposes. The most commercially valuable animals are elk, wild reindeer, sable, arctic fox, and red fox. And this includes meat, furs, medicinal, technical and decorative raw materials, which are in constant demand. Wolverines, wolves, brown bears, American minks, muskrats, stoats, and snowshoe hares also live here. Of the game birds, the most promising resource is the white partridge. In some years, the volume of their procurement can reach 70 thousand individuals.

The climate is harsh, maritime on the coasts, sharply continental in the interior. The duration of winter is up to 10 months.

The average temperature in January is from?15 °C to?39 °C, in July from +5 °C to +10 °C. Precipitation is 200-500 mm per year.

Permafrost is widespread everywhere.

Economic and geographical position of the subject

The Chukotka Autonomous Okrug is located in the extreme northeast of Russia, cutting like a wedge between the Pacific and Arctic oceans. It occupies part of the mainland, the Chukotka Peninsula and a number of islands (Wrangel, Ayon, Ratmanova and others).

The geographical location of the district makes it a unique territory in geopolitical terms.

Most of Chukotka is located in the eastern hemisphere, about half of its territory is beyond the Arctic Circle. On land, the region borders the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the Magadan Region and the Koryak Autonomous Okrug. The shores of Chukotka are washed by the Chukotka, East Siberian and Bering seas. Chukotka also includes the Wrangel and Herald Islands.

It is washed by the East Siberian, Chukchi and Bering seas.

The southernmost point of Chukotka is Cape Rubicon; northern - Cape Shelagsky; eastern - Cape Dezhnev, which is simultaneously the eastern tip of Russia and all of Eurasia.

Due to its geographical location, which is an extreme manifestation of the concept of “north,” Chukotka has a very low “vitality” of the territory. The district objectively cannot count on an abundance of labor resources, therefore the economy of Chukotka is based on primary resource consumption. The processing industry serves local needs and has limited development prospects.

The basic sectors of the region's economy in this direction are: in industry - the mining industry, in the agro-industrial complex - reindeer husbandry, marine mammal and hunting industries, fishing and fish processing industries.

Power system. One of the problems in the development of the Chukotka mining industry is finding the energy sources necessary for it. To extract gold and other minerals, a power grid was created in the 1960s and 70s. Its main subjects were the Bilibino Nuclear Power Plant, the Pevek Thermal Power Plant, floating stations on Cape Verde and Cape Schmidt, the Anadyrskaya Thermal Power Plant, the Beringovskaya Hydroelectric Power Station, the Thermal Power Plant, but only recently a cable was laid from it to the left bank of the estuary. Nowadays, it is these power plants that provide electricity to the largest industrial areas of Chukotka. Remote villages of Chukotka receive electricity from small diesel power plants. Stations require the delivery of large quantities diesel fuel, the combustion of which, like coal, leads to significant pollution environment. The development of oil fields in Chukotka will reduce the import of diesel fuel (mazut) and fuel and lubricants in large volumes from other regions of the country.

The most significant positive trends of recent times include:

Gross regional product growth;

General stabilization of industrial production volumes;

Increased investment volume, significant increase in construction volumes in the production and social spheres;

Development of a number of economic sectors: fishing industry, poultry farming, reindeer husbandry, fuel and energy complex, consumer market;

Financial stabilization based on increasing the responsibility of budget recipients, optimizing budget expenditures, forming a basis for increasing the level of the region’s own income;

Stabilization of the social situation;

Growth of the region’s own income, decrease in the share of financial assistance from the federal budget;

Decrease in the growth rate of consumer prices;

Decrease in unemployment rate;

Agriculture. Industries of traditional natural resource management. The basis of agriculture in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug is such an industry as reindeer husbandry. Marine, fishing, and hunting play an important role for the indigenous population. There is cage farming, they raise pigs and cattle. But Chukotka never provided itself with food.

Reindeer husbandry. For northern peoples, deer provided everything for life: from a belt to a home. But the Chukotka herd of deer still remains one of the largest in the world. It is represented by the famous Hargin deer breed, bred in Chukotka. Hargin feeds on both herbs and reindeer moss. Compared to other breeds of domestic reindeer in the North, it is characterized by high meat productivity.

Hunting. Harvesting wild reindeer antlers can become a highly profitable trade. The most valuable varieties of Chukotka fur are in great demand on the international market.

Sled dog breeding. At one time, unique strong and hardy sled dog breeds were formed and improved in Chukotka. IN recent years the importance of Chukotka sled dogs in the development of the export potential of the district is realized.

Vegetable growing. There are greenhouse farms in the district. Potatoes, cabbage, and radishes are grown in the central and western parts. Productivity can be increased by soil reclamation.

Meadow farming. The quality of meadows is increased by overseeding more productive types of cereals, such as Siberian hair grass or meadow foxtail. In some farms in Chukotka, the area of meadows cultivated on the bottom of drained lakes reaches several thousand hectares.

Chukotka population economic regional

One of the most sparsely populated, mysterious and unexplored regions in the Russian Federation is Chukotka. And really, what do we know about her? Many people don’t even imagine exactly where this peninsula is located. What can we say about other geographical, natural and cultural features of this distant land.

Our article will tell you about the geographical location, climate and nature of Chukotka, and will also introduce the reader to the indigenous inhabitants of this peninsula - the Chukchi.

End of the earth...

These are the words that can describe the geographical location of Chukotka. It really is located on the very edge of Eurasia. The easternmost point of the continent is located here - Cape Dezhnev.

The tiny territory of the Chukotka Peninsula (total area is only 58,000 sq. km.) is located in two hemispheres of the Earth - Western and Eastern. This, by the way, is the only part of continental Asia that has western longitude in its coordinate system.

By the way, residents of the peninsula are very lucky: they have the right to enter neighboring Alaska without a visa. And this is perhaps one of the most pleasant features of the geographical location of Chukotka. The American coast from here is only 86 kilometers across the Bering Strait.

It is important to separate the peninsula itself and the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, which is one of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. Chukotka, in administrative terms, is just two districts within the mentioned region - Chukotsky and Providensky.

Relief and minerals of Chukotka

Most of the Chukotka Peninsula is occupied by a low highland of the same name with average absolute heights of 600-1000 meters. Its surface is highly dissected and is represented by individual peaks and lonely hills. Chukotka Highlands acts as the main watershed of the peninsula. One part of the rivers flows from it into the Chukchi Sea, and the other into the Bering Sea.

The highest point of the Chukotka Peninsula is located near Provideniya Bay. This is the Source Mountain (1194 meters). The edge of the highlands here drops steeply to the ocean, forming a series of steep rocky ledges.

The subsoil of Chukotka is quite rich in minerals. Deposits of placer gold, mercury, tin, polymetallic ores, and coal have been explored here. The peninsula has huge reserves of construction raw materials: limestone, sand, gravel and marble.

Climate of Chukotka

Chukotka is a land of permafrost, a harsh but in its own way beautiful peninsula. Winter here seems to last forever. At this time, the peninsula turns into an icy and lifeless desert. But when the short summer comes (2-3 months), Chukotka pleases with quite diverse vegetation and cheerful mountain streams.

The climate of Chukotka is unique in many ways. It was formed in a zone of active influence of two oceans with incredibly complex atmospheric circulation. In this regard, storms, snowfalls and fogs are often observed here. Local residents joke that the weather in Chukotka is bad for one month a year, very bad for two, and bad for nine!

Permafrost is widespread almost everywhere in Chukotka. The only exceptions are thermokarst lakes and large river valleys.

The Chukotka Peninsula is the holder of several Russian climate records. Thus, here is the highest number of days without sun in the country and the maximum number of storms and hurricanes per year.

Rivers and lakes of Chukotka

The territory of the peninsula is rich not only in mineral resources, but also water resources including. The rivers here are special; they are characterized by:

rapid and high floods;
prolonged freeze-up;
very uneven flow;
pronounced seasonality in changes in water regime and nutrition.

The names of the largest rivers of the Chukotka Peninsula are very difficult to remember - Chegitun, Uluveem, Igelkveem, Ioniveem. All local watercourses freeze in September and open only by the beginning of June. Some rivers freeze to the bottom in winter.

The peninsula has a very developed lake-marsh network. Swamps are concentrated along the beds of large rivers. Lakes of the lagoon type are common on the coasts, and moraine lakes in the mountains. The largest bodies of water in Chukotka are lakes Koolen and Yoonai. In winter they are covered with a thick layer of ice up to two meters thick!

Flora and fauna of Chukotka

The Chukotka Peninsula is entirely within the tundra natural zone. However, you should not think that the local vegetation is sparse and monotonous. There are about 900 plant species and over 400 species of mosses and lichens on the peninsula.

There are very few forests in Chukotka. Occasionally there are tracts of low-growing birch and Dahurian larch. Tundra vegetation with alder, sedge, lingonberry, blueberry and other shrubs is typical for this peninsula. Mosses and lichens, which grow everywhere here, can be considered a unique floristic symbol of Chukotka.

The fauna of the peninsula is also quite diverse. Typical animals of Chukotka are reindeer, long-tailed gopher, hoofed lemming, white hare, wolf, sable, lynx, ermine, arctic fox. The mountainous regions are home to bighorn sheep, as well as musk oxen - unique and only representatives of their kind.

It is worth mentioning the avifauna of Chukotka. On the coast you can find gulls, guillemots, guillemots, waders, loons and even swans. The sea waters are home to a large number of fish and shrimp. Sometimes whales swim to the shores of Chukotka.

History of Chukotka

The earliest human sites on the peninsula date back to 8-6 millennia BC. The unique archaeological complex “Whale Alley” (an alley of bowhead whale bones dug into the ground), on Itygran Island, dates back to the 14th-16th centuries.

The Chukchi are considered the indigenous people of this peninsula. Although even earlier, more ancient peoples lived here - the Onkilons, Yuits and Yukaghirs. An important role in the formation and development of the Chukchi people was played by their traditional occupation - reindeer herding.

Russians discovered Chukotka in 1648? during the expedition of Semyon Dezhnev. Almost immediately after this, the first clashes began between local residents and uninvited guests from the west. For half a century, Russian Cossacks tried to conquer and pacify the Chukchi “savages”. But in vain. Chukchi, even without having at their disposal firearms, competently and selflessly defended their land.

It was not possible to conquer the Chukchi people by force. Therefore, Catherine the Second in 1778 resorted to cunning. She granted the Chukchi broad rights and liberties, freed them from conscription (yasak) and guaranteed complete independence in all of them. internal affairs. This policy bore fruit: already in 1788, the first trade fair was successfully held in Chukotka.

Economy and population of Chukotka

Today, about 8 thousand people live on the peninsula. About 80% of the local population of Chukotka are Chukchi. Other nationalities also live here - Eskimos, Yukaghirs, Evenks, Chuvans and Russians.

In administrative-territorial terms, the territory of the peninsula is divided into two regions - Chukotka and Providensky. Within the first there are six villages. In the Providensky district there are five rural settlements and one urban-type settlement of Provideniya, which is home to about 2 thousand people.

The industry of Chukotka is represented by mining (mainly alluvial gold) and thermal energy. Most developed agriculture region. It is represented by reindeer husbandry, fur farming and fisheries. There are two large agricultural enterprises operating on the peninsula - Zapolyarye and Kaper.

Who are the Chukchi and what do we not know about them?

The Chukchi are the indigenous people of Chukotka, a small ethnic group scattered over a fairly large territory. Its total number is only 16 thousand people. About 80% of all Chukchi live within the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug.

Characteristic anthropological features of the Chukchi: horizontal or oblique eye shape, skin with a bronze tint, large facial features, high forehead, massive nose and large eyes.

the Chukchi are a very warlike and cruel people;
representatives of this nationality have an excellent sense of smell;
the upbringing of Chukchi boys is strict and consists of a number of difficult tests (for example, from the age of five, a young Chukchi is allowed to sleep exclusively while standing);
the Chukchi are absolutely indifferent to death;
the Chukchi are ideal warriors, partisans and saboteurs, they brought animal horror and instilled fear in everyone who had to fight with them;
The basis of the diet of this people is meat, seaweed, berries, shellfish, blood and decoctions of various herbs;
the Chukchi are skilled craftsmen in carving animal bones;
The Soviet government desperately and productively came up with funny jokes about the Chukchi; the main goal of the “red ideologists” was this: to turn the militant and proud people into harmless and amusing folklore characters.

Heraldry of Chukotka

As a conclusion to our article, we cannot fail to mention the heraldry of the peninsula. She is very interesting, colorful and a little naive. However, the coats of arms and flags of Chukotka reflect all the specifics of this unique region.

Let's start with the flag of the Chukotka municipal region. On it we see a boat with five oarsmen and a hunter armed with a long spear. The boat floats against the background of the yellow sun. This panel depicts one of the main activities of local residents - hunting large sea animals (seals, walruses and whales).

But the coat of arms of the same Chukotka region depicts a walrus (against the background of the administrative map of the region) and six deer, symbolizing another traditional occupation of the Chukchi - reindeer herding.

No less interesting is the coat of arms of the neighboring Providensky district. On it we see images of a whale and a sea anchor. It is no coincidence that both figures are placed on the district coat of arms. The whale symbolizes whaling, traditional for these regions, and the anchor reminds that one of the most important ports of the Russian Arctic is located in the village of Provideniya.