The Far Eastern Federal district covers huge expanses from the Arctic Ocean to the Sea of Japan, from Siberia to Chukotka coast. The Russian Far East occupies 36% (over 6 million square kilometers) of the Russian territory. We have everything here: permafrost and black earth plough land, big cities and unmanned areas, volcanoes, tundra, thousands of rivers and lakes, and its shores are washed by six seas and the Pacific Ocean.

With all that, the Far Eastern Federal district takes the last place among all the Russian regions as to the number and density of the population. According to 2002 census only 5% of the country’s population lives here (6.7 million people). The density of the population is only 1.1 persons per 1 square kilometer (average in Russia is 8.4 persons).
The South of the Far East is more favourable for economic development than the North. On the territory making only 30% of the total area of the region there lives 80% of its population. The North on the contrary differs in severe weather and low density of the population. But it is extremely rich in valuable mineral deposits. Their development is the main specialization of the whole territory, what defines its position in the Russian economy.
The coastal regions of the Far Eastern Federal districts are: Chukot autonomous district, Kamchatka, Magadan, and Sakhalin territories.
Kamchatka territory is famous for volcanoes and hydrothermal springs. This is the largest area of hot springs in Russia, and at their base there has been built the first experimental Pauzhetskaya geothermal power station. In the coastal waters of the peninsular there ranges unique Kamchatka crab.
Sakhalin territory is the only Russian territory located on Sakhalin, Kuril, Moneron, and Tyuleniy islands (one of the three places in the world with a sealing ground). Sakhalin island is rich in oil and gas. Known oil reserves are about 200 million tons, mainly on the shelf, undiscovered resources are 5.6 billion tons. Gas resources are about 600 billion cubic meters; undiscovered gas resources are another 130 billion cubic meters. There are considerable coal deposits (2 billion tons, and half of them is brown coal) on the island. Deposits of gold, platinum, copper, lead, zinc, mercury, nickel, vanadium have also been discovered.
The principal wealth of Magadan subsoil assets is gold as well as tin, tungsten, and mercury. Digging non-ferrous metals is half of the industry in the territory. All costal areas are engaged in fish and seafood processing and canning. Fish industry is one of the major in the economy of the Far Eastern North.
Several industrial centers are located in the South of the region:
Khabarovsk (the capital city of Khabarovsk territory) is energy machines, diesels, machines, vessels, cables, oil refining, pharmaceuticals, wood processing. Komsomolsk-on-Amur is ships and vessels, aircraft, steel, and oil refinery.
In Primorsky krai more than a third of industrial products is produced in the capital city, the seaport of Vladivostok (shipbuilding and maintenance, equipment for fish, wood processing and mining industries, machines and instruments, the largest base of fishing fleet, fishing, tourism).
13.5% of the industry is located in the city of Nakhodka. International sea port, enterprises to serve the needs of the fishing industry are located here. This is one of the most prosperous free economic zones in Russia. Spassk-Dalny is known for its large cement factory which produces cement for all construction projects in the Far East. Coal is mined in Artem.
Amur territory takes the third place in Russia in gold mining and with the construction of space port became the second (after Archangelskaya) territory that has entered “space era”.
The most significant socio-cultural centers of the region are Khabarovsk and Vladivostok. They are the largest and most populous. In these cities political, cultural, scientific, and social life of the Far East is concentrated. In recent years major economic and political events of All-Russia and even global scale are not uncommon here. Such important events as the EU-Russia summit in Khabarovsk and the upcoming APEC summit in Vladivostok are indicative of the growing influence of the region.

The largest and the richest

The Russian Far East is a land of untold natural resources. It produces over 60% of fish and seafood in Russia. Dog salmon, pink salmon, red salmon, and Chinook salmon are the most valuable commercial fish.
Forests are the special pride of the region. They cover 260 million hectares, or 80 percent of the territory.
92% of tin, 81% of diamonds, 40% of gold, 23% of tungsten and 11% of coal reserves are concentrated in the region. There are large reserves of iron ore, oil, natural gas, timber and hydraulic resources.
Deposits of loose and ore gold are concentrated in the basins of Kolyma, Aldan, Zeya, Amur, Selemdzha, and Bureya rivers, in Chukotka peninsular and in the slopes of Sikhote-Alin mountain ridge. Tin, tungsten, lead and zinc ores have been discovered and are being developed in the Republic of Sakha, Magadan territory, and in the spurs of Sikhote-Alin. The Russian Far East possesses large reserves of mercury. The main mercury deposits are located in Chukotka, Yakutia and Khabarovsk territory. In Tommote on the upper Aldan River unique deposits of shale rock have been explored.
On the territory of the region oil and gas bearing areas have been identified: in Sakhalin, Kamchatka, Chukotka, Magadan territory, but so far only oil fields in Okha and Tungor in the North of Sakhalin are been developed. Gas was discovered in Lena-Viluysk petroliferous province. This is one of the most important and prospective gas bearing areas. The Russian Far East is also abundant in fuel resources, particularly in stone and brown coals. Large coal reserves are located in the basin of Lena river. In the South of Sakha Republic there is one of the most promising South Yakut coking coal basin. The Far East supplies exports coal, timber, furs, fish and seafood.