Sakhalin Island

Sakhalin is a narrow isle stretched along meridian. It is about 1000 km from north to south and from 160 to 27 km from east to west. The area is 87,000 sq. km. The population, acounting for aproximately about 600,000 people, is mainly located in the southern part of the isle (urban 525,000 and rural 75,000). Population density is low (7.12 people per sq. km) with big differentiation between south and north of the isle.
Sakhalin is rich in the natural resources - oil, gas, coal. Main oil and gas fields are located in the northern areas and offshore. Recently a few big international oil and gas offshore projects have begun. Seas are rich in salmon, crab, oysters, squid, etc.
The geographical terrain is very mountainous, the climate is severe; arctic in the north, with heavy snowfalls and strong winds.