Region

The Chukotka Autonomous Okrug (until 1980, the Chukotka National Okrug) was established on December 10, 1930. A status of the independent subject of the Russian Federation was given on June 17, 1992. In 1993 the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation approved the status by its decision. The Okrug area stands at 737,700 km² accounting for 7% of the total area of the North districts and regions equivalent to it. The Okrug is situated between the low waters of the Kolyma river on the west and Dezhnev Mys on the Chukotka peninsula as well as the following islands: Vrangel, Ayon, Arakamchechen, Ratmanov, Gerald and others. On earth it borders with the Republic of Sakha (Yakutiya), the Magadan Region and the Koryak Autonomous Okrug. The Bering Strait divides the Chukotka from the USA Alaska. The Chukotka autonomous Okrug is located on the north-eastern end of Eurasia continent as a wedge between the Pacific Ocean and the Arctic Ocean. It is surrounded with the Eastern Siberian Sea, the Chukotka Sea and the Bering Sea. The most southern Chukotka point is the Rubicon Mys (62 of north latitude), the most northern – the Shelagsky Mys (70º of north latitude), the most western – the left bank of the Omolon river (158º of east longitude) and the most eastern – the Dezhnev Mys, which is at the same time an eastern end of Russia and Eurasia (170º of west longitude). The largest Chukotka part occupies the eastern semisphere, while the Chukotka peninsula is located in the western semisphere with the Chukotka half being beyond the Polar Circle.