Chaunsky District
Encyclopedia
Chaunsky District is an administrative and municipal district (raion
), one of the six in Chukotka Autonomous Okrug
, Russia
. It is located on the northern shore of the autonomous okrug and in terms of the administrative divisions borders Shmidtovsky District
in the northeast, Anadyrsky District
in the southeast, and Bilibinsky District
in the south and west. The area of the district is 58091.41 square kilometres (22,429.2 sq mi). Its administrative center is the town of Pevek
. District's population: 5,341 (2010 est.); Population of Pevek accounts for 74.8% of the district's population.
Chaunsky District is comparatively flat compared to other districts in the autonomous okrug. The land within the current boundaries was first discovered by non-indigenous people in the 18th century, and now the indigenous people of the district are a minority as ethnic Russians came to the area following a growth in mining.
, on the shores of which Pevek, the district administrative center, is situated. The district's territory also includes Ayon Island
, found at the entrance to Chaunskaya Bay. There is an eponymous settlement on the island.
The district's territory stretches for 330 kilometres (205.1 mi) from north to south and for 290 kilometres (180.2 mi) from east to west. Chaunsky District is significantly flatter than Bilibinsky District located to the west and contains large areas devoted to reindeer pasture.
Approximately 350 kilometres (217.5 mi) long, the Chaun River
, which flows into Chaunskaya Bay
, is the longest river in the whole autonomous okrug.
There are a number of wetland areas of significance within the district. The most westerly of these is situated on the Kyttyk Peninsula and the mouth of the Rauchua River
. This area is dominated by the Lower Rauchua delta and the alluvial plains of the Kyttyk Peninsula, from which Ayon Island
is separated by the Maly Chaunsky Strait. The peninsula is almost completely covered in a complex system of lakes, ranging in size from small saline pools lying on a recently exposed marine terrace 1 to 2 m above sea level, near the coast, to lakes up to 1 km wide and 12 m deep on high level surfaces 10–15 m above sea level. In addition, the peninsula is scored by a number of rivers, the Eyukuul, Koz'mina, Rakvezan and Emykkyvian among the most significant.
The Ust-Chaun area of the district also contains significant wetlands at the south end of Chaunskaya Bay
, consisting mainly of an alluvial plain approximately 100 km wide and 60 km north to south. The wetlands at Ust-Chaun are similar in structure to those at the Rauchua / Kyttyk wetland, consisting of a landscape almost entirely filled with small lakes, those nearest Chaunskaya Bay are the smallest and shallowest (less than 70 cm deep) and those on more elevated ground being deeper at 1.5–3 m deep The Ust-Chaun region serves a fishing centre for the inhabitants of Rytkuchi
, although this has lost its importance in recent years as stocks of Char have diminished, as a result of overfishing both for sale to the local Sovkhoz
and as bait for trapping foxes.
Salmon enter the lower reaches of the Rauchua. Several species of Whitefish
, Grayling
and Smelt also live in the river or in the many surrounding lakes. Stickleback
s also live in the lakes along with Arctic Char
, although the community of Char is infested with Acanthocephala
. Similar fish exist in the Ust-Chaun region, and in addition to fish, the wetland is also home to the Siberian Newt, which lives in the shrub-covered tundra near the delta.
The Rauchua / Kyttyk wetland area is considered to be the easternmost extent of so-called "Kolyma fauna", such as the Terek Sandpiper
, Brown Shrike
and Scarlet Rosefinch. The most common bird species in the Rauchua / Kyttyk wetland are the Yellow-Billed, Black-Throated
and Pacific
Divers. One of the main reasons for the importance of the Rauchua / Kyttyk is the breeding population (figures as of 1994) of Bewick's Swan
(approximately 300 birds), the Pacific Eider (approximately 3,000 birds) and the Spectacled Eider
(approximately 2,000 birds). Spectacled and Pacific Eider as well as Black-throated and Pacific Divers are also found in the Ust-Chaun region, though trhe Pacific Eider is much more common on the Kyttyl Peninsula and near Apapelgino
.
Birds of prey are found in the Ust-Chaun area, with the Rough-legged Buzzard
nesting in the area and species such as the Goshawk
and Peregrine Falcon
visiting the area regularly. Their prey consists of a wide variety of small mammals and almost all mammels found in the tundra regions of the Russian Far East are found in the Ust-Chaun area, including a number of species of Shrew, Vole and Lemming. Larger mammels include wild Reindeer
, wolves and Brown Bear
.
, or are the descendants of those who did, enticed by the higher pay, large pensions, and more generous allowances permitted to those prepared to endure the cold and the isolation, or, more likely, were exiled here as a result of one of Stalin
's purges, or were exiled here having been released from the Gulag
. The existence of the port of Pevek in the district is a major reason for the presence of ethnic Russians.
The indigenous people present in the district are almost exclusively Chukchi
. An environmental impact study produced by Bema Gold
for the Kupol gold project states that at the start of 2004, 846 of the districts inhabitants were of indigenous origin. Of these people, 841 were Chukchi, with 2 reported as Yupik
, 2 Mansi and 1 Even comprising the remaining five indigenous individuals. The indigenous people of Chaunsky District reside mainly in Rytkuchi
, Ayon and Yanranay
.
in an attempt to find a true Northeast Passage
. Prior to the river's discovery by Merk, the Chaun River represented the westernmost boundary of the Chukchi land. Merk named the river Chavaveyam after Mount Chaun, from where the river springs.
The Rauchua River
was a place inhabited by mammoth
s in prehistoric times and was also the scene of a bloody battle between Chukchi herders and a combination of Yukaghirs and Evens
during the 19th century. The name Rauchua comes from the Chukchi
word "Ravchyvan", meaning place of a victory over a camp.
and tin
were discovered in the 1940s, which led to the first occurrences of industrial mining in the district in the 1950s. The effect of this growth in industry was that Chaunsky District became the first district in the region to have a road network constructed as well as an electricity grid. During the Second World War, the Chaunskaya Bay
area of Chaunsky District was the most important tin producing area in the whole of the Soviet Union
.
and offers one of the few means of direct air travel to Moscow
. Pevek is also the naval headquarters of the East Arctic during the short summer.
, located about 14 km from Pevek provides a link for the region to Moscow
. Pevek's port is the largest in Chukotka and is generally open for about two and a half months a year from mid-July to September.
.
Source:
*Administrative centers are shown in bold
Raion
A raion is a type of administrative unit of several post-Soviet countries. The term, which is from French rayon 'honeycomb, department,' describes both a type of a subnational entity and a division of a city, and is commonly translated in English as "district"...
), one of the six in Chukotka Autonomous Okrug
Chukotka Autonomous Okrug
Chukotka Autonomous Okrug , or Chukotka , is a federal subject of Russia located in the Russian Far East.Chukotka has a population of 53,824 according to the 2002 Census, and a surface area of . The principal town and the administrative center is Anadyr...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. It is located on the northern shore of the autonomous okrug and in terms of the administrative divisions borders Shmidtovsky District
Shmidtovsky District
Shmidtovsky District was an administrative district of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia, which existed in 1973–2011. Municipally, together with Iultinsky Administrative District, it was incorporated as Iultinsky Municipal District...
in the northeast, Anadyrsky District
Anadyrsky District
Anadyrsky District is an administrative and municipal district , one of the six in Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia. It is located in the interior portion of the autonomous okrug and in terms of administrative divisions borders with Chaunsky District in the northwest, Iultinsky District in the...
in the southeast, and Bilibinsky District
Bilibinsky District
Bilibinsky District is an administrative and municipal district , one of the six in Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia. It is located in the western portion of the autonomous okrug and in terms of non-municipal divisions borders with Chaunsky District in the northeast, Anadyrsky District in the...
in the south and west. The area of the district is 58091.41 square kilometres (22,429.2 sq mi). Its administrative center is the town of Pevek
Pevek
Pevek is a town and Arctic port in Chaunsky District, part of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia. After Anadyr and Bilibino it is the third largest town in Chukotka. Population: Municipally, the town is subordinated to Chaunsky Municipal district and together with Apapelgino and Yanranay, is...
. District's population: 5,341 (2010 est.); Population of Pevek accounts for 74.8% of the district's population.
Chaunsky District is comparatively flat compared to other districts in the autonomous okrug. The land within the current boundaries was first discovered by non-indigenous people in the 18th century, and now the indigenous people of the district are a minority as ethnic Russians came to the area following a growth in mining.
Geography
The district is centered around Chaunskaya BayChaunskaya Bay
The Chaunskaya Bay or Chaun Bay is an Arctic bay in the East Siberian Sea, in the Chaunsky District of Chukotka, northeast Siberia.The bay is open to the north and is 140 km in length. Its maximum width is 110 km. Its mouth is defined by Cape Shelagsky to the east and an unnamed part of...
, on the shores of which Pevek, the district administrative center, is situated. The district's territory also includes Ayon Island
Ayon Island
Ayon Island is an island in the coast of Chukotka in the East Siberian Sea. The island itself consists mainly of low lying tundra, is populated mainly by Chukchi, who use the tundra as pasture for their reindeer herds.-Geography:...
, found at the entrance to Chaunskaya Bay. There is an eponymous settlement on the island.
The district's territory stretches for 330 kilometres (205.1 mi) from north to south and for 290 kilometres (180.2 mi) from east to west. Chaunsky District is significantly flatter than Bilibinsky District located to the west and contains large areas devoted to reindeer pasture.
Approximately 350 kilometres (217.5 mi) long, the Chaun River
Chaun River
The Chaun River is a stream in Far East Siberia. It flows roughly northwards, passing through the sparsely populated areas of the Siberian tundra.The Chaun River flows into the East Siberian Sea at the Chaunskaya Bay, 100 km S of Pevek city...
, which flows into Chaunskaya Bay
Chaunskaya Bay
The Chaunskaya Bay or Chaun Bay is an Arctic bay in the East Siberian Sea, in the Chaunsky District of Chukotka, northeast Siberia.The bay is open to the north and is 140 km in length. Its maximum width is 110 km. Its mouth is defined by Cape Shelagsky to the east and an unnamed part of...
, is the longest river in the whole autonomous okrug.
There are a number of wetland areas of significance within the district. The most westerly of these is situated on the Kyttyk Peninsula and the mouth of the Rauchua River
Rauchua River
The Rauchua River is a stream in Far East Siberia. It passes through the sparsely populated areas of the Siberian tundra and flows northwards into the Kolyma Gulf, East Siberian Sea, not far west from Ayon Island....
. This area is dominated by the Lower Rauchua delta and the alluvial plains of the Kyttyk Peninsula, from which Ayon Island
Ayon Island
Ayon Island is an island in the coast of Chukotka in the East Siberian Sea. The island itself consists mainly of low lying tundra, is populated mainly by Chukchi, who use the tundra as pasture for their reindeer herds.-Geography:...
is separated by the Maly Chaunsky Strait. The peninsula is almost completely covered in a complex system of lakes, ranging in size from small saline pools lying on a recently exposed marine terrace 1 to 2 m above sea level, near the coast, to lakes up to 1 km wide and 12 m deep on high level surfaces 10–15 m above sea level. In addition, the peninsula is scored by a number of rivers, the Eyukuul, Koz'mina, Rakvezan and Emykkyvian among the most significant.
The Ust-Chaun area of the district also contains significant wetlands at the south end of Chaunskaya Bay
Chaunskaya Bay
The Chaunskaya Bay or Chaun Bay is an Arctic bay in the East Siberian Sea, in the Chaunsky District of Chukotka, northeast Siberia.The bay is open to the north and is 140 km in length. Its maximum width is 110 km. Its mouth is defined by Cape Shelagsky to the east and an unnamed part of...
, consisting mainly of an alluvial plain approximately 100 km wide and 60 km north to south. The wetlands at Ust-Chaun are similar in structure to those at the Rauchua / Kyttyk wetland, consisting of a landscape almost entirely filled with small lakes, those nearest Chaunskaya Bay are the smallest and shallowest (less than 70 cm deep) and those on more elevated ground being deeper at 1.5–3 m deep The Ust-Chaun region serves a fishing centre for the inhabitants of Rytkuchi
Rytkuchi
Rytkuchi is a rural locality in Chaunsky District of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia, located southwest of Pevek on the southern shores of Chaunskaya Bay. Population was 482 in 2005 according to an environmental impact report produced for the Kupol Gold Project, down from 509 as of 2002,of...
, although this has lost its importance in recent years as stocks of Char have diminished, as a result of overfishing both for sale to the local Sovkhoz
Sovkhoz
A sovkhoz , typically translated as state farm, is a state-owned farm. The term originated in the Soviet Union, hence the name. The term is still in use in some post-Soviet states, e.g., Russia and Belarus. It is usually contrasted with kolkhoz, which is a collective-owned farm...
and as bait for trapping foxes.
Flora
There are approximately 200 different species of plant within the Rauchua / Kyttyk wetland area comprising a variety of steppe, boreal and arctic species, a number of which occur at the eastern limit of their natural habitat. In the Ust-Chaun area, there are even more recorded plant species, at 252., including a number of rare species.Fauna
Humpback and ChumChum salmon
The chum salmon, Oncorhynchus keta, is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family. It is a Pacific salmon, and may also be known as dog salmon or Keta salmon, and is often marketed under the name Silverbrite salmon...
Salmon enter the lower reaches of the Rauchua. Several species of Whitefish
Whitefish
Whitefish or white fish may refer to:In fishing terminology:* Whitefish , a fisheries term referring to the flesh of many types of fishIn fish species:...
, Grayling
Grayling
-Fish:*Grayling , Thymallus thymallus*Grayling , generically, any fish of the genus Thymallus in the family Salmonidae*Australian grayling , a fish in the family Retropinnidae...
and Smelt also live in the river or in the many surrounding lakes. Stickleback
Stickleback
The Gasterosteidae are a family of fish including the sticklebacks. FishBase currently recognises sixteen species in the family, grouped in five genera. However several of the species have a number of recognised subspecies, and the taxonomy of the family is thought to be in need of revision...
s also live in the lakes along with Arctic Char
Arctic char
Arctic char or Arctic charr is both a freshwater and saltwater fish in the Salmonidae family, native to Arctic, sub-Arctic and alpine lakes and coastal waters. No other freshwater fish is found as far north. It is the only species of fish in Lake Hazen, on Ellesmere Island in the Canadian Arctic...
, although the community of Char is infested with Acanthocephala
Acanthocephala
Acanthocephala is a phylum of parasitic worms known as acanthocephales, thorny-headed worms, or spiny-headed worms, characterized by the presence of an evertable proboscis, armed with spines, which it uses to pierce and hold the gut wall of its host...
. Similar fish exist in the Ust-Chaun region, and in addition to fish, the wetland is also home to the Siberian Newt, which lives in the shrub-covered tundra near the delta.
The Rauchua / Kyttyk wetland area is considered to be the easternmost extent of so-called "Kolyma fauna", such as the Terek Sandpiper
Terek Sandpiper
The Terek Sandpiper is a small migratory Palearctic wader species, the only member of the genus Xenus.- Description and systematics :...
, Brown Shrike
Brown Shrike
The Brown Shrike is a bird in the shrike family that is found mainly in Asia. It is closely related to the Red-backed Shrike and Isabelline Shrike . Like most other shrikes, it has a distinctive black "bandit-mask" through the eye...
and Scarlet Rosefinch. The most common bird species in the Rauchua / Kyttyk wetland are the Yellow-Billed, Black-Throated
Black-throated Diver
The Black-throated Loon is a migratory aquatic bird found in the northern hemisphere. The species is known as an Arctic Loon in North America and the Black-throated Diver in Eurasia, its current name is a compromise proposed by the International Ornithological Committee.-Taxonomy:The...
and Pacific
Pacific Diver
The Pacific Loon or Pacific Diver , is a medium-sized member of the loon, or diver, family. It may be conspecific with Black-throated Diver/Arctic Loon, which it closely resembles....
Divers. One of the main reasons for the importance of the Rauchua / Kyttyk is the breeding population (figures as of 1994) of Bewick's Swan
Bewick's Swan
The Tundra Swan is a small Holarctic swan. The two taxa within it are usually regarded as conspecific, but are also sometimes split into two species, Cygnus bewickii of the Palaearctic and the Whistling Swan, C. columbianus proper, of the Nearctic...
(approximately 300 birds), the Pacific Eider (approximately 3,000 birds) and the Spectacled Eider
Spectacled Eider
The Spectacled Eider is a large sea duck that breeds on the coasts of Alaska and northeastern Siberia.The lined nest is built on tundra close to the sea, and 5–9 eggs are laid. This species dives for crustaceans and molluscs...
(approximately 2,000 birds). Spectacled and Pacific Eider as well as Black-throated and Pacific Divers are also found in the Ust-Chaun region, though trhe Pacific Eider is much more common on the Kyttyl Peninsula and near Apapelgino
Apapelgino
Apapelgino is a rural locality in Chaunsky District of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia, located just to the east of Pevek, on the northeastern shores of Chaunskaya Bay and was constructed as part of the expansion of Pevek Airport...
.
Birds of prey are found in the Ust-Chaun area, with the Rough-legged Buzzard
Rough-legged Buzzard
The Rough-legged Buzzard , called the Rough-legged Hawk in North America, is a medium-large bird of prey. It is found in Arctic and Subarctic regions of North America and Eurasia during the breeding season and migrates south for the winter.The species exhibits a wide variety of plumage patterns...
nesting in the area and species such as the Goshawk
Goshawk
The Northern Goshawk , Accipiter gentilis, is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes other diurnal raptors, such as eagles, buzzards and harriers....
and Peregrine Falcon
Peregrine Falcon
The Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
visiting the area regularly. Their prey consists of a wide variety of small mammals and almost all mammels found in the tundra regions of the Russian Far East are found in the Ust-Chaun area, including a number of species of Shrew, Vole and Lemming. Larger mammels include wild Reindeer
Reindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
, wolves and Brown Bear
Brown Bear
The brown bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It can weigh from and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak Bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator.There are several recognized...
.
Demographics
Approximately 85% of the district's population in 2003 were non-indigenous peoples. As with most of the districts in Chukotka, indigenous peoples are more often found in the scattered rural localities, while ethnic Russians are more often found in the urban areas. These people either migrated to the Far EastRussian Far East
Russian Far East is a term that refers to the Russian part of the Far East, i.e., extreme east parts of Russia, between Lake Baikal in Eastern Siberia and the Pacific Ocean...
, or are the descendants of those who did, enticed by the higher pay, large pensions, and more generous allowances permitted to those prepared to endure the cold and the isolation, or, more likely, were exiled here as a result of one of Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
's purges, or were exiled here having been released from the Gulag
Gulag
The Gulag was the government agency that administered the main Soviet forced labor camp systems. While the camps housed a wide range of convicts, from petty criminals to political prisoners, large numbers were convicted by simplified procedures, such as NKVD troikas and other instruments of...
. The existence of the port of Pevek in the district is a major reason for the presence of ethnic Russians.
The indigenous people present in the district are almost exclusively Chukchi
Chukchi people
The Chukchi, or Chukchee , ) are an indigenous people inhabiting the Chukchi Peninsula and the shores of the Chukchi Sea and the Bering Sea region of the Arctic Ocean within the Russian Federation. They speak the Chukchi language...
. An environmental impact study produced by Bema Gold
Bema Gold
Bema Gold Corporation was a Vancouver, British Columbia based intermediate gold producer with operating mines and development projects in Russia, South Africa, Chile and Canada. Bema operated the Julietta Mine in Russia, the Petrex Mines in South Africa, was a 50% owner of the Refugio MIne in Chile...
for the Kupol gold project states that at the start of 2004, 846 of the districts inhabitants were of indigenous origin. Of these people, 841 were Chukchi, with 2 reported as Yupik
Siberian Yupik
Siberian Yupiks, or Yuits, are indigenous people who reside along the coast of the Chukchi Peninsula in the far northeast of the Russian Federation and on St. Lawrence Island in Alaska. They speak Central Siberian Yupik , a Yupik language of the Eskimo–Aleut family of languages.They were also...
, 2 Mansi and 1 Even comprising the remaining five indigenous individuals. The indigenous people of Chaunsky District reside mainly in Rytkuchi
Rytkuchi
Rytkuchi is a rural locality in Chaunsky District of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia, located southwest of Pevek on the southern shores of Chaunskaya Bay. Population was 482 in 2005 according to an environmental impact report produced for the Kupol Gold Project, down from 509 as of 2002,of...
, Ayon and Yanranay
Yanranay
Yanranay is a rural locality in Chaunsky District of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia, located just to the west of Pevek. Population: 226 in 2005 according to an environmental impact report produced for the Kupol Gold Project, down slightly on the 2003 estimate of 240, most of whom are of...
.
18th and 19th centuries
The area of what is now Chaunsky District was first visited by non-indigenous people, when Karl Merk came across the Chaun River, as part of the overland element of the Billings Expedition—the expedition ordered by Catherine the Great and led by Englishman Joseph BillingsJoseph Billings
Joseph Billings was an English navigator and explorer who spent the most significant part of his life in Russian service.In 1785, the Russian government of Catherine II commissioned a new expedition in search for the Northeast Passage, led by English officer Joseph Billings, who had previously...
in an attempt to find a true Northeast Passage
Northern Sea Route
The Northern Sea Route is a shipping lane officially defined by Russian legislation from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean specifically running along the Russian Arctic coast from Murmansk on the Barents Sea, along Siberia, to the Bering Strait and Far East. The entire route lies in Arctic...
. Prior to the river's discovery by Merk, the Chaun River represented the westernmost boundary of the Chukchi land. Merk named the river Chavaveyam after Mount Chaun, from where the river springs.
The Rauchua River
Rauchua River
The Rauchua River is a stream in Far East Siberia. It passes through the sparsely populated areas of the Siberian tundra and flows northwards into the Kolyma Gulf, East Siberian Sea, not far west from Ayon Island....
was a place inhabited by mammoth
Mammoth
A mammoth is any species of the extinct genus Mammuthus. These proboscideans are members of Elephantidae, the family of elephants and mammoths, and close relatives of modern elephants. They were often equipped with long curved tusks and, in northern species, a covering of long hair...
s in prehistoric times and was also the scene of a bloody battle between Chukchi herders and a combination of Yukaghirs and Evens
Evens
The Evens or Eveny are a people in Siberia and the Russian Far East. They live in some of the regions of the Magadan Oblast and Kamchatka Krai and northern parts of Sakha east of the Lena River. According to the 2002 census, there were 19,071 Evens in Russia...
during the 19th century. The name Rauchua comes from the Chukchi
Chukchi language
The Chukchi language is a Palaeosiberian language spoken by Chukchi people in the easternmost extremity of Siberia, mainly in Chukotka Autonomous Okrug...
word "Ravchyvan", meaning place of a victory over a camp.
20th century
The district in its present form was founded in 1933. GoldGold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
and tin
Tin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
were discovered in the 1940s, which led to the first occurrences of industrial mining in the district in the 1950s. The effect of this growth in industry was that Chaunsky District became the first district in the region to have a road network constructed as well as an electricity grid. During the Second World War, the Chaunskaya Bay
Chaunskaya Bay
The Chaunskaya Bay or Chaun Bay is an Arctic bay in the East Siberian Sea, in the Chaunsky District of Chukotka, northeast Siberia.The bay is open to the north and is 140 km in length. Its maximum width is 110 km. Its mouth is defined by Cape Shelagsky to the east and an unnamed part of...
area of Chaunsky District was the most important tin producing area in the whole of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
Transportation
The district has a developed transport infrastructure compared to the rest of Chukotka; in part helped by the presence of Pevek. Pevek itself has the second largest airport in Chukotka after Ugolny AirportUgolny Airport
Ugolny Airport is a mixed-use military and civil airfield in Siberia located 11 km east of Anadyr, separated from the town by the waters of Anadyrsky Liman...
and offers one of the few means of direct air travel to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. Pevek is also the naval headquarters of the East Arctic during the short summer.
Industrial and administrative
Many of the populated places throughout Chukotka owe their existence to tin and gold mines, and deposits of these metals were first discovered in Chukotka in Chaunsky District in 1941. In 2002, the average monthly salary was just over 11,000 rubles per month, although agricultural wages were on average only around half that per month. Mining and ancillary services still form the major elements of the economy of Chaunsky District. There are two large mines and a number of small mines in the district, supported by a large trucking company.Traditional and cultural
Compared to other districts in Chukotka, agricultural enterprise is not particularly well developed. There is only one farming brigade, Chaunskoye, employing just under 200 people. The brigade herds around 15,000 reindeer and is also involved in fishing.Transport
As a result of the development of the mining industry, Chaunsky District also has the most developed road transport network in Chukotka, with paved, unpaved, or snow roads leading from Pevek to all major population hubs. Pevek AirportPevek Airport
Pevek Airport is a civilian airport located 15 km northeast of Pevek. It mainly services medium-sized airliners. Its use for military operations is unknown but the runway and facilities are adequate for interceptor operations. The airfield elevation is given either as 3 or 14 meters according...
, located about 14 km from Pevek provides a link for the region to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. Pevek's port is the largest in Chukotka and is generally open for about two and a half months a year from mid-July to September.
Administrative divisions
Chaunsky Administrative District has administrative jurisdiction over one town, six urban-type settlements, and four rural localities, consisting of all the inhabited localities listed below in the "Municipal divisions" section, except for Billings, which is administratively subordinated to Shmidtovsky DistrictShmidtovsky District
Shmidtovsky District was an administrative district of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia, which existed in 1973–2011. Municipally, together with Iultinsky Administrative District, it was incorporated as Iultinsky Municipal District...
.
Municipal divisions
Chaunsky Municipal District is divided into one urban settlement and three rural settlements:| Urban settlements | Inhabited localities in jurisdiction |
|---|---|
| Pevek |
|
| Rural settlements | Rural localities in jurisdiction* |
| Ayon |
|
| Billings |
|
| Rytkuchi |
Rytkuchi Rytkuchi is a rural locality in Chaunsky District of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia, located southwest of Pevek on the southern shores of Chaunskaya Bay. Population was 482 in 2005 according to an environmental impact report produced for the Kupol Gold Project, down from 509 as of 2002,of... |
| Inhabited localities being liquidated | |
|
Urban-type settlement Urban-type settlement ; , selyshche mis'koho typu ) is an official designation for a type of locality used in some of the countries of the former Soviet Union... of Baranikha Bystry, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug Bystry is an urban-type settlement north west of Komsomolsky in Chaunsky District , Chukotka Autonomous Okrug and part of the Far Eastern Federal District of Russia. The settlement was abandoned as a result of the extraction of gold no longer being economically viable and as of 2008 is in the... Komsomolsky, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug Komsomolsky is an inhabited locality in Chaunsky District of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia, located about south-west of Pevek, the administrative centre of the district... Krasnoarmeysky, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug Krasnoarmeysky is an inhabited locality in Chaunsky District of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia. Population: 0 ; -History:... Valkumey Valkumey is an inhabited locality in Chaunsky District of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia, located on the shores of Chaunskaya Bay... Yuzhny, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug Yuzhny is a urban-type settlement in Chaunsky District of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia, situated south east of Chaunskaya Bay, about 70km south of Pevek, the administrative centre for the district... |
|
Source:
*Administrative centers are shown in bold
Sources
- Wetlands in Russia, Vol. 4 Wetlands in Northeastern Russia, Andreev, A.V. (2004). Wetlands International, Moscow.
- Petit Futé, Chukotka