A vast Asian region of Russia; famous for long cold winters.
Asian region of Russia, extending from the Ural Mountains to the Pacific Ocean
area 12,050,000 sq km/4,650,000 sq mi
towns Novosibirsk, Omsk, Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk
Features long and extremely cold winters; the world’s largest remaining native forests, covering about 5,000,000 sq km/1,930,000 sq mi, continue to be cut down; the world’s largest cat, the Siberian tiger, although an endangered species, is hunted for its bones, which are used in traditional medicine.
Industries hydroelectric power from rivers Lena, Ob, and Yenisei; forestry; mineral resources, including gold, diamonds, oil, natural gas, iron, copper, nickel, cobalt
History overrun by Russia in the 17th century, Siberia was used from the 18th century to exile political and criminal prisoners. The first Trans-Siberian Railroad 1892–1905 from St Petersburg (via Omsk, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk, and Khabarovsk) to Vladivostok, approximately 8,700 km/5,400 mi, began to open it up. A popular front was formed 1988, campaigning for ecological and political reform.