The Speares

Living the life in Gravenhurst

Chukotka Autonomous Okrug

Onward to one million!

 

 

Russia does not have Provinces or States per se, they have 8 Federal Districts controlling between them 85 Federal Subjects. Within these Federal Subjects there are 46 Oblasts which could be considered provinces, as they have their own locally elected governor. The 22 Republics are somewhat autonomous and can choose a second official language. They are intended to be home to specific ethnic minorities. The 9 Krais, or Territories, are essentially Oblasts that are on the frontiers. The Jewish Autonomous Oblast is the only Autonomous Oblast. There are 3 Federal Cities - Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Sevastopol - that are large enough to their own Federal Subject. That leaves the 4 Autonomous Okrugs (Districts), which were originally intended to be subordinate to a Krai or an Oblast but containing a specific ethnic minority. Of the 4, only the Easternmost Okrug, Chukotka, is truly autonomous, having severed its ties with the Magadan Oblast in 1993. It is in the Far-Eastern Federal District and is the only part of Russia since 1867 lying partially in the Western Hemisphere.

So that's the long version. The short version is we're going to be in the province of Chukotka for the next few days. Party time!