Chukchi Sea - the former Beringia

The Chukchi Sea from all the seas surrounding Russia,was investigated by one of the latter. The beginning of the study of this most northeastern sea of ​​the country was laid by the explorer Semyon Dezhnev, who passed by sea from the mouth of the Kolyma River to the Anadyr River.

The area of ​​the sea is five hundred ninety thousand squarekilometers. More than half the area of ​​the Chukchi Sea lies within the continental shelf, so the depths are no more than fifty meters, and here and there are shoals up to thirteen meters. This is less than the height of the standard five-story building. According to geologists, ten to twelve thousand years ago, there was a land on this place, which was inhabited by people of the American continent. This rather extensive existed in the past land was named in the scientific literature by Beringia. The maximum depth of the sea is 1256 meters.

The climate here is extremely severe.The Chukchi Sea freezes in October, and the ice cover begins only in May. More than half a year the sea is unsuitable for navigation. In winter, the water temperature is negative, because due to its high salinity, it freezes at a temperature slightly below zero degrees.

The Chukchi Sea, like all the northern seas, is richfish, but because of harsh environmental conditions, industrial fishing is extremely difficult, and often impossible. In the sea there are navaga, char, grayling, polar cod. From mammals there are walruses, polar bears, seals, seals, whales.

The coast of the sea in the west is Chukchia peninsula, and in the east - Alaska. On the Chukchi peninsula, Chukchi, genetically located in close relationship with the indigenous inhabitants of Alaska, have lived for at least five thousand years. Now the aborigines of the Chukchi peninsula are the characters of numerous anecdotes, and meanwhile this people was very bellicose up to the beginning of the twentieth century and repeatedly inflicted defeats on the Russians who actively mastered Chukotka.

It is interesting that, recognizing the strength of the Russians, the Chukchicalled people, except for themselves, only them. All other nations have not been given such an honor. The bloody clashes between the Russians and the Chukchi continued, from the first acquaintance in 1644 until the end of the eighteenth century, when a fortress was built on one of the tributaries of the Greater Anyui, where military contacts were replaced by trade. However, small combat "misunderstandings" continued throughout the nineteenth century.

The life of the Chukchi is inseparable from the sea to which theygave their name. Although, for the sake of justice, we must clarify that the life and even the self-name of the Chukchi living deep in the peninsula and on the coast, are very different. The very name "Chukcha" is derived from the Chukchi word meaning "rich in deer". Coastal Chukchi, the basis of the economy is fishing and hunting for sea animals, are called otherwise - "Ankalyn", which means "dog breeders".

Fishing in Chukotka, according to the testimony of those whovisited this remote corner of Russia, is gorgeous. True, this applies mainly to the rivers and lakes of the peninsula. On the Chukchi Sea, visiting fishermen pay attention rarely. Alas, this rich but harsh northern edge can not boast of an abundance of fish caught. Although ... who knows, maybe, in connection with global warming, the northern ice will recede, and the local treasures, including the sea ones, will become more accessible.