Rural Population Dynamics in the Russian Extreme North IN 1989–2019: A Case Of Sakha Republic (Yakutia)

• Published in: GEOGRAPHY, ENVIRONMENT, SUSTAINABILITY
• Main Authors: Tamara Litvinenko V., Kazuhiro Kumo, Antonina Savvinova N., Viktoriia Filippova V.
• Other Authors: The study of Tamara V. Litvinenko was carried out as part of the State Assignment of the Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Sciences (No. 0148-2019-0008 ‘Problems and Prospects for the Territorial Development of Russia in the Conditions of Its Unevenness and Global Instability’) and supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (Grant No. 19-05-00822). The study of Kazuhiro Kumo was financially supported by the research grant (B) (19H01478) of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Japan and a scholarship from the Japan Securities Fund. The study of Antonina N. Savvinova was financially supported by a grant of the Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences of Canada (Project ‘The Rights of Indigenous Minorities of the North in the Russian Federation in the Area of Land Use for the Last Quarter of a Century’) and was implemented within the research project of Laboratory of Electronic Cartography Systems North-Eastern Federal University «Sustainable development of the territories of traditional nature management of Yakutia in terms of global challenges in the Arctic: cartographic support». The study of Viktoriia V. Filippova was carried out as part of the State Assignment of the Institute for Humanities Reserach and Indigenous Studies of the North of the SB RAS (№XII.186.4.6) and financially supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (Grant №20-09-00257A).
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Russian Geographical Society 2020
• Subjects: rural population dynamics;Russian Extreme North;Republic of Sakha (Yakutia);indigenous people;Namsky ulus;Anabarsky ulus; Sakha; Arctic; Polar Record; Polar Science; Republic of Sakha; Sakha Republic; Yakutia; Yakuts
• Online Access: https://ges.rgo.ru/jour/article/view/1545; https://doi.org/10.24057/2071-9388-2020-137

In this study, the specific characteristics of Yakutia’s rural population dynamics in 1989-2019 in comparison with other Extreme North regions are identified along with geographical differences in the population dynamics of the republic’s rural districts. The research results are based on the analysis of the official statistical data and field trip observations in rural areas of Yakutia. Sakha has witnessed a relatively small decline in total rural population compared to other regions, which can be explained by the high proportion of the indigenous population that has a historical preference for living in rural areas and higher birth rates as well as by the regional rural support measures. Despite the common overall trend in the rural population dynamics, significant intraregional differences have been identified. In the regions characterized by more central location and a larger share of the indigenous people, the population growth due to migration and the natural increase was observed, while in more remote northern locations with poor transport accessibility to the region’s centre population decreased due to migration outflow. A shift in rural population took place in the districts of Central Yakutia, historical settlement area of Yakuts, who are engaged in livestock and horse breeding, which are the traditional types of economic activities for this territory. The largest population decrease due to migration outflow was observed in Momsky and Zhigansky ulus, which are characterized by their northern location, poor transport accessibility and a smaller share of indigenous people.