The rural population dynamics of in the Arctic regions of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) in the post-Soviet period: general trends and geographical differences

Abstract

The authors investigate general trends and spatial differences in the rural population dynamics in the Arctic regions (uluses) of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) in relation to the ethnic factor, features of economic activity and transport accessibility of the territory using statistical, comparative geographical, cartographic and field research methods. Against the general decline by more than a quarter of the rural population of the Yakutia Arctic regions in the post-Soviet period, they obseve significant geographical differences: from a reduction by more than half in the Allaikhovskiy and Verkhnekolymskiy uluses with the smallest share of the indigenous population and industrial and transport development to the population growth in the Olenekskiy and Eveno-Bytantayskiy uluses with the largest share of indigenous peoples and reindeer herding and fishing type of economic activity.