Sakhalin Island

Sakhalin is an island in Northeast Asia, approximately 40 kilometers north of Japan's Hokkaido, with a population of roughly 500,000, mostly Russians. The island has a complex history of human settlement, with evidence of Neolithic-era inhabitants and interactions with various cultures, including the Ainu, Oroks, and Nivkhs. Sakhalin was claimed by both Russia and Japan in the 19th and 20th centuries, resulting in military conflicts and divisions of the island. The island was divided between the two powers in 1905, with Southern Sakhalin going to Japan. After Japan's invasion of the northern parts of the island in 1918, Russia seized the entire island in 1945, ending Japan's rule. Today, Sakhalin is administered as part of Sakhalin Oblast and is the largest island of Russia, with an area of 72,492 square kilometers.