 Yakutsk is the capital of the Republic of Sakha (YakutiaYakutia), its administrative, scientific, cultural and educational centre. The city population is about 230 thousand people that makes 35 % of the population of the republic.
The six hours' flight separate Yakutsk and Moscow now. In June, 1640 it took two years for the voevodes P.P.Golovin and M.B.Glebov to cover the distance of 7943,5 versts.
The city began to grow and develop only after the October revolution (1917 - 7 thousand inhabitants; 1980 -155 thousand people).
Yakutsk, as well as the whole republic, is situated in the continental climatic and permafrost zone. Winter lasting more than 210 days is very cold (the lowest temperature is 64 degrees centigrade), summer is short and hot (38 degrees above zero ). Such fluctuation in temperature cannot be found elsewhere on our planet. Despite all the difficulties Yakutsk is practically prepared for the most adverse natural factors.
Yakutsk is the industrial, scientific and cultural centre of the republic. Dozens of enterprises (of the light and food-processing industries), a large river port and an airport are there in the city.
The Yakut State University trains experts for the northeast of the country.
There is the Yakut branch of the Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the unique Institute of Perfrostology and other scientific institutions.
Yakutsk has more than ten technical schools, secondary schools, 3 theatres and several museums.
The system "Orbit " provides the central TV for the population.
At the distance of 7 km from Yakutsk the Botanical gardens of the Institute of Biology of the Y akut Scientific Centre are situated. The gardens are spread over 628 hectares. They were founded in 1962. Their collection and exposition total more than 2000 sorts of plants. They develop ties with 100 botanical gardens of Russia and the CIS and more than 250 botanical gardens of foreign countries.
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