Sakhalin Oblast, Administrative region in Russian Far East.
Sakhalin Oblast stretches across Sakhalin Island and the Kuril chain between the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan. The landmass includes forested valleys, volcanic hills, and long stretches of coastline with pebble beaches.
The territory switched between Russian and Japanese control several times until the Soviet Union took full possession in 1945 after World War II. The border settlement followed the Potsdam Conference and ended decades of disputed rule.
The region preserves indigenous names and customs from the Nivkh and Orok peoples, whose fishing villages dot the coastlines. Korean communities maintain their own traditions since the Soviet relocations of the 1930s.
Offshore oil and gas projects shape the economy, especially visible at industrial ports and extraction facilities along the eastern shore. Visitors need permits for many areas, as military restricted zones limit free movement.
The island chain holds Russia's largest island system, where two parallel mountain ranges run through Sakhalin. Mount Lopatin rises as the highest point at 1609 meters (5280 feet) above sea level.
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