The Chukchi Sea from all the seas surrounding Russia was investigated by one of the latter. The explorer Semyon Dezhnev, who traveled by sea from the mouth of the Kolyma River to the Anadyr River, began the study of this very north-eastern sea of the country.
The area of the sea is five hundred and ninety thousand square kilometers. More than half of the Chukchi Sea lies within the continental shelf, so the depths are not more than fifty meters, and in some places there are shallows up to thirteen meters. This is less than the height of a standard five-story building. According to geologists, ten to twelve thousand years ago there was land on this place, along which people settled on the American continent. This rather vast land that existed in the past was called Beringia in the scientific literature. The maximum depth of the sea is 1256 meters.
The climate is extremely harsh. The Chukchi Sea freezes in October, and ice melting begins only in May. For more than six months, the sea is unsuitable for navigation. In winter, the water temperature is a negative value, because due to the high salinity, it freezes at a temperature slightly below zero degrees.
The Chukchi Sea, like all the northern seas, is rich in fish, but due to harsh natural conditions, industrial fishing is extremely difficult, and often simply impossible. Navaga, char, grayling, and polar cod are found in the sea. Among mammals, walruses, polar bears, seals, seals, and whales are found.
The coast of the sea in the west is the Chukchi Peninsula, and in the east - Alaska. The Chukchi Peninsula has long been inhabited for at least five thousand years by the Chukchi, who are genetically closely related to the indigenous inhabitants of Alaska. Now the aborigines of the Chukchi Peninsula are the characters of numerous jokes, but meanwhile, this people until the beginning of the twentieth century was very belligerent and repeatedly defeated the Russians who actively mastered Chukotka.
It is interesting that, recognizing the strength of the Russians, the Chukchi called people, except for themselves, only them. All other nations did not receive such an honor. The bloody clashes between the Russians and the Chukchi continued from the first meeting in 1644 until the end of the eighteenth century, when a fortress was built on one of the tributaries of Greater Anyui, from which military contacts were now replaced by trade ones. However, minor military “misunderstandings” continued throughout the nineteenth century.
The life of the Chukchi is inseparable from the sea to which they gave their name. Although, in fairness, it is necessary to clarify that the life and even the self-name of the Chukchi, living in the depths of the peninsula and on the coast, vary greatly. The name "Chukchi" itself is a derivative of the Chukchi word meaning "rich in deer." The coastal Chukchi, the basis of which is fishing and hunting for sea animals, are called differently - "Ankalyn", which means "dog breeders."
Fishing in Chukotka, according to those who have visited this remote corner of Russia, is magnificent. True, this applies mainly to rivers and lakes of the peninsula. Visiting fishermen rarely pay attention to the Chukchi Sea. This rich, but harsh northern region, alas, cannot boast of an abundance of fish caught. Although … who knows, maybe, due to global warming, the northern ice will recede, and the local wealth, including sea, will become more accessible.
