Sakhalin (08.2010)

The Sakhalin Region consists of more than 59 islands, the largest being Sakhalin, Russia's largest island. The capital city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk has a population of approximately 175,000. Seven time zones east of Moscow, Sakhalin has, at various times throughout its history, been controlled by Russia & by Japan. Used as a penal colony during Tsarist & Stalinist times, the Japanese forcibly deported thousands of Koreans to Sakhalin during WWII. At the end of the war, the Soviets regained control of the entire Sakhalin region. Although Japan surrendered, to this day, Russia and Japan have not signed a peace treaty and certain territories remain disputed. A mountainous area of majestic beauty in the Pacific, Sakhalin 's main industries are fishing, oil and gas. Truly a world apart from Moscow, visiting Sakhalin was the realization of a long-time dream. Exhausting, but worth every minute.