On the Formation of Population in Regions of the Far North of USSR (with particular reference to the Aldan mining district)

The distinctive aspects of settlement of the Far Northern regions of the Soviet Union are reviewed with particular reference to the Aldan district, a gold and mica mining area in southern Yakutia. The main source of population has been net in-migration, with two-thirds of the labor force consisting of persons who move to the area temporarily, usually for one to three years. The permanent segment of the population represents only about one-third of the total. Working ages predominate among the migrants, and there has been traditionally a predominance of males, especially in the early stages of area development. However the sex ratio tends to become balanced as an area matures and the economy becomes more diversified. Indigneous ethnic groups represent only 9 percent of the Aldan population, with Russians predominating among the migrants and representing 78 percent of the population.