- Okha, Russia
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This article is about a town in Russia. For the town of Okha in India, see Okha, India
Okha (English)
Оха (Russian)- Inhabited locality - 
Location of Sakhalin Oblast in Russia
OkhaCoordinates: 53°35′N 142°56′E / 53.583°N 142.933°ECoordinates: 53°35′N 142°56′E / 53.583°N 142.933°E 
Coat of arms Flag Administrative status Country Russia Federal subject Sakhalin Oblast Administrative center of Okha District[citation needed] Municipal status Urban okrug Okha Urban Okrug[citation needed] Statistics Population (2002 Census) 27,963 inhabitants[1] Founded 1880[citation needed] Postal code(s) 69449x[citation needed] Dialing code(s) +7 42437[citation needed] Official website Okha (Russian: Оха́) is a town in Sakhalin Oblast, Russia. Population: 29,000 (2003 est.); 27,963 (2002 Census); 36,104 (1989 Census).
Contents
Geography
The town lies on the east coast of the far north of the island of Sakhalin, approximately 850 km north of the regional capital Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, near the shoreline of the Sea of Okhotsk.
History
The present settlement was founded shortly after the discovery of petroleum in the area in 1880, initially under the name Okhe. The name is derived from an Ainu word meaning Bad Water. Industrial exploitation of the petroleum reserves began in 1923, during the Japanese occupation of Sakhalin from 1920-25. Town status was granted in 1938.
The town suffered significant damage in an earthquake on May 28, 1995, with over 2,000 inhabitants killed. Another smaller earthquake hit the town on May 10, 2005, but there were no fatalities or significant damage.
Economy and infrastructure
Okha, along with the oblast capital Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, is the center of Sakhalin's petroleum industry. An oil pipeline and gas main runs from Okha to Komsomolsk-on-Amur on the Russian mainland.
A number of oil wells exist in close proximity to the town, mainly controlled by the company Rosneft.
The town is the northern end point for the island's road system. There was a rail connection to the island's narrow-gauge rail network at Nogliki, however this was closed in 2006.
References
- ^ Федеральная служба государственной статистики (Federal State Statistics Service) (2004-05-21). "Численность населения России, субъектов Российской Федерации в составе федеральных округов, районов, городских поселений, сельских населённых пунктов – районных центров и сельских населённых пунктов с населением 3 тысячи и более человек (Population of Russia, its federal districts, federal subjects, districts, urban localities, rural localities—administrative centers, and rural localities with population of over 3,000)" (in Russian). Всероссийская перепись населения 2002 года (All-Russia Population Census of 2002). Federal State Statistics Service. http://www.perepis2002.ru/ct/doc/1_TOM_01_04.xls. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
External links
Cities and towns in Sakhalin Oblast Administrative center: Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk 
Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky · Aniva · Dolinsk · Kholmsk · Korsakov · Kurilsk · Makarov · Nevelsk · Okha · Poronaysk · Severo-Kurilsk · Shakhtyorsk · Tomari · Uglegorsk
Categories:- Cities and towns in Sakhalin Oblast
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