Oymyakon (English) Оймякон (Russian) Өймөкөөн (Sakha) |
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- Rural locality - Selo |
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Oymyakon in February 2013 |
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Location of the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic in Russia |
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Administrative status | |
Country | Russia |
Federal subject | Sakha Republic |
Administrative district | Oymyakonsky District |
Municipal status | |
Municipal district | Oymyakonsky Municipal District |
Statistics | |
Population (July 17, 2011 est.) | 500 inhabitants |
Time zone | VLAT (UTC+10:00) |
Postal code(s) | 678752 |
Dialing code(s) | +7 41154 |
on |
Oymyakon (Russian: Оймяко́н, pronounced [ɐjmʲɪˈkon]; Yakut: Өймөкөөн, Öymököön, IPA: [øjmøˈkøːn]) is a rural locality (a selo) in Oymyakonsky District of the Sakha Republic, Russia, located along the Indigirka River, 30 kilometers (19 mi) northwest of Tomtor on the Kolyma Highway. Oymyakon is one of the coldest permanently inhabited locales on Earth.
It is named after the Oymyakon River, whose name reportedly comes from the Even word kheium, meaning "unfrozen patch of water; place where fish spend the winter." However, another source states that the Even word heyum (hэjум) (kheium may be a misspelling) means "frozen lake".
Oymyakon, population 500, is in eastern Yakutia at approximately 750 meters above sea level. At the village's northerly position, day length varies from three hours in December to 21 hours in June.
During World War II, an airfield was built here for the Alaska-Siberian (ALSIB) air route used to ferry American Lend-Lease aircraft to the Eastern Front.
With an extreme subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification Dwd), Oymyakon is known as one of the candidates for the Northern Pole of Cold, the other being the town of Verkhoyansk. The ground there is permanently frozen (continuous permafrost).