Ust-Nera

Ust-Nera (Russian: Усть-Нера; Yakut: Уус Ньара, romanized: Ûs Ņara) is an urban locality (an urban-type settlement) and the administrative center of Oymyakonsky District in Yakutia, Russia. Located in one of the coldest permanently inhabited regions on Earth, Ust-Nera is approximately 870 kilometers (540 mi) northeast of the republic's capital, Yakutsk. As of the 2010 Census, its population was 6,463.^[3]

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1959	10,789	—
1970	7,820	−27.5%
1979	10,399	+33.0%
1989	12,535	+20.5%
2002	9,457	−24.6%
2010	6,463	−31.7%
2021	4,228	−34.6%
Source: Census data

Ust-Nera Усть-Нера
Urban-type settlement[1]
Other transcription(s)
• Yakut	Уус Ньара
View of Ust-Nera
Location of Ust-Nera
Ust-Nera Location of Ust-Nera Show map of Russia Ust-Nera Ust-Nera (Sakha Republic) Show map of Sakha Republic
Coordinates: 64°35′N 143°15′E
Country	Russia
Federal subject	Sakha Republic[2]
Administrative district	Oymyakonsky District[2]
Settlement	Settlement of Ust-Nera[2]
Founded	1937
Urban-type settlement status since	1950[2]
Population  (2010 Census)[3]
• Total	6,463
Administrative status
• Capital of	Oymyakonsky District,[2] Settlement of Ust-Nera[2]
Municipal status
• Municipal district	Oymyakonsky Municipal District[4]
• Urban settlement	Ust-Nera Urban Settlement[4]
• Capital of	Oymyakonsky Municipal District,[5] Ust-Nera Urban Settlement[4]
Time zone	UTC+10 (MSK+7 [6])
Postal code(s)[7]	678730, 678739
Dialing code(s)	+7 41154
OKTMO ID	98639151051

Geography

Ust-Nera is located at the confluence of the Nera and Indigirka Rivers, from which it takes its name (the ust- part means river mouth in Russian). Ust-Nera is located about 200 kilometers (120 mi) north of the selo of Oymyakon, which is one of two places in the Sakha Republic (the other being Verkhoyansk) that lays claim to being the northern Pole of Cold, the coldest location in the northern hemisphere.

The Tas-Kystabyt, Silyap Range and the Nera Plateau are located in the district.

Climate

Ust-Nera has an extremely cold subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification Dwd) with short, mild, wet summers with chilly nights, and severely cold, dry winters.

Climate data for Ust-Nera
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	−40.1 (−40.2)	−35.1 (−31.2)	−21.4 (−6.5)	−5.4 (22.3)	7.3 (45.1)	18.7 (65.7)	21.0 (69.8)	18.0 (64.4)	8.8 (47.8)	−9.2 (15.4)	−30.2 (−22.4)	−39.4 (−38.9)	−8.9 (15.9)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−44.0 (−47.2)	−40.7 (−41.3)	−30.4 (−22.7)	−14.9 (5.2)	0.7 (33.3)	11.1 (52.0)	13.3 (55.9)	10.2 (50.4)	2.5 (36.5)	−14.7 (5.5)	−34.5 (−30.1)	−43.0 (−45.4)	−15.4 (4.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−47.9 (−54.2)	−46.2 (−51.2)	−39.3 (−38.7)	−24.3 (−11.7)	−5.8 (21.6)	3.5 (38.3)	5.7 (42.3)	2.4 (36.3)	−3.7 (25.3)	−20.1 (−4.2)	−38.8 (−37.8)	−46.5 (−51.7)	−21.7 (−7.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	8 (0.3)	7 (0.3)	4 (0.2)	7 (0.3)	17 (0.7)	37 (1.5)	55 (2.2)	45 (1.8)	24 (0.9)	14 (0.6)	11 (0.4)	8 (0.3)	237 (9.5)
Source: http://en.climate-data.org/location/28842/

History

Ust-Nera flood of 1959

Ust-Nera was founded in 1937 in conjunction with gold mining and exploration in the Indigirka and Kolyma regions.^{[citation needed]} In the Soviet era, it served as a base for forced labor camps of the gulag. Urban-type settlement status was granted to Ust-Nera in 1950.^[2]

Administrative and municipal status

Within the framework of administrative divisions, the urban-type settlement of Ust-Nera^[1] serves as the administrative center of Oymyakonsky District.^[2] As an administrative division, it is incorporated within Oymyakonsky District as the Settlement of Ust-Nera.^[2] As a municipal division, the Settlement of Ust-Nera is incorporated within Oymyakonsky Municipal District as Ust-Nera Urban Settlement.^[4]

Economy

Gold mining is the main occupation. The Kolyma Highway was extended northwest to Ust-Nera in 1937; this section is now the main route between Yakutsk and Magadan. The Ust-Nera Airport is serving air traffic. River traffic on the Indigirka is limited by the rapids 100 kilometers (62 mi) downstream.

Culture

There is a small museum in Ust-Nera.