Known to most as a realm of exile and labor camps, Siberia is also one of the worlds wealthiest resource bases. This harsh, vast land constitutes nearly three-quarters of Russias territory, yet after four centuries of Slavic migration and procreation it is home to a mere 32 million people. In this comprehensive book, Victor Mote illuminates the dichotomy between Siberias rich treasurehouse of resources and its peripheral relationship to the rest of the world. With this paradox in mind, he traces the regions history from the Stone Age to the present, emphasizing the unique blend of wit and will developed by inhabitants to survive one of the most brutal environments in the worlda land that has been part colony, part prison, and part frontier. Mote also explores the geography, ethnography, economics, and politics of Siberia and its people, providing a multidisciplinary perspective for scholars and general readers alike interested in Eurasias forgotten quarter.

Table of Contents

* Greater Siberia: A Resource Frontier * Greater Siberia: The Land and Its People * The Little Siberians: On the Planets Periphery * Regionalism, Separatism, and Russification Before the Revolution * Revolution, Civil War, and Stalinism in Greater Siberia * Salad Days: The East-West Debate and Greater Siberia * Dog Days and the Rise of the Little Siberians, 1985-1993 * Greater Siberia Today: Roaring Mice and Wage Arrears