Amur

Amur refers primarily to the Amur River, a major watercourse in East Asia that forms a large portion of the border between Russia and China and drains into the Sea of Okhotsk via the Strait of Tartary. The river is about 4,000 kilometers long and has a drainage basin covering parts of Russia’s Far East and northeastern China. Its headwaters lie in the border region between Mongolia and Siberia, and it flows eastward and northeastward, receiving tributaries such as the Songhua (Sungari) River, Zeya, Bureya, and Ussuri before reaching the sea.

The name Amur is also associated with a broader geographic and administrative region. In Russia, the Amur Oblast is a federal subject whose administrative center is Blagoveshchensk. In China, the river is known by its Chinese name Heilongjiang, which is also the name of a large province; the river serves as a major geographic feature in the region and a symbol of cross-border exchange.

Ecology and biodiversity in the Amur basin are notable for temperate forests and a range of wildlife. The area is associated with endangered species such as the Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) and the Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis), which rely on connected forest habitats. The basin also supports diverse fish populations, birds, and other wildlife, making conservation efforts a continuing concern amid habitat change and human activity.

Historically, the Amur region was a frontier zone between eastern Russia and Qing China. Treaties in 1858 and 1860 defined portions of the border along the river, shaping political boundaries for decades. Today, the Amur remains important for cross-border trade, transportation, hydroelectric production on its tributaries, and regional economies dependent on fishing and water resources.