YamaloNenets

Yamalo-Nenets refers to two related subjects in northern Russia: the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, a federal subject, and the Yamalo-Nenets, an indigenous people of the Uralic language family who live in the same region. The name Yamal comes from the Nenets word for “the end of the land,” reflecting the geographic association with the Yamal Peninsula. The two usages are closely linked by geography and history.

The Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug is located in northwestern Siberia and is part of the Ural Federal District. The administrative center is Salekhard, a city on the Arctic Circle. The okrug borders several regions and covers Arctic and subarctic landscapes, including much of the Yamal Peninsula. Its economy is dominated by natural gas and oil extraction, with fields such as Urengoy, Yamburg, and Bovanenkovo significant to Russia’s energy output. The Ob River runs through the region, which features permafrost, taiga, and tundra.

The region's inhabitants include the Yamalo-Nenets and other groups such as Russians and Tatars. The Yamalo-Nenets are traditionally reindeer herders, hunters, and fishers; many maintain nomadic or semi-nomadic livelihoods alongside modern work. Their language, Yamalo-Nenets, is part of the Northern Samoyedic branch of Uralic, though most speakers are bilingual in Russian. They are recognized as indigenous peoples of the North in Russia, with rights to traditional livelihoods, culture, and local self-government. Today communities combine traditional practices with participation in the regional economy and state institutions.