Map of Khabarovsk

History

Historical records indicate that a city was founded on the site in the eighth century. The Tungusic peoples are indigenous to the city's vicinity. The city was named Boli (伯力; Bólì) in Chinese when it was part of the Chinese empire. During the Tang dynasty, Boli was the capital of Heishui Protectorate, called Heishui Duhufu.

In AD 722, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (唐玄宗) established Heishui Protectorate and gave self-rule to Heishui Mohe tribes. The seat of this administrative region was then established near today's Khabarovsk.

In the mid-17th century, the Amur Valley became the scene of hostilities between the Russian Cossacks, who tried to expand into the region and collect tribute from the natives, and the rising Manchu Qing dynasty, who were intent on securing the region for themselves.

Geography

The city is located 30 kilometers (19 mi) from the China–Russia border, at the confluence of the Amur and Ussuri Rivers, about 800 kilometers (500 mi) north of Vladivostok.

Khabarovsk experiences a monsoonal dry-winter humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dwb borders on Dwa, Trewartha climate classification Dcbc bordering on Dcac). Its climate is strongly continental, featuring very warm summers and bitterly cold winters.

The average annual precipitation is 696 millimetres (27.4 in), mainly concentrated in the summer. In some years, from November to March hardly any precipitation falls. The driest year was 2001 with only 381 mm (15.0 in) of precipitation and the wettest was 1981 when 1,105 mm (43.5 in) of precipitation fell.

Economy and infrastructure

Primary industries include iron processing, steel milling, Khabarovsk shipyard, Daldizel, machinery, petroleum refining, flour milling, pharmaceutical industry, meatpacking and manufacturing of various types of heavy and light machinery.

A high-speed international fiber-optic cable connects the city of Khabarovsk with the city of Fuyuan in China.

Tourism

A key street in Khabarovsk is the broad Amursky Boulevard with its many shops and a local market. The city's five districts stretch for 45 kilometers (28 mi) along the Amur River. The similar boulevard – Ussuryisky is located between the two main streets Muravyov-Amursky and Lenin street and runs to the city's artificial lakes (Gorodskie Prudi) with the sport complex Platinum Arena. The lakes are famous for their fountains with the light show. The Military History Museum of the Far Eastern Military District is located in the city, the only such museum in the Russian Far East.

There is a walking tour from Lenin Square to Utyos on the Amur via Muravyov-Amursky Street, where visitors can find traditional Russian restaurants and shops with souvenirs.