INDIGIRKA RIVER

river, Sakha republic (Yakutia), far eastern Russia. It is one of the major rivers of northeastern Siberia. The Indigirka rises in the Verkhoyansk Mountains and flows 1,072 miles (1,726 km) north through the Chersky Range into the broad Indigirka lowland, most of which is in tundra vegetation, to enter the East Siberian Sea through an extensive delta. Its two main tributaries are the Moma and Selennyach. The Indigirka is navigable for 650 miles to Khonu on the Arctic Circle, but only from June to September, when it is free of ice. The Indigirka valley is sparsely populated, but fur, lumber, and other natural resources are being exploited. There is a goldfield in the upper part of the valley.