SIKHOTE-ALIN

also spelled Sichote-Alin mountain complex in the Russian Far East, fronting the Tatar Strait and the Sea of Japan for 750 miles (1,200 km) northeast-southwest. Major geologic fault lines bound the area, and the structural trench of the Ussuri River valley lies along the northwest. The relief is complicated; the features of the region include eight main ranges, rising to a maximum height of 6,814 feet (2,077 m) in Mount Tardoki-Yani. Although the highest summits are bare, most of the mountains are densely forested with birch and conifers on higher slopes and mixed deciduous forest lower down. The mountains are one of the leading lumbering areas of the Russian Far East. A number of minerals are exploited, including lead, zinc, and tin. The population is extremely sparse.