The Russian Far East (in Russian, Дальний Восток России) can be thought of as the eastern part of Siberia, when that area is given its broadest meaning. But it can be useful to think of "the Far East" separately. It is significant as the probable homeland of the vast majority of the "Siberian" sleddogs that wound up in North America.

Indigenous peoples hunted (and hunt) sea mammals in this region, which includes all of Russia's eastern coast. The area was a natural starting point for Russian expeditions and for trade with other countries. (The port of Okhoktsk was established in 1647.)

Administratively, too, Russia's Far Eastern Federal District (Дальневосточный федеральный округ) is separate from its Siberian Federal District (Сибирский федеральный округ). In April, 2007, the Far Eastern Federal District measures 6.2 million sq. km (2.4 million sq. miles) and includes these administrative subdivisions, roughly north to south:

* Chukot Autonomous Okrug, or, Chukotka (Чукотский автономный округ);

* Koryak Autonomous Okrug (Корякский автономный округ);

* Sakha (Yakutia) Republic (Республика Саха (Якутия));

* Magadan Oblast (Магаданская область);

* Kamchatka Oblast (Камчатская область);

* Khabarovsk Krai (Хабаровский край);

* Sakhalin Oblast (Сахалинская область);

* Amur Oblast (Амурская область);

* Jewish Autonomous Oblast (Еврейская автономная область); and

* Primorsky Krai (Приморский край)

Sakha, with roughly half the Federal District's land, has arctic shoreline for its northern border but is not along Russia's eastern seaboard. Nor are the landlocked Amur and Jewish Autonomus Oblasts.