Jason Gibbs, age 16, of Wilmington, Del., for his question:

WHERE IS SAKHALIN ISLAND?

Sakhalin is a long, narrow island off the eastern coast of Siberia. It is about 600 miles long and up to 100 miles wide. Russia controls the island that has a population of almost 1 million.

Dutch navigators were the first to discover

Sakhalin. Then for many years Russia and Japan quarreled

over the land. In 1875, Japan recognized Russia's ownership but disputes continued until 1905, when Russia and Japan divided Sakhalin between them after the Russo Japanese War of 1904 1905. Russia took the northern half and Japan took over the southern part.

The discovery of oil on Sakhalin led the Russians to colonize the island in 1931. The defeat of Japan in World War II gave Russia complete control of the island.

Pine and spruce forests cover almost all of Sakhalin. Most of the people make their livings by fishing. Many fur bearing animals live on the island, and some of the men are fur traders. Coal mining and lumbering are carried on and wood pulp is manufactured.

The Ainu, a race of white men believed to have been the first people in Japan, still live in southern Sakhalin.