
Map showing the location of Uelen and the Chukchi Sea
'Uelen' () is a
village (''
selo'') located just below the
Arctic Circle in
Chukotka Autonomous Okrug in the
Russian Far East. It is near the point where the
Bering Sea meets the
Chukchi Sea, at the easternmost point on the Asian continent. Uelen is also significant for being the closest substantial Russian settlement to the
United States.
Uelen has a population of about 500 (2002).
The village, famous for its
walrus ivory carvings, also serves as a base for
archaeological expeditions to the area, which have uncovered a
burial ground containing more than 300 burials of Early Whale Hunter cultures, covering a time span from
500 BCE to
1000 CE.
Uelen is where
Dimitri Kieffer and
Karl Bushby, entered Russia during their Goliath expedition after crossing the
Bering Strait. The two were then arrested for visa violations.
External link
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Palaeoecology and archaeology of the Ekven burial ground and the Ekven settlement area near Uelen, Chukotka