United States Consulate General, Vladivostok - Consular District at a Glance

Information taken from the Far Eastern Federal Distcrict site	Region	Capital	Territory km²	Population
	Amurskaya Oblast	Blagoveshensk	363 700	903 000
	Jewish Autonomous Oblast	Birobidzhan	36 000	191 000
	Kamchatskiy Kray	Petropavlovsk- Kamchatskiy	464 300	347 100
	Magadanskaya Oblast	Magadan	462 400	183 000
	Primorskiy Kray	Vladivostok	165 200	2 071 000
	(Yakutia) Sakha Republic	Yakutsk	3 103 200	949 000
	Sakhalinskaya Oblast	Yuzhno- Sakhalinsk	87 100	547 000
	Khabarovskiy Kray	Khabarovsk	788 600	1 436 000
	Chukotskiy Autonomous Okrug	Anadyr	721 500	54 000

Consulate History

Following the Cold War, the United States initiated a policy of positive engagement with the new Russian Federation. A key component of this policy is the expansion of contacts in Russia's heartland beyond Moscow and St. Petersburg. The country's many regions, which span eleven time zones, continue to grow in individual importance.

The Russian Far East, Russia's "window on the Orient", has remained an area of strategic importance ever since eastward expansion reached its terminus in the mid-19th century. The area's abundant natural resources have long fueled the Russian economy, as they do today. Fur, timber, and precious metals encouraged the first settlers to make the trans-siberian trek. Access to deposits of ore, coal, and rich oil and gas reserves coupled with determined development transformed the area into a vast industrial and military zone during the last century. Today, home to multinational energy companies, bustling ports, and enormous factories, the Far East will continue to be an intergral part of Russia's post-Cold War development.

Because of its concentration of defense-related industries, most of the Far East remained closed to westerners for decades during the Cold War. Combined with the fact that most residents were restricted from traveling abroad, exposure to outside cultures and ideas was strictly limited. In 1992, thanks to lobbying efforts by local leaders, the Russian Federation opened the area to foreigners and outside investment. The United States has long been at the forefront of western efforts to establish contacts in the region.

The U.S. Consulate General in Vladivostok was officially reestablished on September 22, 1992, within months of the "opening" of a city closed to even Russian citizens for 30+ years. Seventy years earlier, it was the site of the last U.S. diplomatic mission to be closed as a result of the Soviet Revolution.

The capital of Primorsky Krai, Vladivostok was chosen as the site for the new regional U.S. Consulate for several reasons. It is the largest city in Far Eastern Russia (an industrial and trade center of over 700,000 people), serves as the home port of the Russian Navy's Pacific Fleet, and sits just north of Japan, China and the Koreas. Since 1992, close to a dozen countries have established diplomatic outposts in the city.

Goals and Objectives

The Consulate is both an instrument of U.S. foreign policy and a service provider to American and Russian citizens. It concentrates its work in three areas:

Consular Services. The Consulate's highest priority is the welfare and whereabouts of American citizens in our Consular District. Our Consular Section provides passport and other services to American travelers and resident expatriates. The Consulate also issues visas to Russian residents who wish to travel to the U.S. (Click here for American Citizen or Visa Services.)

Commercial Services. The promotion of U.S. trade and investment in the Russian Far East is a key U.S. policy objective. To help American companies, the Commercial Section provides a full range of services, including market research and visitor support. The Commercial Section also works to identify Russian firms looking for American business partners. (Click here for Commercial Services)

Public Diplomacy. Our public diplomacy efforts seek to promote an open society and to increase direct contacts between Russians and Americans. Our exchange programs give Russians, from students to businessmen, an opportunity to travel to America for training and education. Through our daily press service, reporters can access the latest U.S. policy developments. Click here for Public Affairs .