Sakhalin

American  

[-leen, sak-uh-lin, suh-khuh-lyeen] / -ˌlin, ˈsæk əˌlɪn, sə xʌˈlyin /

noun

1. the largest island of the Russian Federation and the northernmost component of the Japanese archipelago: divided between Russia and Japan in 1905, the southern half Southern Sakhalin becoming the Japanese prefecture of Karafuto until its restoration to Russia after World War II. 28,000 square miles (72,520 square kilometers).

---

Sakhalin British  

/ səxaˈlin /

noun

1. Japanese name (1905–24): Karafuto.  an island in the Sea of Okhotsk, off the SE coast of Russia north of Japan: fishing, forestry, and mineral resources (coal and petroleum). Capital: Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Pop: 546 500 (2002). Area: 76 000 sq km (29 300 sq miles)

---

Etymology

Origin of Sakhalin

First recorded in 1860–65; from Russian Sakhalín, from Manchu Sahaliyan (ula angga hada) “(Island at the mouth of the) Black (river)”

Example Sentences

Earlier this year, Exxon Mobil met with Russia’s biggest state energy company, Rosneft, to discuss returning to the massive Sakhalin gas project if Moscow and Washington gave the green light.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 29, 2025

Russian officials issued a tsunami alert for the island of Sakhalin, warning that areas across the island’s west coast could be affected by the waves.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 31, 2023

Sakhalin pilot project, which was approved in 2021 and launched in 2023, was designed to test such a market and attempt to achieve carbon neutrality on the island by 2025.

From BBC • Dec. 10, 2023

Svitzer and Sakhalin Energy did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

From Reuters • May 10, 2023

Manjour and Chinese merchants met Japanese from the island of Sakhalin, Tunguse from the coast of the Ohotsk Sea, and others from, the head waters of the Zeya and Amgoon.

From Overland through Asia; Pictures of Siberian, Chinese, and Tartar Life by Knox, Thomas Wallace