Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Far North includes Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Kamchatka Krai, Magadan Oblast, Murmansk Oblast, Sakha Republic, parts of Arkhangelsk Oblast and Irkutsk Oblast, and Krasnoyarsk Krai. Islands in the Arctic Ocean and waters from the Bering Sea and Sea of Okhotsk also belong to this region.
Temperatures drop below minus 50 degrees Celsius during winter months across much of this territory. Wind speeds often exceed 40 miles per hour during storm seasons while daylight vanishes completely for weeks at a time near the pole.
Soviet authorities established labor camps throughout these remote territories starting in the early twentieth century. Corrective labor colonies continued operations even after the Soviet Union collapsed and today's Russia still maintains some facilities for criminal offenders.
Workers receive higher wages known as the Northern Bonus to offset difficult living standards with new laws defining compensation levels approved by the State Duma Committee on the 28th of February 2007. Extra vacation days are granted to those who work here permanently while disability benefits increase significantly compared to southern regions.
Arkhangelsk holds a population of 348,783 while Yakutsk follows closely behind with 311,760 residents recorded in official counts. Murmansk contains 270,384 people living along its coastal waters and Surgut stands out as the largest city equated to the Far North region with 396,443 souls.