dropped by over 30% since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, from a high of 61,996 inhabitants recorded in the 1989 Soviet Census, to an estimated population of around 38,000 in 2008. Climate Tynda has a subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification Dwc) with severely cold, rather dry winters and warm, very rainy summers. Administrative and municipal status Within the framework of administrative divisions, Tynda serves as the administrative center of Tyndinsky District, even though it is not a part of it. As an administrative division, it is incorporated separately as Tynda Urban Okrug — an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the districts. As a municipal division, this administrative unit also has urban okrug status. Demographics Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians make up the majority of the town's population. Around 1,500 North Korean loggers worked in the region as of 2007, strictly prohibited from speaking with journalists and residing in isolated camps which are closed to all other people. Economy and transportation Tynda is the crossing point for the Baikal-Amur Mainline and Amur Yakutsk Mainline railways. The town's station is one of the most important on both lines and possesses a large locomotive depot. Other than railway-related activities, the town's economy relies largely on the timber industry, with the Tyndales corporation based here. The M56 motorway to Yakutsk also passes through the town. The town is served by the Tynda Airport, located to the north. After being closed for a number of years, air services from Blagoveshchensk via Zeya resumed in 2007. International relations Twin towns and sister cities Tynda is twinned with: Wenatchee, Washington, United States References Notes Sources External links Official website of Tynda In pictures: Siberian showcase's decline Cities and towns in Amur Oblast Populated places established in 1917