Vladivostok city info

   Often compared to San Francisco due to the many hills and ocean views, Vladivostok ("Ruler of the East" from the Russian words vladet and vostok) is one of the most beautiful cities in Russia. As one of only four major seaports, with extensive fishing rights, it also has tremendous potential for economic growth. Vladivostok is Russia's window to Asia, as it is located less than 100km east of the Chinese border, and just across the Sea of Japan from the main Japanese island of Honshu.

 Modern Vladivostok has been compared to the American West during the Gold Rush years. Businesses from all over the world have flooded in to take advantage of the city's position as a crossroads of Northeast Asia. Vladivostok's ideal geographical location is of great interest to developers of international and domestic trade. Strong forces lobby for a Free Economic Zone, hoping that the city might eventually be another Hong Kong or Singapore. Japan and Korea have invested heavily, and Vladivostok generally believes that the city's economic future is much more tied to Asia than to the West.