Each resident of Russia’s Far East or person willing to move there may be given one hectare of land for free if a proposal backed by President Vladimir Putin is realised. The land could be used for business, agriculture, forestry and hunting. The Russian state owns 614 million hectares of land in the Far East, one of the most sparsely populated regions in the world with about six million residents (the majority lives in big cities such as Vladivostok and Yakutsk). The proposal to give land for free came from Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Trutnev, who is also the envoy in the country’s Far East federal district. The aim is to stimulate the region’s economy and encourage more non-residents to move there. Read more: siberiantimes.com