# Tulun

Tulun (Russian: Тулун, IPA:) is a town in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia, located on the river Iya (Angara's basin), 390 kilometers (240 mi) northwest of Irkutsk. Population: 44,611 (2010 Census); 51,848 (2002 Census); 52,903 (1989 Soviet census).

## History

It was founded in the second half of the 18th century as a village in the Iya Valley. With the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway in the early 20th century, Tulun grew into an important trade center. It was administrated as a town between 1922 and 1924, before being granted town status permanently in 1927.

## Administrative and municipal status

Within the framework of administrative divisions, Tulun serves as the administrative center of Tulunsky District, even though it is not a part of it. As an administrative division, it is incorporated separately as the Town of Tulun—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the districts. As a municipal division, the Town of Tulun is incorporated as Tulun Urban Okrug.

## Geography
### Climate

Tulun has a subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc) with mild to warm, humid summers and severely cold, drier winters. The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from −19.9 °C (−3.8 °F) in January to 17.7 °C (63.9 °F). Sunshine is generous and the area receives 2,237 hours of bright sunshine annually.
Climate data for Tulun (1948−2011) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 4.7 (40.5) | 8.7 (47.7) | 16.8 (62.2) | 28.4 (83.1) | 32.2 (90.0) | 36.0 (96.8) | 35.8 (96.4) | 36.5 (97.7) | 30.0 (86.0) | 25.0 (77.0) | 13.5 (56.3) | 7.0 (44.6) | 36.5 (97.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −14.9 (5.2) | −10.2 (13.6) | −1.8 (28.8) | 7.1 (44.8) | 16.2 (61.2) | 22.3 (72.1) | 24.1 (75.4) | 21.2 (70.2) | 14.5 (58.1) | 5.8 (42.4) | −5.7 (21.7) | −13.3 (8.1) | 5.6 (42.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −20.4 (−4.7) | −17.0 (1.4) | −8.9 (16.0) | 0.7 (33.3) | 8.7 (47.7) | 15.1 (59.2) | 17.5 (63.5) | 14.6 (58.3) | 7.7 (45.9) | −0.1 (31.8) | −10.9 (12.4) | −18.3 (−0.9) | −0.8 (30.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −25.6 (−14.1) | −23.1 (−9.6) | −15.4 (4.3) | −5 (23) | 1.6 (34.9) | 8.0 (46.4) | 11.1 (52.0) | 8.7 (47.7) | 2.3 (36.1) | −4.7 (23.5) | −15.7 (3.7) | −23.1 (−9.6) | −6.6 (20.1) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −46.1 (−51.0) | −47.2 (−53.0) | −41.1 (−42.0) | −26.5 (−15.7) | −10 (14) | −5.0 (23.0) | −0.4 (31.3) | −3.0 (26.6) | −11.1 (12.0) | −29 (−20) | −40 (−40) | −45 (−49) | −47.2 (−53.0) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 17.6 (0.69) | 16.9 (0.67) | 10.4 (0.41) | 25.7 (1.01) | 28.4 (1.12) | 54.5 (2.15) | 75.6 (2.98) | 53.5 (2.11) | 35.0 (1.38) | 22.1 (0.87) | 16.2 (0.64) | 17.4 (0.69) | 373.3 (14.72) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 18.8 | 15.1 | 11.3 | 12.9 | 13.0 | 12.4 | 11.3 | 13.5 | 13.2 | 16.9 | 18.2 | 20.1 | 176.7 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 81.3 | 73.8 | 62.6 | 56.7 | 53.9 | 65.8 | 72.7 | 75.4 | 72.5 | 72.3 | 78.0 | 83.5 | 70.7 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 105.4 | 134.4 | 210.8 | 246.0 | 266.6 | 273.0 | 269.7 | 248.0 | 186.0 | 127.1 | 93.0 | 77.5 | 2,237.5 |
| Source: climatebase.ru ||||||||||||||

## Economy and infrastructure

The town is a center for timber and brown coal production. The Azeysky and Tulunsky open cut coal mines are located nearby and there is an associated hydrolysis plant in the town.