The Uilta live in the eastern and northern part of the interior of Sakhalin Island, where they used to be nomadic reindeer herders. They also lived from fishing, hunting marine and land animals, gathering plants and trading. The Uilta were also formerly called Oroken. The population is estimated at around 300 people. After the Second World War, many Uilta resettled on the northern coast of Hokkaido in Japan. Due to the lively cultural exchange in the region, the Uilta have many cultural similarities with the surrounding peoples, such as the Ainu on Hokkaido and the Nanai in the Amur region.