Crimea

Crimean peninsula

Geography
Location	Eastern Europe
Coordinates	45.3°N 34.4°E / 45.3; 34.4
Adjacent to	Black Sea Sea of Azov
Area	27,000 km2 (10,000 sq mi)
Highest elevation	1,545 m (5069 ft)
Administration
Russian Federation
Demographics
Demonym	Crimean
Population	2.4 million

The Crimean Peninsula (Template:Lang-ru, Template:Lang-uk, Template:Lang-crh) —also known simply as Crimea and historically as the Tauric peninsula— is a major land mass on the northern coast of the Black Sea that is almost completely surrounded by water. The peninsula is located just south of the Ukrainian mainland and west of the Russian region of Kuban. It is surrounded by two seas: the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov to the east. It is connected with the Ukrainian mainland by the Isthmus of Perekop and is separated from Kuban by the Strait of Kerch. The Arabat Spit is located to the northeast; a narrow strip of land that separates a system of lagoons named Sivash from the Sea of Azov.

The Crimean Peninsula has historically been at the boundary between the classical world and the steppe; its southern fringe has been colonised by the ancient Greeks, the Roman and later Byzantine Empire, and its successor the Ottoman Empire, while at the same time its interior was occupied by a changing cast of invading steppe nomads, such as the Cimmerians, Scythians, Goths, Bulgars, Huns, Khazars, Kipchaks, and the Golden Horde.

Crimea and adjacent territories were united in the Crimean Khanate during the 15th to 18th century, and fell to the Russian Empire, as the Taurida Oblast in 1783. The Soviet Crimean Oblast became the Autonomous Republic of Crimea within newly-independent Ukraine in 1991. The status of Sevastopol, a strategically important port and the peninsula's largest city, was disputed by the Russian Federation, and only after a lengthy process was it declared a "city with special status" within Ukraine in a Russian-Ukrainian treaty in 1997.

In 2014, sovereignty over the peninsula as a whole became the subject of a dispute between Ukraine and Russia. The latter claimed to incorporate into the Russian Federation the territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (under the name of the Republic of Crimea) and Sevastopol.

Name

The classical name Tauris or Taurica is from the Greek Ταυρική, after the peninsula's Scytho-Cimmerian inhabitants, the Tauri. The name "Crimean peninsula" becomes current from the 1780s (with the Russian annexation of the peninsula), gradually replacing the classical name of Tauric peninsula in the course of the 19th century. Simply "the Crimea" is also in occasional use from the 1780s. The form "Crimea" is not directly derived from the Russian Крым (or Крымский полуо́стров) but from Italian, where the Crimean Khanate had been referred to as la Crimea since at least the 17th century. The omission of the definite article in English ("Crimea" rather than "the Crimea") becomes common during the later 20th century.

The name "Crimea" ultimately, via Italian and Russian, takes its origin with the name of Qırım (today's Stary Krym) which served as a capital of the Crimean province of the Golden Horde. The name Qırım itself is from an Old Turkic word for "hill, ridge, mountain top". It has also been suggested that the name is in some way related to the name of the Cimmerians.

The classical name was revived in the name of the Russian Taurida Governorate, but has had no official status since 1921. It is still used by some institutions in Crimea, such as the Taurida National University, or the Tavriya Simferopol football club.

History

Ruins of ancient Greek colony of Chersonesos

Swallow's Nest, built in 1912 for oil millionaire Baron von Steingel, a landmark of Crimea

Main article: History of Crimea

In ancient times, it was the home of Cimmerians and Scythians, as well as the site of Greek colonies. The most important city was Chersonesos at the edge of today's Sevastopol.

Later occupiers included the Romans, Goths, Huns, Bulgars, Khazars, the state of Kievan Rus', the Byzantine Empire, the Kipchaks, and the Golden Horde. In the 13th century, portions were controlled by the Republic of Venice and by the Republic of Genoa.

In the 9th century, Byzantium established the Cherson theme to fend against incursions by the Rus' Khaganate, and the Crimean peninsula from this time was contested between Byzantium, Rus' and Khazaria. The area remained the site of overlapping interests and contact between the early medieval Slavic, Turkic and Greek spheres, and became a center of slave trade in particular, the word slave itself deriving from the ethnonym of the Slavs who were sold to the Muslim world and Byzantium during this period. In the 1230s, this status quo was swept away by the Mongol invasions, and Crimea was incorporated into the territory of the Golden Horde througout the 14th century.

The Crimean Khanate, a state ruled by Crimean Tatars and generally subject to the Ottoman Empire, succeeded the Golden Horde and lasted from 1441 to 1783. Until the late 18th century, Crimean Tatars maintained a massive slave trade with the Ottoman Empire, exporting about 2 million slaves from Russia and Ukraine over the period 1500–1700. The Khanate was conquered by the Russian Empire under Catherine the Great in 1783. From 1853 to 1856, the peninsula was the site of the principal engagements of the Crimean War, a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of France, Britain, the Ottoman Empire, and Sardinia.

During the Russian Civil War, Crimea was controlled by the White Army. After they were defeated by the Red Army, Crimea became part of the Soviet Union in 1921 as Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. In the Second World War the peninsula was occupied by Nazi Germany for several years.

In 1954, it was transferred to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic within the Soviet Union. In 1991, it became part of independent Ukraine.

As of the 2014 Crimean crisis, sovereignty over the peninsula is currently disputed between Ukraine and the Russian Federation, the latter having granted accession to the Republic of Crimea as a federal subject and exerts de facto control, while under the Ukrainian Constitution the peninsula remains an integral part of Ukraine, with continued international recognition. The international community recognizes the Crimea the territory of Ukraine (exception - Russia, Syria, North Korea and some others).

Geography

Further information: East European Plain

File:Crimean Mountains.PNG

Relief map of the Crimean mountains in the central-southern region of the peninsula.

Crimea is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea and on the western coast of the Sea of Azov, bordering Kherson Oblast from the north.

The natural border between the Crimean peninsula and the Ukrainian mainland is formed by the Sivash or "Rotten Sea", a large system of shallow lagoons. The Crimean peninsula is connected to the Kherson Oblast's Henichesk Raion, and thus the European mainland, via the Isthmus of Perekop, a strip of land about 5–7 kilometres (3.1–4.3 mi) wide, as well as by bridges over the narrow Chongar and Henichesk straits. The northern part of Arabat Spit is administratively part of Henichesk Raion (Kherson Oblast), including its two rural communities of Shchaslyvtseve and Strilkove. The eastern tip of the peninsula is the Kerch Peninsula, separated from Taman Peninsula on the Russian mainland by the Strait of Kerch, which connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Azov, at a width of between 3–13 kilometres (1.9–8.1 mi).

Geographically, the peninsula is generally divided into three zones: steppe, mountains and southern coast.

Coastline

Further information: Black Sea and Sea of Azov

The Crimean peninsula comprises many smaller peninsulas, such as the mentioned Kerch peninsula, Heracles Peninsula, Tarhankut Peninsula and many others. Crimea also possesses lots of headlands such as Cape Priboiny, Cape Tarkhankut, Sarych, Cape Fonar, Kazantyp, Cape Akburun, and many others.

The Crimean coastline is broken by several bays and harbors. These harbors lie west of the Isthmus of Perekop by the Bay of Karkinit; on the southwest by the open Bay of Kalamita between the port cities of Eupatoria and Sevastopol.

The Kerch Peninsula is attached to the Crimean mainland by Isthmus of Yenikale, delimited by the Bay of Arabat to the north (interrputed by the incoming Arabat Spit), and the Bay of Caffa to the south (arching eastward from the port of Feodosiya).

Crimean Mountains

Main article: Crimean Mountains

Eclizee-Burun Mountain

The southeast coast is flanked at a distance of 8–12 kilometres (5.0–7.5 mi) from the sea by a parallel range of mountains, the Crimean Mountains. These mountains are backed by secondary parallel ranges.

The main range of these mountains shoots up with extraordinary abruptness from the deep floor of the Black Sea to an altitude of 600–750 metres (1,969–2,461 ft), beginning at the southwest point of the peninsula, called Cape Fiolente. It was believed that this cape was supposedly crowned with the temple of Artemis, where Iphigeneia is said to have officiated as priestess. Uchan-su waterfall on the south slope of the mountains is the highest in Ukraine.

Steppe

Main article: Pontic Steppe

Seventy-five percent of the remaining area of Crimea consists of semiarid prairie lands, a southward continuation of the Pontic steppes, which slope gently to the northwest from the foot of the Crimean Mountains. Numerous kurgans, or burial mounds, of the ancient Scythians are scattered across the Crimean steppes.

Crimean Riviera

The Crimean Mountains in the background and Yalta as seen from the Tsar's Path.

The terrain that lies beyond the sheltering Crimean Mountain range is of an altogether different character. Here, the narrow strip of coast and the slopes of the mountains are smothered with greenery. This "riviera" stretches along the southeast coast from capes Fiolente and Aya, in the south, to Feodosiya, and is studded with summer sea-bathing resorts such as Alupka, Yalta, Gurzuf, Alushta, Sudak, and Feodosiya. During the years of Soviet rule, the resorts and dachas of this coast served as the prime perquisites of the politically loyal.^{why here? and ref?} In addition, vineyards and fruit orchards are located in the region. Fishing, mining, and the production of essential oils are also important. Numerous Crimean Tatar villages, mosques, monasteries, and palaces of the Russian imperial family and nobles are found here, as well as picturesque ancient Greek and medieval castles.

Climate

Most of Crimea has a temperate continental climate, except for the south coast where it experiences a humid subtropical climate, due to warm influences from the Black Sea and the high ground of the Crimean Mountains, which has a humid continental climate. Summers can be hot (28 °C (82.4 °F) Jul average) and winters are cool (−0.3 °C (31.5 °F) Jan average) in the interior, on the south coast winters are milder (4 °C (39.2 °F) Jan average) and temperatures much below freezing are exceptional. On the high ground, freezing weather is common in winter. Precipitation throughout Crimea is low, averaging only 400 mm (15.7 in) a year. Because of its climate, the southern Crimean coast is a popular beach and sun resort for Ukrainian and Russian tourists.

Strategic value

Further information: Black Sea Fleet

Map of the historical trade route (shown in purple) connecting Uppsala with Constantinople via Cherson. The major centers of the Kievan Rus', Kiev itself, Novgorod and Ladoga, arose along this route.

The Black Sea ports of Crimea provide quick access to the Eastern Mediterranean, Balkans and Middle East. Historically, possession of the southern coast of Crimea was sought after by most empires of the greater region since antiquity (Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman, Russian, British and French, Nazi German, Soviet). The Dnieper River is a major waterway and transportation route that crosses the European continent from north to south and ultimately links the Black Sea with the Baltic, of strategic importance since the historical trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks.

According to the International Transport Workers' Federation, in 2013 there were at least 12 operating merchant seaports in Crimea.

Economy

The main branches of the Crimean economy are tourism and agriculture. Industrial plants are situated for the most part in the northern regions of the republic. Important industrial cities include Dzhankoy, housing a major railway connection, Krasnoperekopsk and Armyansk, among others.

The most important industries in Crimea include food production, chemical fields, mechanical engineering and metal working, and fuel production industries. Sixty percent of the industry market belongs to food production. There are a total of 291 large industrial enterprises and 1002 small business enterprises.

The main branches of vegetation production in the region include cereals, vegetable-growing, gardening, and wine-making, particularly in the Yalta and Massandra regions. Other agricultural forms include cattle breeding, poultry keeping, and sheep breeding. Other products produced on the Crimean Peninsula include salt, porphyry, limestone, and ironstone (found around Kerch).

Energy

Crimea also possesses several natural gas fields both onshore and offshore, all connected to Ukraine's pipeline system. The inland fields are located in Chornomorske and Dzhankoy, while offshore fields are located in the western coast in the Black Sea and in the northeastern coast in the Azov Sea:

Name	Type	Location	Reserves
Dzhankoyske gas field	onshore	Dzhankoy
Golitsyna gas field	offshore	Black Sea
Karlavske gas field	onshore	Chornomorske
Krym gas field	offshore	Black Sea
Odessa gas field	offshore	Black Sea	21 billion m3
Schmidta gas field	offshore	Black Sea
Shtormvaya gas field	offshore	Black Sea
Strilkove gas field	offshore	Sea of Azov

The republic also possesses two oil fields: one onshore, the Serebryankse oil field in Rozdolne, and one offshore, the Subbotina oil field in the Black Sea.

Infrastructure

Trolleybus in Simferopol

The cableway in Yalta

Ukrainian Navy artillery boat U170 in the Bay of Sevastopol.

Public transportation

Almost every settlement in Crimea is connected with another settlement with bus lines. Crimea contains the longest (96 km or 59 mi) trolleybus route in the world, stretching from Simferopol to Yalta. The trolleybus line starts near Simferopol's Railway Station through the mountains to Alushta and on to Yalta. The length of line is about 90 km. It was founded in 1959.

Railroad lines running through Crimea include Armyansk—Kerch (with a link to Feodosiya), and Melitopol—Sevastopol (with a link to Yevpatoria), connecting Crimea to the Ukrainian mainland.

Highways

• E105/M18 - Syvash (bridge, starts), Dzhankoy, North Crimean Canal (bridge), Simferopol, Alushta, Yalta (ends)
• E97/M17 - Perekop (starts), Armyansk, Dzhankoy, Feodosiya, Kerch (ferry, ends)
• H05 - Krasnoperekopsk, Simferopol (access to the Simferopol International Airport)
• H06 - Simferopol, Bakhchisaray, Sevastopol
• H19 - Yalta, Sevastopol
• P16
• P23 - Simferopol, Feodosiya
• P25 - Simferopol, Yevpatoria
• P27 - Sevastopol, Inkerman (completely within the city of Sevastopol)
• P29 - Alushta, Sudak, Feodosiya
• P34 - Alushta, Yalta
• P35 - Hrushivka, Sudak
• P58 - Sevastopol, Port "Komysheva Bukhta" (completely within the city of Sevastopol)
• P59 (completely within the city of Sevastopol)

Sea transport

The cities of Yalta, Feodosiya, Kerch, Sevastopol, Chornomorske and Yevpatoria are connected to one another by sea routes. In the cities of Yevpatoria and nearby townlet Molochnoye are tram systems.

Tourism

Genoese fortress of Caffa.

The development of Crimea as a holiday destination began in the second half of the 19th century. The development of the transport networks brought masses of tourists from central parts of the Russian Empire. At the beginning of the 20th century, a major development of palaces, villas, and dachas began—most of which remain. These are some of the main attractions of Crimea as a tourist destination. There are many Crimean legends about famous touristic places, which attract the attention of tourists.

A new phase of tourist development began when the Soviet government realized the potential of the healing quality of the local air, lakes and therapeutic muds. It became a "health" destination for Soviet workers, and hundreds of thousands of Soviet tourists visited Crimea.

Artek is a former Young Pioneer camp on the Black Sea in the town of Hurzuf, near Ayu-Dag, established in 1925. In 1969 it had an area of 3.2 km². The camp consisted of 150 buildings Unlike most of the young pioneer camps, Artek was an all-year camp, due to the warm climate. Artek was considered to be a privilege for Soviet children during its existence, as well as for children from other communist countries. During its heyday, 27,000 children a year vacationed at Artek. Between 1925 and 1969 the camp hosted 300,000 children. After the breaking up of the Young Pioneers in 1991 its prestige declined, though it remained a popular vacation destination.

In the 1990s, Crimea became more of a get-away destination than a "health-improvement" destination. The most visited areas are the south shore of Crimea with cities of Yalta and Alushta, the western shore - Eupatoria and Saki, and the south-eastern shore - Feodosia and Sudak. According to National Geographic, Crimea was among the top 20 travel destinations in 2013.

Crimea possesses significant historical and natural resources and is a region where it is possible to find practically any type of landscape; mountain ranges and plateaus, grasslands, caves. Furthermore, Saki poses unique therapeutic mud and Eupatoria has vast empty beaches with the purest quartz sand.

Places of interest include

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Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Crimea

As of 2007, the estimate of the total population of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol was at 2.352 million people, just slightly down from the count of the 2001 Ukrainian Census at 2.376 million.

The ethnic makeup of the population is comprised the following self-reported groups (2001 census):

• Russians:1,450,000 (58.5%),
• Ukrainians: 577,000 (24.0%),
• Crimean Tatars: 245,000 (10.2%),
• Belarusians: 35,000 (1.4%),
• other Tatars: 13,500 (0.5%),
• Armenians: 10,000 (0.4%),
• Jews: 5,500 (0.2%).

According to the 2001 census, 77% of Crimean inhabitants named Russian as their native language; 11.4% – Crimean Tatar; and 10.1% – Ukrainian.

Ethnic composition of Crimea's population has changed dramatically since the early 20th century. The 1879 Russian Empire Census for the Taurida Governorate reported: 194,294 (35.55%) Crimean Tatars, 180,963 (33.11%) Russians and 64,703 (11.84%) Ukrainians.

Jews in Crimea were historically Krymchaks and Karaites (the latter a small group centered at Yevpatoria). The 1879 census for the Taurida Governorate reported a Jewish population of 4.20%, not including a Karaite population of 0.43%. The Krymchaks (but not the Karaites) were targeted for annihilation during Nazi occupation.

The number of Crimea Germans was 45,000 in 1941, but they were mostly resettled to Poland during Nazi occupation. Ethnic Germans in the Soviet Union were allowed to return to the Crimean oblast in the 1980s, but they have mostly moved on to Germany from there, and the 2001 Ukrainian census reports just 2,500 ethnic Germans (0.1% of population) in Crimea. Stalin's deportation of the Crimean Tatars turned this group into a minority, and even though they were allowed to return to Crimea in the 1980s have remained so since. Besides the Crimean Tatars, Stalin in 1944 also deported Greek and Bulgarian minorities.

Culture

See also: Crimean legends and Crimean Tatar cuisine

Ivan Aivazovsky, the 19th century marine painter of Armenian origin, who is considered one of the major artists of his era was born in Feodosia and lived there for the most part of his life. Many of his paintings depict the Black Sea. He also created battle paintings during the Crimean War.

Almost 100 broadcasters and around 1,200 publications are registered in Crimea, although no more than a few dozen operate or publish regularly. Of them most use the Russian language only. Crimea's first Tatar-owned, Tatar-language TV launched in 2006.

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  People at the Kazantip music festival in 2007.
• 
  Painting of the Black Sea by Ivan Aivazovsky (1881).

Gallery

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  Bakhchisaray Palace
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  Dulber Palace in Koreiz
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  Vorontsov Palace
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  Catholic church in Yalta
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  St. Vladimir's Cathedral, dedicated to the Heroes of Sevastopol (Crimean War).