Crimea

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to navigation Jump to search

For other uses, see Crimea (disambiguation).
Crimean Peninsula

May 2015 satellite image of the Crimean Peninsula

Geography
Location Eastern Europe
Coordinates 45.3°N 34.4°ECoordinates: 45.3°N 34.4°E
Adjacent bodies of Black Sea
water Sea of Azov
Area 27,000 km2 (10,000 sq mi)
Highest elevation 1,545 m (5069 ft)
Highest point Roman-Kosh
Controlled and governed as part of the Russian Federation (except
Status Ukrainian-controlled part of Arabat Spit), though internationally recognised
as part of Ukraine
Ukraine (de jure)
Regions Kherson Oblast (northern part of Arabat Spit, Henichesk Raion)
Uncontrolled Autonomous Republic of Crimea
regions Sevastopol
Largest settlement Sevastopol
Russia (de facto)
Federal district Southern Federal District
Republic of Crimea
Federal subjects
Sevastopol
Largest settlement Sevastopol
Demographics
Demonym Crimean
Population 2,416,856[1] (2021)
Pop. density 84.6/km2 (219.1/sq mi)
65.3% Russians (1.492 mln)
15.1% Ukrainians (344.5 thousand)
10.8% Crimean Tatars (246.1 thousand)
0.9% Belarusians (21.7 thousand)
0.5% Armenians (11 thousand)
7.4% Others (169.1 thousand), including:
Ethnic groups
Pontic Greeks
Krymchaks
Crimean Karaites
Ashkenazi Jews
Crimea Germans
Italians of Crimea (2014)[2][3][4]

Map of the Crimean Peninsula

The Flag of Crimea republic (de jure Autonomous Republic of Crimea or de facto Republic of
Crimea, depending on jurisdiction) used under Russia and Ukraine
Crimea[a] is a peninsula along the northern coast of the Black Sea in Eastern Europe. It is almost
entirely surrounded by both the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov to the northeast. Crimea is
located south of Kherson Oblast in Ukraine, to which it is connected by the Isthmus of Perekop, and
lies west of Krasnodar Krai in Russia, from which it is separated by the Strait of Kerch though
linked by the Crimean Bridge since 2018. The Arabat Spit is located to its northeast, a narrow strip
of land that separates a system of lagoons named Sivash from the Sea of Azov. To the peninsula's
west, across the Black Sea, lies Romania, and to its south, Turkey.
Crimea (or the Tauric Peninsula, as it was called from antiquity until the early modern period) has
historically been at the boundary between the classical world and the Pontic–Caspian steppe. Its
southern fringe was colonised by the Greeks and then ruled by the Persians followed by the Roman
Empire, the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, and finally successor states including the Empire
of Trebizond and Principality of Theodoro. During the entirety of this period the urban areas were
Greek-speaking and eventually eastern Christian (Eastern Orthodox). During the collapse of the
Byzantine state some cities fell to its creditor, the Republic of Genoa, until eventually all were
absorbed by the rapidly rising Ottoman Empire. Throughout this time the interior was occupied by a
changing cast of invading steppe nomads and empires, such as the Cimmerians, Scythians,
Sarmatians, Crimean Goths, Alans, Bulgars, Huns, Khazars, Kipchaks, Mongols, and the Golden
Horde. Crimea and adjacent territories were united in the Crimean Khanate, a sometime
dependency of the Ottomans, during the 15th to 18th century, and often raided south Russia for
slaves.