Crimea: Encyclopedia II - Crimea - Geography

Crimea - Geography

The Crimea borders the Kherson region from the North; the rest of the border is the Black Sea in the South and West and the Sea of Azov in the East. Its area is 26,100 square kilometres with a population of 2.0 million (2004-05-01). The capital is Simferopol.

Crimea is connected to the Ukrainian mainland by the 5–7 kilometre (3–4 mile) wide Isthmus of Perekop. At the eastern tip is the Kerch Peninsula, which is directly opposite the Taman Peninsula on the Russian mainland. Between the Kerch and Taman peninsula lies the 3–13 km (2–9 mi) wide Kerch Strait, which connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Azov.

The Crimean coastline is broken by several bays and harbours. These harbours lie on the west side of the Isthmus of Perekop by the Bay of Karkinit; on the south-west by the open Bay of Kalamita, with the ports of Eupatoria, Sevastopol and Balaklava; by the Bay of Arabat on the north side of the Isthmus of Yenikale or Kerch; and by the Bay of Kaffa or Feodosiya (Theodosia), with the port of that name on the south side.

The south-east coast is flanked at a distance of 8–12 km (5–8 mi) from the sea by a parallel range of mountains, the Yayla-Dagh, or Alpine Meadow mountains (also known as the Crimean Range). These mountains are backed by secondary parallel ranges. 75% of the remaining area of the Crimea consists of semiarid prairie lands, a southward continuation of the Pontic steppes, which slope gently to the north-west from the foot of the Yayla-Dagh. The main range of these mountains shoots up with extraordinary abruptness from the deep floor of the Black Sea to an altitude of 600 to 750 metres (2000 to 2500 feet), beginning at the south-west point of the peninsula, called Cape Fiolente (anc. Parthenium). It was this cape that was supposedly crowned with the temple of Artemis, where Iphigeneia is said to have officiated as priestess.

Numerous kurgans, or burial mounds, of the ancient Scythians are scattered across the Crimean steppes.

The terrain that lies beyond the sheltering Yayla-Dagh range is of an altogether different character. Here the narrow strip of coast and the slopes of the mountains are smothered with greenery. This "Russian Riviera" stretches along the south-east coast from Cape Sarych, in the extreme south, to Feodosiya and is studded with summer sea-bathing resorts such as Alupka, Yalta, Gurzuf, 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. In this region are also vineyards and fruit orchards; 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.

Crimea contains what is believed to be the longest trolleybus route in the world, from Simferopol to Yalta.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Geography", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki