Crimea

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses, see Crimea (disambiguation).
Crimean Peninsula
Satellite picture of Crimea, Terra-MODIS, 05-16-2015.jpg
May 2015 satellite image of the Crimean Peninsula
Crimea (orthographic projection).svg
Geography
Location Eastern Europe
Coordinates 45.3N 34.4ECoordinates 45.3N 34.4E
Adjacent bodies of water
Black Sea
Sea of Azov
Largest city Sevastopol
Area 27,000 km2 (10,000 sq mi)
Highest elevation 1,545 m (5,069 ft)
Administration
Status Controlled and governed as part of the Russian Federation (except
Ukrainian-controlled part of Arabat Spit), though internationally recognised as
part of Ukraine
Ukraine (de jure)
Regions Autonomous Republic of Crimea
Sevastopol
Kherson Oblast (northern part of Arabat Spit, Henichesk Raion)
Russia (de facto)
Federal district Southern Federal District
Federal subjects Republic of Crimea
Sevastopol[1]
Demographics
Demonym Crimean
Population 2,284,000[2] (2014 census)
Pop. density 84.6 km2 (219.1 sq mi)
Ethnic groups Russians
Ukrainians
Crimean Tatars
Pontic Greeks
Krymchaks
Crimean Karaites
Ashkenazi Jews
Crimea Germans

Map of the Crimean Peninsula

Crimea (kra?'mi??; Ukrainian ????, Krym; Russian ????, Krym, Crimean Tatar ??????,
Qirim; Greek ?????a, Kimmria; ?a?????, Taurik?) is a peninsula on the northern
coast of the Black Sea in Eastern Europe that is almost completely surrounded by
both the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov to the northeast. It is located
south of the Ukrainian region of Kherson and west of the Russian region of Kuban.
It is connected to Kherson Oblast 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.

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 PonticCaspian steppe. Its southern fringe was colonised by the Greeks, the
Persians, the Romans, the Byzantine Empire, the Crimean Goths, the Genoese and the
Ottoman Empire, while at the same time its interior was occupied by a changing cast
of invading steppe nomads and empires, such as the Cimmerians, Scythians,
Sarmatians, Goths, Alans, Bulgars, Huns, Khazars, Kipchaks, Mongols and the Golden
Horde. Crimea and adjacent territories were united in the Crimean Khanate during
the 15th to 18th century.

In 1783, Crimea became a part of Russian Empire as the result of Russo-Turkish War
(17681774). Following the Russian Revolution of 1917, Crimea became an autonomous
republic within the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic in the USSR.
During World War II, Crimea was downgraded to the Crimean Oblast and then, in 1954,
it was transferred to the Ukrainian SSR from the Russian SFSR by Nikita Khrushchev.
[3]

With the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine was formed as an independent state
in 1991. Most of the peninsula was reorganized as the Autonomous Republic of
Crimea, while the city of Sevastopol retained its special status within Ukraine. In
1997 Ukraine and Russia signed the Partition Treaty on the Status and Conditions of
the Black Sea Fleet that partitioned the former Soviet Black Sea Fleet, setting
terms that allowed Russia to continue basing its fleet in Crimea. Sevastopol
remained the location of the Ukrainian Naval Forces, while Russian's Black Sea
Fleet headquarters was also headquartered in the city. Ukraine extended Russia's
lease of the naval facilities under the 2010 Kharkiv Pact in exchange for
discounted natural gas.

In March 2014, following the Ukrainian revolution and subsequent takeover of the
territory by pro-Russian separatists and Russian Armed Forces,[4] a referendum,
deemed unconstitutional by the Ukrainian Constitutional Court,[5][6][7] was held on
the issue of reunification with Russia; the official result was that a large
majority of Crimeans wished to join with Russia.[8] Russia then annexed Crimea to
incorporate the Republic of Crimea and the federal city of Sevastopol as federal
subjects of Russia.[9] While Russia and ten other UN member states recognize Crimea
as part of the Russian Federation, Ukraine continues to claim Crimea as an integral
part of its territory, supported by most foreign governments and United Nations
General Assembly Resolution 68262.[10]

Contents [hide]
1 Name
2 History
2.1 Ancient history
2.2 Medieval history
2.3 Crimean Khanate (14491783)
2.4 Russian Empire (17831917)
2.5 Russian Civil War (19171921)
2.6 Soviet Union (19211991)
2.6.1 Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (19211954)
2.6.2 Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (19541991)
2.7 Within independent Ukraine (19912014)
2.8 Under Russian administration (2014-present)
3 Geography
3.1 Coastline
3.2 Crimean Mountains
3.3 Hydrography
3.4 Steppe
3.5 Crimean Riviera
3.6 Climate
3.7 Strategic value
4 Economy
4.1 Energy
4.2 Infrastructure
4.3 Tourism
4.4 Sanctions
5 Politics
6 Demographics
6.1 Religion
7 Culture
7.1 Sport
8 Gallery
9 See also
10 References
11 External links
Name[edit]
Further information Stary Krym
The classical name Tauris or Taurica is from the Greek ?a?????, after the
peninsula's Scytho-Cimmerian inhabitants, the Tauri.

Strabo (Geography vii 4.3, xi.2.5), Polybius, (Histories 4.39.4), and Ptolemy refer
to the Strait of Kerch as the ??e????? ??sp???? (romanized spellings, Kimmerikos
Bosporos, Bosporus Cimmerius), and to Cimmerium as the capital of the Taurida,
whence the peninsula, and so also its easternmost part was named Promontorium
Cimmerium (??????? ?????).[11][12]

In English usage since the early modern period the Crimean Khanate is referred to
as Crim Tartary.[13] The Italian[14] form Crimea (and Crimean peninsula) also
becomes current during the 18th century,[15] gradually replacing the classical name
of Tauric Peninsula in the course of the 19th century. The omission of the definite
article in English (Crimea rather than the Crimea) became common during the later
20th century.[citation needed]

The name Crimea follows the Italian form from the Crimean Tatar name for the city
Qirim (today's Stary Krym)[16] which served as a capital of the Crimean province of
the Golden Horde. The name of the capital was extended to the entire peninsula at
some point during Ottoman suzerainty.[17] The origin of the word Qirim is
uncertain. Suggestions argued in various sources include

a corruption of Cimmerium (Greek, Kimmerikon, ??e?????).[18][19][20]

a derivation from the Turkic term qirum (fosse, trench), from qori- (to fence,
protect).[21][22][23]
Other suggestions that have not been supported by sources but are apparently based
on similarity in sound include

a derivation from the Greek Cremnoi (??????, in post-classical Koin Greek

pronunciation, Crimni, i.e., the Cliffs, a port on Lake Maeotis (Sea of Azov) cited
by Herodotus in The Histories 4.20.1 and 4.110.2).[24] However, he identifies the
port, not in Crimea, but as being on the west coast of the Sea of Azov. No evidence
has been identified that this name was ever in use for the peninsula.
The Turkic term is related to the Mongolian appellation kerm wall, but sources
indicate that the Mongolian appellation of the Crimean peninsula of Qaram is
phonetically incompatible with kermkerem and therefore deriving from another
original term.[25][26][27]
The classical name was revived in 1802 in the name of the Russian Taurida
Governorate.[28] While it was abandoned in the Soviet Union, and 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[edit]
Ancient history[edit]