The natural complex of the Crimea geographical position. Crimea (history, geography, population). Which coast to choose

Crimean peninsula spread out in the south of Eastern Europe between 44°23' - 46°15' N and 32°29' - 36°39' E. The area of ​​the peninsula is 26860 km2. A geographically integral, well-isolated natural formation is administratively divided into three units: the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (the main part), the lands of the city of Sevastopol (in the southwest) and the Genichesk district of the Kherson region (the northern half Arabat Spit).

Crimea is rightly called the natural pearl of Ukraine. Here, at the junction of temperate and subtropical latitudes, various landscapes have formed, including mountains and plains, ancient volcanoes and modern mud hills, seas and lakes, forests and steppes, stretching from the South Coast Sub-Mediterranean to the semi-desert near Sivash...

Crimea is located in the latitudinal zone globe, located at equal distances from the equator and the North Pole (about 5 thousand kilometers each). In the north, the peninsula is joined to the mainland by the narrow (7-23 km) Perekop Isthmus. From the west and south, the peninsula is washed by the Black Sea, from the east - Kerch Strait(border with Asia!) and in the northeast - the Sea of ​​Azov and its Sivash Bay.

The Azov-Black Sea basin forms the easternmost margin of the chain of seas stretching from the Atlantic Ocean. Thus, the Crimean peninsula is, as it were, washed by the waters of the Atlantic. These seas, although interconnected, in fact bear little resemblance to each other. The Black Sea is an oval-shaped, almost closed, very deep body of water (up to 2245 m). In terms of its water surface area (413,488 km2), the Black Sea flat-bottomed basin is more than 15 times larger than the Crimean Peninsula. The Sea of ​​Azov, on the contrary, is very shallow. Its greatest depth does not exceed 13.5 m. It is much inferior to the Black Sea and in area (37,600 km2). Two reservoirs also differ sharply in other natural qualities. The Black Sea is more saline (18 ppm), almost unfreezing, it is contaminated with hydrogen sulfide and therefore almost lifeless starting from a depth of 150-200 m. The Sea of ​​​​Azov has low salinity (up to 13 ppm), freezes annually and is saturated with living organisms throughout the water column. The Sivash lagoon, the bay of this sea, which has a constant area (from 2400 to 2700 km2), is completely shallow - from 0.5 to 3.5 m, but its salinity is extremely high - up to 200 ppm.

Crimea is the geographical focus of the Black Sea region. Connecting in the north with the East European Plain, with its southern, mountainous margin, it extends far into the Azov-Black Sea basin. From the southernmost Crimean Cape Sarych (44°23'N) to the nearest Asia Minor Cape Kerempe (42°02'N) is only 250 km. From the same Cape Sarych to the coast Balkan Peninsula the distance is about 400 km, and to the shores of the Caucasus - a little less. From the northernmost outskirts of the Perekop isthmus (46 ° 15 'N), where Crimea borders on continental Ukraine, to the extreme south of the Cape Sarych peninsula - 195 km. From west to east - from Cape Priboyny on the Tarkhankut Peninsula (32°29'E) to Cape Lantern on the Kerch Peninsula (36°39'E) - 325 km. Based on these coordinates, it can be calculated that the geographical center of Crimea is located in the Nizhnegorsk region near the village. Hawks.

The Republic of Crimea occupies the territory of the Crimean peninsula.

The territory of the Republic of Crimea is 26.1 thousand square meters. km.

Length: from west to east - 360 km, from north to south - 180 km.

Extreme points: in the south - Cape Sarych; in the west - Cape Priboyny; in the east - Cape Lantern.

The most important seaports- Evpatoria, Yalta, Feodosia, Kerch.

Adjacent regions: Krasnodar Territory Russian Federation, Kherson region of Ukraine.

The climate of the peninsula differs in its various parts: in the northern part it is temperate continental, on the southern coast with features of the subtropical. Crimea is not typical a large number of rainfall throughout the year, a large number of sunny days, the presence of breezes on the coast.

The relief of the Crimean peninsula consists of three unequal parts: the North Crimean Plain with the Tarkhankut Upland (about 70% of the territory), the Kerch Peninsula and in the south - the mountainous Crimea extends in three ridges. The highest is the Main Ridge Crimean mountains(1545 m, Mount Roman-Kosh), consisting of separate limestone massifs (yayl) with plateau-like peaks, deep canyons. south slope Main Ridge stands out as the Crimean sub-Mediterranean. The Inner and Outer ridges form the Crimean foothills.

The Crimean peninsula is washed by the Black and Azov seas.

The natural reserve fund includes 158 objects and territories (including 46 of national importance, the area of ​​which is 5.8% of the area of ​​the Crimean peninsula). The reserve fund is based on 6 nature reserves with total area 63.9 thousand hectares: Crimean with the Lebyazhy Islands branch, Yalta mountain forest, Cape Martyan, Karadagsky, Kazantipsky, Opuksky.

Crimea is a peninsula rich in natural resources. In its depths and on the adjacent shelf there are industrial deposits of iron ore, combustible gas, mineral salts, building materials, oil and gas condensate.

Of greater importance are the natural recreational resources of the peninsula: mild climate, warm sea, therapeutic mud, mineral water, scenic landscapes.

The largest rivers are Salgir, Indol, Biyuk-Karasu, Chornaya, Belbek, Kacha, Alma, Bulganakh. The most long river Crimea - Salgir (220 km), the most full-flowing - Belbek (water flow - 1500 liters per second).

There are more than 50 salt lakes in Crimea, the largest of them is Lake Sasyk (Kunduk) - 205 sq. km.

The population of Crimea as of January 1, 2013 is 1 million 965.2 thousand people. Including the economically active population is 970.3 thousand people, or less than 50% of the total population.

About 130 ethnic groups live in the Republic of Crimea. The largest ethnic groups are Russians (58.3%), Ukrainians (24.3%) and Crimean Tatars (12.1%).

State languages: Russian, Ukrainian, Crimean Tatar.

Time zone: MSK (UTC+4).

Administrative-territorial structure: cities of republican significance - 11, districts - 14.

The capital of the Republic of Crimea is the city of Simferopol.

The representative body of the Republic of Crimea is the State Council of the Republic of Crimea.

The executive body of the Republic of Crimea is the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Crimea.

The Republic of Crimea has symbols: coat of arms, flag and anthem.

It was formed as the Crimean region on June 30, 1945, received the status of a republic in 1991. Its area is 26.1 thousand square meters. km (4.3% of the territory of Ukraine). Population - 2134.7 thousand people (4.3% of the population of Ukraine), including urban population - 1338.3 thousand people (62.7%), rural - 796.4 thousand people (37.3% ). Population density - 81.8 people. per sq. km.

Located on the Crimean peninsula and is the most southern region Ukraine. In the west and south it is washed by the Black Sea, in the east by the Sea of ​​Azov. The Kerch Strait is separated from Russia. The length of the autonomous republic from north to south is 210 km, from west to east - about 325 km. By land it borders on the Kherson region. Crimea is connected to the mainland by a narrow (8 km) Perekop isthmus, along which an iron and motor road. The second transport exit from the territory of Crimea is along an artificial embankment through the Sivash. There is also a ferry crossing "Caucasus" between Kerch and the Taman Peninsula of Russia.

Administratively, the republic includes 14 administrative regions, 16 cities, including 11 cities of regional subordination, 56 urban-type settlements, 957 rural settlements.

Administrative center- the city of Simferopol, the first mention dates back to the 16th century, the city has been since 1784. The population of the city is 338.9 thousand people.

The territory of Crimea is distinguished by significant natural diversity. The Crimean mountains, located in the southern part of the peninsula, determine the division of the territory into the northern - flat (the so-called Steppe Crimea) and the southern mountainous (Mountain Crimea). Along southern foot Crimean mountains stretches a narrow pebble strip South Shore Crimea. Mineral resources are represented by iron ores, natural gas deposits on the Azov shelf, as well as deposits of building materials. In the Karadag region there are deposits of semi-precious stones. The southern coast of Crimea is one of the most important resort areas of the CIS (climatotherapy, sea bathing from June to October, mud, grape therapy).

The climate of the northern part is temperate continental, dry; southern - subtropical Mediterranean type.

The rivers of Crimea are small and shallow (R. Salgir, Belbek, Chernaya, Kacha, etc.), on the largest of them reservoirs have been created that serve as sources of water supply for cities. The largest water artery is the North Crimean Canal, whose waters irrigate the fields. There are a large number of estuary salt lakes in Crimea (lake Sasyk, Krasnoe, Sakskoe, etc.).

The Crimean peninsula has been a Slavic land since ancient times (the Slavs penetrated and settled here already in the 8th century). The most ancient inhabitants of the peninsula are the Cimmerians, who mainly lived in the Northern Black Sea region and settled in the Crimea. During the Middle Ages, part of the Crimean XII centuries). The S-peninsula was part of the ancient Russian Tmutarakan principality (X 1475 to 1774 it was a vassal Ottoman Empire.

In 1783 Crimea became part of Russia. In 1784, the Tauride region was formed, which included the Crimean peninsula, Taman and the lands north of Perekop to the Dnepropetrovsk governorship. After 12 years, its territory became part of the Novorossiysk province. At the end of the 18th century, Crimea began to be intensively populated by immigrants from the central regions of Russia. On October 18, 1921, the Crimean ASSR was formed. In 1944, Crimean Tatars and representatives of other non-Slavic peoples were evicted from Crimea. After the end of the war, the resettlement of the population from the territories of the USSR began here, which were especially hard hit. In June 1945, the Crimean ASSR was transformed into the Crimean region. In 1954, the Crimean region from the RSFSR was transferred to the Ukrainian SSR. In 1991, the Crimean region was transformed into the Republic of Crimea, which is part of Ukraine.

Crimea is a vivid example of a complex multinational and multicultural social system. During the 1990s, a stable trend of population decline was recorded in Crimea as a whole. The decline in the population of the region is determined by both natural decline and migration outflow, and their ratio in Crimea is almost equal.

The age composition of the republic's population is characterized by a higher proportion of people of working age compared to the average Ukrainian indicators and a slightly increased proportion of younger age groups.

Historically, a complex ethnic structure of the population has developed in Crimea. The Ukrainian regional community of Crimea is the smallest in Ukraine. The largest share of the population of Crimea is represented by Russians (in total, they accounted for more than 2/3 of the total population), while Ukrainians made up just over a quarter of its inhabitants. During the 1990s, there were some changes in the ethnic structure of the Crimean population. They are associated, firstly, with the migration influx of Crimean Tatars and the outflow of representatives of other ethnic groups (primarily Russians) outside the republic. The largest number of Crimean Tatars was recorded in the central and western regions of the republic, in some of them the share of Crimean Tatars is more than 25%.

Among religious organizations, the communities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate predominate, and Muslim organizations also have a rather noticeable influence.

The area is extremely unevenly populated. With an average population density of 81.8 people. per sq. km on the territory of the resort southern coastal city councils, it rises to 100 people. per sq. km. The Crimean peninsula is characterized by a specific structure of settlement. It is based on several basic elements. First, these are two major centers Simferopol and Sevastopol and, secondly, two "resort" group forms of settlement - South Coast and Saki-Evpatoria. A relatively uniform and rather extended homogeneous network of settlement is observed in the steppe part of the peninsula. The two centers of settlement of Crimea and the settlements gravitating towards them in total are home to about a third of the entire population of Crimea. In total, almost more than 17% of the total population of the republic, or almost 15% of the entire population of the peninsula, including Sevastopol, is concentrated within the South Coast ribbon-like group of city councils. in the western resort area, which includes the cities of Saki and Evpatoria, as well as close settlements, the total present population is approximately 9% of the population of the republic.

The natural and climatic conditions of the peninsula determined the leading development of the sanatorium and resort economy, which has international importance. To a large extent, this area of ​​activity is associated with the specialization of other branches of the service sector. In the sectoral structure of the industrial complex leading place occupies the food industry, focused on the processing of local raw materials. Among its branches of all-Ukrainian importance are wine-making (Massandra), fish processing (Kerch, Yalta), canning (Simferopol), essential oils (Simferopol, Bakhchisarai, Alushta, Sudak) and tobacco-fermentation (Yalta, Simferopol, Feodosia). A chemical complex operates in Crimea, which is represented by the Simferopol Plastics Plant, the Saki Chemical Plant and others.

Agriculture is diversified. However, the leading role belongs to grain farming. Rice and industrial crops are cultivated on irrigated lands. Horticulture and viticulture, the cultivation of essential oil crops are developed.

Main attractions: the State Architectural and Historical Reserve "Sudatskaya Fortress" in Sudak, the State Historical and Architectural Reserve in Bakhchisarai, Alupka State Palace and Park Museum-Reserve.

The favorable economic and geographical position of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea is due to the fact that the autonomy occupies the territory of the Crimean Peninsula, located in the south of Eastern Europe between 46°15’–44°23’ north latitude and 32°29’–36°39’ east longitude. The area of ​​the Autonomous Republic of Crimea occupies 26.1 thousand km2, which is 4.3% of the territory of Ukraine.

Crimea is located in the latitudinal belt of the globe, which is at equal distances from the equator and the North Pole.

In the north, the peninsula is connected to the mainland by a narrow (7-23 km) Perekop isthmus. From the west and south, the peninsula is washed by the Black Sea, from the east - by the Kerch Strait, and from the northeast - by the waters of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov and its Sivash Bay.

Black Sea- a very deep (up to 2245 m), almost closed, oval-shaped reservoir. In terms of its water surface area (413,488 km2), this flat-bottomed basin is more than 15 times larger than the area of ​​the Crimean peninsula.

Sea of ​​Azov on the contrary, it is very shallow. Its greatest depth does not exceed 13.5 m. It is much inferior to the Black Sea and in area (37,600 km2).

From north to south, the peninsula stretches for 180 km, and from west to east - for 360 km. It borders on the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions of Ukraine, the Krasnodar Territory of the Russian Federation. Sea borders prevail in Crimea, the length of the coastline is about 1500 km.

The wealth of Crimea is its mild, close to the Mediterranean, climate, which is characterized by an abundance of sun, heat and light.

The climate of Crimea is determined by its geographical location, relief and the influence of the seas washing the peninsula. It is characterized by a large number of hours of sunshine, but at the same time, for most areas - a lack of moisture. Abundance of sunny days (2180-2470 hours per year), warm sea, moderately humid air saturated with sea salts, beautiful mineral springs, effective therapeutic mud - all this makes your stay on the peninsula unforgettable. The climate of the northern flat part of the Crimea is temperate continental with short winters with little snow and moderately hot dry summers.

In terms of the amount of heat and moisture, Crimea is one of the relatively favorable regions for the development of agriculture. There is an active vegetation of wheat, corn, most fruit crops and grapes.

Crimea is rightly called the natural pearl of Europe. Here, at the junction of temperate and subtropical latitudes, the most diverse natural landscapes: mountains and plains, ancient volcanoes and modern mud hills, seas and lakes, forests and steppes, the nature of the Crimean sub-Mediterranean and semi-deserts of the Sivash region ...

It is no coincidence that this corner of the unique land has long attracted the attention of people, and in recent decades has become a real "Mecca" for millions of holidaymakers and tourists.

From a bird's eye view, or when looking at the physical map of the Crimea, one can well imagine the main features of the geography of the peninsula. Like the ancient crown of the backbone of Taurida, the Mountainous Crimea rises in the south. Plains stretch to the north of it, in the east lies the Kerch hills. The Crimean mountains, with a gigantic stone scar, cut off the sub-Mediterranean southern coast of Crimea, pressed against the Black Sea, and to the north of them, along the edges of cuesta ridges, the forest-steppe foothills extend.

The Crimean mountains break like a sheer wall towards the sea coast, and their opposite slopes are flat. Most high peaks- Roman-Kosh (1545 m), Ai-Petri (1232 m), Chatyr-Dag (1527 m), Northern Demerdzhi (1356 m), Sheer walls, from 200 to 400 meters high, stretch along the coast from Cape Aya to the village Gurzuf.

257 rivers with a length of more than 5 km flow through the territory of the republic. The largest is Salgir, 220 km long, and the most full-flowing is Belbek (water flow rate up to 150 liters per second).

On the peninsula, mainly along the coasts, there are more than 50 salt lakes used to obtain salts and therapeutic mud: Saki, Sasyk, Donuzlav, Bakal, Old Lake, Red Lake, Aktash, Chokrak, Uzunlar and others.

Every year more and more vacationers and tourists flock to Crimea: over the past 70 years, the flow of recreants has increased 100 times! Under these conditions, the natural reserve fund of the Crimea is of particular value and scientific and environmental interest.

The reserve fund accounts for more than 135,000 hectares of the peninsula, which is 5.2% of its area. The reserve fund plays an essential role in preserving the creations of inanimate and animate nature, stabilizes ecological situation on the peninsula.

Crimea is a unique region of Ukraine, where 152 objects of the natural reserve fund are located in a relatively small area, including: 6 nature reserves, 30 wildlife sanctuaries, 69 natural monuments, 2 botanical gardens, 1 dendrological park, 31 parks-monuments of gardening art, 8 reserved tracts, 1 zoo.

More than 200 mineral deposits are known in Crimea. Of national importance are iron ores (Kerch iron ore basin), salts of Sivash and coastal lakes (Staroe, Krasnoye, etc.), natural gas (Black Sea deposits), flux limestones (Balaklavskoye, Kerch deposits, etc.), cement marls (Bakhchisaray), pottery and bleaching clays (foothills). For therapeutic and recreational purposes, therapeutic mud and mineral springs (Saki, Evpatoria, Feodosia, etc.), sandy and pebble beaches(western and southern coast, Sea of ​​Azov).

The climatic conditions of the Crimea are very diverse. Crimea is surrounded by a water basin, crossed by a mountain plateau, with gentle slopes to the north and steeper slopes to the south (to the Black Sea), which is protected from the influence northern winds. The mountains are cut by valleys. At different heights above sea level, there are different conditions that affect the nature of the climate.

Each slope of the Crimean mountains has its own climatic conditions, because it is more or less influenced by certain prevailing winds. The warmest part of the South Coast is the space from Cape Aya to Cape Ai-Todor, since this part of the coast is, as it were, in the wind shadow from the cold northern and north east winds. From Ai-Todor, the influence of eastern winds is already becoming noticeable and, thus, the second place in terms of warmth is occupied by the part of the South Coast from Ai-Todor to Alushta, and the third place in terms of warmth - from Alushta to Koktebel, and the degree of gradual transition from a warm climate to a more cold, as it were, follows in parallel with the gradual lowering of the heights of the mountains from Alushta to Feodosia. Feodosia is already open to the north and northeast winds, and its climate, which has its own local features, closer to the climate of the Kerch Peninsula.

Warm air coming to the Crimea from the south penetrates relatively freely through the low Crimean mountains into the steppe regions of the peninsula. When the cold dense Arctic air invades, the mountains prevent its penetration into the South Coast. In this regard, it is very indicative to compare the average January air temperature in the central part of the flat Crimea (Krasnogvardeyskoye township) and in Yalta - respectively -2°С and +4°С. If there were no mountains in Crimea, then the Southern coast would not differ much from the steppe coast of the Black and Azov Seas. At the same time, the role is not so much the height of the Crimean Mountains, but their general direction - from west to east, parallel to the coast.

Crimea is one of the sunniest regions of the European part of the CIS. The annual duration of sunshine here varies within 2180 - 2470 hours. It is especially large sea ​​coast where the breeze prevents cloud formation. Of the annual amount of radiation, Crimea receives about 10% in winter, 30% in spring, 40% in summer and 20% in autumn. The peninsula also receives the greatest amount of solar heat in summer. The minimum amount is for mountainous areas, and the maximum is West Coast. But be that as it may, in December and January, 8–10 times more heat is received per unit of the earth's surface per day than, for example, in St. Petersburg.

Over the winter southern part The European territory of the CIS in the latitudinal direction often establishes an axis of high atmospheric pressure, and over the Black Sea - a zone of low pressure. As a result, cold and dry continental air of temperate latitudes or arctic air often invade Crimea. Associated with this are sharp drops in temperature and strong northeasterly winds. In the same season, relatively often cyclones come here with mediterranean sea that bring the warm air of the tropics. Mediterranean cyclones, as a rule, linger in the northwestern part of the Black Sea. As a result, warm air primarily affects southwestern part mountain Crimea. That is why the winter in Crimea is wet with frequent precipitation and low evaporation. However, in winter precipitation falls almost three times less than in summer.

Frequent thaws in winter lead to big fluctuations temperature and instability and thinness of the snow cover.

Spring in Crimea flows quickly due to the increase in the height of the sun and the length of the day, the decrease in cloudiness and the influx of southern warm air. In the interior of the Crimea, there is a significant increase in temperature already from February to March. Spring is the driest and windiest season of the year with frequent "cold returns", with night frosts, morning frosts, especially in the hollows and river valleys of the foothills, which negatively affects early-flowering stone fruit trees and heat-loving grapes.

In summer, clear, hot and low-wind weather prevails in Crimea, with the manifestation of local breezes, mountain-valley and inclined winds. Due to the fact that the continental air of temperate latitudes is transformed here into local tropical air, dry weather prevails on the peninsula.

Marine air masses and Atlantic cyclones bring precipitation at this time of the year. Heavy, intense, but most often short-term rains fall. Summer in Crimea lasts 4-5 months.

Autumn is here best season of the year. The weather is calm, sunny and moderately warm. Autumn is warmer than spring by 2–3°С in central regions and by 4–5°С in coastal regions. A sharp change in weather occurs, as a rule, in the second half of November.

In Crimea, the annual temperature change almost coincides with the change in solar radiation inflow. Average monthly air temperatures mainly change from north to south, with the exception of the South Coast, where changes occur to the east and west. Most often, the coldest month is January or February. The lowest average temperature(-4°С) in January is observed in the mountains, and the highest (about +5°С) is observed in the South Coast. The tallest average monthly temperature most often in July, when it reaches + 23 + 24 ° С, in the mountains - 16 ° С.

During the day the most low temperatures observed before sunrise, and the highest - at 12 - 14 hours. Breeze winds reduce the daytime temperature and increase the nighttime temperature, as a result of which the daily amplitude on the sea coast is less than away from it. The absolute minimum of air temperature occurs mainly in January-February and is up to -37°C in the foothills.

In Crimea, 80-85% of the annual precipitation falls as rain. The number of days with rain varies from 80-130 in the steppe regions to 150-170 in the mountains. In the summer in Crimea, there are no more than 5-10 days with rain per month.

The highest air temperature observed in the Crimea, 38.1° in the shade, was noted in Sevastopol. The lowest temperature -30° was observed in the Crimea in the area of ​​Simferopol and Krasnoperekopsk. Thus, the temperature in the Crimea varies within 68.1°, having annual average values ​​from 10° to 13°.

As of November 1, 2009, 1966.4 thousand people lived in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. During 2009, the population decreased, mainly due to natural decline. Due to intra-regional migration in 2009, the urban population increased at the expense of the rural population.

The population of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea is distributed unevenly across the peninsula. With an average population density of 75.4 people/km2, the density in the flat part of Crimea exceeds 30 people/km2, in the mountains - about 10 people/km2, in the foothills - about 150 people/km2, and on the coast - more than 300 person/km2. On the coast of Crimea, which is the most valuable territory in terms of recreation, 50% of the population of the republic lives. And if mountains and foothills are also classified as recreationally valuable territories, then the figure will increase to 75%.

Crimea is characterized by an increase in the number of cities, as well as urban-type settlements and the relative stability of rural settlements. Due to the expansion of the network of recreational enterprises (sanatoriums, rest houses, boarding houses, etc.), the number of urban-type settlements on the coast has more than doubled in 50 years.

Rural settlements are distributed unevenly across Crimea. With a total number of 950 rural settlements and an average density of 4 settlements per 100 km2, in the Simferopol region the density of rural settlements is 6, and in Chernomorsky region- 2.2 settlements per 100 km2.

Territory and number of present population by regions of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea as of 01.11.2010

Composition of the population of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea according to the results of the 2001 All-Ukrainian Population Census.

feature national composition population of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea is its multinationality. According to the data of the All-Ukrainian population census, representatives of more than 125 nationalities and nationalities live in the territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

Data on the most numerous nationalities in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea are given below:

The table includes data on nationalities whose share in the total permanent population of the ARC is at least 0.1%.

The Crimean peninsula has long been called the natural pearl of Europe for a reason. Here, at the junction of subtropical and temperate latitudes, as if in focus, concentrated in miniature character traits their nature: plains and mountains, modern mud hills and ancient volcanoes, lakes and seas, steppes and forests, landscapes of the semi-desert of the Sivash region and the Black Sea sub-Mediterranean.

The Crimean peninsula is located in southern Ukraine at the same latitude as southern France and northern Italy.

The outlines of the Crimea are very peculiar, some see them as a bunch of grapes, others - a flying bird, others - a heart. Each of us, looking at the map, immediately sees in the middle blue sea an irregular quadrangle with a wide protrusion of the peninsula in the west and a long, narrower protrusion of the Kerch Peninsula in the east. The Kerch Strait separates the Crimean Peninsula from the Taman Peninsula, the western tip of Russia.

total length land borders Crimea - more than 2500 km. Area - 27 thousand square meters. km.

Crimea is washed almost from all sides by the waters of the Black and Azov Seas. It could be an island, if not for the narrow, only 8 kilometers wide, Perekop Isthmus, connecting it with the mainland.

The maximum distance from north to south is 207 km, from west to east - 324 km.

Extreme points: in the north - the village of Perekop, in the south -, in the east -, in the west - Cape Kara-Mrun.

The waters of the Black Sea (area - 421 thousand square kilometers, volume - 537 thousand cubic kilometers) wash Crimea from the west and south. Most large bays: Karkinitsky, Kalamitsky and Feodosia. The shores of the peninsula are heavily indented by numerous coves and bays.

From the east and northeast, the peninsula is surrounded (width 4-5 km, length 41 km) and the Sea of ​​Azov (area - 38 thousand sq. km, volume - 300 cubic km), which forms the Arabat, Kazantip, and Sivash bays.

The Crimean mountains divided the peninsula into two uneven parts: a large steppe and a smaller mountain. They stretched from the southwest to the northeast from the neighborhood to three almost parallel ridges separated by parallel green valleys. The Crimean Mountains are about 180 km long and 50 km wide.

The main ridge is the highest, here are the most famous Mountain peaks: - 1545 m, - 1525 m, - 1231 m. The southern slopes facing the sea are very steep, while the northern ones, on the contrary, are flat.

The peaks of the Crimean Mountains are treeless plateaus, which are called (translated from Turkic means "summer pasture"). Yayly combine the properties of both mountains and plains. They are connected by narrow lowered ridges, along which mountain passes. The paths from the steppe part of the Crimea to the Southern coast have long run here.

The highest yayls of Crimea: Ai-Petrinskaya (1320 m), Gurzufskaya (1540 m), Nikitskaya (1470 m), Yalta (1406 m). The limestone surface of the Yayla has been dissolved for many centuries under the influence of rainwater, water flows have done in the thickness of the mountains. numerous moves, mines, deep wells, amazingly beautiful caves.

The steppe occupies most of the territory of Crimea. It is the southern outskirts of the East European, or Russian, plain and slightly decreases to the north. The Kerch peninsula is divided by the Parpach ridge into two parts: the southwestern - flat and northeastern - hilly, which is characterized by the alternation of gentle depressions, ring-shaped limestone ridges, mud hills and coastal lake basins. However, mud volcanoes they have nothing in common with real volcanoes, since they do not throw out hot lava, but cold mud.

Varieties of calcareous and southern chernozems predominate on the flat part of the Crimea; dark chestnut and meadow chestnut soils of dry forests and shrubs are less common, as well as brown mountain-forest and mountain-meadow chernozem-like soils (on yayla).

More than half of the territory of the peninsula is occupied by fields, about five percent - by gardens and vineyards. The remaining lands are predominantly pastures and forests.

The forest area is 340 thousand hectares. The slopes of the Crimean mountains are covered mainly oak forests(65% of the area of ​​all forests), beech (14%), pine (13%) and hornbeam (8%). On the southern coast in the forests grow relict tall juniper, pistachio tupolis, evergreen small-fruited strawberry, a number of evergreen shrubs - Crimean cistus, Pontic needle, red pyracantha, shrub jasmine, etc.

The main source of river nutrition is rainwater - 44-50% of the annual runoff; snow nutrition gives 13-23% and The groundwater- 28-36%. The average long-term surface and underground runoff of the Crimea is just over 1 billion cubic meters of water. This is almost three times less than the volume of water that annually enters the peninsula through the North Crimean Canal. The natural reserves of local waters are used to the limit (73% of the reserves are used). The main surface runoff has been regulated: a couple of hundred ponds and more than 20 large reservoirs have been built (on the Salgir river, Chernorechenskoye on the Chernaya river, Belogorskoye on the Biyuk-Karasu river, etc.).

Through the North Crimean Canal, 3.5 billion cubic meters of water are annually supplied to the peninsula, which made it possible to increase the area of ​​irrigated land from 34.5 thousand hectares to 400 thousand hectares (since the 30s of the XX century).

In Crimea, mainly along the coasts, there are more than 50 lakes-estuaries with a total area of ​​5.3 thousand square meters. km used to obtain salts and therapeutic mud: Donuzlav, Bakal, Staroe, Krasnoe, Chokrakskoe, Uzunlarskoe, etc.

Physical and geographical position. The Crimean peninsula is located in the south of Ukraine, in the second time zone. Its area is approximately 27 thousand km 2. The greatest length of Crimea from north to south is 205, and from west to east - 325 km. The dissection of the sea coastline led to a large length of the borders of the peninsula - over 2500 km. The share of land borders accounts for only 8 km. Crimea is washed in the west and south by the Black Sea, and in the east and northeast by the Kerch Strait, the Sea of ​​Azov and its Sivash Bay. Large sea bays protrude deeply into the land. In the west, Karkinitsky and Kalamitsky, and in the east - Arabatsky, Feodosia, Kazantipsky, etc.

Economic and geographical position. The Crimean peninsula has a favorable economic and geographical position. In the northwest, it is connected to the mainland by the narrow Perekop Isthmus, through which Crimea has long been connected with northern territories. Along this isthmus, the Northern Sivash and the northern part of the Arabat Spit, there is a border with the neighboring Kherson region of Ukraine.

Kerch Strait, connecting the Black and Sea of ​​Azov, separates the Autonomous Republic of Crimea from Russia. The creation of a ferry across the strait made it possible to connect the Crimea by the shortest route with the North Caucasus and Transcaucasia.

Crimean seaports open a cheap waterway to southern regions Ukraine, as well as neighboring countries. The Bosporus, Dardanelles and Gibraltar straits provide access to all areas of the World Ocean.

The relief of the Crimea

The relief of any territory primarily depends on the tectonic structure. The Crimean peninsula is located within two large tectonic structures - the Scythian plate and the Alpine geosynclinal folded area. The Kerch Peninsula has a complex geological structure. Within its limits, a system of folds is distinguished, formed as a result of lateral compression, which determined the peculiar relief of this part of the Crimea.

Thus, in accordance with geological structure territory, the Crimean peninsula is divided into three unequal parts according to the relief: flat Crimea, Kerch Peninsula with a peculiar ridge-wavy-plain surface and mountain Crimea.

Crimean climate

Due to the combined action of climate-forming factors, climatic conditions in different parts of the Crimea differ. Therefore, three climatic regions are distinguished in Crimea: flat, mountain And south coast.

A relatively small amount of precipitation, a long dry summer, and the spread of karst rocks in the mountains have led to the poverty of the Crimean peninsula in surface waters. Due to different conditions of formation and placement surface water The Crimean peninsula is divided into two parts: flat steppe with a very sparse network of surface waters and mountain forest with a relatively dense river network. It is here that almost all the rivers of Crimea originate.

Internal waters of Crimea

In Crimea, there are 1657 rivers and temporary streams with a total length of 5996 km. Of these, about 150 rivers. Since the Crimean peninsula is relatively small, and the mountains are low, small rivers, up to 10 km long, predominate here. Only the Salgir River has a length of more than 200 km.

The river network on the Crimean peninsula is developed extremely unevenly. This primarily depends on the direction of surface water runoff, so the Crimean rivers are divided into three groups: rivers of the northwestern slopes of the Crimean mountains(Alma, Kacha, Belbek, Black), rivers of the southern coast of Crimea(Demerdzhi, Ulu-Uzen, Derekoika, Uchan-Su), rivers of the northern slopes of the Crimean mountains(Salgir, Wet Indole, Chorokh-Su)

There are no large fresh lakes. There are about 50 lakes-estuaries with a total area of ​​5.3 thousand km 2 in the coastal strip of the plain Crimea. As a result of the sea filling the widened mouths of gullies and rivers, estuaries first formed. Subsequently, they separated from the sea by embankments and spits and turned into estuary lakes. material from the site

Soils of Crimea

Soil quality, their fertility and properties largely depend on the physical properties of the parent rock, on various climatic conditions, relief, growing vegetation, etc. In the Crimea, all these factors are very closely intertwined and are very diverse, so the soils in the Crimea are very diverse. Chernozems are the most widespread in Crimea. They are developed mainly in the steppe and partly in the foothills of the Crimea on 1 million 100 thousand hectares, which is more than 45% of the area of ​​the peninsula.

Population of Crimea

The current population of Crimea (as of 2015) is about 2.3 million people. This is approximately 5% of the total population of Ukraine. Demographic processes in Ukraine, and in particular in the Crimea, are characterized by features inherent developed countries of the world - relatively low birth and death rates, a high percentage of elderly people, etc. In last years the birth rate in Crimea fell to 12 people/thousand, while the death rate increased to almost 11 people/thousand. If in the early 90s the natural increase was about one person per thousand inhabitants of the peninsula, then in the late 90s this figure became negative and now a natural population decline is taking place in Crimea.

On this page, material on the topics: