Furthermore, the natural gas that Russia sends to Europe travels largely through pipelines that snake across the Ukrainian landscape. The classical name was used in 1802 in the name of the Russian Taurida Governorate. The main range of these mountains rises with extraordinary abruptness from the deep floor of the Black Sea to an altitude of 6001,545 metres (1,9695,069ft), beginning at the southwest point of the peninsula, called Cape Fiolent. [44] The North Crimea Canal, which transports water from the Dnieper, is the largest of the man-made irrigation channels on the peninsula. The classical name for Crimea, Tauris or Taurica, is from the Greek (Taurik), after the peninsula's Scytho-Cimmerian inhabitants, the Tauri. South of Sevastopol is the small Heracles Peninsula. With a length of 19km, it is the longest bridge in Europe, as it overcame Vasco da Gama Bridge in Lisbon. The cities of Yalta, Feodosia, Kerch, Sevastopol, Chornomorske and Yevpatoria are connected to one another by sea routes. Lands controlled by Russia[b] and Poland-Lithuania were often the target of slave raids during this period. 2) Economical exploitation is carried out in Crimea. [87][88] The Russian national payment card system now allows Visa and MasterCard cards issued by Russian banks to work in Crimea. After the fall of the Soviet empire, Tatars began to return to their ancestral Crimean homeland, where they now number about 250,000 roughly 12 percent of the Crimean population. The Alma flows west to reach the Black Sea between Yevpatoria and Sevastopol. Alexander Pushkin visited Bakhchysarai in 1820 and later wrote the poem The Fountain of Bakhchisaray. Thus, much of the gas exploration, as well as production, have been transferred to Russia, due to which Ukraine's resources remain untapped. [90], As of 2014[update], the total population of the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol was 2,248,400 people (Republic of Crimea: 1,889,485, Sevastopol: 395,000). "We are scared for our families, for our children.". Gazprom is Russia's largest company and, as of 2019, was the world's largest publicly-owned natural gas firm. But that began to change in 2014: after a popular uprising in Ukraine ousted the country's Kremlin-friendly president, Russia annexed Crimea . When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Posted by: Manali, Feb 25, 2022, 1:00 PM IST. St. Vladimir's Cathedral, dedicated to the Heroes of Sevastopol (Crimean War). In Soviet times the many palaces were replaced with dachas and health resorts. Several times a week Simferopol is also linked with Volgograd, Sochi, Yekaterinburg, Omsk and even Murmansk by train. It was colonized by the ancient Greeks beginning in the seventh century BCE along with other areas of the northern Black Sea coast. They list seven ports where cruise ships cannot dock. It is here that the development of natural gas resources could help revitalize energy-intensive industries as well as develop new sectors such as hydrogen production which align with global emission reduction targets. The main branches of the modern Crimean economy are agriculture and fishing oysters pearls, industry and manufacturing, tourism, and ports. [59], The most important industries in Crimea include food production, chemical fields, mechanical engineering, and metalworking, and fuel production industries. [83][84][85][86] Sanctions against individuals include travel bans and asset freezes. Notice that you also then claim the Azov Sea as a bonus, since you now have to pass through the economic zone to get there, exactly what Russia has done. [53], According to the International Transport Workers' Federation, as of 2013[update] there were at least 12 operating merchant seaports in Crimea. [7] Grain exports are the mainstay of Ukraine's economy. According to the open source data, the Russians have a grouping of about 127,000 strong arrayed against a reported 125,000 Ukrainian troops in the country's eastern regions. Protests culminated in Russian forces occupying strategic points in Crimea[31] and the Russian-organized Republic of Crimea declared independence from Ukraine following an illegal and internationally unrecognized referendum supporting reunification. Long-distance trains provided connection to every major Ukrainian cities, but also to many towns of Russia, Belarus and until the end of the 2000es even to Vilnius, Riga, Warsaw and Berlin. which is highly dependent on Russian natural gas and requires the unanimous assent of 27 . A look at the country's natural resources: Oil and Gas Ukraine has the second-biggest known gas reserves in Europe, apart from Russia's gas reserves in Asia, although largely unexploited. Further east is Sudak/Sougdia/Soldaia with its Genoese fort. "If there is a conflict, as the minority, we will be the first to suffer," Usein Sarano, a Crimean Tatar, told Reuters. Ukrainian geologists note that Crimea is very rich in natural resources. Fuel resources include fossil fuel deposits of coal, natural gas and oil. Rivers: The longest is the Salhyr, which rises southeast of Simferopol and flows north and northeast to the Sea of Azov. Photo: AxeL M, CC BY-SA 4.0. [119], A number of Crimean-born athletes have been given permission to compete for Russia instead of Ukraine at future competitions, including Vera Rebrik, the European javelin champion. This bridge was damaged during an attack on October 8, 2022. From 1853 to 1856, the Crimean War roiled the area, as France, England and the Ottoman Empire fought the Russians for control of Crimea and the Black Sea. [49], Most of the peninsula receives more than 2,000 sunshine hours per year; it reaches up to 2,505 sunshine hours in Qarabiy yayla in the Crimean Mountains. Strabo (Geography vii 4.3, xi. The U.S. and Europe have maintained sanctions against Russia since its initial invasion of Crimea . [112] The 2001 Ukrainian census reports just 2,500 ethnic Germans (0.1% of population) in Crimea. [79] After the breaking up of the Young Pioneers in 1991 its prestige declined, though it remained a popular vacation destination. The country gets 55 per cent of its natural gas from Russia, and the bulk of it goes through Ukraine, which earns a transit fee equivalent to $7 billion. (More than 50 percent of the Crimean economy is devoted to food production and distribution industries, according to Ukrainian government figures.). The shorter Chornaya flows west to Sevastopol Bay. [48] The Southern Coast is shielded from cold air masses coming from the north and, as a result, has milder winters. Between 1315 and 1329 CE, the Arab writer Ab al-Fid recounted a political fight in 13001301 CE which resulted in a rival's decapitation and his head being sent "to the Crimea",[4] apparently in reference to the peninsula,[5] although some sources hold that the name of the capital was extended to the entire peninsula at some point during Ottoman suzerainty (14411783).[6]. . [48] Maritime influences from the Black Sea are restricted to coastal areas; in the interior of the peninsula the maritime influence is weak and does not play an important role. [120] Due to Russia currently being suspended from all international athletic competitions Rebrik participates in tournaments as a "neutral" athlete.[121]. In the event of economic sanctions, the supply chain for titanium could be affected, and furthermore, the ability to produce aircraft could be hampered. Presently, Russia supplies 40 per cent to 50 per cent of Europe's gas consumption via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline as well as the Ukrainian network. Suggestions argued in various sources include: Other suggestions either unsupported or contradicted by sources, apparently based on similarity in sound, include: The spelling "Crimea" is the Italian form, i.e., la Crimea, since at least the 17th century[17] and the "Crimean peninsula" becomes current during the 18th century, gradually replacing the classical name of Tauric Peninsula in the course of the 19th century. The country's geostrategic position has rendered it susceptible to the ongoing larger conflict between Russia and the West. History of construction, "Pray For Rain: Crimea's Dry-Up A Headache For Moscow, Dilemma For Kyiv", "Crimea Drills For Water As Crisis Deepens In Parched Peninsula", "Geographical Survey of the Crimean region", "Climate in Crimea, Weather in Yalta: How Often Does it Rain in Crimea? In 1774, the Ottoman Empire was defeated by Catherine the Great with the Treaty of Kk Kaynarca making the Tatars of the Crimea politically independent. resource - available source of wealth; a new or reserve supply that can be drawn upon when needed. land resources - natural resources in the form of land. The Krymchaks (but not the Karaites) were targeted for annihilation during Nazi occupation. Of course, this figure is less impressive than in 2019 when eight million people visited the region, but it is still quite impressive. Russian President Vladimir Putin believes that eastern Ukraine, which (like Crimea) is home to many Russians, belongs to Russia and he wants to take it back. The largest of them is Lake Sasyk () on the southwest coast; others include Aqtas, Koyashskoye, Kiyatskoe, Kirleutskoe, Kizil-Yar, Bakalskoe, and Donuzlav. Ukraine is aiming to clinch the third spot in wheat and fourth spot in corn this year, but the ranking could be missed due to the crisis with Russia. However, Ukraine's current government wants to not only join NATO but also be a part of the European Union (EU). Furthermore, fossil fuels are not infinite, which means Russia has to scout additional sources of natural gases to tap. [48] The northern parts of Crimea have a moderate continental climate with short but cold winters and moderately hot dry summers. The US has always been wary of Russia's authority in Europe and the latter's influence is only going to grow stronger now with Ukraine's invasion, particularly in the Balkans, and if it is able to withstand global sanctions. What Putin neglected to mention is that Crimea is rich in natural resources like oil and gas. Throughout this time the interior was occupied by a changing cast of steppe nomads. Until 2014 the network was part of the Cisdneper Directorate of the Ukrainian Railways. Though Crimea is recognized worldwide as a part of Ukraine, the Russian Navy has kept its Black Sea Fleet stationed at a naval base in Sevastopol (in southern Crimea) since the late 1700s. Further east still is Theodosia/Kaffa/Feodosia, once a great slave-mart and a kind of capital for the Genoese and Turks. The US and Europe could be looking at food and energy security by trying to ensure Ukraine's tilt towards the West, but will Russia allow it?