Geography of Crimea. Extreme points of Crimea on the map Geographical location of the Crimea peninsula

Geographical location of Crimea

The Crimean peninsula has a relatively small territory: for comparison, we can say that it is 20 times smaller in area than the Iberian and Balkan Peninsulas, and 15 times - Kamchatka and Asia Minor. Crimea is located at 44 and 46 degrees N. w., i.e. this is a southern territory, it corresponds to the south of France, the Ciscaucasia or the Great American Lakes in North America.

Crimea is an integral part of the huge continent of Eurasia, and it is located almost equally distant from both the North Pole and the equator, since a latitude of 45 degrees crosses the peninsula near the city of Dzhankoy.

Approximately here is the border of two climatic zones: the temperate zone and the subtropics, therefore in Crimea, on this small peninsula, one can observe atmospheric and natural processes and phenomena characteristic of both zones.

The Crimean Peninsula occupies a relatively small territory - its area is 20 times smaller than the Iberian and Balkan Peninsulas, and 15 times smaller than Kamchatka and Asia Minor. But Crimea became famous, significant and attractive largely due to the peculiarities of its nature, and above all its unique geographical location. Perekop Isthmus - extreme northern point

Crimean peninsula. It is 207 km away from Cape Sarych (the southernmost point). From the extreme western point - Cape Kara-Mrun, located on the Tarkhankut Peninsula, to Cape Lantern on the eastern Kerch Peninsula - 324 km. And three capes, like the three legendary biblical whales lying in the Black and Azov Seas, seem to “keep” the peninsula afloat.

The shape of Crimea resembles a slightly distorted rhombus, but if you turn on your imagination, you can see in the outlines of the peninsula a bird diving into the waters of the Black Sea. But the beauty of the peninsula, combined with its outlines, inspired the famous Chilean poet Pablo Neruda to call Crimea “the most magnificent medal on the chest of the Earth.” The figurative expression “Island of Crimea” is also close to the truth. The thing is that it is connected to the land only by the Perekop Isthmus, the width of which narrows in places to only 7 km. And all transport routes

Sometimes, in old guidebooks, the Perekop Isthmus was compared with the Isthmus of Panama in terms of its geographical significance, but instead of deep ocean waters, it is surrounded by shallow waters and viscous gray mud of the Rotten Sea (Sivash). In distant revolutionary times, the isthmus was dug into a deep, up to 10 m, ditch, next to which an 8-meter-high earthen rampart, up to 11 km long, was built.

The almost “island” geographical position of Crimea, surrounded by two seas - the Black and Azov seas, increases the isolation of the peninsula, and is noticeably reflected in the features of its landscapes, flora and fauna. That is why not only many rare species are found here, but also endemic species found on Earth only in Crimea.

Crimea is also characterized by a circular (circum-island) distribution of climatic phenomena, which is manifested in less precipitation, longer duration of sunshine, and the presence of breezes on the coast, which distinguishes them from the central parts of the peninsula.

A special place of the peninsula is the Crimean Mountains, forming another internal “island” with its own special and unique features and characteristics.

The Crimean Peninsula, located in the extreme east of the vast Mediterranean, is a connecting “bridge” connecting the East European Plain, Asia Minor and the Caucasus. Therefore, in Crimea there is a change in the areas of geographical distribution of a number of plant and animal species, which gives originality to the flora and fauna of the peninsula. The landscapes of the peninsula are also diverse, where vast flat plains alternate with dissected hills, and in the south they give way mountain ranges , which drop steeply to the Black Sea. Due to the sublatitudinal location Crimean mountains

, even on a relatively small territory of the peninsula, there is a sharp contrast between the temperate steppe climate of the flat part and the almost sub-Mediterranean climate on the southern coast of Crimea. Take a look at the map of our Motherland. In the extreme south of the European part, a peninsula juts out deeply, resembling an irregular quadrangle. It's small. Its area is only about 26 thousand square meters. km – 14 times less. In the north it is narrow (up to 8 km) connected to the mainland, in the south and west it is washed by the waters of the Black Sea, in the northeast and east - Sea of ​​Azov And.

In the distant geological past, there were extensive seas in the south: Sarmatian, Meotic and Pontic. The bottom of the Pontic sea-lake began to rise, and its waters finally gathered in two basins: the Black Sea and the Caspian, which were first connected by the Kuma-Manych Strait. They either connected with the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles, or separated from it.

The modern Black Sea arose about 10 thousand years ago. It is one of the most deep seas our country. Along its shores stretches a strip of coastal shallow water - with depths of up to 200 m. This sandbank descends in several more or less steep ledges to the central part of the bottom. Maximum depth Black Sea – 2245 m.

The Black Sea is warm. In summer, surface waters in the open sea warm up to 24-25°, and in shallow coastal waters to 28-29°. Winter surface water temperature open sea 6-7°. The temperature of the waters of the coastal part generally remains around 0° with slight fluctuations. In this regard, in its coastal part the sea freezes only in especially cold winters.

Located inside the mainland, desalinated by the rivers flowing into it, the Black Sea is a medium-sized basin. The salinity of its surface waters is 16-18 ppm, that is, 16-18 parts by weight of salt per 1000 parts by weight of water. The deep waters of the Black Sea are saturated with hydrogen sulfide and are therefore lifeless.

Its organic world is very unique. Here are found fish that previously inhabited the Pontic sea-lake - Pontic relics, which include beluga, sturgeon, stellate sturgeon, sprat, some types of gobies, etc. There are fish that, in the cold eras of the past, descended from the south, penetrated into the Mediterranean Sea, and from there to Chernoe. Representatives of this so-called boreal-Atlantic group of fish are sprats, salmon, glossy flounder, dogfish shark, and sea fox ray.

Representatives of the Arctic fauna - seals - are also found, although rarely. In 1934, a seal was spotted near Batumi.

The most numerous and diverse fish of the Mediterranean fauna are: mullet, mackerel, mackerel, red mullet, bonito, sea bass, sea crucian, flounder, and stingray.

Small fish also live: pipefish, seahorse, stickleback.

Two species of Mediterranean fish are poisonous. These are the sea ruffe (scorpionfish) and the sea dragon. The ruffe has a gland at the base of the second ray of the dorsal fin that produces a toxic liquid that causes a painful inflammatory process.

A large and bold predator is the swordfish. In a state of irritation, she attacks not only fishing scows, but even passing ships.

Crimea - the golden mean of the earth

This land is beautiful, washed by one of the most festive seas globe.
K. Paustovsky.

Each of us has the inalienable right to love our native land and claim that there is no land more beautiful, more fertile, more unique. Only a fool would argue, but a wise person would agree, although he would add: “Of course, you are right, dear friend, but my homeland is also beautiful...”

Crimeans behave only this way and not differently: after all, millions of people from all over the world come to Crimea every year. Of course, Crimeans agree that there are still blessed corners of the earth somewhere. They don’t ask: “Why did you come to us, and not we to you?” Without a doubt, Crimeans are wise people, they say in such cases: “Of course, you are right, dear friend, but my Crimea is also beautiful, let me tell you about it.”

Let's open the map and get our bearings. The most southern point Crimea (44° 23") - Cape Sarych, near the village of Foros, located between Sevastopol and Alupka. The northernmost (46° 15") is located on the Perekop Isthmus, near the village of Perekop. This means that Crimea is located at latitude 45, midway between the North Pole and the equator. Perhaps someone has some other thoughts on this matter, but in the middle means in the middle, and not somewhere else. At latitude 45, by the way, are the geographical center of France, such European cities as Budapest, Bucharest, Milan, Bern, the Canadian city of Montreal, and the American cities of Minneapolis and Portland. Their latitude is fine, but their longitude...

The westernmost point of Crimea (32°29") is Cape Priboyny (Kapa-Mryn) on the Tarkhankut Peninsula, the easternmost (36°39") is Cape Fonar on Kerch Peninsula. So, Crimea is located near 30° east longitude, that is, in the middle between the Greenwich meridian and the Urals, separating Europe and Asia. Please open the world map, don’t be lazy. At what length is it bent in half, where is its middle? Of course, along the line of 30" east longitude. St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kharkov, Ankara, Cairo, Lake Victoria are located approximately at this longitude, highest point Africa - Mount Kilimanjaro, North and South Poles. They were lucky with the longitude, but only Crimea had a lucky latitude.

If you look at the sky, it will point to Crimea. The Milky Way is called Chumatskiy Shlyakh in Ukrainian. The nebula pointing to the south seemed to have been created for the correct orientation of our ancestors, the Chumaks, who went to the Crimea for salt.

Before closing the map, let's take another look at the peninsula depicted on it. What is Crimea like? Of course - in the heart. A heart shocked by the Creator's Plan. A heart delighted with the incomprehensible wisdom and endless beauty of Nature. Crimea also looks like arms outstretched for hugs and like a cross sent down to people to comprehend the great unity of Faith, Love and Hope. A cross connecting North and South, West and East. But most of all, Crimea is like a flower dropped by the Creator on Earth.

Of course, you are right, dear friend, your homeland is beautiful, but so is my Crimea! Let me tell you about it in a little more detail.

The area of ​​the Crimean Peninsula exceeds 26 thousand km2, the maximum distance from north to south is 205 km, from west to east - 325 km. Yes, it is smaller than Switzerland, the Netherlands or Belgium, but Crimea is almost 56 times larger than Andorra, 82 times larger than Malta and 165 (!) times larger than such a venerable European principality as Liechtenstein. We will not compare Crimea with such small states as San Marino.

In many countries of the world there is not a single sea, but in Crimea there are two of them: the Black Sea and the Azov Sea. The Black Sea forms three large bays off the coast of the peninsula: Karkinitsky, Kalamitsky and Feodosiya; There are three large bays near the Sea of ​​Azov: Kazantipsky, Arabatsky and Sivashsky.

Crimea in the north is connected to the mainland by a narrow eight-kilometer strip of land called the Perekop Isthmus. The Kerch Strait, whose width is 4-5 km, separates the Crimean Peninsula from the Taman Peninsula - the western tip of the Krasnodar Territory of Russia. The total length of the peninsula's borders exceeds 2,500 km; the shores are slightly indented, except for a very winding coastline parts of the peninsula near Sevastopol. In the coastal strip of the Crimean plain there are 50 estuary lakes with a total area of ​​53 thousand km2. Of course, this is not as much as, say, in Finland or Norway, but the Crimean lakes are valuable because they are filled with brine, a concentrated salt solution that has absorbed the power of the sea, sun and earth.

At the beginning of the 20th century. About 40% of the table salt of the Russian Empire was mined in Crimea. It is well known that D.I. Mendeleev said that using oil as fuel is tantamount to burning banknotes. To paraphrase the words of the great chemist, we can say that using Crimean salt as table salt is the same as salting soup with gold. The ecologically chaste chemical industry of the peninsula at the Saki and Krasnoperekopsk chemical plants produces various compounds of sodium, calcium, magnesium, and bromine from lake and Sivash salt. However, the medicinal use of the Crimean estuaries is much better known, but this will be a separate discussion.

Once upon a time, palaces were erected by monarchs and their entourage on the southern coast of Crimea. The ruler of the next historical period invited Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Winston Churchill to divide the post-war world here. Why did the highly respected guests of Crimea choose it over all other places on Earth? Yes, because they were attracted by the unique Crimean climate, whose undeniable advantages are caused by several reasons.

The first is the mentioned equidistance from the equator and the North Pole, which determines the long length of the summer day, and not the measly 12 hours in the tropics, and a sufficient amount of beneficial warmth - namely heat, and not equatorial heat or polar cold.

The second is the union of sea and mountains. On hot sunny days of summer, Crimea is refreshed by a breeze, a cool breeze from the sea. In the cool evening hours it is replaced by warm air from the mountains.

The third is the unique position of the peninsula relative to the general circulation of the atmosphere, the predominance of westerly winds and stable anticyclones with clear weather and, as a result, a record number of sunny days, the absence of sweltering heat carried by air currents from Africa, and, naturally, minimal exposure to cold air masses from the north, from which the mountains serve as an additional barrier.

The Crimean mountains are small, their maximum height (Mount Roman-Kosh) reaches 1545 m, much less than Everest, but this height is quite enough to create a subtropical paradise on the South Coast, without simultaneously erecting an insurmountable barrier between warm sea and the northern, steppe part of the peninsula.

Perhaps in some other place on Earth the expression “golden mountains” is an exaggeration, a metaphor, but not in Crimea. Crimean marls serve as raw materials for the production of cement, facing slabs are made from marble-like limestones, and beautiful white buildings are built from blocks of the famous Inkerman stone from the time of Chersonesos to the present day. Due to their high strength, rich color shades and good polishing properties, diabases of igneous origin are used for the manufacture of monuments and facing slabs. In Karadag and other places one can find such minerals (gems) as agate, jet, onyx, opal, carnelian, and brocade jasper.

Why are there gems? Even clay in Crimea is precious. Crimean bentonite, formed from volcanic ash, popularly called keel, soap earth or mountain soap, has a very unusual properties. Previously it was used for wine clarification, soap making, laundry and bleaching, but today it is used in high technology.

The flat plateaus of the Crimean Mountains combine the properties of plains and mountains, representing another “golden mean” of Crimea. Unprotected from the merciless sun, the yayls seem to the uninitiated to be a symbol of dehydration, but this is not at all the case: underlain by porous limestones, they absorb precipitation like a sponge in order to, together with the shady forests, drop by drop accumulate water that feeds the Crimean rivers.

Crimea has everything, but in order not to jinx it, its residents like to grumble just in case. So how can you find a reason to grumble about this? paradise difficult enough, then out of habit they become annoyed at the lack of water. Indeed, there are only 1657 rivers on the peninsula and only 150 of them are less than 10 km long. The total length of the watercourses is 5966 km, more than the length of the Amur from the mouth to the sources of the Argun, but slightly less than the Nile.

However, we must honestly say that natural water resources the peninsulas were clearly insufficient in its steppe part. We've heard a lot of bad things about global reclamation projects, and that's probably true. Probably, the turn of the northern rivers to the south threatened the Earth environmental disaster, but the turn of the southern river to the south, i.e. the creation of the North Crimean Canal, solved many of the problems of the peninsula.

Crimean drinking water generally slightly mineralized, which is beneficial for the human body, but if you are used to water enriched with sewage industrial giants, do not get upset prematurely. After all, Crimea has everything, even black water. Water saturated with hydrogen sulfide mineral spring Adzhi-Su in the village of Kuibyshevo, Bakhchisarai region, forms a black sediment of biologically active gums and bitumens, healing in hot medicinal baths. In total, more than a hundred healing springs have been discovered in Crimea. mineral waters, replete with many trace elements - from fluorine to radium.

Geographical position, climate, steppe areas on mountain tops, clear and black waters - everywhere we talk about the combination of opposite principles. If you mix all the colors into one, you will get a dirty gray color. To avoid misunderstandings, we will immediately make an official clarification: Crimea is the Golden Mean, not mediocrity. The colors of his palette sparkle without mixing, and at the same time create a unique flavor.

Combining steppe and subtropics, Crimea not only does not mix them, but complements them with a zone of forests and forest-steppe. Yayla is not half-steppe and half-mountain, but a unique a natural phenomenon, which is difficult to find analogues. Combining different principles, Crimea preserves their originality and complements them with new, unique qualities. Natural sciences unanimously prove the island origin of Crimea - we will talk about this more than once and present scientific arguments - therefore, on the peninsula, in addition to the amazing combination of steppe and Mediterranean nature, there is a great variety of endemic plant and animal species found only on the peninsula.

Among the natural massifs of Crimea, man-made landscapes are scattered in a bizarre mosaic: intertwining architectural styles of many centuries and peoples of the city, town and village, majestic parks, well-groomed fields, lush gardens, fragrant plantations of roses and lavender, unique vineyards. Since 1963, a period of intensive irrigated agriculture began in Crimea. Almost 40 types of vegetable crops are grown in open and closed ground. The quality of Crimean products is famous far beyond the borders of the autonomous republic.

Essential oil enterprises in the cities of Simferopol, Bakhchisaray, Alushta, Sudak and the urban village of Nizhnegorsk produce rose, lavender and sage oils. One of the leading industries in Crimea is food. The largest fishing port on the Black Sea with refrigerators, canning and ship repair plants was built in Sevastopol. However, the high level of development of the peninsula's food industry is due not only to the highly commercial agriculture of the peninsula and the rich resources of the seas. Its development is facilitated by a relatively high level of food consumption, especially in the summer. Thus, the issue of warmly treating guests is raised on a grand scale in Crimea.

Crimea is the unity of sea, steppe and mountains. It is worth removing a layer of soil from the surface of the earth in the steppe Crimea, and on the surface you will find a wonderful, easy-to-process building material - limestone-shell rock. Buildings with a layer of shell rock in their walls, like the sea, keep warm in winter and cool in summer.

One should not think, however, that only shell rock is hidden under the fertile Crimean soil. The iron ores of the Kerch basin lie so shallow that they are mined using opencast mining. These ores are unique in their high manganese content, so when smelting alloy steels, this element is added in minimal quantities or not at all.

Since the mid-60s. industrial development of natural gas deposits is underway on the Tarkhankut Peninsula, in Northern Crimea and on Arabat Strelka. An extensive system of gas pipelines made it possible to gasify most settlements, convert thermal power plants to environmentally friendly fuel and enter the country’s unified gas pipeline system.

The top of the industrial pyramid of the Crimean Autonomous Republic are high-tech industries: electronics, automotive, defense, construction of supertankers.

The comprehensive development of the Crimean industry is based on an extensive network of communications. There are two railway lines in Crimea. Maritime transport carries out small coastal connections in the Azov-Black Sea basin and long-distance international flights. However, the main transport of the autonomous republic is automobile. It accounts for about 90% of domestic freight and passenger transportation. In the early 60s. The mountain trolleybus route Simferopol - Yalta came into operation, making it possible to connect the capital of the republic with the Southern Bank using convenient and inexpensive transport.

Environmental safety of the Crimean industry has long traditions. Back in 1931, the first in the USSR, the most powerful at that time in Europe power plant powered by wind, was built in Balaklava. The generator blades had a diameter of 30 meters. The unique power plant was destroyed during the war. In 1986, a solar power plant with a capacity of 5 MW was built in Crimea. The total area of ​​mirrors is 40 thousand m2. Several environmentally friendly projects have been implemented on the peninsula, using tidal energy to generate electricity, solar and geothermal energy to supply heat to residential buildings, resorts and hotels.

The intercity trolleybus service very clearly demonstrates the level of environmental requirements for the development of the Crimean industry.

We could talk for a very long time about Crimean science, about the great scientists who worked here, but instead of a huge list of discoveries, we will limit ourselves to a single brief remark: several sciences were created in Crimea, including virology, marine physics, helioseismology.

People of many nationalities inhabit Crimea, all of them are representatives of an endemic species called “Crimeans”. Crimeans are hardworking, smart, hospitable and prone to fun. Men are wise, strong, women are kind and incredibly beautiful. In a word, they are the same as the rest of the people on Earth, and only one thing distinguishes them from the rest of the planet’s inhabitants: they are more patient with the geographical boasting of visitors. Crimeans listen carefully to their guests, treat them to amazing Crimean wines, feed them dishes made from organic Crimean products, take them to caves, nature reserves, beaches, dolphinariums, tasting rooms, and arrange sea ​​excursions... Next is the entire content of the book.

The population of Crimea increases many times in summer and early autumn. When millions of guests go home, it turns out that there are about 2.5 million true Crimeans. According to 1998 data, 363.8 thousand people lived in the capital of Crimea, Simferopol, 167.4 thousand in Kerch, 371.4 thousand in Sevastopol, 113.5 thousand in Evpatoria. Considering the small number of the endemic species described above, we propose to include it in the Red Book and, if there is no way to stop all talk about the unsurpassed (?!) charm of other lands, then at least give the Crimeans a word in defense of their homeland.

Alas, this is not always possible, because in holiday season Crimeans are a minority on the peninsula. But they came up with a way out and told about themselves and their region in the coat of arms.

Coat of arms of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea

The columns are a symbol of the ancient Crimean civilization, a memory of Naples, Panticapaeum, Tmutarakan, Chersonese, Theodoro, and other cities and kingdoms that once existed on the territory of Crimea. The griffin is a symbol of the guardian and defender of Crimea. The blue pearl in his paw symbolizes the uniqueness of Crimea, the unity of all its peoples, religions and cultures. The Varangian shield is a symbol of the intersection of trade routes, and its red color is a symbol of courage and bravery of the peoples of Crimea. Rising Sun at the top is a symbol of rebirth, prosperity, warmth and light.

In general, everything that is reflected in the words of the wise writer is embodied: “Everyone is rewarded according to his faith...”

© Chapters from the book "All about Crimea. With love." Publishing house "World of Information", 2002 (text - G. Dubovis, responsible for the issue A. Ganzha, R. Tsyupko, editor T. Esadze)

Crimea today is the blessed land of the Crimean Peninsula, washed by the Black and Azov Seas. In the north there is a plain, in the south - the Crimean Mountains with a necklace near the coastal strip of seaside resort cities: Yalta, Miskhor, Alupka, Simeiz, Gurzuf, Alushta, Feodosia, Evpatoria and seaports - Kerch, Sevastopol.

Crimea is located within 44°23" (Cape Sarych) and 46°15" (Perekopsky Ditch) northern latitude, 32°30" (Cape Karamrun) and 36°40" (Cape Lantern) eastern longitude. The area of ​​the Crimean peninsula is 26.0 thousand km the maximum distance from north to south is 205 km, from west to east – 325 km.

A narrow eight-kilometer strip of land to the north (Perekop Isthmus) connects Crimea from the continents, and 4-5 km - the width of the Kerch Strait in the east (the length of the strait is about 41 km) - separates it from the Taman Peninsula. The total length of the borders of Crimea exceeds 2,500 km (taking into account the extreme tortuosity of the coastline of the northeast). In general, the coasts of Crimea are little indented; the Black Sea forms three large bays: Karkinitsky, Kalamitsky and Feodosiya; The Sea of ​​Azov also formed three bays: Kazantipsky, Arabatsky and Sivashsky.

The physical and geographical position of Crimea as a whole is distinguished by the following most characteristic features. Firstly, the location of the peninsula at 45° north latitude determines its equidistance from the equator and the North Pole, which is associated with a fairly large amount of incoming solar energy and a large number of hours of sunshine. Secondly, Crimea is almost an island. This is connected, on the one hand, a large number of endems (plant species that are not found anywhere except in a given area) and endemics (similar animal species); on the other hand, this explains the significant depletion of the Crimean fauna; In addition, the climate and other components of nature are significantly influenced by the marine environment. Thirdly, the position of the peninsula relative to the general circulation of the Earth’s atmosphere is especially important, leading to the predominance of westerly winds in Crimea. Crimea occupies a border position between the temperate and subtropical geographical zones.

The peculiarities of the transport and geographical position of Crimea in the past determined the nature of the population of the peninsula and the specifics of its economy. In the Middle Ages, Crimea was a kind of dead end on the path of many nomadic tribes. Many settled here and adopted the local languages, culture and religion.

The maritime environment of Crimea determined not only the peculiarities of external economic relations, but also the development of coastal recreation. Through the Danube and Dnieper rivers, Crimea has access to the ports of the countries of Central Europe, the Baltics and Scandinavia, and through the Don and a canal system European Russia- to the Baltic and White seas, Caspian states.

A favorable feature of the economic and geographical position of Crimea is its proximity to the economically developed Kherson and Zaporozhye regions of Ukraine and to Krasnodar region Russian Federation.

The nature of Crimea is called a natural museum. There are few places in the world where diverse, comfortable and picturesque landscapes are combined in such an original way. They are largely due to the unique geographical location, geological structure, relief, and climate of the peninsula. The Crimean Mountains divide the peninsula into two unequal parts. The large one - the northern one - is located in the extreme south of the temperate zone, the southern one - the Crimean sub-Mediterranean - belongs to the northern edge of the subtropical zone.

The flora of Crimea is especially rich and interesting. Wild higher plants alone account for more than 65% of the flora of the entire European part of the Commonwealth countries. Along with this, about 1000 species of foreign plants are cultivated here. Almost the entire flora of Crimea is concentrated in its southern mountainous part. This is truly a museum richness of flora.

The climate of most of Crimea is a temperate climate: mild steppe - in the flat part; more humid, characteristic of deciduous forests - in the mountains. The southern coast of Crimea is characterized by a sub-Mediterranean climate of dry forests and bushes.

Crimea, especially its mountainous part, thanks to its comfortable climate, saturation clean air, toned with phytoncides, sea salts, and the pleasant aroma of plants, it also has great healing powers. The depths of the earth also contain healing mud and mineral waters.

The Crimean peninsula is provided with a large amount of heat not only in summer, but also in winter. In December and January here by one earth's surface per day, 8-10 times more heat is received than, for example, in St. Petersburg. Largest quantity solar heat Crimea receives it in the summer, especially in July. Spring here is cooler than autumn. And autumn is the best season of the year. The weather is calm, sunny and moderately warm.

True, sharp fluctuations in pressure during the day aggravate cardiovascular diseases in people who are not completely healthy. In Crimea, which is well supplied with heat, the biological productivity of plants, including agricultural crops, and the resistance of landscapes to stress largely depend on the amount of moisture. And the need for water is constantly increasing both among the local population and the national economy, primarily in agriculture and resorts. So water in Crimea is the true engine of life and culture.

A relatively small amount of precipitation, a long dry summer, and the spread of karst rocks in the mountains have caused the Crimea to be poor in surface water.

Crimea is divided into two parts: a flat steppe with a very small number of surface watercourses and a mountain forest with a relatively dense river network. There are no large fresh lakes here. In the coastal strip of the Crimean plain there are about 50 lakes with a total area of ​​5.3 thousand km2.

In Crimea there are 1657 rivers and temporary watercourses with a total length of 5996 km. Of these, about 150 rivers are dwarf rivers up to 10 km in length. The Salgir River alone is more than 200 km long. The river network is developed extremely unevenly on the peninsula.

Depending on the direction of surface water flow, it is customary to divide the rivers of Crimea into three groups: rivers of the northwestern slopes of the Crimean Mountains, rivers South Bank Crimea, rivers of the northern slopes of the Crimean mountains.

All rivers on the northwestern slopes flow almost parallel to each other. Until about the middle of their course, they look like typical mountain streams. The largest of them are Alma, Kacha, Belbek and Chernaya.

The rivers of the southern coast of Crimea are short, have very steep channel slopes, and are violent during floods.

In the west, in addition to the usually dry ravines and the Khastabash stream, the largest is the Uchan-Su River. Rapidly running down to the sea, it forms waterfalls in four places. The uppermost and largest of them is Uchan-Su (Flying Water).

The rivers of the northern slopes of the Crimean Mountains are distinguished by the fact that outside the mountains they deviate to the east and flow into Sivash, a lagoon of the Azov Sea. In the upper reaches of the river there is always water, but within the plains in summer their beds are often dry.

Salgir is the most long river Crimea. Together with the Biyuk-Karasu tributary, it represents the largest water system in Crimea. The upper reaches of the Salgir are formed from the confluence of the Angara and Kizil-Koba rivers. Near the village of Zarechnoye, a large tributary, the Ayan, flows into the Salgir.

Salgir fills the large Simferopol reservoir, built in 1951-1955. Below Simferopol, the river receives right tributaries - the Beshterek, Zuya, Burulcha rivers, and 27 km from Sivash - Biyuk-Karasu. The Taiganskoye and Belogorskoye reservoirs were built on Biyuk-Karasu.

The population of Crimea is distributed unevenly across the territory. 50% of the republic's population lives on the coast. In 1991, 69% of the population lived in cities, and 31% of the population lived in rural areas. 43% of the Crimean population lives in four major cities: Sevastopol (371.4 thousand people in 1991), Simferopol (357 thousand people), Kerch (189.5 thousand people) and Evpatoria (113.3 thousand people).

Crimea is characterized by an increase in the number of cities and towns and relative stability of rural settlements. IN last years Such cities as Sudak, Krasnoperekopsk, Armyansk, Shchelkino appeared on the map of Crimea. The number of urban-type settlements is growing rapidly—more than doubling since 1959.

The bulk of the population of Crimea are workers (about 60 percent), office workers - 28, peasants - less than 11 percent.

Crimea has always been distinguished not only by a high proportion of the urban population, but also by a high level of literacy and education of its residents. For every thousand inhabitants in cities there were 900, and in villages 730 people with higher, secondary specialized and secondary education.

The training of highly qualified specialists is carried out by 6 state higher educational institutions (Simferopol State University, Crimean Medical Institute, Crimean Agricultural Institute, Sevastopol Instrument-Making Institute, Crimean Institute of Environmental and Resort Construction, Crimean State Industrial Pedagogical Institute), two branches of universities - Kyiv Economic University (in Simferopol) and the Kaliningrad Fishing University (in Kerch), as well as several commercial universities.

Military specialists are trained by the military institute in Sevastopol and the civil engineering school in Simferopol.

In recent years, colleges have been created on a commercial basis. 30 secondary specialized educational institutions are engaged in training specialists. Vocational schools train personnel in 120 specialties.

Academic institutes and cultural institutions operate in Crimea. In Simferopol there is the Crimean branch of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the production association "Efirmaslo", "KrymNIIproekt", in the village of Nauchny - the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory and others.

There are several professional theaters and a philharmonic society, an art gallery in Feodosia. A large number of newspapers are published. There are publishing houses “Tavrida”, “Tavriya”, “Krymuchpedgiz” and others. There are a large number of museums in Crimea, many of which are associated with the destinies of outstanding writers, artists, and scientists who lived on the peninsula.

The economic appearance of Crimea, its structure, and the nature of the location of production and population developed mainly in accordance with its natural and socio-economic conditions.

Until 1917, the republic's economy was predominantly agricultural. Gradually it developed into an industrial-agrarian one.

Crimea is distinguished by its diversified agricultural and recreational industries, the production of soda ash, titanium dioxide, sulfuric acid, technological equipment for the food industry, televisions, ocean-going ships, fish and fish products. In addition to mechanical engineering, the chemical industry, agriculture and recreation, sectors of specialization also include the food industry, producing grape wines, canned fruits and vegetables, and essential oils.

In the structure of industrial production, the leading place belongs to the food industry, followed by mechanical engineering and metalworking, the chemical industry, and the building materials industry.

Crimean agriculture is specialized in grain and livestock farming, viticulture, horticulture, vegetable growing, as well as in the cultivation of essential oil crops (lavender, roses, sage). The volumes of gross production of livestock and crop products are balanced.

Maritime transport is important for the republic. Export-import transportation of various cargoes is carried out through Crimean ports. The most important ports are Kerch, Feodosia, Yalta, Evpatoria. The largest port city is Sevastopol.

By air, Crimea is connected with all CIS countries and many foreign countries.

The recreational sector is one of the leading sectors of the republic. From Latin, recreation is translated as “restoration”, meaning the restoration of a person’s physical and psychophysiological conditions. The recreational sector includes: sanatoriums, boarding houses, houses and recreation centers, tourist hotels and tourist centers, campsites, children's camps. The recreational sector operates on beach, balneological and climatic resources, therapeutic mud, sea water, and landscape resources.

Crimea is located within 44o23′ (Cape Sarych) and 46o15′ (Perekopsky Ditch) northern latitude and 32o30′ (Cape Karamrun) and 36o40′ (Cape Lantern) eastern longitude. The area of ​​the Crimean Peninsula is 26.0 thousand km2, the maximum distance from north to south is 205 km, from west to east – 325 km.
A narrow eight-kilometer strip of land in the north (Perekop Isthmus) connects Crimea with the mainland, and 4-5 km - the width of the Kerch Strait in the east (the length of the strait is about 41 km) - separates it from the Taman Peninsula. Total length The borders of Crimea exceed 2500 km (taking into account the extreme tortuosity of the coastline of the northeast). In general, the coasts of Crimea are little indented; the Black Sea forms three large bays: Karkinitsky, Kalamitsky and Feodossiysky; The Sea of ​​Azov also forms three bays: Kazantipsky, Arabatsky and Sivashsky.

Physical-geographical position of Crimea generally distinguished by the following most characteristic features. Firstly, the location of the peninsula at 45° north latitude determines its equal distance from the equator and the North Pole, which is associated with a fairly large amount of incoming solar energy and a large number of hours of sunshine. Secondly, Crimea is almost an island. This is associated, on the one hand, with a large number of endemics (plant species found nowhere else except in this area) and endemics (similar animal species); on the other hand, this explains the significant deprivation of the Crimean fauna; In addition, the climate and other natural components are significantly influenced by the marine environment. Thirdly, the position of the peninsula relative to the general circulation of the Earth’s atmosphere is especially important, leading to the predominance of westerly winds in Crimea. Crimea occupies a border position between the temperate and subtropical geographical zones.

Features of the transport and geographical position of Crimea in the past determined the nature of the population of the peninsula and the specifics of its economy. In the Middle Ages, Crimea was a kind of dead end on the path of many nomadic tribes. Many settled here and adopted local languages, culture, and religion.
The maritime environment of Crimea determined not only the peculiarities of external economic relations, but also the development of coastal recreation. Through the Danube and Dnieper rivers, Crimea has access to the ports of Central Europe, the Baltic and Scandinavia, and through the Don and the canal system of European Russia - to the Baltic and White Seas, the Caspian states.

A favorable feature of the economic and geographical position of Crimea is its proximity to the economically developed Kherson and Zaporozhye regions of Ukraine and the Krasnodar region of the Russian Federation.

State and territorial structure
The capital of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea is the city of Simferopol. The territorial-administrative structure of Crimea includes villages, urban-type settlements, and cities. Sevastopol has a special status as a “separate administrative unit”, but is an integral part of Crimea.

Languages ​​used in Crimea– Russian, Ukrainian, Crimean Tatar.

The central figure of the Crimean coat of arms is a white (silver) griffin holding a shell with a blue (azure) pearl in its raised paw. The griffin (a winged lion with an eagle head) is a mythological creature - a symbol of the ancient cities of Chersonesus, Panticapaeum and others, and in later times - the cities of Sevastopol and Kerch.
Since ancient times, the griffin has been credited with protective properties. On the coat of arms of Crimea he is depicted as a symbol of the guardian and defender of the republic. The Blue Pearl symbolizes Crimea as unique corner planet, the unity of all its peoples, religions and cultures.
The griffin is placed on the Varangian shield (small coat of arms) - a symbol of the intersection of important trade routes, and its red color is a symbol of courage, bravery and courage of the peoples of Crimea of ​​all centuries.
The shield is held by marble antique columns. The top of the coat of arms is the rising golden sun - a symbol of revival and prosperity, warmth and light.
Under the shield, wrapped in rings around the columns, there is a blue-white-red (the colors of the Crimean flag) motto ribbon with the inscription: “Prosperity in unity.”

Nature of Crimea
The nature of Crimea is called a natural museum. There are few places in the world where a variety of comfortable and picturesque landscapes are so originally combined. They are largely due to the unique geographical location, geological structure, relief, and climate of the peninsula. The Crimean Mountains divide the peninsula into two unequal parts. The large one - the northern one - is located on the extreme temperate zone, the southern one - the Crimean sub-Mediterranean - belongs to the northern edge of the subtropical zone.
Particularly rich and interesting vegetable world Crimea. Wild higher plants alone account for more than 65% of the flora of the entire European part of the Commonwealth countries. Along with this, about 1000 species of foreign plants are cultivated here. Almost the entire flora of Crimea is concentrated in its southern mountainous part. This is truly a museum richness of flora.

Climate of most of Crimea– this is a temperate zone climate: mild steppe – in the flat part; more humid, characteristic of deciduous forests - in the mountains. The southern coast of Crimea is characterized by a sub-Mediterranean climate of dry forests and bushes.
The Crimean peninsula is provided with a large amount of heat not only in summer, but also in winter. In December and January, 8-10 times more heat per unit of earth's surface per day is received here than, for example, in St. Petersburg.
Crimea receives the greatest amount of solar heat in the summer, especially in July. Spring here is cooler than autumn. And autumn - best season of the year. The weather is calm, sunny and moderately warm. True, sharp fluctuations in pressure during the day sharply aggravate cardiovascular diseases in people who are not entirely healthy.
In Crimea, which is well supplied with heat, the biological productivity of plants, including agricultural crops, and the resistance of landscapes to stress largely depend on the amount of moisture. And the need for water is constantly increasing both among the local population and the national economy, primarily in agriculture and resorts. So water in Crimea is the true engine of life and culture.
A relatively small amount of precipitation, a long dry summer, and the spread of karst rocks in the mountains have caused the Crimea to be poor in surface water. Crimea is divided into two parts: a flat steppe with a very small number of surface watercourses and a mountain forest with a relatively dense river network. There are no large fresh lakes here. In the coastal strip of the Crimean plain there are about 50 estuary lakes with a total area of ​​5.3 thousand sq. km.

In Crimea there are 1657 rivers and temporary watercourses with a total length of 5996 km. Of these, about 150 rivers are dwarf rivers up to 10 km in length. The Salgir River alone is more than 200 km long. The river network is developed extremely unevenly on the peninsula.
Depending on the direction of surface water flow, it is customary to divide the rivers of Crimea into three groups: rivers on the northwestern slopes of the Crimean Mountains, rivers on the southern coast of Crimea, and rivers on the northern slopes of the Crimean Mountains.
All rivers on the northwestern slopes flow almost parallel to each other. Until about the middle of their course, they look like typical mountain streams. The largest of them are Alma, Kacha, Belbek and Chernaya.
The rivers of the southern coast of Crimea are short, have very steep channel slopes, and are violent during floods.
In the west, in addition to the usually dry ravines and the Khastabash stream, the largest is the Uchan-Su River. Rapidly running down to the sea, it forms waterfalls in four places. The uppermost and largest of them (Flying Water).
The rivers of the northern slopes of the Crimean Mountains are distinguished by the fact that outside the mountains they deviate to the east and flow into Sivash, a lagoon of the Azov Sea. In the upper reaches of the river there is always water, but within the plains in summer their beds are often dry.
Salgir is the longest river in Crimea. Together with the Biyuk-Karasu tributary, it represents the largest water system in Crimea. The upper reaches of the Salgir are formed from the confluence of the Angara and Kizil-Koba rivers. Near the village of Zarechnoye, a large tributary, the Ayan, flows into the Salgir. Salgir fills the large Simferopol reservoir, built in 1951-1955. Below Simferopol, the river receives right tributaries - the rivers Beshterek, Zuya, Burulcha, and 27 km from Sivash - Biyuk-Karasu. The Taiganskoye and Belogorskoye reservoirs were built on Biyuk-Karasu.

Population of Crimea
The population of Crimea is distributed unevenly across the territory. 50% of the republic's population lives on the coast. In 1991, 69% lived in cities, 31% of the population lived in rural areas. 43% of the Crimean population lives in four large cities: Sevastopol (371.4 thousand people in 1991), Simferopol (357 thousand people), Kerch (189.5 thousand people) and Evpatoria (113.3 thousand people).
Crimea is characterized by an increase in the number of cities and towns and relative stability of rural settlements. In recent years, cities such as, Krasnoperekopsk, Armyansk, have appeared on the map of Crimea. The number of urban-type settlements is growing rapidly – ​​more than doubling since 1959.
The bulk of the population of Crimea are workers (about 60 percent), office workers - 28, peasants - less than 11 percent.

Education
Crimea has always been distinguished not only by a high proportion of the urban population, but also by a high level of literacy and education of its residents. For every thousand inhabitants in cities there were 900, and in villages 730 people with higher, secondary specialized and secondary education.
The training of highly qualified specialists is carried out by 6 state higher educational institutions (Simferopol State University, Crimean Medical Institute, Crimean Agricultural Institute, Sevastopol Instrument-Making Institute, Crimean Institute of Environmental and Resort Construction, Crimean State Industrial Pedagogical Institute), two branches of universities - Kyiv Economic University (in Simferopol) and the Kaliningrad Fishing University (in Kerch), as well as several commercial universities.
Military specialists are trained by the military institute in Sevastopol and the civil engineering school in Simferopol.
In recent years, colleges have been created on a commercial basis. 30 secondary specialized educational institutions are engaged in training specialists. Vocational schools train personnel in 120 specialties.
Academic institutes and cultural institutions operate in Crimea. There are several professional theaters and a philharmonic society, an art gallery in Feodosia. A large number of newspapers are published. There are a large number of museums in Crimea, many of which are associated with the destinies of outstanding writers, artists, and scientists who lived on the peninsula.

Economic appearance of Crimea
The economic appearance of Crimea, its structure, and the nature of the location of production and population developed mainly in accordance with its natural and socio-economic conditions.
Until 1917, the republic's economy was predominantly agricultural. Gradually it developed into an industrial-agrarian one.
Crimea is distinguished by its diversified agricultural and recreational industries, the production of soda ash, titanium dioxide, sulfuric acid, technological equipment for the food industry, televisions, ocean-going ships, fish and fish products. In addition to mechanical engineering, the chemical industry, agriculture and recreation, sectors of specialization also include the food industry, producing grape wines, canned fruits and vegetables, and essential oils.
In the structure of industrial production, the leading place belongs to the food industry, followed by mechanical engineering and metalworking, the chemical industry, and the building materials industry.
Crimean agriculture is specialized in grain and livestock farming, viticulture, horticulture, vegetable growing, as well as in the cultivation of essential oil crops (lavender, roses, sage). The volumes of gross production of livestock and crop production are balanced.
Maritime transport is important for the republic. Export-import transportation of various cargoes is carried out through Crimean ports. The most important ports are Kerch, Feodosia, Yalta, Evpatoria. The largest port city is Sevastopol.

Recreational economy is one of the leading industries of the republic. From Latin, recreation is translated as “restoration,” meaning the restoration of a person’s physical and psychophysiological conditions. The recreational facilities include; sanatoriums, boarding houses, houses and recreation centers, tourist hotels and camp sites, campsites, children's camps. The recreational sector operates on beach, balneological and climatic resources, therapeutic mud, sea water, and landscape resources.

Sectors of social infrastructure of Crimea- public utilities, consumer services, public education, public catering, trade, healthcare, social security, culture, physical education, lending and insurance, science and scientific services - are distinguished by a high level of development.