 |
|
|
|
// Republics
// Adygea, Republic of >>
// Altai (Gorno-Altai), Republic of >>
// Bashkortostan, Republic of >>
// Buryatia, Republic of >>
// Chechnya, Republic of >>
// Chuvashia, Republic of >>
// Dagestan, Republic of >>
// Ingushetia, Republic of >>
// Kabardino-Balkaria, Republic of >>
// Kalmykia, Republic of >>
// Karachayevo-Cherkessia, Republic of >>
// Karelia, Republic of >>
// Khakassia, Republic of >>
// Komi, Republic of >>
// Mari El, Republic of >>
// Mordovia, Republic of >>
// North Ossetia, Republic of >>
// Sakha (Yakutia), Republic of >>
// Tatarstan, Republic of >>
// Tuva, Republic of >>
// Udmurtia, Republic of >>
// Territories (Krai)
// Altai Territory >>
// Khabarovsk Territory >>
// Krasnodar Territory >>
// Krasnoyarsk Territory >>
// Primorye (Maritime) Territory >>
// Stavropol Territory >>
// Regions
// Amur Region >>
// Arkhangelsk Region >>
// Astrakhan Region >>
// Belgorod Region >>
// Bryansk Region >>
// Chelyabinsk Region >>
// Chita Region >>
// Irkutsk Region >>
// Ivanovo Region >>
// Kaliningrad Region >>
// Kaluga Region >>
// Kamchatka Region
// Kemerovo Region >>
// Kirov Region >>
// Kostroma Region >>
// Kurgan Region >>
// Kursk Region >>
// Leningrad Region >>
// Lipetsk Region >>
// Magadan Region >>
// Moscow Region >>
// Murmansk Region >>
// Nizhny Novgorod Region >>
// Novgorod Region >>
// Novosibirsk Region >>
// Omsk Region >>
// Orel Region >>
// Orenburg Region >>
// Penza Region >>
// Perm Region >>
// Pskov Region >>
// Rostov Region >>
// Ryazan Region >>
// Sakhalin Region >>
// Samara Region >>
// Saratov Region >>
// Smolensk Region >>
// Sverdlovsk Region >>
// Tambov Region >>
// Tomsk Region >>
// Tula Region >>
// Tver Region >>
// Tyumen Region >>
// Ulyanovsk Region >>
// Vladimir Region >>
// Volgograd Region >>
// Vologda Region >>
// Voronezh Region >>
// Yaroslavl Region >>
// Federal Cities
// Moscow >>
// St. Petersburg >>
// Autonomous Areas (Okrugs)
// Agin-Buryatia Autonomous Area >>
// Chukotka Autonomous Area >>
// Evenk Autonomous Area >>
// Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area >>
// Komi-Permyak Autonomous Area >>
// Koryak Autonomous Area >>
// Nenets Autonomous Area >>
// Taimyr (Dolgan-Nenets) Autonomous Area >>
// Ust-Ordynsky Buryat Autonomous Area >>
// Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area >>
// Autonomous Regions
// Jewish Autonomous Region >>
|
|
|
|
Kamchatka Region
// GENERAL INFORMATION
Kamchatka Region and the Koryak Autonomous District are located in northeastern Russia and include the entire Kamchatka Peninsula, the adjoining mainland, and the Commander (Komandorsky) Islands. It borders on the Sea of Okhotsk, the Bering Sea, and the Pacific Ocean.
 |
|
| Emblem project |
The region was formed on October 20, 1932. It has an area of 472 300 km2 (2.77% of the Russian Federation) with the Koryak Autonomous District and 170 800 km2 without the autonomous district. Number of political divisions: 7 districts, 2 cities under regional jurisdiction, 1 city under district jurisdiction, 2 city districts, 8 towns, and 26 rural administrations.
Kamchatka extends 1600 km from north to south. The maximum widths are 470 km for the peninsular part and 640 km for the mainland part.
 |
|
| Flag project |
The western part of the region is located in the West Kamchatka Lowlands, and the central part, in the Middle (elevations up to 3621 m) and Eastern (elevations up to 2485 m) ranges. There are more than 160 volcanoes in the region, 28 of which are active (Klyuchevskaya Volcano with an elevation of 4750 m is the highest point in Kamchatka), a large number of mineral and hot springs (geysers), mud volcanoes, and boiling lakes. The west coast of Kamchatka is regular, whereas the east coast has a more intricate contour. The rocky Kronotsky, Kamchatka, and Ozernoi peninsulas and Shipunsky Cape jut far out into the Pacific Ocean; and Ilpyr and Ilinsky capes, into the Bering Sea in the north. In between them are large bays: Avachinsky, Kronotsky, Kamchatka, Ozernoi, and Korfa.
Karaginsky Island, separated from Kamchatka by the shallow (56 m) Litke Strait, and the Komandorsky archipelago are located just off the east coast.
The main rivers of Kamchatka are the Penzhina, Avacha, and Bolshaya. The region also has many lakes, some of which have formed in volcanic craters (Khangar) and calderas (Kronotskoe and Kurilskoe).
Kamchatka has a mainly temperate monsoon climate with variations from temperate continental in the center to subarctic in the north. Average January temperatures are -13 °C on the Kamchatka Peninsula and -25 °C on the mainland; the average July temperature is +12 °C. Annual precipitation is up to 1000 mm. Permafrost is encountered in the northern part of the region, as well as more than 400 glaciers.
Owing to its geographic location and the surrounding seas, Kamchatka is becoming an important part of the intercontinental transportation system between Europe and America, Europe and Southeast Asia, Southeast Asia and America, and vice versa.
The city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is the region's administrative center. It was founded in 1740 and is located 7985 km from Moscow. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is divided into Leninsky and Oktyabrsky districts.
The main industries are forestry and woodworking, shipbuilding and ship repair, and building material production. Coal is also produced in the region, and the Pauzhetskaya Geothermal Power Plant (Pauzhetskaya GES) is in operation.
HISTORY
The first information on the Kamchatka Peninsula dates from the mid-15th century.
Mikhail Stadukhin reached the Penzhina River in 1650; and in 1658-1661, serviceman Ivan Kamchaty walked from the Penzhina River to the peninsula. He traversed the peninsula from the Lesnaya River on the west coast to the Karaga River on the east coast and then came to a large river that the ltelmen called the Uikoal (it was later named the Kamchatka). Cossack Ivan Rubets arrived from Anadyr in 1662-1663.
Thanks to these explorers, scientists and cartographers learned of Kamchatka. The peninsula is quite clearly shown on a map made in 1697 by the famous Tobolsk cartographer Semen Remezov.
In the late 17th century, Vladimir Atlasov played a decisive role in the exploration of the central part of the peninsula.
The city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky has its origins in Vitus Bering's second Kamchatka expedition to investigate Avachinskaya Inlet and select a suitable winter berth for the expedition's ships. Expedition member assistant navigator Ivan Fomich Elagin chose a small convenient bay on the east side of the inlet. Shoreline topography that turned the harbor into a natural fortress and nearness to the mouth of the Avacha River, where there was already a known Russian route to Bolsheretsk, the administrative center of Kamchatka, were the key factors in determining the site of the future port.
By the late 18th century, as a result of the Pacific Ocean expeditions of James Cook and Jean-Francois de la Perouse, the Russian government was well aware of the strategic and political importance of the port at Petropavlovsk and attempted to turn the small port settlement into a fortress. It was during this period that the city's boundaries were laid out, which determined its development right up to the 1920s. Major changes in the life of the city occurred in the early 19th century as a result of the expansion of the Russian-American Company and the organization of Russian circumnavigation expeditions, which left their mark in Petropavlovsk's history. A famous Russian "round-the-worlder" gave Russia and the world great geographic discoveries and great names. Even in the early 19th century Avachinskaya Inlet had a reputation as one of the world's finest harbors.
RESOURCES
Kamchatka Region is unique in its geographic location, climatic conditions, and diverse natural landscapes.
The region has extensive mineral reserves, including gas, coal, native sulfur, hot springs, gold, and silver. Gold is the most important mineral: there are more than 400 known gold ore shows and mineralization points, most of which have still not been evaluated. There are prospects for setting up large gold- producing companies that will play a key role in Russian gold production. So far, only about 11 tons of gold out of estimated total reserves of more than 200 tons have been produced in all the years of operation. At present, individual companies are developing the mineral resources on the basis of tenders for licenses to use the subsurface resources of Kamchatka.
Kamchatka Region also has large reserves of various building materials, with 64 deposits of scoria [volcanic ash or slag] and pumice on the register. A comprehensive economic evaluation of mineral resources without consideration of water and fuel/energy resources, sulfur, or locally important raw materials has assessed the peninsula's potential at $20 billion at world prices.
Kamchatka's forests are located mainly in the valleys and basins of spawning rivers and streams and play an important role in conservation.
Forests cover 42% of Kamchatka Region. The main tree species are larch (Kamchatka and Cayander's), Ayan fir, birch (white and stone), aspen, sweet poplar, chosenia [a member of the willow family], Sakhalin willow, elfin cedar, and alder.
The forest cover has remained relatively stable throughout the region, and generally fulfills its function in the ecosystem; however, it cannot be allowed to decrease.
Forests are a multipurpose resource and are also a source of non-forest resources, e.g., nuts, fruits, berries, and other food and medicinal plants. Twenty-one shrub species, such as the blueberry, lingonberry, honeysuckle, rose, mountain ash, cloudberry, cranberry, and currant, are economically important. About 70% of the harvested berries consist of lingonberries, honeysuckle, and blueberries.
Protected areas in Kamchatka Region include natural monuments, nature reserves, and parks. Natural monuments are unique individual natural sites and complexes that are considered valuable in the ecological, scientific, or historical and cultural sense and are in need of special state protection. The primary objective is to preserve these monuments in their natural state.
Five protected natural areas in Kamchatka have been recognized by UNESCO and added to the World Natural Heritage list.
At present, there are 37 animal species in Kamchatka, including 30 native species, 4 introduced species, and 3 species associated with humans (house mouse and gray and black rats). Mountainous, forested Kamchatka is separated from adjoining forests in the north by the vast expanse of the Parapolsky Valley, a low-lying tundra area with numerous lakes situated on an isthmus. The Parapolsky Valley evidently acts as a natural barrier to animals that need forests to survive. Therefore, the Kamchatka Peninsula has an island type of fauna with its own distinctive features. For example, Kamchatka has no flying squirrels or musk deer, which are common at the same latitudes on the mainland. Existence in almost island-like isolation and specific environmental conditions has led to the appearance of subspecies of some animals, including the world's largest brown bear subspecies and sables with exceptionally beautiful and luxurious fur.
NATURE RESERVES
Komandorsky Biosphere Reserve is located within the Aleut National District and includes the Bering islands of Medny, Ary Kamen, and Topokov and a 30-mile water area surrounding them. The reserve has a total area of 3.65 million hectares.
Kronotsky National Biosphere Reserve was established in 1934 and was granted the status of a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 1979. It is located within Elizovsky and Milkovsky districts. The reserve has a total area of 1.142 million hectares and includes a 3-mile, 135 000-hectare water area in the Pacific Ocean.
Koryaksky Nature Reserve has an area of 327 156 hectares and a water area of 83 000 hectares.
To date, the government has declared 161 sites within Kamchatka Region as natural monuments.
ECONOMY
Kamchatka Region is part of the Far Eastern economic district, which stretches an enormous distance from north to south with a border on the Arctic and Pacific oceans. It has the longest coastline of any economic district.
In the economic sense, Kamchatka is an island rather than a peninsula, because the main import and export connections are by sea and air only.
The region specializes in shipbuilding, ship repair, and the fishing industry. Large quantities of crabs are caught off the west coast of Kamchatka, and there is a well-developed whaling industry. Companies in this sector are concentrated in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Agriculture specializes in growing vegetables and potatoes and raising cattle. Vegetables are also grown in hothouses, where hot underground water is used for heating. Large areas are sown in forage crops and perennials, which are a stable source of fodder for livestock. The vast expanses of pasture in the north are used to raise reindeer.
Marine transport is of key importance in developing export-import ties with other countries. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Harbor is Kamchatka's main port. Petropavlovsky Port is a convenient natural harbor on the North Pacific Ocean. Since its founding, it has played an important role in Arctic and inland shipping, and it will assume an international role in future. Other ports in the region include Ust-Kamchatsk and numerous fishing ports along the coast.
Elizovo Airport and 22 other local airports are used as civilian airports in Kamchatka. Four of them are government-owned, and the rest belong to seven private companies. There are direct scheduled commercial and tourist flights from Kamchatka airports to America, Korea, and other southeastern countries. There are no railways in Kamchatka; therefore, there are relatively large numbers of cars. Sea, air, and motor vehicle transport do not compete with one another, since they carry different kinds of freight.
Kamchatka Region has well developed economic ties with many Russian regions and foreign countries.
The leading economic sectors in the Koryak Autonomous Region are the fishing industry and fur trading (sable, ermine, and fox). Reindeer herding is the main agricultural sector. The district center is Palana.
AUTHORITIES
The Administration of Kamchatka Region is the highest executive body, and the Legislative Assembly of Kamchatka Region is the highest legislative body.
CULTURE AND ART
It is impossible not to fall in love with Kamchatka's volcanoes, geysers, and rivers teeming with fish. All this beauty inspires creativity in people. Cultural, folk-dancing, and musical traditions are carefully preserved in Kamchatka, and many villages have their own distinct national ensembles. One of these is the internationally known professional Koryak ensemble Mengo, which performs both in the region and abroad. Mengo is a folk-dancing school, where the spiritual culture of the Koryaks, Chukchis, and Itelmen is expressed. It is also a national theater that uses native melodies, traditional festivals, national costumes, tambourines, etc. in its compositions.
In spite of financial difficulties, Kamchatka is continuing to develop a system of cultural establishments. Kamchatka Region has 1 theater, 48 clubs, and 7 museums. There are also 45 cultural monuments, including 18 of federal significance. A network of 86 libraries maintains the region's intellectual heritage. The younger generation has not been forgotten either: the region has a system of 29 children's music and art schools and other schools of the arts.
|
|
|
