Territorial location of the Crimea. What is Crimea. II. Environmental problems of Crimea

The Crimean peninsula is located in the south of Russia. Latitude of southern France or northern Italy. From the east, the shores of Crimea are washed by the waters of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, and from the west and south - by the Black Sea. The Crimean peninsula is connected to the mainland only by a narrow isthmus, a maximum of eight kilometers wide. The name of the isthmus at first glance seems unexpected - Perekopsky (what did they want to dig, but did not have time?!).

Crimea also includes two peninsulas:

Kerch, it is located in the east between the Black and Azov Seas,
Tarkhankutsky, occupies the western part of the Crimea.

The southern coast of the Crimean peninsula is not without reason considered the most favorable: the sea is located in the southeast, mountains protect from the winds in the northwest. This creates a velvety climate of dry subtropics.

The Crimean peninsula has borders with Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey and Georgia. The capital and the largest transport hub on the peninsula is the city of Simferopol. The population of Simferopol is about 400 thousand inhabitants.

Geographic characteristics

Territory - 26860 km². Length: from east to west - 360 km, from south to north - 180 km.
The southernmost part is Cape Sarych; the westernmost cape is Priboyny; the cape with the speaking name Lantern is in the east.

There are many seaports, the largest are Evpatoria, Feodosia, Yalta, Kerch.

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The length of the coastline of the Crimean peninsula is more than 2,500 km. Of these, almost 50% falls on the Sivash Bay, 750 km - the Black Sea coast and about 500 km - the coast of the Sea of Azov. The shores of the peninsula are indented by numerous bays, gulfs and coves.

The territory of Crimea is 72% plains, 20% mountains and 8% lakes and rivers.

Relief

The Crimean peninsula and in the distant years, judging by the results of the study, had favorable natural conditions. People have lived here for a very long time. Here are found monuments of the Middle Paleolithic (about 150 thousand years ago), Mesolithic, Neolithic, Eneolithic and Bronze Age.

Many Crimean local history museums store unique archaeological finds found in grottoes, caves, under rock canopies, where primitive people found a natural shelter.

Here are some natural and historical monuments of Crimea:

burial of Neanderthals in the Kiik-Koba cave, located near the village. Zuya in the Belogorsky district,
Wolf Grotto and Chokurcho near Simferopol,
Starosele near Bakhchisarai,
Ak-Kaya near Belogorsk.

In Europe, older finds are not known.

The relief of the Crimean peninsula consists of three unequal parts:

North Crimean Plain with the Tarkhankut Upland (about 70% of the territory),
Kerch Peninsula
and in the south - the mountainous Crimea extends in three ridges.

The highest mountain in the Crimean mountains is Roman-Kosh (1545 m).

Crimean mountains

Once upon a time, 200 million years ago, the waves of the primary Tethys ocean crashed in this place. The Crimean and Caucasian mountains rose from it 7-8 million years ago. These mountains divided the waters of the ocean, forming the Black and Caspian Seas.

They have three main ridges, which are separated by valleys. These ridges begin in the southwest of Crimea. Here are their names:

Main (aka South) - starts at and follows along the coast to Feodosia. It has a length of almost 180 km. It ends at Cape St. Elijah;
The inner ridge (Middle), stretches from the Mekenziev mountains towards the Old Crimea;
External - starts from the Kara-Tau hill, which is on the watershed of the Belbek and Kacha rivers, and follows to Simferopol.

The width of the mountain strip reaches 50 km.

The Crimean mountains are very picturesque and not like the others. They are like huge frozen waves. The main ridge to the north has gentle slopes, and to the south it breaks off with high steep walls. It has its own peculiarity - it does not have the usual peaks, but wavy upland plateaus. In Crimea, they are called yayly (translated as summer pasture).

In Alushta, the Main Ridge is divided into separate massifs bearing the names Babugan, Chatyr-Dag and Demerdzhi. The sloping Dolgorukovskaya yayla goes to the north, and the largest Karabi-yayla in terms of area goes to the east. It connects with Demerdzhinskaya only by a "bridge" in the form of the Table Mountain.

After that, the Main Range finally disintegrates, leaving only individual mountain ranges, peaks and volcanic massifs, of which the most interesting and unusual is Karadag.

In many places on the East Bank, the ancient "Taurian platform" protrudes directly from the ground, forming an unusually shaped elevation with landslides, cracks, and ravines. Further, to the east of Feodosia, roads and paths lead to sparsely populated land, the relief of which is called the Kerch hilltop.

To the north and north-west of the Feodosia Bay, almost the entire small Crimea was occupied by the huge, in comparison with the coastal resort strip, the Crimean steppe. So "Cimmeria" (sometimes called "Kimtavria") is a land of contrasts - mountains, coast, flat hills, steppe.

Steppe

The steppe occupies the largest part of the Crimean territory. It is the southern outskirts of the East European, or Russian, plain and slightly lowers to the north. The Kerch Peninsula is divided by the Parpach Ridge into two parts: the southwestern - flat and the northeastern - hilly, which is characterized by the alternation of ring-shaped limestone ridges, gentle depressions, mud hills and coastal lake basins.

In the flat part of the peninsula, varieties of southern and carbonate chernozems predominate, dark chestnut and meadow chestnut soils of dry forests and shrubs, as well as brown mountain-forest and mountain-meadow chernozem-like soils (on yayles) are less common.

The Crimean peninsula has vast agricultural lands. More than 52% of the territory is occupied by arable land, there are not so many orchards and vineyards - about 5%. It’s not even clear where Crimean wines appeared in our stores now! Part of the land is used for pastures. There are also forests.

Rivers and lakes

On the Crimean peninsula more 1600 rivers and temporary drains. Their total length is about 6000 kilometers. However, usually these are small streams, which dry up almost all in summer. There are only 257 rivers longer than 5 km.

The most significant of the rivers according to their geographical position are divided into several groups:

rivers of the northern and northeastern slopes of the Crimean Mountains (Salgir, the longest river of the peninsula, - 232 km; Wet Indol - 27 km; Churuksu - 33 km, etc.);
rivers of the northwestern slope (Chernaya - 41 km, Belbek - 63 km, Kacha - 69 km, Alma - 84 km, Western Bulganak - 52 km, etc.);
the rivers of the southern coast of Crimea (Uchan-Su - 8.4 km, Derekoika - 12 km, Ulu-Uzen - 15 km, Demerdzhi - 14 km, Ulu-Uzen East - 16 km, etc.);
river-beams of the flat Crimea and the Kerch Peninsula.

The rivers of the northwestern slopes of the Crimean Mountains flow almost parallel to each other, until the middle of the course they are typically mountainous. The rivers of the northern slopes on the plain deviate to the east and flow into the Sivash. The short rivers of the Southern Coast flowing into the Black Sea are typically mountainous throughout their entire length. The mountain river Wuchang-Su runs down to the sea, forming waterfalls in four places.

There are also many lakes and estuaries on the territory of the peninsula - more than three hundred. Some of them are muddy. The lakes located along the coast are mostly salty. On the Tarkhankut peninsula there is a rather large freshwater Ak-Mechet lake. Mountain lakes are mainly artificial reservoirs. There are more than 50 salt lakes in Crimea, the largest of them is Lake Sasyk (Kunduk) - 205 sq. km.

Weather in Crimea

The natural conditions of the Crimean peninsula are very extraordinary. This amazing land is endowed with fertile lands, and a magnificent sea coast, and majestic, unique in their beauty, mountain ranges. The Crimean peninsula has a mild climate throughout the peninsula.

However, there are differences in the south and north. On the southern coast, the Crimean peninsula is close to Mediterranean and subtropical, and in the northern part of the peninsula it is continental.

Summers are sunny and quite hot, with rare but heavy rains. It usually starts in mid-May and lasts until the end of September. The air in these places is not very humid. Autumn in the Crimea is rainy, but warm, almost windless, smoothly turning into a snowy winter with rare, not severe frosts.

The geographical position 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 smaller than Kamchatka and Asia Minor. Crimea is located 44 and 46 degrees N. sh., i.e. this is the southern territory, it corresponds to the south of France, Ciscaucasia or the Great American Lakes in North America.

Crimea is an integral part of the vast continent of Eurasia, while it is located almost at an equal distance from both the North Pole and the equator, since a latitude of 45 degrees crosses the peninsula near the city of Dzhankoy. Approximately here the border of two climatic zones passes: the temperate zone and the subtropics, therefore, in the Crimea, on this small peninsula, one can observe atmospheric and natural processes and phenomena characteristic of both belts.

The Crimean peninsula occupies a relatively small territory - in area it is 20 times smaller than the Iberian and Balkan Peninsulas, 15 times smaller than Kamchatka and Asia Minor. But Crimea has become famous, significant and attractive largely due to the peculiarities of its nature, and above all, its peculiar geographical position.

The Perekop Isthmus is the northernmost point of the Crimean Peninsula. It is removed from Cape Sarych (the southernmost point) at 207 km. From the extreme western point - Cape Kara-Mrun, located on the Tarkhankut Peninsula, to Cape Lantern on the Kerch Peninsula - east - 324 km. And three capes, like the three legendary biblical whales lying in the Black and Azov Seas, seem to "support" the peninsula afloat.

In shape, Crimea resembles a slightly distorted rhombus, but if you turn on your imagination, you can see in the outlines of the peninsula - a bird that dives into the waters of the Black Sea. But the beauty of the peninsula, combined with its outlines, gave the well-known Chilean poet Pablo Neruda the idea to call Crimea "the most magnificent medal on the chest of the Earth."

Close to the truth and the figurative expression "the island of Crimea." The thing is that only the Perekop Isthmus connects it with land, the width of which narrows in places to only 7 km. And all transport routes in the area of the Chongar Strait are laid across the Sivash Bay by an embankment dam and a bridge.

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

The almost "island" geographical position of the Crimea, surrounded by two - the Black and Azov Seas, enhances 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 the 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, which form 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 the 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 uplands, and in the south they are replaced by mountain ranges that abruptly break off to the Black Sea. Due to the sublatitudinal location of the Crimean Mountains, even in a relatively small area of the peninsula, there is a sharp contrast between the temperate steppe climate of the plains and the almost sub-Mediterranean climate on the southern coast of Crimea.

The geographical position of the Crimea.
The Crimean peninsula is located in the extreme south of the European part of Russia and stretches from north to south for 195 km, from west to east - for 325 km. The area of Crimea is 26 thousand square meters. km, population 1 million 600 thousand people.
The sea surrounds the peninsula from all sides, and only in the north is the narrow (up to 8 km) Perekop Isthmus connecting it with the mainland. From the west and south, Crimea is washed by the Black Sea, from the east by the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait.
The Crimean region was formed in June 1945. In February 1954, it became part of Ukraine. In 2014 it became part of the Russian Federation. The administrative center of the region is the city of Simferopol. The administrative map of Russia shows the borders of the Crimean region, settlements, communication routes.

Geological past of the Crimea.
The geological map and the geological profile introduce the geological past of the Crimea and its constituent rocks. In the geological periods of the sea, remote from us millions of years, replacing each other, now covered, then exposed the territory of the present Crimea. The distribution of rocks in the Crimea is mainly connected with their existence.
In the local history museum of the Crimea, you can see sandstones, shales, limestones and other rocks. There is also a collection of fossils and prints of the inhabitants of the ancient seas: mollusks and fish, cetacean animal citoterium prescum, sea turtle, etc.
During millions of years of the Tertiary period in Central and Southern Europe it was warm and humid, and mastodons, hipparions, and antelopes lived here. The glaciation that occurred in the Quaternary period changed the landscape, flora and fauna.
The glacier did not reach the Crimea, but the climate here was very severe. At that time, mammoth, woolly rhinoceros, giant and reindeer, cave bear, cave hyena were found in the Crimea.

Minerals in the Crimea.
About 200 deposits of various minerals, which are widely used in the national economy, have been discovered and studied in the Crimea. Kerch iron ores are of the most important industrial importance. Ores occur close to the surface and are mined in an open way, in quarries. Crimea is rich in chemical raw materials - salts of chlorine, sodium, potassium, bromine, magnesium, which are found in huge quantities in Sivash brine and numerous salt lakes. Gypsum, table salt, magnesium chloride, etc. are obtained from brine. The use of these salts opens up great prospects for the development of the chemical industry.
A variety of building materials are mined on the territory of Crimea. Some of them are very important and almost never found elsewhere in Russia. Diorite and andesite are used in road construction, for lining monuments and large buildings, and ground trass is added to cement to improve its properties. Marble-like limestones are used in the construction industry, are used in metallurgical plants as a flux.
Some Crimean minerals - rock crystal, chalcedony, carnelian, jasper are used as ornamental stones and are valued for their rich colorful range. Crimea is rich in mineral water resources from hydrogen sulfide sources to Narzan and Borjomi.

The relief of the Crimea.
According to the nature of the surface, Crimea is divided into two parts: steppe and mountainous. In the north and in the central Crimea, a calm undulating plain extends. The steppe occupies about 2/3 of the entire area of the peninsula. In the west, it gradually passes into the ridges and uplands of Tarkhankut. An interesting feature of the eastern part - the slightly hilly Kerch Peninsula - are mud volcanoes, which have nothing to do with volcanism and spewing cold mud, and troughs - bowl-shaped depressions filled with iron ore. In the southern part of Crimea there are mountains consisting of three parallel ridges separated by narrow valleys. The mountains stretch from the southwest to the northeast, bending in a weak arc to the north - their length is 150 km, their width is 50 km. The most significant peak of the Crimean Mountains - Roman-Kosh (1545), is located in the Main (southern) ridge, in the Babugan mountain range. The uplands of the Main Ridge consist of wavy plateau-yayl (pastures) - Ai-Petrinskaya, Nikitskaya, Karabi, etc. In the east of Crimea, the main ridge is closed by the Kara-Dag mountain group, an interesting monument of volcanic activity of the Jurassic geological era. The main ridge is largely composed of limestone, which, being exposed to the action of atmospheric and groundwater, gives vivid manifestations of karst processes (karst sinkholes, cavities and caves).

Flora of Crimea.
The flora of the Crimea is very rich, it is represented by more than two thousand plant species. The distribution of vegetation depends on the climate, topography and soils of the peninsula.
On the plain from north to south, zones of salt-tolerant vegetation inherent in the saline soils of the Sivash region (soleros, sarsazan, kermek and others), sagebrush and sagebrush-fescue steppes replace each other. Further to the south lie the feather grass steppes, and in the foothills there are also shrubby forb steppes with thyme (thyme), rocky alfalfa, and Tauric asphodelina. Currently, the virgin lands are plowed up. The third mountain range (foothill zone) is occupied by the forest-steppe, where groves of low oaks, maples, ash trees, as well as thickets of blackthorn, hawthorn, dog rose, and skumpii are especially common. The slopes of the mountains of the middle and main ridges are covered with oak, beech and pine forests. Yayla are treeless, covered with herbaceous vegetation. Lonely pines and beeches are bizarrely twisted by the wind and give the landscape a peculiar harsh flavor. Of great interest is the flora of the southern slope of the Main Ridge. The natural vegetation here is predominantly forest: pine, juniper, fluffy oak and Mediterranean species: pistachio, strawberry, yellow jasmine. But the typical landscape of the South Shore is created by decorative garden and park vegetation. As a result of human creativity, exotic plants have become a permanent element of the landscape: Himalayan and Lebanese cedars, cypresses, magnolias, sequoias, ivy, Chinese wisteria. There are also endemic (inherent only in this area) plants in Crimea: Steven's maple (in the forests of the northern slope of the mountains), Biberstein's sapling ("Crimean edel-weiss", on high-mountain plateaus and yayls), Stankevich's pine, on seaside rocks from Balaklava to the cape Aya and near Sudak).

Crimean climate.
The Crimean peninsula lies on the southern border of the temperate zone. The climate of Crimea is distinguished by some features associated with its geographical location: great softness and humidity, significant sunshine. But the variety of relief, the influence of the sea and mountains create great differences in the climate of the steppe, mountainous and southern coastal parts of the peninsula. The steppe Crimea has hot summers and relatively warm winters (July temperature 23-24°, February temperature 0.5-2°), annual precipitation is low. The mountainous Crimea is distinguished by more significant precipitation, less hot summers.
The southern coast provides the most favorable combination of climatic factors: mild winters, sunny hot summers (the average temperature in February in Yalta is 3.5 °, July 24 °), summer breezes that moderate the heat, fresh breath of forests and parks. The climatic conditions of the Evpatoria region and the southeastern coast (Feodosia, Sudak, Planerskoye), as well as the mountainous Crimea (Stary Krym), are favorable.

Waters in the Crimea.
The waters of Crimea are divided into surface (rivers, streams, lakes) and underground (ground, artesian, karst). The rivers originate in the Main Ridge of the Crimean Mountains, they are short, shallow and characterized by a large uneven flow (they overflow in the spring and into downpours and dry up in the summer). The most significant river is the Salgir (length 232 km). The water problem in Crimea is solved by the construction of artificial reservoirs and canals (reservoirs on Alma, Kacha, Salgir, Simferopol reservoir, which can hold up to 36 million cubic meters of water). Reservoirs are being built on the river. Belbek and laid through the main mountain range a tunnel about 7 km long to drain Belbek to Yalta.
The waters of the North Crimean Canal will water and irrigate the most arid regions of the Crimean steppe from Perekop to Kerch. The construction of this canal will make it possible to increase the yields of corn, wheat, rye, and tobacco, and to more intensively develop highly productive animal husbandry. The industrial centers and villages of the Crimea will be supplied with excellent Dnieper water.

Soils of the Crimea.
The nature of soils depends on soil-forming rocks, topography, climate, plant and animal organisms. The variety of physical and geographical conditions has created a very heterogeneous composition of soils in the regions. The predominant type are southern chernozems and dark chestnut soils occupying the central part of the steppe Crimea.
The soils of the foothill, mountainous Crimea and the Southern coast are varieties of chernozems: carbonate chernozems, brown mountain-forest soils, mountain-meadow subalpine chernozems, brown soils of forests and shrubs of the Southern coast. On these soils, tobacco, vegetables, ethereal plants, grapes, stone fruits, ornamental trees and shrubs are well cultivated. The main place in agriculture in the steppe Crimea belongs to grain crops, and of them - wheat and corn. In modern conditions, the progressive role of the tilled farming system, which significantly increases grain yields, is especially important.

Black Sea.
The Black Sea belongs to the so-called inland seas, since it is not directly connected to the ocean. In terms of its hydrobiological and hydrophysical properties, the Black Sea stands out sharply from other marine water bodies. Its feature is a sharp fluctuation in surface water temperatures (from one to twenty-eight degrees). The salinity of the Black Sea due to desalination by the waters of the Danube, Dniester and other rivers is relatively low: in the upper layers it is 17-18% (in 1 l - i 17-18 g of salt), at a depth it increases significantly, since the deep Bosphorus current brings masses of more salt water from the Sea of Marmara. The greatest depth of the Black Sea is determined at 2243 m. Oxygen is contained in the upper horizons, “and at a depth of 200 m and below, oxygen disappears and saturation with hydrogen sulfide increases.
The Black Sea is a source of fish wealth. The history of the formation of the Black Sea basin has several tens of millions of years, during which its outlines and hydrological regime have repeatedly changed. That is why the composition of its animal world is diverse. In the Black Sea, three groups of fish are distinguished: relict (residual, these include herring, sturgeon fish, many types of gobies), freshwater - in estuaries and estuaries (perch, perch, ram), Mediterranean invaders (anchovy, sprat, mullet, horse mackerel , mackerel, bonito, tuna and others, in total over 100 species of fish). Tuna is the largest commercial fish, its length can reach three meters, and its weight is five hundred kilograms.

Animal world of Crimea.
The fauna of the Crimea is distinguished by a number of features and has the so-called island character. Many species of animals that live in the territories close to the Crimea are absent in Crimea, but endemic (local) forms of animals are found, the appearance of which is associated with a peculiar geological history of the peninsula (the geological age of the mountainous Crimea is older than the steppe part of the peninsula, and its fauna was formed much earlier and under other conditions). The steppe Crimea belongs to the European-Siberian zoogeographic subregion, and the mountainous one to the Mediterranean. On the territory of the peninsula, these subregions border along the line of foothills.
Crimean scorpion (poisonous), found in rock crevices on the southern coast, Crimean gecko, Crimean owl, black and long-tailed tit, goldfinch, linnet, mountain bunting and some others. The Mediterranean forms of animals are distinguished: phalanx, scolopendra, leopard snake, yellow belly (legless lizard, very useful, as it destroys harmful rodents). In the same showcase there is a rock lizard, a water snake, a marsh turtle; of amphibians, the crested newt, found in small mountain reservoirs, tree frog - an inhabitant of tree plantations near fresh water, as well as shrews, water shrews, bats, a protected beech forest with protected animals: Crimean deer, roe deer and mouflon. For many centuries the Crimean forests and animals were mercilessly exterminated. Only after the Great October Socialist Revolution was an end put to the predatory extermination of the forests and animals of the Crimea.
For the protection of nature and its restoration in the central mountainous part of Crimea, the State Reserve was created in 1923, reorganized in 1957 into the Crimean State Reserve and Hunting Economy. The flora and fauna of the Crimean mountains on the territory of the economy has been largely restored. Many birds fly over the Crimea on their way to warm countries: the snail, the golden plover, the garnish, the white heron, the kite, the night heron, the golden eagle and others. These birds rest in the Crimea before their flight across the Black Sea, the birds that fly to the Crimea for wintering: tap dances, bullfinches, waxwings, siskins, bramblings, larks, Siberian buzzard and others.

Crimea is not only an administrative and resort unit. First of all, it is a peninsula, a geographical unit. Consequently, in the lessons of the geography of their native land, local students memorize the extreme points of the Crimea - their coordinates, names and features.

Extreme northern point in Crimea

Coordinates - 46.161050, 33.692249.

It is difficult to name a specific point for this tip of the peninsula - the northern cordon of Crimea runs across the Perekop isthmus. But where is his place? Theoretically right in the middle. Where is his middle?

As a result, geographers took the path of least resistance, issuing a conditional border, indicating that the nearest settlement to the northern point of Crimea was the village of Perekop. It is subordinate to the city council of Armyansk (the city is also located on the isthmus). The settlement was the result of an attempt to restore the town of the same name - it was destroyed during the Civil War. Now about 1000 people live in it, in fact it is a district. Next to it is the border area. But the village itself is not included in it.

As for, it has always been considered the most vulnerable and "responsible" part of the Crimea. It connects it to the mainland, while it is very narrow (no more than 9 km). When trying to attack Taurida from land, Perekop took the brunt of it - for this reason, even in ancient times, it was blocked by defensive structures called. Due to the narrowness of the perimeter, the defense could be held for a long time and reliably - this business was always entrusted to the best military leaders, and the reliable defense of Perekop greatly increased the overall security of Crimea (it is also not easy to take it from the sea).

Of the "warriors of Perekop", the Tatar Murza Tugay-bey (comrade-in-arms of B. Khmelnitsky) and M.V. Frunze, who in 1920 organized a unique military operation to defend the white army of Baron Wrangel.

Extreme point in the south of Crimea

Coordinates - 44.386747, 33.777032.

With the south, everything is also not easy, the sources call two capes - and Nikolai (both - next to and next to each other).

In fact, the extreme southern point of the Crimea is still Cape Nikolai, but Sarych is 3 geographical minutes to the north. It's just that he is more famous, in particular, for the legendary battle of the Russian squadron with the Breslau and Goeben cruisers at the initial stage of the First World War.

Its name is associated with the name of N.N. Raevsky, general, hero of the Patriotic War of 1812, father-in-law of the Decembrist S.G. Volkonsky. For his military exploits, the commander was granted a country estate near the cape, and the geographical object was named after the patron saint of himself and his father.

Now it is problematic to get to the ledge itself - there is a frontier post on it. Near it camp "Foros" is located.

Extreme point in the west of Crimea

Coordinates - 45.390415, 32.480458.

The extreme western point of Crimea will not provide a comfortable rest - the shores of Cape Priboyny (the Tatar name Kara-Mrun is also common) are steep, there are no tolerable roads on its plateau.

But it is located in a romantic resort area - it is part of the Tarkhankut Peninsula. The nearest settlement to it is popular. Surfing delimits and . From the north, its neighbor is Ocheretai Bay, also known among tourists.

A geodetic sign has been installed on the cape. Its plateau is covered with the usual annual meadow herbs and, in principle, is not very interesting. Usually regulars wander here to take pictures "in the very west of Crimea."

Extreme eastern point in Crimea

Coordinates - 45.382946, 36.644643.

But not all extreme points of Crimea are so mysterious or everyday. Its eastern end - - has a clear location on the map, a rich and, moreover, well-studied history, and no one disputes its right to be called the "border".

The cape is found on, near the outskirts of modern Kerch and marks the entrance to. For this reason, it has been marked by people since ancient times. Archaeologists have documented the existence of settlements of the Bronze Age and the ancient Greek settlement Parthenium on Lantern.

There is an active lighthouse on the cape. It appeared there in 1820, but now you can see only new buildings - the old ones were destroyed during the Great Patriotic War (the participants of the Kerch-Eltingen operation were disembarked here). The lighthouse complex still does not guarantee against crashes - in 1995, the cargo ship "Doja" under the Syrian flag sank abeam Lantern - the now abandoned ship is a bait

Crimea - the golden mean of the earth

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

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

Crimeans behave only in this way and not otherwise: after all, millions of people from all over the world come to Crimea every year. Of course, the Crimeans agree that somewhere else there are blessed corners of the earth. They do not ask: “Why did you come to us, and not we to you?” Undoubtedly, the 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 orient ourselves on the terrain. The southernmost point of Crimea (44° 23") is Cape Sarych, near the village of Foros, located between Sevastopol and Alupka. The northernmost point (46° 15") is located on the Perekop Isthmus, near the village of Perekop. This means that Crimea is located at the 45th latitude, in the middle between the North Pole and the equator. Perhaps someone else has some thoughts on this, but in the middle means in the middle, and not somewhere else. At the 45th latitude, by the way, are the geographical center of France, such European cities as Budapest, Bucharest, Milan, Bern, the Canadian city of Montreal, the American cities of Minneapolis and Portland. They're fine with latitude, but longitude...

The westernmost point of Crimea (32°29") is Cape Priboyny (Kapa-Mryn) on the Tarkhankut Peninsula, the easternmost (36°39") is Cape Lantern on the Kerch Peninsula. So, the 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 map of the world, do not be lazy. At what longitude is it folded in half, where is its middle? Of course, along the line of 30 "East longitude. St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kharkov, Ankara, Cairo, Lake Victoria, the highest point in Africa - Mount Kilimanjaro, the North and South Poles are approximately at this longitude. They were lucky with the longitude, but here's a good one latitude fell only to the Crimea.

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

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

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

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, and in Crimea there are two of them: Black and Azov. The Black Sea forms three large bays off the coast of the peninsula: Karkinitsky, Kalamitsky and Feodosia; There are also three large bays near the Sea of Azov: Kazantip, Arabat and Sivash.

Crimea in the north is connected to the mainland by a narrow eight-kilometer strip of land called the Isthmus of Perekop. The Kerch Strait, which is 4-5 km wide, separates the Crimean Peninsula from the Taman Peninsula - the western tip of the Krasnodar Territory of Russia. The total length of the borders of the peninsula exceeds 2500 km, the coasts are not very indented, except for the very winding coastline of the part of the peninsula near Sevastopol. There are 50 lakes-estuaries with a total area of 53,000 km2 in the seaside strip of the plain Crimea. 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 XX century. about 40% of the table salt of the Russian Empire was mined in the Crimea. It is well known that D. I. Mendeleev said that using oil as a fuel is tantamount to burning banknotes. Paraphrasing the words of the great chemist, we can say that using Crimean salt as a table salt is like salting soup with gold. The environmentally chaste chemical industry of the peninsula at the Saki and Krasnoperekop chemical plants produces various compounds of sodium, calcium, magnesium, bromine from lake and Sivash salt. However, the therapeutic use of the Crimean estuaries is much more famous, but this will be a separate discussion.

Once on the South Coast of Crimea, palaces were erected by monarchs and their entourage. It was here that the ruler of the next historical period invited Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Winston Churchill to divide the post-war world. Why did the distinguished guests of Crimea prefer it to all other places on Earth? Yes, because they were attracted by the unique Crimean climate, whose undeniable advantages are due to several reasons.

The first is the aforementioned equidistance from the equator and the North Pole, which determines the great longitude of the summer day, and not the miserable 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 the sea and mountains. On hot sunny days of summer, Crimea is refreshed by a breeze, a cool breeze from the sea. In the evening, cool 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 the sweltering heat that air flows from Africa carry, and, of course, the minimal impact of cold air masses from north, from which the mountains serve as an additional barrier.

The Crimean mountains are small, their maximum height (mountain Roman-Kosh) reaches 1545 m, much less than Everest, but this height is quite enough to create a subtropical paradise on the southern coast without simultaneously erecting an insurmountable barrier between the 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 the Crimea. Crimean marls serve as a raw material for the production of cement, facing slabs are made from marble-like limestones, beautiful white buildings have been built from blocks of the famous Inkerman stone from the time of Chersonesos to the present day. Due to their high strength, richness of color shades and good polishing properties, diabases, which have a magmatic origin, are used for the manufacture of monuments and facing slabs. On Karadag and in other places there are such minerals (gems) as agate, jet, onyx, opal, carnelian, brocade jasper.

Yes, there are gems! Even clay in Crimea is precious. Formed from volcanic ash, Crimean bentonite, popularly called keel, soapy earth or mountain soap, has very unusual properties. Formerly used for wine clarification, soap making, washing and bleaching, today it is used in high technology.

The flat plateaus of the Crimean mountains connect the properties of the plains and mountains, representing another "golden mean" of the Crimea. Uncovered from the merciless sun, the yayles seem to the uninitiated as a symbol of dehydration, but this is not at all the case: lined with porous limestone, they absorb precipitation like a sponge in order to accumulate water drop by drop, which feeds the Crimean rivers, together with shady forests.

Everything is in the Crimea, but in order not to jinx it, its inhabitants like to grumble just in case. And since it is quite difficult to find a reason for grumbling in this paradise, they habitually get 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 somewhat less than the Nile.

However, it must be honestly said that the natural water resources of the peninsula were clearly insufficient in its steppe part. We have heard a lot of bad things about global land reclamation projects, most likely it is so. Probably, the turn of the northern rivers to the south threatened the Earth with an ecological catastrophe, but the turn of the southern river to the south, i.e. the creation of the North Crimean Canal, solved many problems of the peninsula.

Crimean drinking water is generally weakly mineralized, which is beneficial for the human body, but if you are used to water enriched with sewage from industrial giants, you should not be upset prematurely. After all, in the Crimea there is everything, even black water. Hydrogen sulfide-saturated water of the mineral spring Aji-Su in the village of Kuibyshevo, Bakhchisarai district, forms a black precipitate of biologically active gummins and bitumens, healing in hot therapeutic baths. In total, more than a hundred sources of healing mineral waters are explored in the Crimea, abounding in many microelements - from fluorine to radium.

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

Combining the steppe and subtropics, the Crimea not only does not mix them, but complements them with a zone of forests and forest-steppe. Yayla is not a half-steppe-half-mountain, but a unique natural phenomenon, which is difficult to find analogues. Combining different beginnings, Crimea retains their originality and supplements them with new, only inherent qualities. The natural sciences unanimously prove the insular origin of the Crimea - we will talk about this more than once and give the arguments of scientists - therefore, on the peninsula, in addition to the amazing combination of steppe and Mediterranean nature, there is a great variety of endemic species of plants and animals 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 the Crimea. Almost 40 types of vegetable crops are grown in open and closed ground. The quality of Crimean products is famous far beyond the boundaries of the Autonomous Republic.

Essential oil enterprises in the cities of Simferopol, Bakhchisarai, Alushta, Sudak and the urban-type settlement of Nizhnegorsky produce rose, lavender and sage oils. One of the leading industries in the Crimea is food. The largest fishing port on the Black Sea was built in Sevastopol with refrigerators, canning and ship repair plants. However, the high level of development of the food industry of the peninsula 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 question of hospitable entertainment for guests is put in the Crimea on a grand scale.

Crimea is the unity of the sea, steppe and mountains. It is enough to remove a layer of soil from the surface of the earth in the steppe Crimea, and on the surface there will be a wonderful, easy-to-work 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 their development is carried out by an open method. These ores are unique in their high manganese content, so this element is added in a minimal amount or not at all when smelting alloyed steels.

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

The pinnacle of the industrial pyramid of the Crimean Autonomous Republic is 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 communication 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 traffic. In the early 60s. the mountain trolleybus route Simferopol - Yalta was put into operation, which makes it possible to connect the capital of the republic with the South Bank by convenient and inexpensive transport.

The environmental safety of the Crimean industry has a long tradition. Back in 1931, the first in the USSR, the most powerful power plant in Europe operating on wind power was built in Balaklava. The blades of the generator 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 the Crimea. The total area of mirrors is 40 thousand m2. Several environmentally sound projects have been implemented on the peninsula, using tidal energy, solar and geothermal energy to generate heat for residential buildings, sanatoriums and hotels.

Intercity trolleybus communication very clearly demonstrates the level of environmental requirements for the development of the Crimean industry.

It would take a very long time to talk 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, and helioseismology.

People of many nationalities inhabit the Crimea, all of them are representatives of an endemic species called "Crimeans". Crimeans are hardworking, sharp-witted, hospitable and prone to fun. Men are wise, strong, women are kind and unusually 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 inhabitants of the planet: they are more patient with the geographical boasting of visitors. Crimeans attentively listen to the guests, treat them with amazing Crimean wines, feed them with dishes from ecologically clean Crimean products, take them to caves, reserves, beaches, dolphinariums, tasting rooms, arrange sea excursions ... Further - the entire content of the book.

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

Alas, this is not always possible, because during the 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.

Emblem of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea

Columns are a symbol of the ancient Crimean civilization, the memory of Naples, Panticapaeum, Tmutarakan, Chersonese, Theodoro, and other cities and kingdoms that once existed on the territory of Crimea. Griffin is a symbol of the guardian and protector 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. The rising sun at the top is a symbol of rebirth, prosperity, warmth and light.

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