Crimea or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Russian: Крым, Автономная Республика Крым, Avtonomnaya Respublika Krym) is the only autonomous republic of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name.
The territory of Crimea was conquered and controlled many times throughout its history. The Cimmerians, Greeks, Persians, Goths, Huns, Bulgars, Khazars, the state of Kievan Rus', Byzantine Greeks, Kipchaks, Tatars, Kalmyks and the Mongols all controlled Crimea in its early history. In the 13th century, it was partly controlled by the Venetians and by the Genovese; they were followed by the Crimean Khanate and the Ottoman Empire in the 15th to 18th centuries, the Russian Empire in the 18th to 20th centuries, the Russian SFSR and later the Ukrainian SSR within the Soviet Union in the rest of the 20th century, Germany in World War II, and now Crimea is an autonomous Ukrainian administrative region.
Crimea is a parliamentary republic which is governed by the Constitution of Crimea in accordance with the laws of Ukraine. The capital and administrative seat of the republic's government is the city of Simferopol, located in the center of the peninsula. Crimea's area is 26,200 square kilometres (10,100 sq mi) and its population was 1,973,185 as of 2007.
Crimean Tatars, an ethnic minority who now make up about 13% of the population, occupied Crimea since the Mongol conquest. The Crimean Tatars were forcibly expelled to Central Asia by Joseph Stalin's government. After the fall of the Soviet Union, some Crimean Tatars began returning to the region.
Crimean attractions
Nikitsky Botanical Garden (Russian: Никитский ботанический сад) is one of the oldest botanical gardens. It is located in Crimea, Ukraine, close to Yalta, by the shores of the Black Sea. It was founded in 1812 and named after the settlement Nikita, Ukraine. Its founder and first director was Russian botanist Christian Steven of Swedish descent.
It is hard to imagine an architectural monument more romantic than the Alupka Palace of Count M. S. Vorontsov, the former Governor-General of the Novorossiysk Territory. It was built in 1828-1846 to the design of Edward Blore, one of the best English architects. The bold, unusual design and original architecture, as well as marble lion sculptures lend it an inimitable character. The immense park around the palace is one of the finest on the Southern Coast of Crimea.
Ai- Petri is a mountain range that separates the southern part of the Crimea from its central part. It is stretched from Gurzuf to Baidary Gates. The scientists consider Ai- Petri to be the ancient coral reef that rose from the sea bottom many years ago. In the south-west the mount reminds of the dragon teeth, the highest of which are 1234 above sea level. Ai-Petri is a famous tourist attraction all the year round, it is a place for skiing in winter and hiking in summer and taking a cableway car ride any time.
Livadia is located on the picturesque slopes of mount Mogabi three kilometers to the south-west of Yalta. Thousands of tourists come to Livadia every year from all around the world to see the famous Livadia Palace and Park, the late summer residence of Romanovs thsars family.
Massandra Palace near Yalta: Massandra is a townlet in the Yalta region of Crimea. Occupying the spot of an ancient Greek settlement, Massandra was acquired by Counts Potocki in 1783. In the mid-19th century, it passed to Prince Vorontsov Jr, whose father was the governor of New Russia. Bewitched by a picturesque setting, Vorontsov in 1881 engaged a team of French architects to design for him a chateau in the Louis XIII style. He died the following year and construction work was suspended until 1889, when the messuage was purchased by Alexander III of Russia. The tsar asked architect Maximilian Messmacher to finish the palace for his own use but he did not live to see it completed in 1900. During the Soviet years, the palace was employed by Joseph Stalin as his dacha.
Chersonesos Taurica aka Chersonese, Chersoness, Chersonesus, Kherson, - ancient city. Chersonesos (Chersonesos, Cherson) was an ancient Greek colony founded approximately 2500 years ago in the southwestern part of Crimea, known then as Taurica. The colony was established in the 6th century BC by settlers from Heraclea Pontica. The ancient city is located on the shore of the Black Sea at the outskirts of Sevastopol on the Crimean peninsula of Ukraine, where it is referred to as Khersones. It has been nicknamed the "Ukrainian Pompeii" and "Russian Troy". The name "Chersonesos" in Greek means simply "peninsula", and aptly describes the site on which the colony was established. It should not be confused with the Tauric Chersonese, the name often applied to the whole of the southern Crimea along with "Taurica". During much of the classical period the town was a democracy ruled by a group of elected archons and a council called the Damiorgi. As time went on the government grew more oligarchic, with power concentrated in the hands of the archons. A form of oath sworn by all the citizens in the 3rd century BC has survived to the present day.
The collection of rare animals is presented in a «Skazka» Zoo near Yalta.
Sudak or Sudaq is a small historic town located in Crimea, Ukraine situated 57 km (35 mi) to the west of Feodosiya (the nearest railway station) and 104 km (65 mi) to the east of Simferopol, the capital of Crimea. Today it is a popular resort, best known for its Genoese fortress, the best preserved on the northern shore of the Black Sea. Novy Svet - literally: 'New World' - is a resort town in Crimea, Ukraine, known for an eponymous sort of champagne produced there. Champagne production was introduced into Novy Svet by a local landowner, Prince Lev Golitsyn, in the late 19th century. The town is situated in a very scenic area where numerous Soviet movies were filmed. It boasts some fine beaches, a couple of resort hotels (one of which was supposed to be for Soviet cosmonauts), a several km tunnel inside a mountain where a factory stores its products, and a large juniper forest.