1. Geography
    Nature 

2. Administrative divisions

3. Economy

4. Demographics
    Vital statistics for 2007   Vital statistics for 2012   Ethnic composition  Religion 

5. See also

6. References
    Notes  Sources 

7. External links

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is the largest city and capital of Kamchatka Krai, and home to over half of the krai's population.

Kamchatka Krai was formed on July 1, 2007, as a result of the merger of Kamchatka Oblast and Koryak Autonomous Okrug, based on the voting in a referendum on the issue on October 23, 2005. The okrug retains the status of a special administrative division of the krai, under the name of Koryak Okrug.

The Kamchatka Peninsula forms the majority of the krai's territory, separating the Sea of Okhotsk and the Bering Sea in the Pacific Ocean. The remainder is formed by a minor northern mainland portion, Karaginsky Island and the Commander Islands in the Bering Sea. It is bordered by Magadan Oblast to the west and Chukotka to the north. Kamchatka Krai is an active volcanic zone which is home to Kluchevskaya, the largest volcano in Eurasia, and the Decade Volcanoes of Avachinsky and Koryaksky.

Geography

Kamchatka Krai occupies the territory of the Kamchatka Peninsula, the adjacent part of the mainland, the island Karaginsky and Commander Islands. Bounded to the east by the Bering Sea of the Pacific Ocean (a coastline of more than {{convert|2000|km|sp=us}}) and to the west by the Okhotsk Sea (a coastline of approximately {{convert|2000|km|sp=us}}).

Mountain ranges: Sredinny Range (the length of about {{Convert|900|km}}), East, Vetveysky, Penzhinsky, Pahachinsky, Olyutorskij et al. Heights: Khuvkhoitun ({{convert|2613|m|sp=us}}), the Ice ({{convert|2562|m|sp=us}}), Acute ({{convert|2552|m|sp=us}}), Shishel ({{convert|2531|m|sp=us}}), Tylele volcano ({{convert|2234|m|sp=us}}).

Peninsulas (NW-NE going clockwise): Gavena Peninsula, Ilpinsky Peninsula, Ozernoy Peninsula, Kamchatskiy Pensinula, Shipunksiy Peninsula and the Yelistratova Peninsula.

Islands (NW-NE going clockwise): Verkhoturov Island, Karaginsky Island, the Commander Islands, Ptichy Island (Kamchatka Krai), Konus Island, Zubchaty Island, Rovny Island, Dobrzhanskogo Island, Vtoroy Island, Krayniy Island and Trety Island. Despite their proximity the Kuril Islands are not part of Kamchatka Krai, falling instead under Sakhalin Oblast.

Kamchatka belongs to the zone of volcanic activity, there are about 300 large and medium-sized volcanoes, 29 of them are active. The largest volcano in Eurasia – Kluchevskaya (altitude {{convert|4750|m|sp=us}}). With the volcanic activity associated with the formation of many minerals, as well as a manifestation of hydro geo thermal activity: education fumaroles, geysers, hot springs, etc.

Despite Kamchatka lying at similar latitudes to Scotland, it is mostly subarctic, more continental in the hinterland and more maritime and prone to monsoons on the coast.

Nature

Most of the peninsula is covered with forests of stone birch, in the upper parts of the mountain slopes are common alder and cedar elfin. In the central part, especially in the valley of the Kamchatka River, widespread forests of larch and spruce Kuril Ajan. In floodplains, forests grow with fragrant poplar, alder, hairy, Chosenia, willow Sakhalin. In the second tier, and the undergrowth common hawthorn zelenomyakotny, Asian cherry, rowan Kamchatka, shrubs – Kamchatka elderberries, rosehips tupoushkovy, rowan buzinolistnaya, honeysuckle Kamchatka, meadowsweet, willow shrubs, and many other species. Kamchatka, especially coastal areas, characterized by tall – species such as shelamaynik Kamchatka, angelica bearish, sweet parsnip reach a height of 3–4 meters.

More than 14.5% of the territory of the Kamchatka Territory refers to the specially protected. There are six protected areas of federal significance (three state reserves, one federal reserve "South Kamchatka", two spa areas – "Resort Paratunka", "Malkinskie mineral waters"); four natural parks of regional significance ("Nalychevo", "Bystrinsky", "South Kamchatka", "Kluchevskoy"); 22 reserve of regional importance; 116 monuments of nature; four protected areas (landscape natural park "Blue Lake", Southwest and Tundra Sobolewski reserves).

It is mainly accessible only to scientists, plus approximately 3,000 tourists annually who pay a fee equivalent to US$700 to travel by helicopter for a single day's visit.^[10] Kronotsky Nature Reserve has been proclaimed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.^[11]

Administrative divisions

Economy

The main industries in Kamchatka include fishing and forestry. Coal and other raw materials are extracted. Due to its geographical location near major shipping routes, it is a center for shipbuilding, ship repair, and related services.^[12] There are also oil and mineral resources which are yet to be fully developed.^[13]

The largest companies in the region include Kamchatskenergo (power distribution company with revenues of ${{to USD|15000|RUS|2017}} million in 2017), Oceanrybflot (fishing company, ${{to USD|14500|RUS|2017}} million), Morskoy Trast (${{to USD|11500|RUS|2017}} million), Amethystvoye Mining and Processing Combine (gold mine, part of Renova Group, ${{to USD|10000|RUS|2017}} million).^[14]

Demographics

Population: {{ru-census|p2010=322,079|p2002=358,801|p1989=466,096}}

• Births (2008 Jan–Nov): 3,673 (11.55 per 1000)
• Deaths (2008 Jan–Nov): 3,554 (11.17 per 1000)^[15]

Vital statistics for 2007

Source:^[16]

• Births: 3,931 (11.32 per 1000, 11.36 for urban areas & 11.20 for rural areas).
• Deaths: 3,863 (11.13 per 1000, 10.49 for urban areas & 13.63 for rural areas).
• Natural Growth Rate: +0.02% per year (+0.09% for urban areas & -0.24% for rural areas).

After nearly two decades, Kamchatka recorded a net natural population growth instead of decline in 2007. However, in first half of 2008, the trend was reversed and population decline was observed again, partly due to an increased mortality rate among the rural population.

Vital statistics for 2012

• Births: 4 158 (13.0 per 1000)
• Deaths: 3 691 (11.5 per 1000)^[17]

2009 – 1.58 | 2010 – 1.51 | 2011 – 1.61 | 2012 – 1.73 | 2013 – 1.77 | 2014 – 1.85 | 2015 – 1.89 | 2016 – 1.90(e)

Ethnic composition

Ethnic composition (2010):^[8]

• Russians – 85.9%
• Ukrainians – 3.9%
• Koryaks – 2.3%
• Itelmens – 0.8%
• Tatars – 0.8%
• Belarusians – 0.7%
• Others – 5%
• 28,084 people were registered from administrative databases, and could not declare an ethnicity. It is estimated that the proportion of ethnicities in this group is the same as that of the declared group.^[19]

Religion

According to a 2012 survey^[20] 31.2% of the population of Kamchatka adheres to the Russian Orthodox Church, 4.4% are unaffiliated Christians, 0.8% are Orthodox Christians that don't belong to the Russian Orthodox Church. 2% of the population adheres to the Slavic native faith or to Siberian shamanism, 1.2% to Islam, 0.6% to forms of Protestantism, and 0.4% to Hinduism. In addition, 22.8% of the population declares to be spiritual but not religious, 21% is atheist, and 14.8% follows other religions or did not give an answer to the question.^[20]

See also

• List of Chairmen of the Legislative Assembly of Kamchatka Krai

References

Notes

Sources

• {{Cite Russian law

• {{RussiaBasicLawRef|kam}}
• {{Cite Russian law

External links

• {{Britannica|310518|Kamchatka (kray)}}

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