Main article: Crimean Khanate Crimean Khanate: 1441-1783 The
Crimean War (1853–1856) devastated much of the economic and social infrastructure of Crimea. The
Crimean Tatars had to flee from their homeland
en masse, forced by the conditions created by the war, persecution and land expropriations. Those who survived the trip, famine and disease, resettled in
Dobruja,
Anatolia, and other parts of the
Ottoman Empire. For the first time in their history, Crimean Tatars became a minority in their own land, with the majority spread out as a
diaspora. Finally, the Russian government decided to stop the process, as the agriculture began to suffer due to the unattended fertile farmland.
During the
Russian Civil War, Crimea was a stronghold of the anti-Bolshevik
White Army. It was in Crimea that the White Russians led by
General Wrangel made their last stand against the invading
Red Army in 1920. After the resistance was crushed, many of the anti-Communist fighters and civilians had to board the ships and escape to
Istanbul.
Russian Empire and Civil War: 1783-1922 On
October 18,
1921, the
Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was created as part of the
Russian SFSR.
Soviet Union: 1922-1991 With the
collapse of the Soviet Union, Crimea became part of the newly independent Ukraine, a situation largely unexpected by its population that was ethnically and culturally Russian for the most part. This led to tensions between Russia and Ukraine. With the
Black Sea Fleet based on the peninsula, worries of armed skirmishes were occasionally raised.
After the All-Crimean Referendum was conducted on
January 20,
1991, the
Crimean Oblast was transformed into the
Crimean ASSR as part of the
Ukrainian SSR and the city of Sevastopol was granted special government status in the UkSSR.
Autonomy within independent Ukraine Government and politics Crimea is a
parliamentary republic that has no
president. The legislative body is a 100-seat parliament, the
Verkhovna Rada of Crimea.
Official government While not an official body controlling Crimea, the
Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People is a representative body of the Crimean Tatars, which could address grievances to the
Ukrainian central government, the
Crimean government, and international bodies.
Elections and parties Crimea is subdivided into 25 regions: 14
raions (
districts) and 11 city municipalities, officially known as "territories governed by city councils". Each region consists of
city,
urban-type settlement and
village communities. Note that
Sevastopol Municipality, the uncolored region immediately to the west of Bakhchisarayskyi Raion (#1) is one of two special municipalities within Ukraine and is not part of Crimea itself.
Raions 15.
Alushta municipality 16.
Armyansk municipality 17.
Dzhankoy municipality 18.
Eupatoria municipality 19.
Kerch municipality 20.
Krasnoperekopsk municipality 21.
Saky municipality 22.
Simferopol municipality 23.
Sudak municipality 24.
Feodosiya municipality 25.
Yalta municipality City municipalities 
Simferopol: capital
Sevastopol:
Hero City,
Black Sea Fleet base (administratively separate)
Kerch:
Hero City, important industrial, transport and tourist centre
Eupatoria: major port, a rail hub, and resort city
Feodosiya: port and resort city
Yalta: one of the most important resorts in Crimea
Dzhankoy: imporant railroad connection
Bakhchisaray: historical capital of the
Crimean Khanate 
Krasnoperekopsk: industrial city
Alushta: resort city
Major cities Crimea is located on the northern coast of the
Black Sea and on the western coast of the
Sea of Azov, bordering
Kherson Oblast from the North. Although located in southwestern part of the Crimean peninsula, the city of
Sevastopol has a special but separate
municipality status within
Ukraine. Crimea's total land area is 26,100
km² (10,038
sq mi).
Crimea is connected to the mainland by the 5–7 kilometre (3–4 mile) wide
Isthmus of Perekop. At the eastern tip is the
Kerch Peninsula, which is directly opposite the
Taman Peninsula on the Russian mainland. Between the Kerch and Taman peninsulas, lies the 3–13 km (2–9 mi) wide
Strait of Kerch, which connects the waters of the Black Sea with the Sea of Azov.
The Crimean coastline is broken by several bays and harbors. These harbors lie west of the
Isthmus of Perekop by the
Bay of Karkinit; on the southwest by the open
Bay of Kalamita, with the ports of
Eupatoria and
Sevastopol; on the north by the
Bay of Arabat of the
Isthmus of Yenikale or
Kerch; and on the south by the
Bay of Caffa or
Feodosiya, with the port of Feodosiya.
The southeast coast is flanked at a distance of 8–12 km (5–8 mi) from the sea by a parallel range of mountains, the
Crimean Mountains.
Numerous
kurgans, or
burial mounds, of the ancient
Scythians are scattered across the Crimean steppes.
The terrain that lies beyond the sheltering Crimean Mountain range is of an altogether different character. Here, the narrow strip of coast and the slopes of the mountains are smothered with greenery. This "riviera" stretches along the southeast coast from
Cape Sarych, in the extreme south, to Feodosiya, and is studded with summer sea-bathing resorts such as
Alupka,
Yalta,
Gurzuf,
Alushta,
Sudak, and
Feodosiya. During the years of
Soviet rule, the resorts and
dachas of this coast served as the prime perquisites of the politically loyal. In addition, vineyards and fruit orchards are located in the region. Fishing, mining, and the production of essential oils are also important. Numerous
Crimean Tatar villages,
mosques,
monasteries, and
palaces of the Russian imperial family and nobles are found here, as well as picturesque ancient Greek and medieval castles.
Geography The main branches of the Crimean economy are tourism and agriculture. Industrial plants are situated for the most part in the northern regions of the republic. Important industrial cities include
Dzhankoy, housing a major railway connection, and
Krasnoperekopsk, among others.
The most important industries in Crimea include, food production, chemical fields, mechanical engineering and metal working, and fuel production industries.
Economy Almost every settlement in Crimea is connected with another settlement with bus lines. Crimea contains the longest (96 km or 59 mi)
trolleybus route in the world, stretching from Simferopol to Yalta. The trolleybus line starts in near
Simferopol's Railway Station through the mountains to
Alushta and on to
Yalta.
The cities of Yalta,
Feodosiya,
Kerch,
Sevastopol, Chornomorske, and
Eupatoria are connected to one another by sea routes. In the cities of Eupatoria and nearby
townlet Molochne are
tram systems.
Railroad lines running through Crimea include
Armyansk—Kerch (with a link to Feodosiya), and
Melitopol—Sevastopol (with a link to Eupatoria), connecting Crimea to the Ukrainian mainland.
Demographics Black Sea Fleet Artek
Early history