Kamchatka
Kamchatka is a peninsula with area of 104,200 sq mi (269,878 sq km) located on Russian Far East which separates the Sea of Okhotsk in the west from the Bering Sea and the Pacific Ocean in the east. It extends from lat. 51°N to lat. 61°N, it is 750 mi (1,207 km) long and terminates in the south in Cape Lopatka, beyond which lie the Kuril Islands. Petropavlovsk is the chief city. There are many rivers and lakes, and the eastern shore is deeply indented by gulfs and bays. The peninsula’s central valley, drained by the Kamchatka River, is enclosed by two parallel volcanic ranges that extend north-south; there are about 120 volcanoes. The highest point is Klyuchevskaya Sopka (15,600 ft/4,755 m), itself an active volcano. Kamchatka is covered with mountain vegetation, except in the central valley and on the west coast, which has peat marshes and tundra moss. The climate is cold and humid. There are numerous forests, mineral springs, and geysers. Kamchatka’s mineral resources
The majority of the population is Russian, with large minorities of Koryak peoples. The northern part of the peninsula is administered as the Koryak Autonomous Area. Its capital is Palana.
The Russian explorer Atlasov visited Kamchatka in 1697. The region’s exploration and development continued in the early 18th cent. under Czar Peter I, and Russian conquest was complete by 1732. Heavy Russian colonization occurred in the early 19th cent. From 1926 to 1938, Kamchatka formed part of the Far Eastern Territory. The peninsula is now part of the larger Kamchatka oblast [region], which includes offshore islands and areas of the mainland bordering the peninsula. Petropavlovsk is the oblast’s capital.
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