Welcome to Kamchatka Krai!
Kamchatka (Russian: Камча́тка) is a 1,250-km-long 270,000 km2 peninsula in the Russian Far East, protruding into the northern Pacific Ocean. Kamchatka Krai is a county which also includes parts of the Russian mainland, and some small islands. Though larger than California, the krai has only about 315 000 inhabitants (2018), most of them in or near the capital, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The region borders Chukotka in the north and northeast and Magadan Oblast in the northwest.
Kamchatka is extremely geologically active and has numerous volcanoes, geysers, hot springs, and even a lake of acid! It contains the southernmost expanse of Arctic tundra in the world and is notable for its wealth of Arctic wildlife, fish, game, and marine life. Furthermore, 19 of Kamchatka's volcanoes constitute the "Volcanoes of Kamchatka" UNESCO World Heritage Site .
Kamchatka Krai (Russian: Камча́тский край, Kamchatsky kray) is a federal subject of Russia. A krai, it is situated in the Russian Far East, and is administratively part of the Far Eastern Federal District. Its capital and largest city is Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, home to over half of its population of 322,079 (2010).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 highest active volcano in Eurasia, and the Decade Volcanoes of Avachinsky and Koryaksky.