About Kamchatka

Kamchatka – Geography

The territory of a far and mysterious land, Kamchatka, which is situated in the North-East extremity, is 472.3 sq. km.. It includes the whole Kamchatka peninsula with the adjacent to it part of the continent and the Commander Islands. Kamchatka is washed by the Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Okhotsk and the Bering Sea.
The northern point is very close to the Arctic Circle in the latitude 65° North. The southern point is Cape Lopatka in the latitude 50° 57', it rises like the rocky precipice above the first Kurilsky strait in the place of junction of the Pacific Ocean and the Okhotsk Sea.
In the central part of Kamchatka there are two chains of mountains – the Sredinny and Eastern ridges. Between them Tsentralno – Kamchatskaya lowland is situated. Kamchatka River, the main and the longest river in the peninsula, flows through this lowland.
The relief of the northern part of Kamchatka has some features of volcanism and tectonic activity: there is a range of active volcanoes and in some places the distance between them is only 20 30 cm.

The regional center of the Kamchatskaya oblast is Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. More than a half of the total population of Kamchatka lives here. The town stretches along coast of the Avacha bay for more than 20 km.
The airport is situated in Elizovo, 30 km from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

In 2000 celebrated Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky its 260 anniversary. The town was founded by Vitus Bering and Aleksey Chirikov. On the 6th (17th) of Oktober 1740 two vessels of the second Kamchatka Expedition “Saint Peter” and “Saint Paul” dropped anchors in Avacha inlet. This date is considered to be the foundation day of the town.

The Kamchatskaya Oblast includes Koryaksky Autonomous Okrug, which was founded on the 10th of December 1930. It occupies about 305500 sq. km. and includes Tigilsky, Karaginsky, Penzhinsky and Olyutorsky regions. On the territory of the Okrug together with mountainous relief up to 2500 m, tundra and forest-tundra prevail, pergelisol is characteristic for the region. The basis of the economy is fish industry, deer-raising, animal husbandry and hunting. Brown coal production is just for local requirements. The trade of fur, leather and bone is being developed. The Administrative center of Koryaksky Autonomous Okrug is Palana village.