CRIMEA (anciently, the Taurie Chersonese). a peninsula in the s. of Russia, form ing the greater part of the government of Taurida, in let. 44° 44' to 46° 5' n., long. 32° 30' to 36' 35' east. It is united to the mainland only by the very narrow isthmus of I'erekop, between the Black sea and the sea of Azof, and separated from the isle or peninsula of Taman, on the e., only by the narrow strait of Yenikale. The C. is thus almost surrounded by water—on three sides, by the Black sea, and on the fourth by the sea of Azof; while a trench, 70 ft. wide and 25 deep, across the isthmus of I'erekop, cuts it off from the mainland. The C. is quadrilateral iu shape, the four corners point ing to the four cardinal points in the compass; but a long narrow peninsula juts out on the e., which increases the extreme length of the territory from e. to w. to 190 m., the breadth being 110 miles. The whole extent of the C. is between 8,000 and 9,000 sq. miles. The coast is very much broken and indented, particularly on the side of the sea of Azof. The most easterly part of it is a mountainous peninsula, the seat of the ancient kingdom of Bosporus.. From the strait of Yenikale, through this minor peninsula and along the whole southern coast, a chain of mountains extends, which may be regarded as a continuation of one of the chains proceeding from Mt. Cau casus. This southern district of the C. is very rich and beautiful. The mountains rise with steep slopes from the sea, whilst spurs and secondary chains extend northward, richly wooded, and with most beautiful intermediate valleys, gradually sinking into the uniform and desolate steppe which forms the northern and much greater part of the peninsula. The highest mountain is Tcbatirdagh, i.e., the Tent mountain, Mons Trapezus of the ancients, which rises to a height of more than 5000 feet. It is a table mountain, and has many great and deep chasms, in some of which the ice remains unmelted all the summer. The southern district of the C. is well cultivated, and is adorned by many country-seats of the Russian emperor and nobles, with parks and gardens surpassed by none in Europe. Tartar villages, mosques, and Greek convents are to be seen in most picturesque situations amongst the woods and rocks, with many ruins of ancient fortresses. The vegetation may almost be called subtropical; olive groves are frequent; the vineyards yield excellent grapes, and some of them excellent wine; and even oranges are produced. Grain of various kinds is produced abundantly,
and silk, wax, and honey. Much attention is bestowed upon horses, oxen, and sheep, in which no small part of the wealth of the country consists. The northern part of the C. is in every way a contrast to the south, being little else than one waste uniform steppe. destitute of water and of wood, with a soil generally very unfit for agriculture, and with numerous salt-lakes and salt-marshes, some of which dry up in summer, told which seem to indicate that it was recently covered by the sea. The air is infected by exhalations from these marshes, and from the Sheath. or Putrid sea, which is a portion of the sea of Azof, but is almost cut off from it by a narrow tongue of land called the peninsula of Arabat. In the summer and autumn, a most offensive and powerful smell arisess from the stagnant water, but the evaporation is often so complete that the is left dry, and horses can cross upon the hardened ground, where at other sea sons vessels may sail. The capital of the C. is Simferopol (q.v.); the old Tartar capital is Baktshi-serai (q.v.), both situated in the interior. Sebastopol (q.v.) is situated in the s.w.; Kaff a and Kertch are situated in the s.e.; Perekop on the isthmus to which it gives its Hanle, in the north. The C. is now directly connected with the Russian railway system, lines diverging to the s.e. coast and s.w. The small river Alma, on whose banks the first battle was fought between the Russian troops and the French and Eng lish invading army (20th Sept., 1854), falls into the Black sea, where the picturesque southern district approaches the northern steppe.
The population of the government of Taurida is (1870) 704,097, two thirds of whom are Tartars; the remainder are Russians, Germans, Greeks, etc. The chief features in the early history of the C. are given under the head Bosporus (q.v.). The Tartars con quered the territory in the 13th c., and converted it into the khanat of Kritn Tartary. The Genoese under these rulers planted flourishing colonies here, which were destroyed by the Turks, who came into possession of the country in the 15th century. Russia finally subjected the C. in 1783. See RUSSIA.