But it is one of the few nations with a closed-loop production in the titanium industry - from mining and processing of the titanium iron ores to the producer of finished products. Visa and MasterCard temporarily stopped service in Crimea in December 2014. In many ways, Russia is land-locked and Putin needs Ukraine for military and commercial shipping reasons. [60] Other products produced on the Crimean Peninsula include salt, porphyry, limestone, and ironstone (found around Kerch) since ancient times. Despite being rich in natural resources and blessed by a favorable geographical location and a mild climate . The natural vegetation consists of scrublands, woodlands, and forests, with a climate and vegetation similar to the Mediterranean Basin. A look at the country's natural resources: Oil and Gas Ukraine has the second-biggest known gas reserves in Europe, apart from Russia's gas reserves in Asia, although largely unexploited. Alushta Embankment. [34] These mountains are backed by secondary parallel ranges. At the aggravation of political situation between Russia and Ukraine, the . Meanwhile, owing to distance, US wheat amounts to less than 10 per cent of what caters to those regions. Of course, this figure is less impressive than in 2019 when eight million people visited the region, but it is still quite impressive. [49], Most of the peninsula receives more than 2,000 sunshine hours per year; it reaches up to 2,505 sunshine hours in Qarabiy yayla in the Crimean Mountains. Russia has designs on Ukraine's natural gas pipelines. The average salary was $290 per month. As it happens, Crimea's oil and gas resources could be significant. . For decades, a Soviet-era canal brought Crimea 85 percent of its freshwater from rivers on the Ukrainian mainland. During World War II, Crimea was downgraded to an oblast. natural resource. The shorter Chornaya flows west to Sevastopol Bay. Natural resources can be defined as the resources that exist (on the planet) independent of human actions. Why is that? [48] In winter these winds bring in cold, dry continental air, while in summer they bring in dry and hot weather. [48] The western parts of the Crimean mountains receive more than 1,000 millimetres (39.4in) of precipitation per year. Some cities became trading colonies of Genoa, until conquered by the Ottoman Empire. Also many solar photovoltaic SES plants lie along the peninsula, in addition to a smaller facility north of Sevastopol. "The Crimea! During WWII, they were forcibly deported on the orders of Stalin, as they were regarded as a potential "fifth column". The source of power in the Crimean Republic is its people, which constitutes to the multinational nation of the Russian Federation. Reports of explosions in Bakhchysarai, occupied Crimea. Industrial plants are situated for the most part in the southern coast (Yevpatoria, Sevastopol, Feodosia, Kerch) regions of the republic, few northern (Armiansk, Krasnoperekopsk, Dzhankoi), aside from the central area, mainly Simferopol okrug and eastern region in Nizhnegorsk (few plants, same for Dzhankoj) city. Are Ukraine's vast natural resources a real reason behind Russia's invasion? This also implies that the US is nowhere near the gas race. There also is the gas thermal Saky plant located close to Jodobrom chemical plant and SaKhZ(SaChP) boosted production with Perm GTE GTU25P (PS90GP25 25 MW aeroderivative GP) PGU turbogenerators. Odessa stands where the coast turns southwest. Pledge allegiance to Russia as an erstwhile Soviet state or open up to the West? Russia's contention with the West. Many anti-Communist fighters and civilians escaped to Istanbul but up to 150,000 were killed in Crimea. Natural resources are being destroyed. Germany is also a big consumer of Russia's natural gas. In 1783, the Russian Empire annexed Crimea after an earlier war with Turkey. [81][82] In general they prohibit the sale, supply, transfer, or export of goods and technology in several sectors, including services directly related to tourism and infrastructure. [65][66], Crimea also possesses several natural gas fields both onshore and offshore, which were starting to be drilled by western oil and gas companies before annexation. The autonomous republic was dissolved in 1945, and Crimea became an oblast of the Russian SFSR. resource - available source of wealth; a new or reserve supply that can be drawn upon when needed. Road- and rail-bridges cross the northern part of Syvash. The 1879 census for the Taurida Governorate reported a Jewish population of 4.20%, not including a Karaite population of 0.43%. As a buffer for the two conflicting blocs, Ukraine has had very difficult choices to make in the last decade. Unlike most of the young pioneer camps, Artek was an all-year camp, due to the warm climate. [51], The Black Sea ports of Crimea provide quick access to the Eastern Mediterranean, Balkans and Middle East. Rivers: The longest is the Salhyr, which rises southeast of Simferopol and flows north and northeast to the Sea of Azov. Turkey provided the greatest support to Tatars in Ukraine, which had been unable to resolve the problem of education in their mother tongue in Crimea, by bringing the schools to a modern state.[95][96]. Page 72. this combines the figures for the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, listing groups of more than 5,000 individuals. However, Ukraine, which has the US' support, can thrive and capitalise on its natural resources. Ukraine is aiming to clinch the third spot in wheat and fourth spot in corn this year, but the ranking could be missed due to the crisis with Russia. For the strategy to work, the Crimean peninsula was of strategic importance. Crimea contains the longest (96km or 59mi) trolleybus route in the world, founded in 1959, stretching from Simferopol to Yalta. Over 50 years, the problems of water resources in Crimea were solved by using Dnieper water supplied through North-Crimean Canal; however, after the integration of Crimea into Russia, Ukraine suspended water supply. Many of his paintings depict the Black Sea. Russia's reasons for exerting pressure on its smaller neighbor are deeply rooted in economics, history and culture. [20] While it was replaced with Krym (Ukrainian: ; Russian: ) in the Soviet Union and has had no official status since 1921, it is still used by some institutions in Crimea, such as the Taurida National University, the Tavriya Simferopol football club, or the Tavrida federal highway. Some varieties are found in many regions of the Crimea, other specimens are considered rare. The Black Sea serves as an economic thoroughfare connecting the Caucasus region and the Caspian Sea to central and Eastern Europe. In response to Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea, 100 members of the UN passed UNGA resolution 68/262, rejecting the "referendum" as baseless and invalid and confirming the sovereignty, political independence, unity, and territorial integrity of Ukraine. In 2019, Russia and Ukraine inked a transit agreement that allows easy transfer of Siberian gas to the EU through Ukraine's huge gas transportation system, regardless of unilateral sanctions by the US. At the east end of the 90km (56mi) Kerch Peninsula is Kerch/Panticapaeum, once the capital of the Bosporian Kingdom. Photo: AxeL M, CC BY-SA 4.0. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union and Ukrainian independence in 1991 most of the peninsula was reorganized as the Republic of Crimea,[27][28] although in 1995 the Republic was forcibly abolished by Ukraine with the Autonomous Republic of Crimea established firmly under Ukrainian authority. Numerous kurgans, or burial mounds, of the ancient Scythians are scattered across the Crimean steppes. Page 73, Crimea Dynamics, challenges and prospects / edited by Maria Drohobycky. Ukraine has been called "the breadbasket of Russia" for centuries, since the region produced much of the grain needed to feed the country's vast czarist empire. [89], Crimea is Ukrainian territory currently occupied by Russia; Ukraine has not relinquished title over the Crimean territory since the events of 2014, Crimea is internationally recognized as part of Ukraine. In 1774, the Ottoman Empire was defeated by Catherine the Great with the Treaty of Kk Kaynarca making the Tatars of the Crimea politically independent. Uchan-su, on the south slope of the mountains, is the highest waterfall in Crimea. Primarily Muslim, the Tatars of Crimea were instrumental in making the peninsula one of the centers of Islamic culture. During the Russian Civil War, Crimea changed hands many times and was where Wrangel's anti-Bolshevik White Army made their last stand. History of construction, "Pray For Rain: Crimea's Dry-Up A Headache For Moscow, Dilemma For Kyiv", "Crimea Drills For Water As Crisis Deepens In Parched Peninsula", "Geographical Survey of the Crimean region", "Climate in Crimea, Weather in Yalta: How Often Does it Rain in Crimea? [56] The number of tourist arrivals reached a record in 2012 at 6.1million. Bakhchisarai (15321783). [21], The north and centre of Crimea fell to the Mongol Golden Horde, although the south coast was still controlled by the Christian Principality of Theodoro and Genoese colonies. Many of these sanctions were directed at individualsboth Russian and Crimean. Just south of Kerch the new Crimean Bridge (opened in 2018) connects Crimea to the Taman Peninsula. Seventy-five percent of the remaining area of Crimea consists of semiarid prairie lands, a southward continuation of the PonticCaspian steppe, which slope gently to the northwest from the foothills of the Crimean Mountains. Chersonesus St.Volodymyr Cathedral. ), NPO Saturn with Perm PMZ; either GTD-110M modified or GTE-160 or 180 units or UTZ KTZ or a V94.2 bought by MAPNA, modified in Russian plants for PGU Thermal plants specifics. Several times a week Simferopol is also linked with Volgograd, Sochi, Yekaterinburg, Omsk and even Murmansk by train. [48] As well, winds from the southwest bring very warm and wet air from the subtropical latitudes of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean sea and cause precipitation during fall and winter. Until 2014 the network was part of the Cisdneper Directorate of the Ukrainian Railways. Exports, including the above, account. One of the modern Ukrainian drilling rigs stolen by Russia during the annexation of the Crimea. [Video - World War II Underwater Graveyard Discovered]. Also Read:Russia-Ukraine war: Here's how the crisis unfolded -- a timeline. A foothold in the country would mean an economic driver, energy security, and a strong and secure strategic position. Much of the natural border between the Crimean Peninsula and the Ukrainian mainland comprises the Sivash or "Rotten Sea", a large system of shallow lagoons stretching along the western shore of the Sea of Azov. A natural resource might be any natural substance that humans utilise. Water is clear and fresh. The south coast remained Greek in culture for almost two thousand years including under Roman successor states, the Byzantine Empire (3411204 CE), the Empire of Trebizond (12041461 CE), and the independent Principality of Theodoro (ended 1475 CE). [49] Winters are mild at lower altitudes (in the foothills) and colder at higher altitudes. Besides the isthmus of Perekop, the peninsula is connected to the Kherson Oblast's Henichesk Raion by bridges over the narrow Chonhar and Henichesk straits and over Kerch Strait to the Krasnodar Krai. Ukrainian president Zelenskiy drew attention to this fact in August 2022 when he stated that it was "necessary to liberate Crimea" from Russian occupation and to re-establish "world law and order". The country's geostrategic position has rendered it susceptible to the ongoing larger conflict between Russia and the West. Heres how it works. From west to east are: Heracles Peninsula; Balaklava/Symbalon/Cembalo, a smaller natural harbor south of Sevastopol; Foros, the southernmost point; Alupka with the Vorontsov Palace (Alupka); Gaspra; Yalta; Gurzuf; Alushta. [63] Scelioninae and Tachinidae are important parasitoids of sunnpest. [36] The largest rivers are the Salhyr (Salr, ), the Kacha (), the Alma (), and the Belbek (). For Russia, the Black Sea is of particular importance for economic and geostrategic reasons. Long-distance trains provided connection to every major Ukrainian cities, but also to many towns of Russia, Belarus and until the end of the 2000es even to Vilnius, Riga, Warsaw and Berlin. His desire is reflected by the Russian military's continued encroachment into eastern Ukraine for the past several years. Gazprom is Russia's largest company and, as of 2019, was the world's largest publicly-owned natural gas firm. Crimea has its own legislative body the 100-member Supreme Council of Crimea and executive power is held by a Council of Ministers, which is headed by a chairman who serves with the approval of the president of Ukraine. Posted by: Manali, Feb 25, 2022, 1:00 PM IST. [61], Agriculture in the region includes cereals, vegetable-growing, gardening, and wine-making, particularly in the Yalta and Massandra regions. Local trains belong to the Yuzhnaya Prigorodnaya Passazhirskaya Kompaniya (Southern Suburban Passenger Company), serving the entire network of the peninsula and via the Crimean Bridge three trains daily to Anapa. Oil shale reserves (3.7 billion tons) have been discovered at the border of the Kirovohrad and Cherkasy regions. Russia's seizure of Crimea in 2014 and much of the rest of Ukraine's Black Sea coast this year means that Moscow now has control over an estimated 80 percent of Ukraine's massive offshore . Greeks colonized its southern fringe and were absorbed by the Roman and Byzantine Empires and successor states while remaining culturally Greek. [48] Because a high-pressure system is located north of Crimea in both summer and winter, winds predominantly come from the north and northeast year-round. [77][78] By 1969 it had an area of 3.2km2 (1.2sqmi), and consisted of 150 buildings. By Alexander_Kudrin. II, v 9.5) refer variously to the Strait of Kerch as the (Kimmerikos Bosporos, romanized spelling, Bosporus Cimmerius), its easternmost part as the (Kimmerion Akron, Roman name: Promontorium Cimmerium),[2] as well as to the city of Cimmerium and thence the name of the Kingdom of the Cimmerian Bosporus ( ). As of late 2019, known Ukrainian reserves amounted to 1.09 trillion cubic meters of natural gas, second only to Norway's known resources of 1.53 trillion cubic meters. For example, the number of jobs since the start of the occupation fell down by 25%. Though the United States, along with many other nations and the U.N., has refused to recognize the validity of Russia's annexation of Crimea, its control remains disputed between both Ukraine and the Russian Federation. [7], The vine mealybug (Planococcus ficus) was first discovered here in 1868. Natural reserves of Crimea are six objects on the territory of which plants, animals, landscapes and ecosystems are carefully preserved. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of energy resources in the annexation of Crimea. Inside these zones, countries. Further development plans consist a bypass line between Simferopol and Kerch, and a complete electrification of the network with changing the voltage of the already electrified lines from 3 kV DC to 25 kV 50Hz AC. Boeing, in a statement on January 31, said that the tensions over Ukraine create an "adverse climate" for its business. His freelance writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times and TheWeek.com. Live Universal Awareness Map Liveuamap is a leading independent global news and information site dedicated to factual reporting of a variety of important topics including conflicts, human rights issues, protests, terrorism, weapons deployment, health matters, natural disasters, and weather related stories, among others, from a vast array . When the Bolsheviks secured Crimea, it became an autonomous soviet republic within Russia. This power production is set to be bolstered by the building of and near start up of two combined cycle gas steam turbo thermal plants PGU, both providing 470 MW (116 167 MW GT, 235 MW block), a build (plant) by TPE along others with turbines provided by Power Machines (UTZ KalugaTZ? According to Reuters, Crimea may nationalize oil and gas assets within its borders belonging to Ukraine, and sell them off to Russia. Crimea's Deputy Prime Minister hinted at the possibility. In 1921 the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was created as part of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. Suggestions argued in various sources include: Other suggestions either unsupported or contradicted by sources, apparently based on similarity in sound, include: The spelling "Crimea" is the Italian form, i.e., la Crimea, since at least the 17th century[17] and the "Crimean peninsula" becomes current during the 18th century, gradually replacing the classical name of Tauric Peninsula in the course of the 19th century. A number of dams have created reservoirs; among the largest are the Simferopolskoye, Alminskoye,[43] the Taygansky and the Belogorsky just south of Bilohirsk in Bilohirsk Raion. These are the resources that are found in the environment and are developed without the intervention of humans. [26] It was occupied by Germany from 1942 to 1944 during the Second World War. natural resource, any biological, mineral, or aesthetic asset afforded by nature without human intervention that can be used for some form of benefit, whether material (economic) or immaterial. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, Interestingly, China was the largest importer of Ukrainian titanium iron ores in 2021, with Russia on the second spot (15.3 per cent), and Turkey ranked third (14.5 per cent). 2. They were also known as slave traders who raided lands as far north as modern-day Poland. What is considered a "resource" (or, for that matter, "natural") has varied over time and from one society to another. [79] After the breaking up of the Young Pioneers in 1991 its prestige declined, though it remained a popular vacation destination. [109][110][111] This was part of the 800,000 Germans in Russia who were relocated within the Soviet Union during Stalinist times. A major source of prosperity in these times were frequents raids into Russia for slaves. [32] Russia then claimed to have annexed Crimea, although most countries still recognize Crimea as part of Ukraine.[33]. Crimean Tatars, a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority who in 2001 made up 12.1% of the population,[107] formed in Crimea in the early modern era, after the Crimean Khanate had come into existence. Russia is opposed to NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) in its backyard, a position which is non-negotiable. Artek is a former Young Pioneer camp on the Black Sea in the town of Hurzuf, near Ayu-Dag, established in 1925. Crimea. The country gets 55 per cent of its natural gas from Russia, and the bulk of it goes through Ukraine, which earns a transit fee equivalent to $7 billion. In the 1440s the Crimean Khanate formed out of the collapse of the horde[23] but quite rapidly itself became subject to the Ottoman Empire, which also conquered the coastal areas which had kept independent of the Khanate. The 1897 Russian Empire Census for the Taurida Governorate reported: 196,854 (13.06%) Crimean Tatars, 404,463 (27.94%) Russians and 611,121 (42.21%) Ukrainians. ", "Crimea opens the largest and most beautiful airport in Russia's south", "New terminal of Simferopol airport opened at Crimea", "Australia imposes sanctions on Russians after annexation of Crimea from Ukraine", "Japan imposes sanctions against Russia over Crimea independence", "EU sanctions add to Putin's Crimea headache", "Special Economic Measures (Ukraine) Regulations", "Australia and sanctions Consolidated List Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade", "Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain third countries with the Council Decision 2014/145/CFSPconcerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine", "Crimea hit by multiple sanctions as power, transport and banking communications are cut off", "Visa and MasterCard quit Crimea over US sanctions", "Sanctions trump patriotism for Russian banks in Crimea", "Kyiv vows to restore Ukrainian rule over Crimea to re-establish 'world law and order', "Results of Census: Population of Crimea is 2.284 Million People - Information agency "Krym Media", "Regions of Ukraine / Autonomous Republic of Crimea", "Census of the population is transferred to 2016", "Results / General results of the census / Linguistic composition of the population / Autonomous Republic of Crimea", administrative divisions of the Taurida Governorate, "The First General Census of the Russian Empire of 1897 Taurida Governorate", " Weekly . "Shortly before the occupation, agreements were . In Photos: Amazing Ruins of the Ancient World, Video - World War II Underwater Graveyard Discovered. When . The Dobra and Donetsk mines were up for grabs and there has been cut-throat competition between Chinese Chengxin Lithium and Australia-listed European Lithium, and both the companies want a foothold in the European lithium industry. Caffa: Early Western Expansion in the Late Medieval World, 12611475., These numbers exclude the population numbers for Berdyansky, Dneprovsky and Melitopolsky Uyezds, which were on mainland. Alexander Pushkin visited Bakhchysarai in 1820 and later wrote the poem The Fountain of Bakhchisaray. Simferopol, Yalta and Alushta also have an urban and suburban trolleybus network. As a result of the Ukrainian water blockade of Crimea, Moscow may also be . The one industry that could be majorly impacted should the Ukraine-Russia clash intensify, is the aircraft industry, mainly because titanium is an important component used in the manufacture of aeroplanes. It was colonized by the ancient Greeks beginning in the seventh century BCE along with other areas of the northern Black Sea coast. It was often fortified and sometimes garrisoned by the Turks. NY 10036. "We are scared for our families, for our children.". Artek was considered to be a privilege for Soviet children during its existence, as well as for children from other communist countries. Furthermore, the natural gas that Russia sends to Europe travels largely through pipelines that snake across the Ukrainian landscape. In the 13th century, some Crimean port cities were controlled by the Venetians and by the Genovese, but the interior was much less stable, enduring a long series of conquests and invasions. In terms of natural gas, the country has around 1.09 trillion cubic meters, which is an incredible amount. The southern coast gradually consolidated into the Bosporan Kingdom which was annexed by Pontus and then became a client kingdom of Rome from 63 BCE to 341 CE. which is highly dependent on Russian natural gas and requires the unanimous assent of 27 . Actually, Crimea is being debased. However, Ukraine's current government wants to not only join NATO but also be a part of the European Union (EU). All are natural resources that play critical roles in the clean energy technology essential to the shift away from fossil fuels that scientists say is necessary to ward off the worst consequences . A senior Pentagon official has called the war's frontlines in Ukraine a "grinding slog" as he said that Russian forces are unlikely to make significant . [48] Maritime influences from the Black Sea are restricted to coastal areas; in the interior of the peninsula the maritime influence is weak and does not play an important role. Soviet leader Joseph Stalin may have dealt the Tatars their cruelest blow: By shipping food out of Crimea to central Russia in the 1920s, Stalin starved hundreds of thousands of Tatars. [78], In the 1990s, Crimea became more of a get-away destination than a "health-improvement" destination. most of Ukraine consists of fertile plains (steppes) and plateaus, mountains being found only in the west (the Carpathians), and in the Crimean Peninsula in the extreme south Natural Resources: iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, sulfur, graphite, titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, timber, arable land Natural Hazards: NA Taras Kuzio is a Research Fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, London, and Professor of Political Science at the National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy. Economic development is slowing down. Unlike the other southern ports, Feodosia has no mountains to its north. The Krymchaks (but not the Karaites) were targeted for annihilation during Nazi occupation. [118], Painting of the Russian squadron in Sevastopol by Ivan Aivazovsky (1846), The grave of Russian poet and artist Maximilian Voloshin, People at the Kazantip music festival in 2007, Following Crimea's vote to join Russia and subsequent annexation in March 2014, the top football clubs withdrew from the Ukrainian leagues. 1. During its heyday, 27,000 children a year vacationed at Artek. On the south side is the large Donuzlav Bay and the port and ancient Greek settlement of Yevpatoria/Kerkinitis/Gzleve. Russia has been strategically developing its natural gas resources to isolate Ukraine and to make it more difficult from an economic perspective for the Unitied States and its allies to assist. These substances are used in numerous fields of activity, and their importance is especially great in the construction industry. Ethnic composition of Crimea's population has changed dramatically since the early 20th century. [49] A subtropical, Mediterranean climate dominates the southern coastal regions, is characterized by mild winters and moderately hot, dry summers. The terrain that lies south of the sheltering Crimean Mountain range is of an altogether different character. Geographers generally divide the peninsula into three zones: the steppe, the Crimean Mountains, and the Southern Coast. Among the many natural resources can be identified the main minerals of Crimea in short: Fossils of sedimentary origin; Fossils of volcanic origin; Fossils of marine origin. Marc Lallanilla has been a science writer and health editor at About.com and a producer with ABCNews.com. We simply do not know. The republic also possesses two oil fields: one onshore, the Serebryankse oil field in Rozdolne, and one offshore, the Subbotina oil field in the Black Sea. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. [50] In July mean temperatures range from 15.4C (59.7F) in Ai-Petri to 23.4C (74.1F) in the central parts of Crimea to 24.4C (75.9F) in Myskhor. However, Gazprom's Nord Stream II pipeline which goes through the Baltic Sea might have hit a major roadblock with the Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. The southeast coast is flanked at a distance of 812 kilometres (5.07.5mi) from the sea by a parallel range of mountains: the Crimean Mountains. By annexing Ukrainian land on the Black Sea coast, Putin also annexes the rights to any hydrocarbons found in its maritime zones. To illustrate, the US' Boeing has broadened its titanium supply chain since 2014, when Russia was sanctioned for its annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, however, it is still heavily reliant on Russia's VSMPO-AVISMA -- world's largest manufacturer of titanium -- for the supply of the metal. The Crimean Peninsula is connected to Ukraine by two narrow necks of land, making it more like an island with two natural land bridges than simply a bit of land jutting out into the sea. [63] Bark beetles are pests of tree crops, and are themselves hosts for Elattoma mites and various entomopathogenic fungi transmitted by those Elattomae. [53], According to the International Transport Workers' Federation, as of 2013[update] there were at least 12 operating merchant seaports in Crimea. Photo: NASA, Public domain. In May 2015, work began on a multibillion-dollar road-rail link (a pair of parallel bridges) across the Kerch Strait. [39], There are more than fifty salt lakes and salt pans on the peninsula. The resources of the region can ultimately add further steam to the Russian economy, which in 2021 looked to fuel, energy and steel for 65% of its exports. But the semiarid climate that makes Crimea such a popular tourist destination also makes the peninsula largely dependent on Ukraine for water, as well as about 70 percent of its food, according to Slate. Lithium chemicals are the main component of electric vehicle (EV) batteries. Older plants in operation include the Sevastopol TEC (close to Inkerman) which uses AEG and Ganz Elektro turbines and turbogenerators generating about 25 MW each, Sinferopol TEC (north, in Agrarne locale) Yepvatoria, Kamysh Burun TEC (Kerch south Zaliv) and a few others. [45], Crimea is facing an unprecedented water shortage crisis.[46][47]. The ultimate action-packed science and technology magazine bursting with exciting information about the universe, Subscribe today and save an extra 5% with checkout code 'LOVE5', Engaging articles, amazing illustrations & exclusive interviews, Issues delivered straight to your door or device. [29] A 1997 treaty partitioned the Soviet Black Sea Fleet, allowing Russia to continue basing its fleet in Sevastopol, with the lease extended in 2010. . Lithium fields in Ukraine are concentrated in Zaporizhzhia oblast (Kruta Balka area), Donetsk (Shevchenkivske field), and Kirovohrad (Polokhivske field, Dobra area). [92], According to the 2014 Russian census, 84% of Crimean inhabitants named Russian as their native language; 7.9% Crimean Tatar; 3.7% Tatar; and 3.3% Ukrainian. The courts, however, are part of the judicial system of Ukraine and have no autonomous authority. But propaganda aside, perhaps the answer is more simple: oil and gas. Crimea (/ k r a m i / kry-MEE-) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014.It has a population of 2.4 million. Due to the temporary occupation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, Ukraine has lost the opportunity to exploit the Scythian section of the Black Sea shelf, where gas production was to begin in 2017.