| Republic of Karelia | |
 | |
Location .svg/250px-Map_of_Russia_-_Republic_of_Karelia_(2008-03).svg.png) | |
Coat of arms and flag   | |
| State | Russia |
|---|---|
| Region | Northwestern Russia |
| Capital | Petrozavodsk |
| Surface | 180,520 km² |
| Inhabitants | 634.402 (2014 estimate) |
| Tourism site | |
| Institutional website | |
Republic of Karelia is a region of the Russia.
To know
There Republic of Karelia is one of the 21 autonomous republics of the Russian Federation, with the capital Petrozavodsk. The Republic is located in the north-west of Russia and is between Finland, the White Sea and the Ladoga and Onega lakes. The Republic largely corresponds to the historical and geographical region of Karelia.
Geographical notes
The Republic borders the Murmansk oblast to the north and the White Sea to the east. To the east it borders with the Archangel oblast, to the south-east with that of Vologda and to the south-west with that of St. Petersburg. In the west it has an international border with Finland.
The territory is flat and covered by marshes and more than 50,000 lakes. In the north, the typical vegetation of the tundra prevails while in the central and southern region it is covered by the typical forests of the taiga. To the south on the border of the St. Petersburg oblast is Lake Ladoga (Laatokka in Finnish), the largest in Europe. On the border with the Vologda and Arcangelo oblasts is Lake Onega (Ääninen in Finnish), the second largest lake in Europe. Other important lakes are: Nyukosero (Nuokkijärvi), Pyaosero (Pääjärvi), Segosero (Seesjärvi), Syamosero (Säämäjärvi), Toposero (Tuoppajärvi), Vygosero (Uikujärvi) and the three Kuyto lakes. The longest river is the Kem '. Other important rivers are the Vodla, Kova, Šuja, Suna and Vyg.
The Republic is sparsely populated. The capital is the city of Petrozavodsk located on the western shore of Lake Onega. Other towns bordering Lake Onega are Kondopoga and Medvežegorsk. On Lake Ladoga there is Olonec, the oldest city in Karelia, and the towns of Pitkyaranta and Sortavala. The town of Kem ' it is located on the White Sea at the mouth of the Kem River. A little further south is Belomorsk, which overlooks the Onega Bay of the White Sea. Of the cities of the interior, Segezha, located on the river of the same name, and Kostomukša, near the Finnish border, are worth mentioning.
Background
The Karelia area, corresponding to the former province of Olonets, became part of the Russian RSSF in 1917. In July 1923, the Karelian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (RSSAC) was founded. In 1940 the RSSAC was united with the Finnish Democratic Republic to give life to the Karelian-Finnish Soviet Socialist Republic and kept this name until 1956 when it took the name of the Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic of Karelia. The present Autonomous Republic of Karelia was born on November 13, 1991.
Spoken languages
The Russian it is the official language and is spoken by everyone in Karelia but keep in mind that this wild borderland is largely inhabited by indigenous minorities and therefore it will not be difficult to meet people who speak in vespas, Finnish or Karelian (for which there are bills that aim to make it the second official language).
Territories and tourist destinations
.png/300px-Regions_of_Karelia_(it).png)
Urban centers
Karelia: full screen map.- 1 Kem ' (Кемь) - The city is located almost at the mouth of the Kem 'river, on the banks of the Onega Bay, in the western part of the White Sea about 440 km from Petrozavodsk. The first settlement dates back to the 14th century, it obtained city status in 1785 and is the capital of the Kemskij district
- 2 Kostomukša (Костомукша) - The city is located on the shores of Lake Kontoki about 400 km north of Petrozavodsk. Founded in 1977 after the opening of some important steel factories, it obtained city status in 1983.
- 3 Lachdenpoch'ja (Лахденпохья) - The city is located on the banks of the Aurajoki River, about 330 km west of Petrozavodsk, not far from the Finnish border. It was part of the locality of Jakkima until 1924, when it became independent. It then gained city status in 1945
- 4 Olonec (Oлонец) - Olonec is the oldest documented settlement in Karelia, mentioned by sources in Veliky Novgorod before 1137. Its history is obscure until 1649, when a fortress was built here to protect Muscovy from the Swedes. The same year she was granted municipal rights. Until the Second Northern War, Olonec developed as the main market with Sweden. To the south of the city stretched a belt of fortified abbeys of which the Alexander-Svirsky Monastery was the most important.
- 5 Petrozavodsk (Петрозаводск) - Administrative center of the region.
- 6 Pudož (Пудож) - The city is located on the banks of the Vodla River about 350 km east of Petrozavodsk, not far from Lake Onega.
- 7 Segeža (Сегежа) - The city is located on the shores of Lake Vygozero about 260 km north of Petrozavodsk. Founded in 1914 along the railway line leading to Murmansk, it is the capital of the Segežskij district.
- 8 Sortavala (Сортавала)
Other destinations
- 1 Valaam Archipelago (Валаамский архипелаг) - It is an archipelago located in the north-eastern part of Lake Ladoga, and composed of about 50 largely uninhabited islands as well as a very important monastery.
- 2 Kiži Island (Кижи) - It is an island located in Lake Onega, Republic of Karelia (Medvežegorsk district), Russia, characterized by a set of wooden churches, chapels and houses. It is one of the most famous tourist destinations in Russia, as well as a World Heritage Site UNESCO.
- 3 Marcial'nye vody" (Курорт "Марциальные воды") - The town of Marcial is also called "Russian Spa" because it was born on the orders of Peter the Great, on his return from the city Belgian of Spa, famous for its thermal baths. Thanks to the natural springs of water in the area, this city has become an important spa center Russian.
- 4 Kaleval'sky National Park (Национальный парк Калевальский) - This National Park he is one of the youngest in the region. It was created in 2007 to protect the great Nordic forests from industrial exploitation.
- 5 Paanajarvi National Park (Национальный парк Паанаярви) — Natural Park in the northwest of the Republic.
- 6 Vodlozersky National Park (Национальный парк Водлозерский) - This large park, of almost 4500 km2, includes Lake Vodlozero and is protected by UNESCO as a Biosphere, due to the presence of the typical taiga of northern Russia.
- 7 Kivač Nature Reserve (Заповедник "Кивач") - Also this park it was born for reasons of study and protection of the taiga, but the territory dominated by the Suna river and the Kivač waterfalls, 10 meters high, soon made it an important tourist attraction.
How to get
By plane
The main airport of the region is located in Petrozavodsk, the capital and is served by some domestic flights (Moscow, Archangel, Anapa is Čerepovca). For international flights, the nearest airport is Finland's Helsinki.
By car
The major roads that cross the region are the M10 and the E105 from St.Pietroburgo to Murmansk
Sea trips to and from Karelia are active near Lake Onega and along the Svir River. Ships of the important Volga-Baltic Sea route also pass through here, one of the main river trade routes in the whole of Russia. The Baltic-White Sea section, on the other hand, crosses the region from east to west.
Here are the main ports:
- Ports on Lake Onega: Petrozavodsk, Kondopoga, Medvez'egorsk is Povenec.
- Ports on Lake Ladoga: Pitkjaranta, Sortavala.
- Ports on the White Sea: Kem ' is Belomorsk
There are also numerous small local transport services by river or by sea between nearby cities.
On the train
The entire Karelia is crossed by the railway line Volkhov (Leningrad Oblast) - Murmansk (Murmansk Oblast).
From St.Pietroburgo instead, direct trains leave only to Petrozavodsk; From Arcangelo trains to Belomorsk is Kem ' with branches for the rest of Karelia and theMurmansk Oblast.
Finally, local trains leave from the capital Petrozavodsk to various cities of the Republic.
How to get around
What see
What to do
At the table
Safety
Other projects
Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Republic of Karelia
Commons contains images or other files on Republic of Karelia
