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  Category: Articles » Travel & Leisure » Travel Tips & Advice » Article
 

Crimean Peninsula, Ukraine -- the Earth in Miniature, Part 1




By Dina DeVries

Without any exaggeration one can say that the Crimean Peninsula (Crimea) is one of the most dramatically beautiful coastal areas in the world. Does it sound like a commonplace phrase? Yes, it does. But it doesn't make the Crimean Peninsula less attractive and amazing. Crimea is the easternmost part of Ukraine jutting from the northern coast of the Black Sea. It really deserved its name - "the Earth in Miniature".

The Crimean Peninsula is not that big: 150 miles at its widest point from east to west and 100 miles from north to south. Its population is 1,994,500 inhabitants (2005). This small peninsula, like our Mother Earth, has accumulated so much of everything that it never stops to amaze you. Let's imagine that one pretty chilly evening in late spring you get on the train in Kiev and next morning arrive in Crimea's capital the city of Simferopol.

Do you think you just would have moved from one place in Ukraine to another? No, you would have arrived in a different world. Once you step on Crimean land, you realize it right away. What is that special about Crimea? The list of the Crimean natural and historical treasures can be very long. Let's mention only few of them.

1. Warm sunny weather. The average amount of sun shine hours per year for Simferopol is about 2490. Compare to 1440 hours in London, 1770 in Paris, 2160 in Varna, 2400 in Barcelona, 2490 in Naples. You can usually swim in the Black Sea from the early May to the mid October.

2. The Crimean Peninsula has more than 300 mi of beaches. It makes the Black Sea a paradise for swimming, yachting, windsurfing, scuba diving, and etc. There is one more excellent news about the sea. There aren't any sharks and stinging jellyfish in the Black Sea. Isn't it great?!

3. An incredible combination of varied scenery and climate amazes by its diversity and constant change. Northern and central part of the Crimean Peninsula is plain steppe. While the Crimean Mountains run three ridges from Sevastopol to Feodosia along the southern coast of the peninsula. They protect about a 2 miles wide strip of the Black Sea coast from the strong winds, making a subtropical paradise of beaches, orchards, vineyards and gardens.

4. The Crimean Peninsula has been traditionally a healing place. It is famous for the healing water of the Black Sea, low level of humidity (about 65-70% average), and the special healing mud.

5.There are about 2775 species of wild growing and more than 750 cultivated plants in Crimea. 280 of them are endemic plants (10 per cent of the flora!). Very many species of Crimean plants contain biologically active components of potential medical value.

6.There are about 10,000 kinds of invertebrate and 400 kinds of vertebrate animals in Crimea. Due to its geographic position Crimean Peninsula is a remote area for animal migrations. The diverse Crimean fauna doesn't have a large quantity of individuals in each species. 196 of them are already listed in the "Red Book" of Ukraine and are protected by the state.

7.Crimea in an ideal place for outdoor activity. Rock climbing has always been the most popular sport in Crimea. Hiking, cycling, and mountain bike tours are available for everybody from 8 to 80 years old. Not to mention more "exotic" kinds of outdoor activity: spelaeology, horse riding, gliding, hang-gliding, and sight-seeing in helicopters.

8.The Crimean Peninsula is famous for its wines. 290 frost-free days allow the grapes to be harvested ripe which adds natural sweetness to the wine. Wine making in Crimea counts many centuries of history and traditions. Crimean wines are bright, mildly ardent, fragrant, and highly valued all over the world.

The history of this land is even richer than its nature. Each area of Crimea you visit reminds you of Crimean history which goes back hundreds and thousands of years. But this is a subject for Chapter # 2 of this article.

If you would like to know more about Crimean Peninsula, please visit http://www.ukraine-travel-advisor.com/Crimean-peninsula.html


 
 
About the Author
Dina DeVries is the founder of http://www.ukraine-travel-advisor.com/ - your source of practical information about travel to Ukraine. You will find a lot of insider tips about traditional Ukrainian culture, popular tourist areas, practical information necessary for visiting Ukraine.

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  Some other articles by Dina DeVries
Ukraine Culture -- Some Facts and Statistics
Ask anyone what Ukraine's culture is. Someone will mention Ukrainian folk songs and dances. Another will remember Ukrainian language or national cuisine. Their answers will never be ...

  
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