Kamchatka

Kamchatka, oblast, eastern Russia. The oblast includes the entire Kamchatka Peninsula and a small part of the mainland. The peninsula extends southwest from the mainland for a distance of about 1,210 km (about 750 mi), separating the Sea of Okhotsk from the Bering Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The capital and chief city is the port of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy. The autonomous okrug of Koryakia, occupying the northern section of the peninsula, and the Komandorskiye Islands, situated in the Bering Sea, are attached to the Kamchatka Oblast for administrative purposes.

The peninsula is traversed by two active volcanic mountain ranges extending from northwest to southeast and set apart by a wide, level, central area. The highest peak is Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano in the eastern range, which rises to a height of 4,750 m (15,584 ft). A tundra region, averaging about 650 m (about 2,100 ft) above sea level, forms the western coast of the peninsula, and the eastern coast is bordered by cliffs. The principal river, the Kamchatka, empties into the Bering Sea near Ust’-Kamchatsk. Fishing is the chief industry in this area. Hunting is also of economic importance; the Kamchatka region has an abundance of animals such as polar bear, deer, seal, sable, otter, and mountain sheep. Natural resources include oil, gold, iron, copper, coal, and sulfur. Potatoes, vegetables, and grain are grown. The inhabitants of Kamchatka include Koryaks, Kamchadals, Chinese, Koreans, Russians, and Tungus. Area, about 472,000 sq km (about 182,000 sq mi). Population, 358,800 (2002)