Republic of Karelia: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

See Karelia (disambiguation) for other meanings of the name.

The Republic of Karelia (Russian: Респу́блика Каре́лия; Karelian: Karjalan Tazavalla) is an autonomous republic in the Northwestern Federal District of Russia. The capital is the city of Petrozavodsk (pop. 280,000) situated on the shore of Onego lake. It borders the Leningrad Oblast, Vologda Oblast, Murmansk Oblast (Kola peninsula), Arkhangelsk Oblast of Russia, Lappland in Finland, and the White Sea. Karelia is called Karjala in Finnish.

The Republic of Karelia is located in the north-western part of Russian Federation, taking intervening position between the basins of Barents and Baltic seas. The total territory of Karelia is 172,400 km² with a population of about 716,300 people (as of 2002).

Russian: Респу́блика Каре́лия Российская Федерация 
Karelian: Karjalan Tazavalla

(Full Size) (Full size)
National motto: None
Official language	Karelian (Finnish), Russian
Capital	Petrozavodsk
President	Sergey Katanandov
Prime Minister	Pavel Chernov
Area - Total - % water	Ranked 23rd 172,400 km² Negligible
Population  - Total (census 2002)  - Density	(not ranked) 716,300 4/km²
Currency	Russian Rouble
Time zone	UTC +3
National anthem	Gimn Respubliki Karelija/ Karjalan tasavallan hymni
Calling Code	7 (Russia)

History

Main article: History of Republic of Karelia

Historically Karelia was a region to the northwest of Russia, east of present-day Finland. From the 13th century and onwards various parts were conquered by Sweden, and incorporated into Swedish Karelia until they were lost to Russia by the Treaty of Åbo in the middle or the 18th century.

In 1923 the province became the Karelian ASSR (Karelian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic). From 1940 it was made into the Karelo-Finnish SSR, incorporating the Finnish Democratic Republic created during the Winter War. Occupied terriotories incorporated into Karelo-Finnish SSR after Winter War but not after Continuation War. Name was changed back to a ASSR in 1956. During the Continuation War in 1941 Finland occupied parts of the area but was forced to withdraw in 1944.

Main article: Politics of Karelia

The autonomous Republic of Karelia was formed on November 13, 1991.

Main article: Geography of Karelia

In the northeast, the Republic is washed by the White Sea with a shore line of 630 km; in the west Karelia borders on Finland (border line length approx. 700 km); in the north, on Arkhangelsk Oblast; in the south, on Vologda and Leningrad Oblasts of the Russian Federation.

The most part of the republic's territory (148,00 km², or 85%) is comprised of state forest stock. The total growing stock of timber resources in the forests of all categories and ages is 807 million m³. The mature and overmature tree stock amounts to 411.8 million m³, of which 375.2 million m³ is coniferous.

There are 27,000 rivers and over 60,000 lakes in Karelia. Lake Ladoga and Lake Onego are the largest lakes in Europe. Lakes and swamps contain about 2,000 km³ of high-quality fresh water. 50 useful minerals are found in Karelia, located in more than 400 deposits and orebearing layers.

Districts and volosts (rural districts)

Republic of Karelia consists of 15 districts (Russian: районы) and 1 volost (rural district) (Russian: волость):

• Belomorsky (Беломорский)
• Kalevalsky (Калевальский)
• Kemsky (Кемский)
• Kondopozhsky (Кондопожский)
• Lakhdenpokhsky (Лахденпохский)
• Loukhsky (Лоухский)
• Medvezhyegorsky (Медвежьегорский)
• Muyezersky (Муезерский)
• Olonetsky (Олонецкий)
• Pitkyarantsky (Питкярантский)
• Prionezhsky (Прионежский)
• Pryazhinsky (Пряжинский)
• Pudozhsky (Пудожский)
• Segezhsky (Сегежский)
• Suoyarvsky (Суоярвский)
• Vepsskaya (Veps) National Volost (Вепсская национальная волость)

Major cities and towns

• Petrozavodsk (Петрозаводск)
• Medvezhyegorsk (Медвежьегорск)
• Kondopoga (Кондопога)
• Segezha (Сегежа)
• Unitsa (Уница)

Main article: Culture of Karelia

The Karelian language is close to Finnish, and has in recent years become considered a dialect of Finnish. Finnish and Russian are the official languages of the republic.

Main article: Demographics of Karelia

Karelia is populated chiefly by Russians and (ethnically Finnic) Karelians. There are about 780,000 inhabitants in the Republic of Karelia, of whom 73% are registered as Russians, and 11% as Karelians.

• Sami music
• Pegrema
• Karelian Isthmus