Geography:
The Crimea Peninsula is situated in the Black Sea the South of the Ukraine and is connected with the mainland by an isthmus of 8 km. The capital is Simferopol.
Area: 29,590 km2.


People:
Population:

The total population of Crimea is approximately 2,5 million of which 12% are Crimean Tatars (275.000), 68% are Russian, 23% Ukrain and 3% Belorussian, Armenian, Greek, German and Karaim. 90% of this population settled in Crimes after the entire Crimean Tatar population had been deported by Stalin in 1944.

Languages:

There are three state languages - Russian, Ukrainian and Tatar (which belongs to the Turkish group of languages). Russian is the official language used by the Government.

Economy:

Main resources are coal, iron, manganese, oil, gypsum and alabaster and the economy is based mainly on farming, fishing, metallurgical industries and coastal tourism.

Brief History:

9th -13th century Turkic tribes and Mongol Tatars entered the region.
14th -17th century The Crimean formed its own Khanate as a part of Ottoman empire.
1783 Russian Cossacks occupied the Crimea.

1917 - 1918 The Crimea briefly declared its independence. In the years that followed approximately 1,25 million people fled to Turkey, Romania and Caucasus.

1928 The Crimea received the status of Autonomous Soviet Republic.

1941 German troops invaded the Crimea.

1944 Soviet troops reconqued the peninsula and deported the entire Crimean Tatars population.
1967 The Parliament of the Soviet Union officially recognised the injustice of the deportation of the Crimean Tatars ordered by Stalin but still forbade Crimean Tatars to return to their homeland.

1988 Crimean Tatars were officially allowed to return to their homeland.

1991 The Crimean Tatars Parliament, ”Milli Mejlis” was founded and national sovereignty declared.

1996 A new Constitution of the Ukraine was adapted containing all the safeguards for a democratic, non-ethnic state and granting everyone the right to have a free choice to residence.

Current situation:

Crimean Tatars made progress in the struggle for recognition of their rights and for resettlement of repatriated Tatars. Tensions with the Russian-dominated government of the Crimea continue. A project sponsored by United Nations Development Program, is providing assistance in the area of housing and other facilities.

Organizations:
The Crimean Tatars are represented by their movement, the Crimean Tatars Parliament ”Milli Mejlis” in the UNPO.