The Crimean Autonomous Republic occupies a peninsula about the size of the state of Maryland. Geographically the land mass is an extension, of Ukraine, while historically it has a greater association with Tatar peoples and later with Russia.

Crimea is diverse in terrain, in climate, in flora and fauna, and in cultures. The northern three-quarters i semi-arid steppe land cultivated with wheat, corn, and sunflowers. South of the capital city Simferopol, the plains rise into the high pastures and forests of the Crimean Mountains. These reach a height of 1500 meters (5 000 feet) before dropping away to a narrow coastal strip of stony beaches.
Most of the 2.5 million inhabitants of the Crimean Peninsula - who represent some 100 different ethnic groups - live in the cities and towns that ring the Black Sea coast, especially concentrated along the peninsula's southern edge.