In the 15th century, Crimea, formerly dominated by the Golden Horde Mongols, came under the influence of the Ottoman Empire. They built mosques Islamic schools, mausoleums, and public water systems. Russia annexed Crimea in 1783, resulting in suffering among the Tatar.
From 1854 to 1856 Crimea became a battleground of Turkey and Russia, with the British and French siding with Turkey. In 1921, while populated largely by Tatars, Crimea became an autonomous republic under the Russian SSR even though it shared no border with Russia. During World War II, heavy fighting took place on Crimea. Following three years of German occupation, Stalin falsely accused the Tatars of collaboration, deported them, and transferred the area to the Russian SSR.
In 1954 Crimea was awarded to Ukraine in commemoration of the 300th anniversary of Russian-Ukrainian unity. After the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991, it became an independent state within the boundaries of Ukraine.
In 1998 Crimean parliamentarians worked with representatives of the Ukrainian executive and legislative branches to draft a separate constitution. Adopted December 23, 1998, the new Constitution allows Crimea to have its own government legislature, to keep its own revenues, and to enter foreign trade agreements.