Karelia

I

Introduction

Karelia, autonomous republic, north-western Russia, bordering on Finland to the west, the Kandalaksha Gulf and Murmansk Oblast (province) to the north, the White Sea and Archangelsk Oblast to the east, and Vologda and Leningrad oblasts in the south. The republic has an area of 172,400 sq km (66,564 sq mi). Petrozavodsk is the capital.

II

Land and Resources

Karelia comprises predominantly a low, hilly plateau, rising in the west to 576 m (1,890 ft) at Mount Nuorunen, the republic’s highest point. The lowest areas are located near the White Sea and the many lakes that have filled the hollows scoured in the surface of the plain during the last Ice Age. At the entrance to Onega Bay are the Solovetskiye Islands (Solovki), an archipelago consisting of six islands, with an area of 347 sq km (134 sq mi).Lakes Ladoga and Onega—the largest lakes in Europe—form large stretches of the republic’s southern borders; other sizeable bodies of water include Vygozero, Topozero, Piaozero, and Segozero lakes. The largest rivers are the Kem, Vyg, and Keret, which flow into the White Sea, and the Vodla, Suna, and Shuia, which flow into Lake Onega. Most of the land area, and 85 per cent of the total area of the republic, is covered by forests of pine, birch, and fir.

Winters are long and inland waters are frozen for almost six months of the year. Summers are cool and relatively humid. Average July temperatures range from 14° to 16° C (57.2° to 60.8° F), while average February temperatures range from -9° to -13° C (25.8° to 8.6° F). Annual precipitation ranges from 600 mm (23 in) in the south-west to 400 to 500 mm (15 to 19 in) in the north.

III

Population

Karelia has a population (of 756,400 (2002 estimate), some 75 per cent of whom live in urban areas. The republic has an average population density of 4.2 people per sq km (11 per sq mi). Petrozavodsk has a population of about 282,000 (1997 estimate). Other major towns are Sortavala, Kem, Kondoroga, Medvezh'egorsk, Belomorsk, and Segezha.

Almost 77 per cent of the population is classified as Russian (2002 census), and only 9.2 per cent as Karelian. The other major groups are Belorussians (5.3 per cent) and Ukrainians (2.7 per cent). Karelians are a Finnish people who speak a Finno-Ugric language that has three major dialects: Karelian (closest to Finnish), Livonian, and Lude. Written Karelian dates from the 13th century; the Finnish Karelian epic, the Kalevala, was first published in 1835. Traditionally, the predominant religion in Karelia was the Russian Orthodox Church. The Solovetskiye Islands have been an important Orthodox monastic centre since the 15th century and were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. Lutheranism has become increasingly widespread in Karelia, following the arrival of many Swedish settlers in the republic. There is also a small Muslim minority.

IV

Economy

A number of minerals are mined, including mica, quartz, marble, granite, iron, and copper. Wood-based industries, including paper, cellulose, and furniture production, are important. Other industries include machine-building, chemical plants, metalworking, and the production of building materials. Karelia's lakes and rivers support hydroelectric power stations and a significant fishing industry. Agriculture is limited by the climate, but dairy- and poultry-farming are practised and potatoes and vegetables are grown; there is also some fur farming. The republic is connected by rail, road, and air with major cities, and shipping is possible on lakes Ladoga and Onega and the White Sea-Baltic Canal.