Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 05.djvu/668

* CHIME A. 576 CBIMEA. tory from east to west to nearly 200 miles, the breadth being 110 miles. The area is about 9800 snuaro niiks. The coast is very uiucli broken ami indented, particularly on the side bordering on the Sea of Azov. The northern portion is a continuation of the southern Russian steppes, and is of argillaceous formation. Along the side facing the southeast there is a highland region, the Yaila Mountains, forming the waterslied. These mountains rise to a height of over 5000 feet, their most interesting peak being tne Teliatir Dagh (Tent Mountain), the Mons Trapezus of the ancients. The streams rise in the southeast coast highlands, and while a few very sliort ones tlow toward the east and south- east, most of the drainage goes into the Bay of Kalaniita, the Gulf of Perekop, and the Sivash or Putrid Sea, which is a portion of the Sea of Azov almost cut off from it by the tongue-like peninsula of Arabat. The northwest section of the Crimea has but little iluvial drainage. The southern district of the peninsula rises with steep slopes from the sea, while spurs and secondary chains extend northward. These are richly wooded, but the beautiful intermediate valleys gradually sink into the uniform and desolate steppe which forms the northern and much greater part of the peninsula. The southern district of the Crimea is well cultivated, and is adorned by many country-seats of the nobles, with parks and gardens surpassed by none in Europe. The famous Imperial couiitiy-seat of Livadia is situ- ated near the southern extremity of the peninsula. Tatar villages, mosques, and Greek convents are to be seen in most picturesque situations among the woods and rocks, with many ruins of ancient fortresses. The southeast highland region produces a rich and varied flora. On the northern slojies and valleys grow hardy fruit and various forest trees; in the central mountain region are forests of oak, beech, elm, and other deciduous trees of central Eurojie; while on the higher southern slope the pine occurs, and at lower altitudes the vegetation is Mediterranean in character and the vine and the olive flourish. Grain of vari- ous kinds is produced abundantly, and silk, wax, and honey. Some small rodents, hares, and foxes are the chief mammals ; reptiles and in- sects are not numerous. ^lueli attention is be- stowed upon horses, oxen, and sheep, in which no small jiart of the wealth of the country con- sists. The northern part of the Crimea is in every way a contrast to the southern. Apart from the general sterility of the region, the air is contaminated by exhalations from marshes, and from the Sivash. The climate of the Crimea varies considei-ably for such a slight extent in latitude. The northern part has cold winters and hot summers, while in the southern part the win- ters are warm and the heat of the summer is tem- pered by proximity to the sea. The chief industry of the Crimea is agriculture. The raising of cereals is carried on mostly by the Russians and the colonists, chiefly Germans, while the Tatars and Greeks are engaged pri- marily in gardening. Owing to the scarcity of labor and the prevalence of large holdings, agri- culture in the Crimea is based on modern lines. and the use of agricultural machinery is probably more prevalent there than in any other part of the Empire. The chief cereals raised are wheat, rve, barlev, oats, and corn. The Crimea is one of the principal tobacco-produeing regions of Rus- sia, the product being noted for its high qualities. The cultivation of fruit is extensively developed, the annual exports amounting to over $1,000,000. Vine-gro«ing is one of the oldest industries of the region, and the native vines are widely exjiortcd. The rearing of live-stock (which includes camels) is extensively carried on, and bee-keeping and the raising of silk-worms are among the industries. The manufacturing in- dustries are insignificant. Large quantities of salt are obtained from the salt lakes, which are very numerous. The population, 583,- 893 in 1897, is remarkably heterogeneous. In the country districts the bulk of the inhabitants are Tatars; Iieight, 1.044 meters; cephalic inde.x, 80. They are muscular and noted as porters. Cleanliness and morality are proverbial among them. Among the other non-Russian inhabi- tants are Greeks, Armenians, and Germans. An interesting element in the population are the Ivaraite Jews. The two principal cities of the Crimea are Sebastopol, a great fortress and naval station, and Simferopol, the capital of the Gov- ernment of Taurida. An interesting town is r>akhtchisarai, celebrated as the ancient capital of the Tatar Khans. Hlstory. To the ancients Crimea was 1-aiown as Chersonesiis Taiirica, from the Tauri, a moun- tain tribe of the south, who are supposed to have been the remnants of a Cimmerian people driven out by the Scythians in the seventh cen- tury B.C. In the sixth century B.C. the Greeks of Miletus founded flourishing colonies at Nym- pha?uni, Theodosia, and PantieapiEum (the pres- ent Kertch). About B.C. 500 these cities, to- gether with several other towiis, united to form the Kingdom of Bosporus, which existed till the fifth century a,d,, and embraced, at the period of its greatest extent, the entire peninsula and the eastern coast of the Sea of Azov. The Chersonesus stood in close commercial and social relations with the Greeks of Europe, and especially with the Athenians, who exported from the country great quantities of grain and hides, as well as many slaves. Tn the first centuiy n.c. Parisades, the ruler of Bosporus, hard pres.sed by the Scyth- ians, acknowledged himself the vassal of Mithri- dates of Pontus, and when the latter's son, Phar- naces, was deprived of his possessions in Asia Minor by the Romans, he established himself in the Chersonesus. Under the nominal suzerainty of the Romans, and later of the Byzantines, the Kingdom of Bospoms prospered, till about the beginning probably of the fifth century, when it fell before the Huns. The country, with the exception of the southern coastland, which was held by the Byzantines, was henceforth dev- astated by a succession of barbarian invasions. About the middle of the seventh centur3' the Khazars, a fierce tribe from the region of the Volga, took possession of the peninsula and es- tablished a powerful kingdom there, chiefly re- markable for the fact that the ruler, the entire nobility, and large numbers of the people became zealous adherents of the Jewish faith. In the thirteenth century the country was conquered by the Mongols, and it constituted till about 1430 a part of the Khanate of Kiptchak (q.v.). At the same time the Genoese fouuucd a number of trading colonies on the southern coast, which was known as Gothia. Among these were Cafia ( Kaifa ), on the site of Panticapteum, which be-