Krai

Krai or kray ( _ru. край) is a term used to refer to nine of Russia's 83 federal subjects. The term is often translated as territory, province, country or region.

Etymologically, the word is related with the verb " _ru. кроить" ("kroit'"), i.e., "to cut". [ [http://starling.rinet.ru/cgi-bin/response.cgi?root=%2Fusr%2Flocal%2Fshare%2Fstarling%2Fmorpho&morpho=1&basename=%5Cusr%5Clocal%5Cshare%5Cstarling%5Cmorpho%5Cvasmer%5Cvasmer&first=1&text_word=%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B9&method_word=substring&text_general=&method_general=substring&text_origin=&method_origin=substring&text_trubachev=&method_trubachev=substring&text_editorial=&method_editorial=substring&text_pages=&method_pages=substring&text_any=&method_any=substring&sort=word Etymology of the word] ru icon]

Historically, krais were vast territories located along the periphery of Russia, since the word "krai" also means "border", i.e., "a place of the cut-off".

Currently the administrative usage of the term is mostly traditional, as some oblasts also fit this description and there is no difference in legal status between the krais and the oblasts. [Cite Russian law
ru_date=12 декабря 1993 г
ru_title=Конституция Российской Федерации. Статья 5.
ru_amendment_type=Федерального конституционного закона
ru_amendment_number=5-ФКЗ
ru_amendment_date=21 июля 2007 г
en_date=December 12, 1993
en_title=Constitution of the Russian Federation. Article 5.
en_amendment_type=Federal Constitutional Law
en_amendment_number=5-FKZ
en_amendment_date=July 21, 2007]

Krais in modern Russia are divided into districts ("raions"), as are most other federal subjects.

The name of the country "Ukraine" incorporates the word "krai".

ee also

*Krais of Russia, a list of modern krais
*Krais of Imperial Russia, a list of krais that existed in the Russian Empire
*Kraj, an equivalent term used in the Czech Republic and Slovakia
*Krajina

References