Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky

Infobox Russian city
EnglishName=Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
RussianName=Петропавловск-Камчатский
Skyline=Petropavlovsk Kamchatsky at night.jpg
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LatDeg=53
LatMin=1
LatSec
LonDeg=158
LonMin=39
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LocatorMap
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Flag
CityDay=October 17
FederalSubject=Kamchatka Krai
MunStatus=Urban district
InJurisdictionOf=Kamchatka Krai
AdmCtrOf=Kamchatka Krai
LeaderType=Head
LeaderName=Vladislav Skvortsov
Legislature=City Duma
Charter=Charter of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
Area_km2=400
Population=198028
PopulationRank=93rd
FoundationDate=October 17, 1740
Event1=Town status
Event1Date=April 9, 1812
Event3=Renamed "Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky"
Event3Date=1924
PostalCode=683000 (main)
DialingCode=4152
Website=http://petropavlovsk.kamchatka.ru/

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky ( _ru. Петропа́вловск-Камча́тский) is the main city and the administrative, industrial, scientific, and cultural center of Kamchatka Krai (Russia). Population: 198,028 (2002 Census); 268,747 (1989 Census). Ethnic Russians and Ukrainians make up majority of population. The city itself is home to more people than its neighboring regions Magadan Oblast and Chukotka Autonomous Okrug.

The city is situated on high hills and surrounded by volcanoes. In fact, the horizon cannot be seen clearly from any point of town as volcanoes and mountains are everywhere. Across Avacha Bay from the city is Russia's largest submarine base, the Rybachiy Nuclear Submarine Base, (location and satellite photos: coord|52.92|N|158.49|E|) established during Soviet times and still used by the Russian Navy. [http://www.nti.org/db/nisprofs/russia/naval/nucflt/pacflt/rybachiy.htm]

History

Petropavlovsk city was founded by Russian explorer Vitus Bering. Bering reached Avacha Bay in 1740 and laid the foundation stone for the harbor town. He named the new place "Petropavlovsk" (Peter + Paul) after his two ships, the "St. Peter" and the "St. Paul", built in Okhotsk for his second expedition.

During the 1854–1855 Crimean War, the city's fortress held out during the siege by the Anglo-French forces and never fell.

Petropavlovsk was a great source of fish (particularly salmon) and crab meat for the Soviet Union in the 20th century; however, since the end of the Soviet era fishing rights have been granted to foreign interests.

Climate

The climate is maritime (Köppen "Dfc") and precipitation averages are estimated at mm to in|860, or about three times as much as average in Siberia, with most falling as snow. Temperatures in winter are milder than in Siberia—a typical January day averages C to F|-7.3, while in summer C to F|20 constitutes an average July maximum.

Tourism

The city has developed a tourist infrastructure. About twenty large tourism companies offer a wide range of services from bear hunting to paragliding. No roads connect the Kamchatka Peninsula to the rest of the world. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is the second largest city in the world that cannot be reached by road after Iquitos, Peru. Travel to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is expensive but is growing in popularity because of the remarkable scenery throughout the peninsula. The city is served by Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Airport.

ee also

*Russian Pacific Fleet

External links

* [http://www.kamforum.ru/ Community of Kamchatka] ru icon
* [http://photo.kamforum.ru/ Photos of Kamchatka] ru icon

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