The Probert Encyclopaedia of Places of the World

KAMCHATKA

Kamchatka is a large peninsula in the north-east of Asia. On the east it has the North Pacific Ocean, and on the west the Sea of Okhotsk. Kamchatka is upwards of 800 miles in length and 190 in average breadth with an area of about 85,000 square miles. It is a Russian possession since 1706. A lofty mountain range extends .the whole length of the peninsula. Some of the mountains are active volcanoes, and eruptions are of frequent occurrence. A number of hot springs also exist. The climate is very severe. Excepting in the valley of the Kamtchatka River, the most fertile and populous settlement, the soil is ill adapted for cultivation. The chief wealth of the country lies in its fur-producing animals, including the sable, the Arctic fox, the beaver, and the bear. Game and fish of all kinds abound, and form the staple food of the inhabitants. The Kamtchadales, once the predominant race of the peninsula, are a branch of the Mongol family but rapidly vanished before the Russian settlers. The traditional food consisted mainly of fish seasoned with whale and seal fat.
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