
The Republic of Karelia is located on the north - western Russia, a member of the Northern economic district Russian Federation. Area Karelia - 180.5 thousand Apt. km (1.06% of the territory of the Russian Federation), taking into account the waters of lakes and seas, exceeding 2 times European nations such as Austria, the Czech Republic or Hungary. The length of the territory of the republic from north to south and reaches 660 km. From west to east longitude g.Kemi length is 424 km. In western Karelia borders with Finland, in the South - in Leningrad and Vologda areas in the north - from Murmansk, in the east - in the Arkhangelsk region. In the north-east republic washed by the waters of the White Sea, in the south - Lakes Ladoga and Onega. West border Karelia coincides with the state border of Russia and Finland and has a length of 723 km.

The Republic of Karelia has a favorable economic and geographical location (proximity to a highly developed industrial and central regions of Russia and Western Europe, the existence of a developed vodnotransportnoy system - is in close proximity to the Baltic and the "northern capital" of St. Petersburg Russia, a member of the European Union, Finland is interested in development ¬ integration projects Migration band, and rail provides a link to the free port of Murmansk), as well as natural resources. Place Karelia in the national economic sector of Russia is determined primarily by industries using local natural resources (forestry, woodworking, pulp and paper, iron and steel, construction materials industry), as well as the industry working on imported raw materials - engineering and non-ferrous metallurgy. The share accounted for 9.9% of the output of iron ore in the Russian Federation, 22.6% - of paper produced in Russia, 9.4% - cellulose 3.7% - industrial wood, 3.1% - wood stoves, 2.7 % - lumber, about 80% - of paper bags. The composition of the republic includes 19 self-governing territories, 808 settlements. Self-governing territory is headed by the head, elected in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Karelia, direct secret ballot. In the Karelia major cities - 3 (Petrozavodsk - 282.5 thousand, Kostomuksha - 32.9 thousand, Sortavala - 36.6 thousand.), And urban areas of national importance - 4 (and g.Kem Rep. area g.Kondopoga and Kondopozhsky district, and g.Pitkyaranta Pitkyarantsky area g.Segezha and Segezha District), 11 districts (one of them - Kalevalsky national), 1 Parish (Vepsska National, which has the status of the administrative and territorial unit) 44 towns. National composition of the population: Russian - 73.6%; Karelians - 10%; Belarusians - 7% Ukrainians - 3.6%; Finns - 2.3%; Veps - 0.8%.
The indigenous population of the republic - Karelians. Their overall strength in the republics of the former USSR - about 131 thousand people in the territory of Karelia population of about 80 thousand people. Origin definitely not clear. Q IX-XII centuries. Karelians mastered the current territory of the republic, mingled with the tribes Veps. Consolidation has taken place in the Karelian nation XII-XV centuries under Russian state. A member of the principality of Novgorod, with the XV century, which became part of the Russian state, then - under the rule of Sweden until the beginning of the XVIII century, when the lands were returned to Russia. Olonetskoy a member of the province. After the revolution won autonomy: in 1923 the Karelian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was formed. In 1940, transformed into The Finnish-Karelian ASSR. In 1956, once again became the Karelian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. Since the end of 1991, proclaimed by the Republic of Karelia in Russia. Currently Karelians live in Novgorod, Leningrad, Yaroslavl regions of the Russian Federation and Finland. Believers Karelians - Orthodox Christians.