Crimea, River

The Crimean peninsula sits at the southeastern corner of Ukraine, on the northeastern coast of the Black Sea. The Sea of Azov sits on the other side of Crimea, split from the Black Sea by the peninsula itself. The Kerch Strait connects these two bodies of water.

The thinnest of land bridges connects Crimea to the Ukrainian mainland. This geography has made Crimea both commercially valuable and strategically important, keeping it at the center of geopolitical struggles in the region for thousands of years.

The longest river is called the Salhyr. It has provided water to Simferopol, Crimea’s administrative center, for decades. The Salhyr provides a modicum of water for farming, but the river can shrink under dry conditions, and parts of it can even run dry.

Unlike the Nile or Mississippi rivers, the Salhyr has never served as a major trade route, nor has it been much of a natural defense or border for Crimea.

Empires haven’t fought over the fresh water that runs through Crimea, though. They’ve fought over the salty water that surrounds the peninsula. Powerful fleets and armies have fought over access to the Black Sea, including through the Turkish Straits—a vital waterway that opens up into the Mediterranean, where even more trade awaits.