Karelia is located in the northwest of Russia, namely in the North-West Federal District of the Russian Federation.
Karelia borders on the Leningrad and Vologda regions in the south, on the Murmansk region in the north and on the Arkhangelsk region in the east. In the northeast, Karelia is washed by the White Sea. The western border of Karelia stretches for 798 kilometres and is the borderline between Russia and Finland.
The Republic of Karelia has a favourable economic and geographical position (i.e. proximity of the central, developed regions of Russia and Western Europe and access to the developed mobility system) coupled with significant natural reserves.
Karelia is one of the areas in Russia with the largest water resources. It has a wide, developed hydrographic network of the White and Baltic Seas with almost 23,000 rivers and 61,000 lakes, including Ladoga and Onega, the largest freshwater reservoirs in Europe.
More than half of the territory of Karelia is covered with forests. The main species include pine and spruce.
The mineral resources of Karelia consist of 494 developed deposits containing 31 kinds of minerals, with the reserves included in the national register. Karelia’s minerals include iron, shungite, titanium, vanadium, molybdenum, precious metals, diamonds, mica, building materials (granites, diabases, marbles), ceramic raw materials (pegmatites, spar), apatite-carbonate ores, and alkaline amphibole asbestos.
The mineral resources of Karelia also include 386 peat deposits, 28 underground water deposits for household and drinking purposes, 3 mineral water deposits and 1 therapeutic mud deposit.
Karelia is a place for foraging lingonberries, cranberries, blueberries, cloudberries and other berries.
Mushroom foraging and processing have great potential. Karelia’s annual biological reserves of edible mushrooms constitute about 70,000 tons according to the Institute of Forestry and the Institute of Biology of the Karelian Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Karelia is home to 150 species of medicinal plants constituting more than 6,000 tons.
Karelia has significant aquatic biological resources too.
The White Sea and Karelia’s large lakes suggest plenty of opportunity for commercial fishing. The main fish species here include Atlantic salmon, salmon, trout, saffron cod, herring, cod and flounder. Mussels, another important bioresource of the White Sea, are being actively developed nowadays.
Karelia is one of the best places in Russia for the commercial cultivation of trout.
Fishery and aquatic biological resources are an important sector for investment and a priority on Karelia’s agenda when it comes to state funding.
With its unique landscape, natural and recreational resources and multi-century cultural and historical heritage, Karelia takes a special destination for domestic and international travel.
Karelia’s forests, lakes and rivers offer excellent conditions for a relaxing retreat and active outdoor activities alike, such as hunting, fishing, snowmobile and ATV riding, river rafting, eco-tours and jeep safaris.
More than a million hectares of Karelian land are protected natural areas including national parks Paanajarvi, Vodlozersky and Kalevalsky, Valaam Archipelago natural park, Kivach and Kostomukshsky nature reserves, 46 other reserves, and 108 natural monuments. A hundred kilometres from Petrozavodsk lies one of the largest flat waterfalls in Europe, Kivach Falls. Karelian nature fosters ecological tourism and recreation. The first Russian resort, Marcial Waters springs, founded in 1719 by Emperor Peter I is located fifty kilometres from Petrozavodsk. The springs have unique healing mineral waters with the highest content of iron in the world.
Karelia has thousands of unique history and cultural monuments along with natural monuments of global and national importance. These include the architectural ensemble of Kizhi, Spaso-Preobrazhensky Valaam Monastery, Karelian petroglyphs, Sami stone labyrinths and seids. Karelia has the most convenient and shortest way to the Solovetsky Islands including the Solovetsky Monastery architectural monument.