The Crimean Peninsula has a rich and complex environmental history. The Black Sea in particular has had a major impact on nearly all aspects of Crimea's natural and cultural history. Carlos Cordova explains the making of Crimea's natural environment, from its geology and relief to its climate and soils. He explores the rich flora and fauna of the peninsula, including the biogeographical isolation of Crimea, the transformation of the landscape brought about by Mediterranean farmers, as well as Khrushchev's Virgin Lands Campaign, which saw virtually all the steppe turned into cropland. The development of the south coast as a tourist destination and the pollution brought about by agricultural and industrial development are also discussed. This pioneering study represents the first modern work in the English language on the environmental history of a little known but environmentally significant region.

'I would recommend this book to both English- and Russian-speaking readers . ... an epic monograph.' - Andriy V. Yena, The Holocene

Carlos Cordova is Professor of Geography, Oklahoma State University. As well as researching the environmental history of the Crimean peninsula, including its geoarchaeological, paleoecological and biogeographical aspects, he has also undertaken fieldwork in the Middle East, USA, Central America and South Africa and is the author of Millennial Landscapes in Jordan: Geoarchaeology and Cultural Ecology (2007).