Sevastopol (formerly known as
Sebastopol, population 360,000) is a
city in the
Ukraine, located on the
Crimean peninsula, on the
Black Sea. Home of the former
Soviet Black Sea fleet, the city is still a
Russian naval base. It is also a popular seaside resort and
tourist destination, mainly for visitors from the
CIS countries.
Sevastopol was founded in
1783, when
Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula. It became an important naval base and later, a commercial
port. It was besieged by the
British and
French during the
Crimean War, falling after 11 months.
While part of the Soviet Union, the city was part of the Crimean oblast of the Ukrainian SSR.
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