KORYAKIYA

An administrative division ofKamchatka Krai. Formerly afederal subjectand known as the KoryakAutonomous Okrug, Koryakiya was subsumed with the newly formedkraiof Kamchatka on 1 July 2007 after a 2005 referendum on merging the Kamchatka Oblast and Koryakiya. The region, which occupies the upper portion of the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Asia, is now officially known as the Koryak okrug. Out of a population of 25,157,ethnic Russiansform a slim majority (51 percent), while indigenous peoples account for four-fifths of the population. The major groups include the titular ethnic group, theKoryaks(27 percent), as well asChukchis(6 percent), Itelmens (5 percent), andEvens(3 percent). Koryakiya was formerly the smallest federal subject in terms of population, despite ranking 17th in size. The former administrative capital was the village of Palana. The last governor of the region was Oleg Kozhemyako.