Perm Krai (Russian: Пе́рмский край, Permsky kray) is a federal subject of Russia (a krai) that came into existence on December 1, 2005 as a result of the 2004 referendum on the merger of Perm Oblast and Komi-Permyak Autonomous Okrug. The city of Perm is the administrative center. Population: 2,635,276 (2010 Census).
Komi-Permyak Okrug retained its autonomous status within Perm Krai during the transitional period of 2006–2008. It also retained a budget separate from that of the krai, keeping all federal transfers. Starting in 2009, Komi-Permyak Okrug's budget became subject to the budgeting law of Perm Krai. The transitional period was implemented in part because Komi-Permyak Okrug relies heavily on federal subsidies, and an abrupt cut would have been detrimental to its economy.
Perm Krai is located in the east of the East European Plain and the western slope of the Middle Ural Mountains. 99.8% of its area are located in Europe, 0.2% - in Asia.
The krai borders with the Komi Republic in the north, Kirov Oblast in the northwest, the Udmurt Republic in the southwest, the Republic of Bashkortostan in the south, and Sverdlovsk Oblast in the east.
Perm (Russian: Пермь; IPA: [pʲermʲ];Komi-Permyak: Перем, Perem; Komi: Перым, Perym) is a city and the administrative center of Perm Krai, Russia, located on the banks of the Kama River, in the European part of Russia near the Ural Mountains. From 1940 to 1957 it was named Molotov (Мо́лотов).[citation needed]
According to the preliminary results of the 2010 Census, Perm's population is 991,530, down from 1,001,653 recorded in the 2002 Census and 1,090,944 recorded in 1989 Census. As of the 2010 Census, the city was the thirteenth most populous in Russia.
Perm is served by the Bolshoye Savino Airport and hosts Bakharevka air base.
The name Perm is of unknown etymology, likely of Uralic (Komi or Veps) origin. Komi is a member of the Permic group of Uralic languages, which is also named for Perm. Likewise, the geologic period of the Permian takes its name from the toponym.
With an area of 799.68 square kilometers (308.76 sq mi),[citation needed] the city of Perm is located on the bank of the Kama River upon hilly terrain. The Kama is the main tributary of the Volga River and one of the deepest and most picturesque rivers of Russia. This river is the waterway which grants the Ural Mountains access to the White Sea, Baltic Sea, Sea of Azov, Black Sea, and Caspian Sea. The Kama divides the city into two parts: the central part and the right bank part. The city stretches for 70 kilometers (43 mi) along the Kama and 40 kilometers (25 mi) across it. The city street grid parallels the Kama River, traveling generally east-west, while other main streets run perpendicularly to those following the river. The grid pattern accommodates the hills of the city where it crosses them.