Krai - Definition and Overview

Krai (Russian: край; British English transliteration: kray, compare Polish kraj), often translated as region, territory, or province, is a term used to refer to several of Russia's 89 administrative regions (federal subjects). The word krai (which also means border or end), is used for regions located along the economic and geographic periphery.

Krais, oblasts, and republics have the same constitutional status. Some krais are so enormous that they are larger than many European countries.

A krai is subdivided into districts (Russian: районы, English transliteration: rayony).

Examples of krais include Primorsky Krai, Khabarovsk Krai, and Krasnoyarsk Krai (for complete list see Krais of Russia).

The term was also in use in the Imperial Russia, e.g., Northwestern Krai, see Krais of Imperial Russia.

• See also Krajina.