A krai () is a type of federal subject of the Russian Federation. The country is divided into 85 federal subjects, of which nine are krais. Oblasts, another type of federal subject, are legally identical to krais and the difference between a political entity with the name "krai" or "oblast" is purely traditional; both are constituent entities equivalent in legal status in Russia with representation in the Federation Council. During the Soviet era, the autonomous oblasts could be subordinated to republics or krais, but not to oblasts.
Etymology
The term has multiple meanings in the Russian language. Outside of political terminology, krai and oblast have a very similar general meaning ("region" or "area" in English) and can often be used interchangeably. The Russian term for a homeland is also "Krai", as seen in "Rodnoi Krai" (homeland) or "Krayevedenie" (Regional studies). When a distinction is desirable, "krai" is sometimes translated into English as "territory", (closer to "edge" in literal translation, what is more related with the March meaning as a "borderland") while "oblast" can variously be translated to "province" or "region", but both of these translations are also reasonable interpretations of "krai". The term is highly politicized, particularly since U<u>krai</u>ne has the term in its name, in the context of controlling Ukrainian territory by justifying it as the outskirts of a bigger nation.
The term krai or kray is derived from the Russian word for an edge, and can be translated into English as 'frontier' or 'territory'.
Since the 19th century, in the context of administrative division, the term has been used in relation to territories that were annexed or where a non-Russophone population is dominant.
Overview
Each krai features a state government holding authority over a defined geographic territory, with a state legislature, the Legislative Assembly, that is democratically elected. The Governor is the highest executive position of the state government in a Krai, and is elected by people. Krais can be divided into raions (districts), cities/towns of krai significance, and okrugs. Krais previously featured autonomous okrugs until the formation of Zabaykalsky Krai on March 1, 2008, when the last remaining autonomous okrug of a krai was abolished.
The largest krai by geographic size is Krasnoyarsk Krai at and the smallest is Stavropol Krai at .