thumb|Kuban Tartary and surroundings around 1700, [[Herman Moll]]
thumb|Map of [[Kuban Oblast in 1900]]
Kuban (Russian and ; ; ; ; ; ) is a historical and geographical region in the North Caucasus region of southern Russia surrounding the Kuban River, on the Black Sea between the Don Steppe, the Volga Delta and separated from the Crimean Peninsula to the west by the Kerch Strait. Krasnodar Krai is often referred to as Kuban, both officially and unofficially, although the term is not exclusive to the krai and also accommodates the republics of Adygea, Karachay-Cherkessia, and parts of Stavropol Krai.
Lesser Nogai Horde
The Lesser Nogai Horde was the Nogai Tatar territory in Kuban, allied with the Crimean Khanate.
Cossack settlement
The Cossack settlement of Kuban and of the adjacent Black Sea region occurred gradually for over a century, and was heavily influenced by the outcomes of the conflicts between Russia and Ottoman Empire. In the mid-18th century, the area was predominantly inhabited by the Adyghe tribes.