Krasnodar, kray (territory), southwestern Russia, extending northward from the crest line of the Caucasus Mountains across the plains east of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov as far as the Gulf of Taganrog. The plains, crossed by the Kuban and other rivers flowing to the Sea of Azov, form two-thirds of the region. Their steppe-grass vegetation on rich soils has been almost entirely plowed under. Widespread salt marshes and lagoons line the Azov coast. The southern third of the region is occupied by the western Caucasus, which reach 12,434 feet (3,790 metres) at Mount Psysh (in the neighbouring Karachay-Cherkessia republic) and fall gradually in height westward as they run parallel to the Black Sea, from which they are separated by a narrow coastal plain. The mountains’ lower slopes are covered by deciduous forest; higher up are conifers and alpine meadows.
The kray was established in 1937 with its headquarters at Krasnodar city in an area originally occupied by Kuban Cossacks. The population is overwhelmingly Russian but also includes some Adygey, Ukrainians, Armenians, Belarusians, and Tatars.
The northern plains form a major agricultural region that produces grains, especially winter wheat and, in the south, winter barley. Along the lower Kuban River, much swamp has been reclaimed for rice growing. Industrial crops, notably sunflowers, tobacco, and sugar beets, are important, as are vegetables along the Kuban and fruit and vines on the Caucasus foothills. Large numbers of cattle, pigs, and poultry are kept. Petroleum and natural gas are exploited on the Taman Peninsula and in the north. Novorossiysk and Tuapse are major oil-exporting ports. There are oil refineries at Krasnodar and Tuapse and a chemical complex at Belorechensk. Area 29,300 square miles (76,000 square km). Pop. (2006 est.) 5,096,572.