Crimea or the Republic of Crimea is a republic located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, partially occupying the peninsula of the same name. Though it claims the entire Crimean peninsula, it controls only a fraction of it, along with parts of the Ukrainian coastline and even some areas across the Sea of Azov. It was originally created to help stabilize the area and to create an independent nation, one of which that would be strictly anti-communist.