Perm Krai (Perm Region) (, ; ) is a federal subject of Russia (a krai), located in Eastern Europe. Its administrative center is Perm. The population of the krai was 2,635,276 (2010 Census). The krai was formed on December 1, 2005 as a result of the 2004 referendum on the merger of Perm Oblast and Komi-Permyak Autonomous Okrug. Komi-Permyak Okrug retained its autonomous status within Perm Krai during the transitional period of 2006–2008. It also retained a budget separate from that of the krai, keeping all federal transfers. Starting in 2009, Komi-Permyak Okrug's budget became subject to the budgeting law of Perm Krai. The transitional period was implemented in part because Komi-Permyak Okrug relies heavily on federal subsidies, and an abrupt cut would have been detrimental to its economy. Geography Perm Krai is located in the east of the East European Plain and the western slope of the Middle Ural Mountains. 99.8% of its area is in Europe, 0.2% in Asia. length from north to south – length from west to east – The krai borders the Komi Republic in the north, Kirov Oblast in the northwest, the Udmurt Republic in the southwest, the Republic of Bashkortostan in the south, and Sverdlovsk Oblast in the east. The krai borders stretch for over . The highest point is Mount Tulymsky Kamen at . Rivers Rivers of Perm Krai belong to the Kama River Basin, the largest tributary of Volga River. There are more than 29,000 rivers in Perm Krai. The total length of all rivers is more than . Only two rivers in Perm Krai have lengths exceeding . They are the Kama River at and the Chusovaya River, . There are about 40 rivers with lengths from . The longest of them are: Sylva River — 493 km (306 mi) Kolva River — 460 km (285 mi) Vishera River — 415 km (258 mi) Yayva River — 403 km (250 mi) Kosva River — 283 km (176 mi) Kosa River — 267 km (165 mi) Veslyana River — 266 km (165 mi) Inva River — 257 km (159 mi) Obva River — 247 km (153 mi) There are also many small rivers, but some of them have historical significance, for example Yegoshikha River, at the mouth of which the city of Perm was founded. Climate Perm Krai has a continental climate. Winters are long and snowy, with average temperatures in