According to Russian sources, Sochi's population fell from roughly 100,000, to 98. Starting in 1866 the coast was actively colonized by Russians, Armenians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Greeks, Germans, Georgians and other people from inner Russia.

A reporter from The Moscow Times asks a police officer in Sochi, the Black Sea city that will host the Winter Olympics in February, if he has learned any basic English phrases to help visitors who don't speak Russian. SOCHI — Everybody speaks English in Sochi these days.

With a permanent population approaching 350,000, it holds the record as the largest resort city in Russia. As the unofficial capital of the Riviera of the Caucasus, its many beaches make the city popular in summer. In contrast, skiing in the nearby mountain makes it an ideal place for winter vacations.

The city proper covers an area of 176.77 square kilometers, while the Greater Sochi Area covers over 3,502 square kilometers. Sochi stretches across 145 kilometers from north to south. It is the longest city in the Eastern Hemisphere and second-longest city in the world, ahead of Perth and trailing only Mexico City.