Its administrative center and largest city is Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (Russian: Петропавловск-Камчатский, romanized: Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy), home to over half of its population of 291,705 (2021 census).

Most of the peninsula is covered with forests of stone birch, while alder and cedar elfin are commonly found at higher altitudes.

In central areas, especially in the Kamchatka River valley, widespread forests of larch and spruce can be found.

In floodplains, forests grow with fragrant poplar, alder, Salix arbutifolia, and Sakhalin willow.

Due to its often harsh climate and its mix of volcanoes and geysers, it is frequently described as the "Land of Fire and Ice".

[14] It is mainly accessible only to scientists, plus approximately 3,000 tourists annually who pay a fee equivalent to US$700 to travel by helicopter for a single day's visit.

It therefore replaced the Council of People's Deputies of Kamchatka Oblast (1997–2007) and the Duma of Koryak Autonomous Okrug (1994–2007).

Two percent of the population adhere to the Slavic native faith or Siberian shamanism, 1.2% to Islam, 0.6% to forms of Protestantism, and 0.4% to Hinduism.

In addition, 22.8% of the population declare themselves to be spiritual but not religious, 21% are atheist, and 14.8% follows other religions or did not give an answer to the question.