- Smolensk Oblast
Smolensk Oblast ( _ru. Смол́енская о́бласть, "Smolenskaya oblast") is a federal subject of
Russia (anoblast ). Its area is 49,786square kilometers , population—1,019,000 (2005 est.) [http://www.gks.ru/bgd/free/b00_25/IssWWW.exe/Stg/d000/i000070r.htm] ; 1,049,574 (2002 Census); 1,158,299 (1989 Census). Its administrative center is the city ofSmolensk . Other ancient towns includeVyazma andDorogobuzh . Smolensk oblast bordersPskov Oblast in north,Tver Oblast in northeast,Moscow Oblast in east,Kaluga Oblast andBryansk Oblast in south, and alsoMahilyow Voblast andVitsebsk Voblast inBelarus , to the west and northwest.Geography
Time zone
Smolensk Oblast is located in the Moscow Time Zone (MSK/MSD). UTC offset is +0300 (MSK)/+0400 (MSD).
Administrative divisions
Smolensk Oblast is divided into 25 districts ("
raion " and 2 cities, which are further divided into 15 towns, 12urban-type settlement s, and 302 rural okrugs.Demographics
According to the (2002 Census), the national composition of the oblast was as follows:
•Russians : 93.4%•Ukrainians : 1.7%•Belarusians : 1.6%•Armenians : 0.4%• Roma: 0.3%•Tatars : 0.2%• Azeris: 0.2%,and many other groups, none more than 0.2% of the population. (1.1% of the population did not state their nationality in the census.)Economy
Smolensk Oblast is part of Russia's Central economic district. Industry is this district includes sectors such as engineering and metalworking (production of measuring and hydrometeorological devices, computer equipment, electrical appliances, refrigerators, automobiles, power-generating and store equipment, and aircraft manufacture), the chemical industry (production of ammonia, saltpeter, fertilizers, and plastics), light industry (production of clothing, and cotton and linen fabrics), the food industry, and brown coal and peat production.
Nearly 40% of the industrial production potential is concentrated in the city of Smolensk. Diamond cutting companies have the largest share of GDP. The largest of these companies is the Kristall State
Unitary enterprise (GUP Kristall) in Smolensk. Smolensk is also a major center of the engineering and metalworking industries, with the instrument-making, electronics, electrical, and auto industries having the largest share of GDP among engineering companies.Famous people
*
Isaac Asimov , born inPetrovichi
*Yuri Gagarin , born inKlushino External links
*en icon [http://admin.smolensk.ru/Eng_version/ Official website of Smolensk Oblast] .
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
