Donetsk Oblast

Donetsk Oblast Донецька область Donets’ka oblast’
—  Oblast  —
Flag Coat of arms
Nickname(s): Донеччина (Donechchyna)
Location of Donetsk Oblast (red) within Ukraine (blue)
Country	Ukraine
Established	June 3, 1938
Admin. center	Donetsk
Government
– Governor	Andriy Schyschatskyi (PR)
– Oblast council	150 seats
Area
– Total	26,517 km2 (10,238.3 sq mi)
Area rank	Ranked 11th
Population (2006)
– Total	4,622,900
– Rank	Ranked 1st
– Density	174.3/km2 (451.5/sq mi)
Demographics
– Official language(s)	Ukrainian
– Average salary	UAH 1161 (2006)
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
– Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code	83000-87999
Area code	+380-62
ISO 3166 code	UA-14
Raions	18
Cities of oblast subordinance	28
Cities (total)	52
Towns	131
Villages	1124
FIPS 10-4	UP05
Website	www.donoda.gov.ua www.rada.gov.ua

Donetsk Oblast (Ukrainian: Донецька область, Donets’ka oblast’; also referred to as Donechchyna — Ukrainian: Донеччина Donechchyna; Russian: Донецкая область, Donetskaya oblast) is an oblast (province) of eastern Ukraine. Its administrative center is Donetsk. Historically, the province is an important part of the Donbas region. Until November, 1961, it bore the name Stalino Oblast in honour of Joseph Stalin.

Important cities within the oblast include: Sloviansk, Horlivka, Kramatorsk, Makiivka, Mariupol, Yenakiieve.

Geography

Donetsk Oblast is located in southeastern Ukraine. The area of the oblast (26,900 km²), comprises about 4.4% of the total area of the country. The oblast borders the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia Oblasts on the southwest, the Luhansk Oblast on the northeast, the Rostov Oblast in Russia on the east, and with the Sea of Azov on the south.

Its longitude from north to south is 270 km, from east to west – 190 km. The extreme points of the oblast's borders are: Bilosarayska Kosa (spit) on the south, Shevchenko of Velykonovosilkivskyi Raion on the west, Verkhnyi Kut of Shakhtarskyi Raion on the east, and Lozove of Krasnolymanskyi Raion on the north.

The state historic-architectural preserve near the city of Sviatohirsk with the Sviatohirsk Lavra was nominated for the Seven Wonders of Ukraine.

Detailed map of Donetsk Oblast

Administrative divisions

The oblast is subdivided into 18 raions (administrative districts). It consists of 28 municipalities, 52 cities, 131 towns, and more than 1,124 villages.

The following data incorporates the number of each type of administrative divisions of Donetsk Oblast:

• Administrative Center – 1 (Donetsk)
• Raions — 18;
• City raions — 28;
• Settlements — 1,283, including:
  • Villages — 1,124;
  • Cities/Towns — 159, including:
    • Urban-type settlement — 131;
    • Cities — 52, including:
      • Cities of oblast' subordinance — 28;
      • Cities of raion subordinance — 24;
• Selsovets — N/A.

The local administration of the oblast' is controlled by the Donetsk Oblast Rada. The governor of the oblast' is the Head of Donetsk Oblast administration, appointed by the President of Ukraine.

Raions

Amvrosiivskyi Artemivskyi Dobropilskyi Kostyantynivskyi Krasnoarmiiskyi Krasnolymanskyi Marynskyi Novoazovskyi Oleksandrivskyi

Pershotravnevyi Shakhtarskyi Slovyanskyi Starobeshivskyi Telmanivskyi Velikonovosilkivskyi Volnovaskyi Volodarskyi Yasynuvatskyi

Demographics

The population of Donetsk Oblast is 4.7 million (as of 2004^[update]), which constitutes 10% of the overall Ukrainian population, making it the most populous and most densely populated region of the country. Its large population is due to the presence of several big industrial cities and numerous villages agglomerated around them (see urbanization).

During the 2004 presidential election, political supporters of Viktor Yanukovych threatened to demand autonomy for Donetsk and neighbouring oblasts if the election of their candidate was not recognised. However, no official moves were ever made.

As of the Ukrainian National Census, 2001, the ethnic groups within the Donetsk Oblast are: Ukrainians — 2,744,100 (56.9%), Russians — 1,844,400 (38.2%), Greeks – 77,500 (1.61%), Belarusians — 44,500 (0.92%), Crimean Tatars — 19,200 (0.4%), Armenians — 15,700 (0.33%), and Jews – 8,800 (0.18%).^[1]

As of 2001^[update], the languages spoken within the oblast' are: Russian — 74.9%, Ukrainian — 24.1%, and Armenian — 0.13%.^[1]

Map of the economic activity in the Donbas, including the Donetsk Oblast.

Economy

Industry

The Donetsk Oblast covers more than one half coal, finished steel, coke, cast iron and steel production in Ukraine. Ferrous metallurgy, fuel industry and power industry are in demand in the structure of industry production. There are about 882 industry enterprises that are on independent balance, and 2,095 small industry enterprises in the oblast.^[2]

The oblast' has a developed transport infrastructure which includes the Donetsk railway (covers 40% of national transportation), the Mariupol Port, the Donetsk International Airport, passenger airports in Mariupol and Kramatorsk, and dense road systems. In the Donetsk Oblast two special economic zones have been created, Donetsk and Azov, which have a privileged tax regime.^[2]

Agriculture

In 1999, the gross grain yield in the oblast was about 999.1 thousand tons, sugar beets – 27.1 thousand tons, sunflower seeds – 309.4 thousand tons, and potatoes – 380.2 thousand tons.^[2] Also, 134.2 thousand tons of meat, 494.3 thousand tons of milk and 646.4 million eggs have been produced. At the beginning of 1999 there have been 2108 farms within the oblast.^[2]

Ecology

The Donetsk Oblast's climate is mostly continental, which is characterised by hot summers and relatively cold winters with changeable snow surfaces. East and southeast strong winds, high temperatures and heavy rain showers are typical in the summer. The average annual rainfall is 524 mm.

A wooden bridge leads to the entrance to the Khomutovska Steppe nature preserve in Donetsk Oblast.

The basic minerals found here are: coal (reserves – 25 billion tons), rock salt, lime carbonate, potassium, mercury, asbestos, and graphite. The area is also rich in fertile black earth.

Important resources for recreation within the area are: the mild climate, the Sea of Azov coast, curative mud, sources of minerals, and radon and table water. Due to these numerous recreation resources, many resort hotels and camps are located here. There are about 26 health centres and pensions, 52 rest homes and boarding houses, and rest camps for children in the oblast.^[2]

The curative areas in the oblast include the Slovyansk salt lakes and mineral water sources. The oblast also contains many park zones, some of which are of great national value. They include the Khomutivsky steppe and the Azov sea coast. Overall, the Donetsk Oblast contains about 70 objects of nature and park fund including branches of the Ukrainian steppe park, 6 state reserves, 10 memorials of nature, landscapes, and 6 park tracts.^[2]

See also

• Subdivisions of Ukraine
• Donets Basin

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Ukrcensus.gov.ua — Donetsk region URL accessed on January 13, 2007
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine — Donetsk Region URL accessed on January 13, 2007

• Information Card of the Region — Official site of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine

External links

• www.citylife.donetsk.ua — Official Donetsk city guide – English (English)
• donoda.gov.ua — Official site of Donetsk Oblast Administration (English)(Ukrainian)(Russian)
• catalogue.biz.ua — Post codes directory of Donetsk Oblast (English)(Ukrainian)(Russian)
• Wikimedia Commons — Media on Donetsk Oblast