Donetsk Oblast

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Donetsk Oblast
Донецька область
Donets’ka oblast’
Flag of Donetsk Oblast Coat of arms of Donetsk Oblast
Flag Coat of arms
Nickname: Донеччина  (Ukrainian)
Donechchyna  (transliteration)
Map of Ukraine with Donetsk Oblast highlighted
Location of Donetsk Oblast (red) on the map of Ukraine (blue).
Official language(s) Ukrainian
Administrative center Donetsk
Largest cities
Governor V.I. Lohvynenko (CPU)
Oblast council
 – Chairman Anatoliy Blyzniuk (PR)
 – № of seats  ?
Established July 17, 1932
Subdivisions
 – Raions 18
 – Cities of oblast subordinance 28
 – Cities (total) 52
 – Towns 131
 – Villages 1,124
Area  Ranked 11th
 – Total 26,517 km²
 – Land  ? km² 
 – Water  ? (?%)
Population  Ranked 1
 – Total (2006) 4,622,900
 – Density 174,34 p/ km² 
 – Average salary  UAH 1161 (?%)
Time zone EET +2
 – Summer (DST) EEST +3
Abbreviations
 – Postal code 83000-87999
 – ISO 3166-2 UA-14
 – FIPS 10-4 UP05
 – Telephone code +380-62
 – Licence plate АН, АТ, ЯН, ЕВ, ЕА,
ЕК, ЕМ, ЕС (ukr)
Official website www.donoda.gov.ua
Verkhovna Rada site www.rada.gov.ua
1 The Russian language has a status of regional language as of February 2007.[1][2]

Donetsk Oblast (Ukrainian: Донецька область, Donets’ka oblast’; also referred to as DonechchynaUkrainian: Донеччина) is an oblast (province) of eastern Ukraine. Its administrative center is Donetsk. Historically, the province is an important part of the Donbas region.

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

Contents

[edit] Geography

Donetsk Oblast is located in southeastern Ukraine. The area of the oblast (26,900km²), 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 Azov Sea 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.

Detailed map of Donetsk Oblast
Detailed map of Donetsk Oblast

[edit] 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;
  • SelsovetsN/A.

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

[edit] Raions

{ ||- |* Amvrosiivskyi

|* Pershotravnevyi

  • Shakhtarskyi
  • Slovyanskyi
  • Starobeshivskyi
  • Telmanivskyi
  • Velikonosilkivskyi
  • Volnovaskyi
  • Volodarskyi
  • Yasynuvatskyi

|}

[edit] Demographics

The population of Donetsk Oblast is 4.7 million (as of 2004), 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 neighboring oblasts if the election of their candidate was not recognized. 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%).[3]

As of 2001, the languages spoken within the oblast' are: Russian — 74.9%, Ukrainian — 24.1%, and Armenian — 0.13%.[3]

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

[edit] Economy

[edit] 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.[4]

The oblast' has a developed transport infrastructure which includes the Donetsk railroad (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.[4]

[edit] 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.[4] 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.[4]

[edit] Ecology

The Donetsk Oblast's climate is mostly continental, which is characterized 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.
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 Azov Sea 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 centers and pensions, 52 rest homes and boarding houses, and rest camps for children in the oblast.[4]

The curative bowels 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.[4]

[edit] See also

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[edit] References

  1. ^ "Донецкий облсовет принял решение о придании русскому языку статуса регионального", analitik.org.ua, Interfax-Ukraine, May 18, 2005. Retrieved on 2008-05-04. (Russian) 
  2. ^ Russian language - regional status (Russian). Russian Movement in Ukraine. Retrieved on 2008-05-04.
  3. ^ a b Ukrcensus.gov.ua — Donetsk region URL accessed on January 13, 2007
  4. ^ a b c d e f Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine — Donetsk Region URL accessed on January 13, 2007

[edit] External links

  • 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