| Vitsebsk Voblast Ві́цебская во́бласць Ви́тебская о́бласть Vitebsk Oblast |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
|||
| Administrative center | Vitsebsk | ||
| Largest cities | Vitsebsk - 342,400 Orsha - 125,300 Navapolatsk - 101,300 |
||
| Raions | 21 Cities - 19 Urban localities - 26 |
||
| City raions | 5 | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 40,100 km2 (15,482.7 sq mi) | ||
| Population | |||
| • Total | 1,230,800 | ||
| • Density | 30.6/km2 (79.3/sq mi) | ||
| Website | www.vitebsk-region.gov.by | ||
Vitsebsk Voblast or Vitebsk Oblast (Belarusian: Ві́цебская во́бласць; Vitsebskaya Voblast; Russian: Ви́тебская о́бласть; Vitebskaya Oblast) is a province (voblast) of Belarus with its administrative center being Vitebsk (Viciebsk). As of a 2009 estimate, the voblast has a population of 1,230,800.[1] It also has the lowest population density in Belarus at 30.6 p/km².
Important cities within the voblast' include: Vitebsk, Orsha, and Navapolatsk.
Contents |
The Vitsebsk Voblast covers an area of 40,100 km², which is about 19.4 % of the national total. It is bordered on the north by Pskov Oblast of Russia, by Smolensk Oblast of Russia on the east, on the south by Minsk and Mahilyow Voblasts, on the southwest by Minsk and Hrodna Voblasts, and on the west and northwest by Vilnius County and Utena County of Lithuania and Daugavpils District of and Latvia.
In 2000 Belarusian scientists Alexey Solomonov and Valery Anoshko published a report in which they stated that the geographic centre of Europe was located near lake Sho (Belarusian: Шо) in Vitsebsk Voblast. [1]
The Vitebsk Voblast has a number of important transport connections with Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic countries, and Poland. Having strong economic ties with the neighboring Baltic countries and Russia, the voblast tries to maintain a free trade area around its administrative center, Vitsebsk, now attracting foreign investments.
The Vitsebsk Voblast is subdivided into 21 raions, 5 cities of oblast subordinance, 19 additional cities, 249 selsovets, and 26 urban-type settlements.
Vitebsk currently has the lowest birth rate and the second highest death rate in all of Belarus. As of 2008, the birth rate was 9.7 per 1000, while the death rate was 15.5 per 1000. [2]
|
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||