| Zakarpattia Oblast Закарпатська область Zakarpats’ka oblast’ |
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| — Oblast — | |||
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| Nickname(s): Закарпаття (Zakarpattia), "Transcarpathia" | |||
| Location of Zakarpattia Oblast (red) within Ukraine (blue) | |||
| Country | Ukraine | ||
| Established | 22 January 1946 | ||
| Admin. center | Uzhhorod | ||
| Largest cities | Uzhhorod, Mukachevo, Khust, Berehove, Vynohradiv | ||
| Government | |||
| • Governor | Oleksandr Ledyda (Party of Regions)[1][2] | ||
| • Oblast council | 90 seats | ||
| • Chairperson | Mykhailo Kichkovskyi (NU) | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 12,777 km2 (4,933.2 sq mi) | ||
| Area rank | Ranked 23rd | ||
| Population (2006) | |||
| • Total | 1,241,887 | ||
| • Rank | Ranked 17th | ||
| • Density | 97.2/km2 (251.7/sq mi) | ||
| Demographics | |||
| • Official language(s) | Ukrainian1 | ||
| • Average salary | UAH 1070.45 (2006) | ||
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) | ||
| Postal code | 88-90xxx | ||
| Area code | +380-31 | ||
| ISO 3166 code | UA-21 | ||
| Raions | 13 | ||
| Cities of oblast subordinance | 5 | ||
| Cities (total) | 11 | ||
| Towns | 19 | ||
| Villages | 579 | ||
| FIPS 10-4 | UP25 | ||
| Website | www.carpathia.gov.ua www.rada.gov.ua |
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| 1 The Hungarian language has some minority rights in seven villages of the Mukachivskyi Raion.[3] | |||
The Zakarpattia Oblast (Ukrainian: Закарпатська область, translit. Zakarpats’ka oblast’; see other languages) is an administrative oblast (province) located in southwestern Ukraine. Its administrative center is the city of Uzhhorod. Other major cities within the oblast include Mukachevo, Khust, Berehove and Chop which is home to railroad transport infrastructure.
Zakarpattia Oblast was formally established on 22 January 1946 after the annexation of the Transcarpathian Hungary to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic to fulfill the petition filled by the Carpatho-Ukraine before the World War II. Some scholars say that during the Ukrainian independence referendum held in 1991, Zakarpattia Oblast voters were given a separate option on whether or not they favored autonomy for the region.[4] Although a large majority favored autonomy, it was not granted.[4] However, this referendum was about self government status, not about autonomy (like in Crimea).[5]
Situated in the Carpathian Mountains landscape of western Ukraine, Zakarpattia Oblast is the only Ukrainian administrative division which borders upon four countries: Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania. The Carpathian Mountains play a major part in the oblast's economy, making the region an important tourist and travel destination housing many ski and spa resorts.
The oblast is ranked 23rd by area and 17th by population. According to the 2001 Ukrainian Census, the population of Zakarpattia Oblast is 1,254,614. Excluding Ukrainians, this total includes people of many different nationalities of which Hungarians, Romanians and Rusyns constitute significant minorities in some of the province's cities, while in others, they form the majority of the population (as in the case of Berehove).
The majority of the Carpathian Mountains is covered in nature, but not for much longer because the government of Ukraine is quickly deforesting the extensive forest that covers the mountains.
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The oblast is also referred to as the Transcarpathian Oblast, Transcarpathia, Zakarpattya, or historically as Subcarpathian Rus. In other languages the oblast is named:
The Zakarpattia Oblast has a total area of 12,800 km2 (4,942 sq mi) and is located in the Carpathian Mountains region of western Ukraine.[6] It is the only Ukrainian oblast to have boundaries with four countries: Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania.[7] On the West it borders the Prešov and Košice Regions of Slovakia and Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén and Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg Counties of Hungary, on the South—the Satu Mare and Maramureş Counties of Romania, on the East and Northeast—Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, and on the North—Lviv Oblast and the Subcarpathian Voivodeship of Poland.
The Zakarpattia Oblast mostly consists of mountains and small hills covered with deciduous and coniferous forests, as well as alpine meadows. Mountains cover about 80% of the oblast's area, and cross from North-East to South-East.[8] The Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians, part of which are located within Zakarpattia Oblast, were recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007.[9]
The largest rivers that flow through the oblast include the Tysa, Borzhava, and the Tereblia. In Rakhiv Raion is located a high altitude lake which is the highest in the region. It is called Nesamovyte.[10] The lake is located in the Hoverla preserve on slopes of the Turkul mountain. The lake's area is 3,000 square metres (32,000 sq ft) and it is located 1,750 metres (5,740 ft) above sea level.
The region's climate is moderate and continental[6] with about 700–1,000 mm (28–39 in) of rainfall per year.[7] The average temperature in summer is +21 °С (70 °F) and −4 °С (25 °F) in winter.[6] With a total height of 2,061 metres (6,762 ft), Hoverla, part of the Chornohora mountain range, is the tallest point in the oblast.[6] The lowest point, 101 m (331 ft) above sea level, is located in the village of Ruski Heyevtsi (Oroszgejőc in Hungarian) in the Uzhhorodskyi Raion.[8]
The four of the oblast's historical-cultural sites were nominated for the Seven Wonders of Ukraine competition in 2007: Palanok Castle, Museum upon the Chorna River, Mykhailiv Orthodox Church, and the Nevytsky Castle.
The lands of Zakarpattia for a long time were part of the Kingdom of Hungary which eventually transformed into a Hungarian part of Austria-Hungary until the latter's demise at the end of World War I. This region was briefly part of the short-lived West Ukrainian National Republic in 1918. The region was soon occupied by Romania by end of that year mostly the eastern portion such as Rakhiv and Khust. It was later recaptured by Hungary in the summer of 1919. However after the Paris Conference of 1919, it was annexed to Czechoslovakia supposedly on the equal rights of an autonomy as Slovakia and Czech Republic being called the Subcarpathian Rus.[11]
During the World War II German occupation of Czechoslovakia, the southern part of the region was awarded to Hungary under the First Vienna Award in 1938. The remaining portion was constituted as an autonomous region of the short-lived Second Czecho-Slovak Republic. After the occupation of Bohemia and Moravia on 15 March 1939 and the Slovak declaration of an independent state, Ruthenia declared its independence (Republic of Carpatho-Ukraine), but was immediately occupied and later annexed by Hungary.[12]
During the German occupation of Hungary in 1944, almost the entire Jewish population was deported; few survived the Holocaust.[13] When the Soviet Army crossed the pre-1938 borders of Czechoslovakia in 1944, Soviet authorities refused to allow Czechoslovak governmental officials to resume control over the region, and in June 1945, President Edvard Beneš formally signed a treaty ceding the area to the Soviet Union. It was then incorporated into the Ukrainian SSR as Zakarpattia Oblast.[13] After the break-up of the Soviet Union, it became part of the independent Ukraine.
The province has a unique footnote in history as the only region in the former Soviet Union to have had an American governor: its first governor was Gregory Zatkovich, an American citizen who had earlier emigrated from the region and represented the Rusyn community in the U.S. Zatkovich was appointed governor by Czechoslovakia's first president, Tomáš Masaryk in 1920, and served for about one year until he resigned over differences regarding the region's autonomy.
After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukraine held an independence referendum in which the residents of Zakarpattia were asked about the Zakarpattia Oblast Council's proposal for self rule.[4] About 78% of the oblast's population voted in favor of autonomy; however, it was not granted.[4] There were also propositions of separating from Ukraine to rejoin Czechoslovakia,[14] but after Czechoslovakia's dissolution into the Czech Republic and Slovakia on 1 January 1993, these ideas have been rendered largely moot.
On 25 October 2008, delegates to the Congress Of Carpathian Ruthenians declared the formation of the Republic of Carpathian Ruthenia.[14] The prosecutor’s office of Zakarpattia region has filed a case against Russian Orthodox Church priest[15] Dmytro Sidor and Yevhen Zhupan, an Our Ukraine deputy of the Zakarpattia regional council and chairman of the People’s Council of Ruthenians, on charges of encroaching on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine.[15]
Zakarpattia Oblast's local administration is controlled by the Zakarpattia Oblast Council (rada).
The oblast's governor (currently Oleksandr Ledyda[1][2]) is appointed by the President of Ukraine.
Zakarpattia Oblast is administratively subdivided into 13 raions (districts), as well as 5 cities (municipalities) which are directly subordinate to the oblast government: Berehove, Chop, Khust, Mukachevo, and the administrative center of the oblast, Uzhhorod. There are a total of 7 cities, 19 towns, and more than 579 villages.
Zakarpattia Oblast incorporates four unofficial geographic-historic regions (counties): Ung, Bereg, Ugocsa, and Northern Maramuresh. There is a project for a reform of the current administrative division of the Oblast[16]
The following data incorporates the number of each type of administrative divisions of Zakarpattia Oblast:[17]
There are 13 raions (districts) in the oblast:
Largest cities and towns in the province are:
According to the 2001 Ukrainian Census, the population of Zakarpattia Oblast is 1,254,614.[24] The current estimated population is 1.2 million people (as of 2004). With the comparison of the last official Soviet Census of 1989 the total population grew by 0.7%.
Although ethnic Ukrainians are in majority here (80.5%),[25] other ethnic groups are relatively numerous in Zakarpattia. The largest of these are Hungarians (12.1%), Romanians (2.6%), Russians (2.5%), Roma (1.1%), Slovaks (0.5%) and Germans (0.3%).[25] The Ukrainian government does not recognize the Rusyn people living in that country as a distinct nationality but rather as an ethnic group of Ukrainians. About 10,100 people (0.8%) identify themselves as Rusyns according to the last census.[26]
Out of 1,010,100 Ukrainians in the region, 99.2% (~1,002,019) acknowledged their native language, while about 0.5% (~5,051) consider their native language to be Russian. Out of 151,500 Hungarians, 97.1% (~147,107) acknowledged their native language, while about 2.6% (~3,939) consider their native language to be Ukrainian. Out of 32,100 Romanians, 99.1% (31,811) acknowledge their native language, while 0.6% (~193) consider their language Ukrainian. Out of 31,000 Russians, 91.6% (28,396) acknowledge their native language, while 8.1% (~2,511) consider their language Ukrainian. Out of 14,000 Romani peoples only 20.7% (2,898) acknowledge their native language, while 62.9% (~8,806) consider their language Ukrainian or Russian. Out of 5,600 Slovaks 43.9% (2,458) acknowledge their native language, while 42.1% (~2,358) consider their language Ukrainian. Out of 3,500 Germans, 50.0% (1,750) acknowledge their native language, while 38.9% (~1,362) consider their language Ukrainian. About 81% of the oblast population considers the Ukrainian language their native one, while 12.7% of population gives consideration to the Hungarian language and just over 5% considers either the Russian or Romanian languages.
The largest denomination is the Ruthenian Catholic Church; the oblast's territory forms the church's Eparchy of Mukachevo; with 380,000 faithful, it has a solid majority of the oblast's churchgoers. Other smaller groups include Roman Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox, which are largely associated with minority groups; Roman Catholics and Protestants tend to be Hungarian or local Ukrainian, while the Eastern Orthodox are usually Romanians, Russians, or Ukrainians from further east.
| Nationality | Number | in 2001 (%) | in 1989 (%) | growth (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ukrainians | 1,010,100 | 80.5 | 78.4 | '+3.4' |
| Hungarians | 151,500 | 12.1 | 12.5 | '-2.7' |
| Romanians | 32,100 | 2.6 | 2.4 | '+9.0' |
| Russians | 31,000 | 2.5 | 4.0 | '-37.3' |
| Roma | 14,000 | 1.1 | 1.0 | '+15.4' |
| Slovaks | 5,600 | 0.5 | 0.6 | '-22.3' |
| Germans | 3,500 | 0.3 | 0.3 | '+3.0' |
Their languages and culture are respected by the provision of education, clubs, etc. in their respective languages. Those who recognize Ukrainian as their native language total 81.0% of the population, Hungarian — 12.7%, Russian — 2.9%, Romanian — 2.6%,[24] and Rusyn — 0.5%[27] Residents in seven of Mukachivskyi Raion's villages have the option to learn the Hungarian language in a school or home school environment.[3]
Zakarpattia is home to approximately 14,000 ethnic Roma (otherwise known as Gypsies), the largest population of Roma in Ukraine. The first Hungarian College in Ukraine is in Berehovo, the II. Rákoczi Ferenc College.
Beside the major ethnic groups Zakarpattia is home to several Ukrainian ethnic sub-groups such as Boykos, Lemky, Hutsuls, and others.
Situated in the Carpathian Mountains, Zakarpattia Oblast's economy depends mostly on trans-border trade, vinery and forestry. The oblast is also home to a special economic zone.[28][29]
The oblast's main industry includes woodworking. Other industries include food, light industry, and mechanical engineering. Segment of foodstuffs in the structure of ware production of national consumption is 45%. The total number of large industrial organisations is 319, compared to 733 small industrial organisations.[7]
The most common crops grown within the region include cereals, potatoes and other vegetables. In 1999, the total amount of grain produced was 175,800 tons, of sunflower seeds — 1,300 tons, and potatoes — 378,200 tons.[7] The region also produced 76,100 tons of meat, 363,400 tons of milk and 241,900,000 eggs.[7] The total amount of registered farms in the region was 1,400 in 1999.[7]
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| Timeline | Origins pre-1918 |
The First Republic 1918–1938 |
World War II 1938–1945 |
1945–1948 | Coup d'état 1948–1989 |
Velvet Revolution 1989–1992 |
Dissolution 1993– |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia |
Crown lands of the Austrian Empire |
First Czechoslovak Republic (ČSR, 1918–1938) Full boundaries and government established by the 1920 constitution |
Sudetenland annexed by Nazi Germany (1938–1945) |
Third Czechoslovak Republic (ČSR, 1945–1948) |
Czechoslovak Republic (ČSR, 1948–1960) Declared a people's democracy (without a formal name change) under the Ninth-of-May Constitution following the 1948 coup |
Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (ČSSR, 1960–1989) |
Czech and Slovak Federal Republic (ČSFR, 1990–1992) |
Czech Republic Czechia (since 1993) |
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| Second Czechoslovak Republic (ČSR, 1938–1939) Including the autonomous regions of Slovakia and Carpathian Ruthenia |
Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (1939–1945) |
After the Prague Spring, consisted of: Czech Socialist Republic (ČSR, 1969–1992) Slovak Socialist Republic (SSR, 1969–1992) Socialist dropped from names in 1990 |
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| Slovakia | Territory of the Kingdom of Hungary |
Slovak Republic (1939–1945) |
Slovak Republic Slovakia (since 1993) |
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| Southern Slovakia and Carpatho-Ukraine Annexed by: Hungary (1939–1945) |
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| Carpathian Ruthenia | Zakarpattia Oblast of the Ukrainian SSR (1944/1946–1991) |
Zakarpattia Oblast of Ukraine (since 1991) |
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| see: Austria-Hungary | Czechoslovak government-in-exile | |||||||||