Everything about Donetsk Oblast totally explained
Donetsk Oblast (
Donets’ka oblast’; also referred to as
Donechchyna — ) 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:
Slovyansk,
Horlivka,
Kramatorsk,
Makiivka,
Mariupol,
Yenakiieve.
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.
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:
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.
Raions
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 wasn't 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%).
As of
2001, the languages spoken within the oblast' are:
Russian — 74.9%,
Ukrainian — 24.1%, and
Armenian — 0.13%.
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.
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.
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. 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.
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.
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.
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.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Donetsk Oblast'.
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