Oblast of Odesa

Odesa Oblast, also written as Odesa Oblast (Ukrainian: Одеська область, translit. Odes’ka oblast’; also referred to as Odeshchyna—Ukrainian: Одещина), (Greek: Οδησσός) is an oblast (province) of south-western Ukraine. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Odesa.

History

The evidence of the earliest inhabitants in the modern territory of the oblast come from settlements and burial grounds of Gumelnitsa, Tripolie and Usatovo culture including barrows and hoards of the Bronze Age. In the first millennium B.C. ancient Greek colonies, such as Olbia, Tyras, Niconium, Panticapaeum, Chersonesus, were founded on the North Black Sea Coast. Painted vessels, terracottas, sculptures, inscriptions, articles of craft art, represented in a museum, testify about prosperity of the antique civilization.

The culture of Scythian tribes inhabiting the Black Sea littoral steppes is represented by finds from settlements and burial grounds. There are weapon items, bronze cauldrons, other utensils, adornments. By the beginning of the first millennium A.D. the Sarmatians displaced the Scythians. In the IIIrd–IVth centuries A.D. the tribal alliance, represented by the items of Chernyakhov culture, was created. Since the middle of the first millennium the formation of Slavic people began. In the IXth century they were united into a state with Kyiv as a centre. The Khazars, Polovtsy, Pechenegs were the Slavs' neighbours during the different times. The period of the IXth–XIVth centuries is reflected by the materials from the settlements and cities of Kyiv Rus, Belgorod, Caffa-Theodosia, Berezan Island.

Formerly ruled by the Ottoman Empire, the territory of the Odesa oblast passed into Russian and Soviet hands in various stages between the eighteenth century and 20th century. The Russian Empire's expansion along the Black Sea coast led to the creation of the territory of Novorossiya, which was colonised by a variety of peoples, of whom the Russians were dominant. The Odesa oblast corresponds to the most westerly portion of "New Russia".

The oblast was created on February 27, 1932 as part of the Ukrainian SSR. It was expanded further in 1954 by absorbing Izmail Oblast (formerly known as Budjak region of Bessarabia).

Geography

The oblast occupies an area of around 33,300 square kilometres (12,850 square miles). It is characterised by largely flat steppes divided by the estuary of the Dniester river. Its Black Sea coast comprises numerous sandy beaches, estuaries and lagoons. The region's soils are renowned for their fertility, and intensive agriculture is the mainstay of the local economy. The southwest possesses many orchards and vineyards, while arable crops are grown throughout the region.

Snake Island is part of the oblast.

Points of Interest

• Odesa Opera
• Akkerman fortress
• Potemkin Stairs

Economy

File:Odesa oblast' field.jpg

Rapeseed Field in Odesa Oblast.

Significant branches of the oblast's economy are:

• oil refining & chemicals processing
• transportation (important sea and river ports, oil pipelines and railway);
• viticulture and other forms of agriculture, notably the growing of wheat, maize, barley, sunflowers and sugar beets.

The region's industrial capability is principally concentrated in and around Odesa.

Demographics

The oblast's population (as of 2004) is 2.4 million people, nearly 40% of whom live in the city of Odesa.

Significant Bulgarian (6.1%) and Moldovan (5%) minorities reside in the province. There is a small Greek community in the city of Odesa.

Bulgarians and Moldovans represent 21% and 13% respectively, of the population in the region of Budjak, within Odesa oblast.

Subdivisions

Detailed map of Odesa Oblast.

The Odesa Oblast is administratively subdivided into 26 raions (districts), as well as 7 cities (municipalities) which are directly subordinate to the oblast government: Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Illichivsk, Izmail, Kotovsk, Teplodar, Yuzhne, and the administrative center of the oblast, Odesa.

Raions of the Odesa Oblast

	In English	In Ukrainian	Administrative Center
	Ananyivskyi Raion	Ананьївський район Anan'yivs'kyi raion	Ananyiv (City)
	Artsyzkyi Raion	Арцизький район Artsyz'kyi raion	Artsyz (City)
	Baltskyi Raion	Балтський район Balts'kyi raion	Balta (City)
	Berezivskyi Raion	Березівський район Berezivs'kyi raion	Berezivka (City)
	Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi Raion	Білгород-Дністровський район Bilhorod-Dnistrovs'kyi raion	Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi (City)
	Biliayivskyi Raion	Біляївський район Biliayivs'kyi raion	Biliayivka (City)
	Bolhradskyi Raion	Болградський район Bolhrads'kyi raion	Bolhrad (City)
	Frunzivskyi Raion	Фрунзівський район Frunzivs'kyi raion	Frunzivka (Urban-type settlement)
	Ivanivskyi Raion	Іванівський район Ivanivs'kyi raion	Ivanivka (Urban-type settlement)
	Izmailsky Raion	Ізмаїльський район Izmails'kyi raion	Izmail (City)
	Kiliyskyi Raion	Кілійський район Kiliys'kyi raion	Kilia (City)
	Kodymskyi Raion	Кодимський район Kodyms'kyi raion	Kodyma (City)
	Kominternivskyi Raion	Комінтернівський район Kominternivs'kyi raion	Kominternivske (Urban-type settlement)
	Kotovskyi Raion	Котовський район Kotovs'kyi raion	Kotovsk (City)
	Krasnooknianskyi Raion	Красноокнянський район Krasno-oknians'kyi raion	Krasni Okny (Urban-type settlement)
	Liubashivskyi Raion	Любашівський район Liubashivs'kyi raion	Liubashivka (Urban-type settlement)
	Mykolaivskyi Raion	Миколаївський район Mykolayivs'kyi raion	Mykolaivka (Urban-type settlement)
	Ovidiopolskyi Raion	Овідіопольський район Ovidiopols'kyi raion	Ovidiopol (Urban-type settlement)
	Reniyskyi Raion	Ренійський район Reniys'kyi raion	Reni (City)
	Rozdilnianskyi Raion	Роздільнянський район Rozdil'nians'kyi raion	Rozdilna (City)
	Saratskyi Raion	Саратський район Sarats'kyi raion	Sarata (Urban-type settlement)
	Savranskyi Raion	Савранський район Savrans'kyi raion	Savran (Urban-type settlement)
	Shyriayivskyi Raion	Ширяївський район Shyriayivs'kyi raion	Shyriaieve (Urban-type settlement)
	Tarutynskyi Raion	Тарутинський район Tarutyns'kyi raion	Tarutyne (Urban-type settlement)
	Tatarbunarskyi Raion	Татарбунарський район Tatarbunars'kyi raion	Tatarbunary (City)
	Velykomykhailivskyi Raion	Великомихайлівський район Velykomykhailivs'kyi raion	Velyka Mykhailivka (Urban-type settlement)

Nomenclature

Most of Ukraine's oblasts are named after their capital cities, officially referred to as "oblast centers" (Ukrainian: обласний центр, translit. oblasnyi tsentr). The name of each oblast is a relative adjective, formed by adding a feminine suffix to the name of respective center city: Odesa is the center of the Odes’ka oblast’ (Odesa Oblast). Most oblasts are also sometimes referred to in a feminine noun form, following the convention of traditional regional place names, ending with the suffix "-shchyna", as is the case with the Odesa Oblast, Odeshchyna.

See also: Romanization of Ukrainian

See also

• Subdivisions of Ukraine
• Kherson Governorate

External links

• Odesa regional administration homepage
• Maps of Odesa oblast Cities, Towns and Villages