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Gomel

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Гомель
Gomel
Flag of Гомель Gomel
Flag
Official seal of Гомель Gomel
Seal
Location of Homel, shown within the Homiel Voblast
Location of Homel, shown within the Homiel Voblast
Country
Subdivision		Belarus
Homiel
Founded1142
Government
 • MayorAlexander Belyev
Area
 • Total113 km2 (44 sq mi)
Population
 (2004)
 • Total481,197
 • Density4,258.4/km2 (11,029/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Area code+375 232(2)
License plate3
Websitewww.gorod.gomel.by

Gomel (Template:PronEng)[1], also Homel, Homiel (Belarusian: Гомель, IPA: [ˈɣomʲelʲ][1], translit: Hómiel'; is the administrative center of Homiel Voblast and the second-largest city in Belarus. It has a population of 479,935 (2006 estimate). Gomel is situated in the southeastern part of the country, on the right bank of Sozh river, close to the border with Ukraine, in close proximity to Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Although it has been heavily contaminated with radioactive debris following the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, residents were never evacuated from Gomel and general population continued to grow. The city is serviced by Gomel Airport.

History

View of the city, with the Paskevich Palace seen in the distance.

The exact date when Gomel was founded is not known. Gomel was first mentioned in the chronicles in the first half of the 12th century; the officially accepted date is 1142. In 1854 Gomel merged with the neighbouring town of Bielica located across Sozh, on the left bank of the river. Now Bielica is one of four boroughs of Gomel.[2]

In the 19th century Jewish residents comprised more than 50% of the city's total population and had twenty-four synagogues. On the eve of World War II about fifty thousand Jews lived in Gomel (one-third of total population). Some Jewish residents escaped in the early months of the war but those who remained were later confined to ghettos and were eventually executed by the Nazis, suffering the fate of millions of Jews who perished in the Holocaust.

Transportation

Public transportation is represented by over 1,000 city buses and trolleybuses. Public transportation is generally inexpensive ($14 monthly). Over 210 million passenger rides were registered in 2006.[3] Taxi services ($10 for a one-way intra-city ride) are available 24 hours a day. The city is an important railroad hub in the southeastern part of Belarus being positioned midway on the Minsk-Kiev railroad link. Strategic location of Gomel near the border with Russia and Ukraine provides a direct connection to the vast railroad network.

Gomel Airport is located 8 kilometers north-east from the city.

Educational center

Gomel is a well-known educational center. The following universities are located in Gomel:

Since 1990, P.O. Sukhoy Homiel State Technical University and Homiel State Medical University have been attracting many international students from countries around world, including United States, Germany, China, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Syria, Russia, Ukraine, Egypt, Iran and Latin America. Homiel State Medical University provides classes in both English and Russian. Many famous scientists work here as senior lecturers.

People

Sister cities

References

  1. ^ a b Definition of Homyel' - Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
  2. ^ Gomel: History
  3. ^ Gomel Transportation Statistics (Russian language)
  4. ^ "Twinning". Aberdeen City Council. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
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