Vitsebsk Voblast

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Vitsebsk Voblast

Ві́цебская во́бласць

Vitebsk Oblast

Ви́тебская о́бласть


Flag	Coat of arms

Administrative center

Vitsebsk

Largest cities

Vitsebsk - 342,400
Orsha - 125,300
Navapolatsk - 101,300

Raions

- Cities

- Urban localities

- Villages

N/A

City raions

Area

Ranked

- Total

40,100 km²

- % of National total

19.4 %

- Width

N/A km

- Length

N/A km

- % water

N/A

- Latitude

N/A

- Longitude

N/A

Population

Ranked N/A

- Population

1,294,700

- % of National total

N/A %

- Density

34 /km²

Elevation

- Highest point

N/A
N/A m

- Lowest point

N/A
N/A m

Chairman

N/A

Abbreviations

BY-VI

Web site (RU/EN)

www.regadmin.vitebsk.by

Vitsebsk Voblast (Province) 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. As of a 2005 estimate, the voblast has a population of 1,294,700. It also has the lowest population density in Belarus at 32 p/km².

Important cities within the voblast' include: Vitebsk, Orsha, and Navapolatsk.

1 Geography
2 Economy
3 Administrative subdivisions
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Geography

Map of the administrative subdivisions of the Vitsebsk Voblast.

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 Daugavpils District of Lithuania 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]

[edit] Economy

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.

[edit] Administrative subdivisions

The Vitsebsk Voblast is subdivided into 21 raions, 5 cities of oblast subordinance, 19 additional cities, 249 selsovets, and 26 urban-type settlements.