Belgorod Oblast
50.637.3Koordinaten: 50 ° 36 'N, 37 ° 18'
The Belgorod Oblast (Russian Белгородская область / Belgorodskaya oblast ) is a federal subject of Russia. Administrative center of Belgorod with 356 402 inhabitants (as of October 14, 2010 ), 70 km north of the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv million. At the population the oblast is ranked among the subjects of the Russian Federation on the 30th place.
Location and Geography
The Nezhegol
The oblast is situated on the border with Ukraine around 500 to 700 kilometers south of Moscow and covers approximately 27,000 km ², thus takes the field across Russia to a 71st place. Its north- south length is 190 km, from west to east, there are around 270 km. To the north it borders on the Kursk Oblast, on the east by the Voronezh Oblast and the west and south runs the 540 km long border with Ukraine.
Geologically, the southern edge of the Oblast in the Russian middle plate. The territory of Belgorod Oblast is situated in the catchment areas of the rivers Don and Dnepr. The central and eastern part of the area belongs to the catchment area of the Don. Its most important rivers Seversky Donets River and its tributaries flow into southern Oskol and Aidar, the rivers in the northeast of the oblast, as the Tichaja Sosna, in eastern directions. The hills in the western part of the area with an average of 200 meters Hähe is drained by the Vorskla and the Seim in a westerly direction to the current flowing in the Ukraine Dnepr. Altogether there are 480 large and small rivers and streams. The majority of the area is characterized by woods and meadows, steppes and meadows predominate in the south. About 10 percent of the territory is covered by forest. In mineral resources there are mainly iron ore ( Kursk magnetic anomaly ), still deposits of bauxite, apatite, limestone, clay, gold, graphite and other metals. The soil consists of 77 percent of the area of the oblast from the fertile black soil. The largest occurring wildlife species are wild boar, deer, moose, hares, foxes, martens, polecats and a few dozen wolves. The nature reserve Belogorje includes many landscape and vegetation of the southern forest-steppe.
The climate is temperate continental with relatively mild winters and long summers. The average temperature in January is -8 ° C and in July 20 ° C. The frost-free period is about 155 to 160 days per year with an average of 1800 sunshine hours. In sum, approximately 540-550 mm of precipitation. The eastern part of the oblast is somewhat dry with 400 mm of precipitation.
History
The Oblast Belgorod look back on a long history of settlement. In the 8th century lived on the territory of Belgorod Oblast, the Alans, then followed the Khazars. The first Slavs came from the north and settled here in the second half of the first millennium. During the time of Kievan Rus, this area was part of the Principality of Chernigov. The Mongol invasion of Rus led to the devastation of the region. The area then went to the possession of the expanded greatly to the East Grand Duchy of Lithuania. During the Russian -Lithuanian Wars, the region belonged since 1500 to the Moscow State. The area formed the end of the 16th century, the southern line of defense of Moscow Rus against the Crimean Tatars. Especially Zaporozhian Cossacks settled in here to protect the border.
In the 18th century lost with the further advance Russia's Belgorod defensive line their meaning. From 1708 the area was part of the government of Kiev and provinces Azov was. In 1727 the province of Belgorod parts of the Kiev province was created, with a population of over one million inhabitants and 34 cities ( Kursk, Orel, Bryansk, Walujki others) and was much larger than today Oblast. Between 1775 and 1779 the province was divided. The area around Belgorod was now part of the Kursk province. Economically dominated the craft and trade, it was promoted chalk and lime, bricks, nitric and wax produced. In the second half of the 19th century the development of the railway network and the industrialization began.
Between 1917 and 1919, the territory of modern Belgorod Oblast belonged to the Ukrainian SSR. During World War II, heavy fighting took place in Belgorod and environment. During the Battle of Kursk in Prokhorovka ( 12 July 1943), there was heavy tank battles. The Belgorod Oblast was formed in 1954 from parts of the Russian Oblast Kursk and Voronezh Oblast.
Economy and Transport
The Belgorod Oblast is a sophisticated Russian industrial and agricultural region. Economically, especially iron ore mining and processing are significant. The iron ore is conveyed in the area of Belgorod, Stary Oskol, Gubkin and Schebekino. One of the important sectors of the economy is the production of products made of chalk. In addition, the engineering and metal processing play a major role. In Schebekino there are chemical and biochemical companies. Large parts of the area are also used for agriculture. Agriculture in the oblast maintains traditionally strong trade relations with the agro-industrial sector of Ukraine. The major crops are sugar beet, sunflower, winter wheat and barley.
Regional railway lines and major highways run through the territory of the oblast. These combine with Moscow Oblast and Ukraine. Of high importance is the Crimean highway and the railway line Moscow -Kharkiv - Sevastopol. The total of Zugstreckenkilometer in the Oblast is 695 kilometers. The length of paved roads is 8500 km.
Administrative divisions and cities
The oblast is divided into three municipal districts ( Belgorod, Gubkin Stary Oskol and ) and 19 Rajons ( counties ). There are a total of eleven Oblast cities, including the two major cities Stary Oskol Belgorod, and 18 urban-type settlements.