Kursk Oblast

51.6478636.36162Koordinaten: 51 ° 39 ' N, 36 ° 22' O

The Kursk Oblast (Russian Курская область / Kurskaja oblast ) is an oblast in southwestern Russia. It is bordered by Ukraine ( Sumy oblast ) and is conveniently located at the junction between Moscow and the densely populated, industrially defined areas of Eastern Ukraine.

Geography and economy

The area lies on the western edge of the Central Russian plate with heights ranging from 150 to about 300 m and an area of ​​250 x 150 km. He is largely drained by Seim and SWAPA west to the Dnieper River, in the south and east by the rivers Psel and Oskol. The capital city of Kursk is located approximately in the center of the oblast.

Economically important is the Iron ore mining. The Kursk basin contains the largest known iron ore deposits and caused the Kursk magnetic anomaly, the world's strongest anomaly of the geomagnetic field. Other important mineral resources include gold, uranium and platinum. The most important industries are in addition to the iron processing, chemical and food industries. The soil is fertile black earth and is agriculturally widely used.

In the vicinity of the Kurchatov nuclear power plant Kursk lies. There are four graphite-moderated reactors of type RBMK -1000 are operated. The same type of reactor was in the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in operation. The reactors were in operation 1977-1986.

Administrative divisions and largest cities

The Kursk Oblast is divided into 28 Rajons and 5 urban districts. The largest cities in addition to the administrative center of Kursk, the mining town of Zheleznogorsk and Kurchatov and Lgow. In total there are 10 cities in the oblast and 22 urban-type settlements.