Oblast
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Oblast (Belarusian: во́бласьць; Bosnian: oblast; Bulgarian: о́бласт; Czech: oblast; Russian: о́бласть; Serbian: област; Slovak: oblasť; Ukrainian: о́бласть) refers to a type of administrative division in Slavic countries and in some countries of the former Soviet Union. The word "oblast" is considered to be a loanword in English, but it is often translated as "area", "zone", "province", or "region".
Oblasts are a type of country subdivision of Bulgaria, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Ukraine, and the now-defunct Soviet Union. Official terms in successor states of the Soviet Union differ, but some still use a cognate of the Russian term, e.g. voblast (voblasts, voblasts' ) is used for provinces of Belarus, and oblys (plural: oblystar) for provinces of Kazakhstan.
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[edit] Oblasts of Bulgaria
Since 1997, Bulgaria has been divided into 28 oblasti, usually translated as provinces. Before, the country was divided into nine bigger units, also called oblast.
- See also: Provinces of Bulgaria
[edit] Oblasts of the Russian Empire
In the Russian Empire, oblasts were considered to be administrative units and were included as parts of Governorates General or krais. The majority of then-existing oblasts were located on the periphery of the country or covered the areas where Cossacks lived.
[edit] Oblasts of the Soviet Union
In the now-dissolved Soviet Union, oblasts were one of the types of administrative divisions of the union republics. As any administrative units of this level, oblasts were comprised of districts (raions) and cities/towns directly under oblasts' jurisdiction. Some oblasts also included autonomous entities called autonomous okrugs.
The names of oblasts did not usually correspond to the names of the respective historical regions, as they were created as purely administrative units. With a few exceptions, Soviet oblasts were named after their administrative centers.
[edit] Terms used to describe oblasts in post-Soviet countries
The oblasts in other post-Soviet countries are officially called:
- Armenia: marz (see provinces of Armenia)
- Belarus: voblast (see provinces of Belarus)
- Kazakhstan: oblys (see provinces of Kazakhstan)
- Kyrgyzstan: oblast (see provinces of Kyrgyzstan)
- Tajikistan: viloyat (see provinces of Tajikistan)
- Turkmenistan: welayat (see provinces of Turkmenistan)
- Uzbekistan: viloyat (see provinces of Uzbekistan)
Viloyat and welayat are derived from the Arabic language term wilayah.
[edit] Oblasts of Russia
According to the Constitution of Russia, oblasts are considered to be subjects of the Federation, which is a higher status than that of administrative units they had within the Russian SFSR before the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The federal subject status gives the oblasts some degree of autonomy and gives them representation in the Federation Council.
- See also: Oblasts of Russia
[edit] Oblasts of Ukraine
[edit] Oblasts of Yugoslavia
Oblasts were administrative units of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia between 1922 and 1929. During that period, the country was divided into 33 oblasts. In 1929, oblasts were replaced with larger administrative units known as banovinas.
During the Yugoslav Wars, several Serbian Autonomous Oblasts were formed in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. These oblasts were later merged into the Republic of Serbian Krajina and the Republika Srpska.
[edit] See also
- Autonomous oblast
- Guberniya, an administrative unit of the Russian Empire, early Russian SFSR, and the Soviet Union
Contemporary
Arrondissement · Bailiwick · Banner · Autonomous banner · Barangay · Bairro · Barrio · Block · Borough · County borough · Metropolitan borough · Capital · Federal capital · Canton · Census division · Census geographic unit · Census metropolitan area · Census subdivision · Circle · Circuit · City · Autonomous city · Independent city · Co-Principality · Colony · Commonwealth · Commune · Community · Autonomous community · Residential community · Condiminium · Constituency · County · Administrative county · Autonomous county · Metropolitan county · Council · Croft · Department · Dependency · Federal dependency · District · Autonomous district · Capital district · City district · Federal district · Metropolitan district · Municipal district · Division · Duchy · Freguesia · Governorate · Hamlet · Insular area · Judeţ · Local administrative unit · Local government area · Municipality · District municipality · Regional municipality · Regional county municipality · Rural municipality · Neighbourhood · Oblast · Okrug · Parish · Civil parish · Periphery · Prefecture · Autonomous prefecture · Principality · Protectorate · Province · Autonomous province · Quarter · Regency · Region · Autonomous region · Capital region ·National capital region · Special administrative region · Republic · Autonomous republic · Ranchería · Reservation · Reserve · Shire · State · Subdistrict · Subprefecture · Suzerainty · Territory · Autonomous territorial unit · Capital territory · National territory · Town · Townland · Township · Civil township · Urban (urbanized) area · Village · Vingtaine · Voivodeship · Ward
Historical
Agency · Barony · Burgh · Cantref · Commote · Hundred · Imperial Circle · Imperial Free City · Imperial province · Presidency · Residency · Riding · Rural district · Sanitary district (rural · urban) · Urban district
Boldface indicates a type used by ten or more countries; loanwords in italics.