Smolensk Oblast

Smolensk Oblast
Смоленская область (Russian)
—  Oblast  —

Flag
Coat of arms
Anthem: none[1]
Coordinates: 55°00′N 33°00′E / 55.000°N 33.000°E / 55.000; 33.000Coordinates: 55°00′N 33°00′E / 55.000°N 33.000°E / 55.000; 33.000
Political status
Country Russia
Federal district Central[2]
Economic region Central[3]
Established September 27, 1937[4]
Administrative center Smolensk
Government (as of November 2014)
 • Governor[5] Alexey Ostrovsky[6]
 • Legislature Oblast Duma[7]
Statistics
Area (as of the 2002 Census)[8]
 • Total 49,800 km2 (19,200 sq mi)
Area rank 53rd
Population (2010 Census)[9]
 • Total 985,537
 • Rank 53rd
 • Density[10] 19.79/km2 (51.3/sq mi)
 • Urban 72.7%
 • Rural 27.3%
Population (January 2014 est.)
 • Total 967,900[11]
Time zone(s) MSK (UTC+03:00)[12]
ISO 3166-2 RU-SMO
License plates 67
Official languages Russian[13]
Official website

Smolensk Oblast (Russian: Смоле́нская о́бласть, Smolenskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Smolensk. As of the 2010 Census, its population was 985,537.[9]

Geography

Roslavlsky old tract, the village of Boreshino

The oblast was founded on September 27, 1937.[4] It borders Pskov Oblast in the north, Tver Oblast in the northeast, Moscow Oblast in the east, Kaluga and Bryansk Oblasts in the south, and Mogilev and Vitebsk Oblasts of Belarus, in the west and northwest, as part of the Belarus–Russia border.

Hydrography

The main river of the region is the Dnieper River and its tributaries, Desna, Vop, Vyazma. By the rivers of the Volga basin and its tributary Vazuza Gzhat and tributary of the Oka river, Ugra. To the north-west flows a short section of the Western Dvina River and its tributary river Kasplya .

Among the major reservoirs supplying water are Moscow Vazuzssky Yauza and reservoirs in the north-east, as well as cooling power plants - Smolensk reservoir in the north near the village of Lake and Desnogorsk Reservoir in the south area of the city near the Desnogorsk .

Climate

The climate of Smolensk Oblast is humid continental, similar to the climate of Moscow Oblast, but slightly warmer in winter due to being located further west. Summers are short, warm and rainy, while winters are long, cold and snowy. Average temperatures range from −9 °C (16 °F) in January to 17 °C (63 °F) in July (although in the south it ranges from −8 °C (18 °F) in January to 18 °C (64 °F) in July). Annual precipitation varies from 630 to 730 millimeters per year.

Politics

Building of the Oblast Administration

During the Soviet period, the high authority in the oblast was shared between three persons: The first secretary of the Smolensk CPSU Committee (who in reality had the biggest authority), the chairman of the oblast Soviet (legislative power), and the Chairman of the oblast Executive Committee (executive power). Since 1991, CPSU lost all the power, and the head of the Oblast administration, and eventually the governor was appointed/elected alongside elected regional parliament.

The Charter of Smolensk Oblast is the fundamental law of the region. The Legislative Assembly of Smolensk is the province's standing legislative (representative) body. The Legislative Assembly exercises its authority by passing laws, resolutions, and other legal acts and by supervising the implementation and observance of the laws and other legal acts passed by it. The highest executive body is the Oblast Government, which includes territorial executive bodies such as district administrations, committees, and commissions that facilitate development and run the day to day matters of the province. The Oblast administration supports the activities of the Governor who is the highest official and acts as guarantor of the observance of the oblast Charter in accordance with the Constitution of Russia.

Administrative divisions

Administrative divisions of Smolensk Oblast

Smolensk Oblast is divided into 25 districts (raions) and 2 cities, which are further divided into 15 towns, 12 urban-type settlements, and 302 rural okrugs.

Demographics

Population: 985,537 (2010 Census);[9] 1,049,574 (2002 Census);[14] 1,158,299 (1989 Census).[15]

2012

2009 - 1.40 | 2010 - 1.38 | 2011 - 1.40 | 2012 - 1.43 | 2013 - 1.48 | 2014 - 1.53 | 2015 - 1.53(e)

According to the 2010 Census, the ethnic composition of the oblast was as follows:[9]

Religion

Religion in Smolensk Oblast (2012)[19][20]

  Russian Orthodox (19.5%)
  Unaffiliated Christian (7%)
  Other Orthodox (3%)
  Old Believers (2%)
  Rodnover (1%)
  Catholic (0.4%)
  Spiritual but not religious (45%)
  Atheist (13%)
  Other or undeclared (9.1%)

According to a 2012 official survey[19] 19.5% of the population of Smolensk Oblast adheres to the Russian Orthodox Church, 7% are unaffiliated generic Christians, 3% are Orthodox Christian believers who do not belong to church or belong to other (non-Russian) Orthodox churches, 2% are Old Believers, 1% are adherents of the Slavic native faith (Rodnovery) movement, 0.4% are members of the Catholic Church. In addition, 45% of the population declares to be "spiritual but not religious", 13% is atheist, and 9.1% follows other religions or did not give an answer to the question.[19]

Notable people

See also

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Article 14 of the Charter of Smolensk Oblast states that the symbols of the oblast include a flag and a coat of arms, but not an anthem.
  2. ↑ Президент Российской Федерации. Указ №849 от 13 мая 2000 г. «О полномочном представителе Президента Российской Федерации в федеральном округе». Вступил в силу 13 мая 2000 г. Опубликован: "Собрание законодательства РФ", №20, ст. 2112, 15 мая 2000 г. (President of the Russian Federation. Decree #849 of May 13, 2000 On the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in a Federal District. Effective as of May 13, 2000.).
  3. ↑ Госстандарт Российской Федерации. №ОК 024-95 27 декабря 1995 г. «Общероссийский классификатор экономических регионов. 2. Экономические районы», в ред. Изменения №5/2001 ОКЭР. (Gosstandart of the Russian Federation. #OK 024-95 December 27, 1995 Russian Classification of Economic Regions. 2. Economic Regions, as amended by the Amendment #5/2001 OKER. ).
  4. 1 2 Исполнительный комитет Смоленского областного совета народных депутатов. Государственный архив Смоленской области. "Административно-территориальное устройство Смоленской области. Справочник", изд. "Московский рабочий", Москва 1981. Стр. 8
  5. ↑ Charter of Smolensk Oblast, Article 33
  6. ↑ Official website of Smolensk Oblast. Members of the Administration of Smolensk Oblast (Russian)
  7. ↑ Charter of Smolensk Oblast, Article 23
  8. ↑ Федеральная служба государственной статистики (Federal State Statistics Service) (2004-05-21). "Территория, число районов, населённых пунктов и сельских администраций по субъектам Российской Федерации (Territory, Number of Districts, Inhabited Localities, and Rural Administration by Federal Subjects of the Russian Federation)". Всероссийская перепись населения 2002 года (All-Russia Population Census of 2002) (in Russian). Federal State Statistics Service. Retrieved 2011-11-01.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Russian Federal State Statistics Service (2011). "Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года. Том 1" [2010 All-Russian Population Census, vol. 1]. Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года (2010 All-Russia Population Census) (in Russian). Federal State Statistics Service. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
  10. ↑ The density value was calculated by dividing the population reported by the 2010 Census by the area shown in the "Area" field. Please note that this value may not be accurate as the area specified in the infobox is not necessarily reported for the same year as the population.
  11. ↑ Smolensk Oblast Territorial Branch of the Federal State Statistics Service. Численность населения Смоленской области (на начало года) (Russian)
  12. ↑ Правительство Российской Федерации. Федеральный закон №107-ФЗ от 3 июня 2011 г. «Об исчислении времени», в ред. Федерального закона №248-ФЗ от 21 июля 2014 г. «О внесении изменений в Федеральный закон "Об исчислении времени"». Вступил в силу по истечении шестидесяти дней после дня официального опубликования (6 августа 2011 г.). Опубликован: "Российская газета", №120, 6 июня 2011 г. (Government of the Russian Federation. Federal Law #107-FZ of June 31, 2011 On Calculating Time, as amended by the Federal Law #248-FZ of July 21, 2014 On Amending Federal Law "On Calculating Time". Effective as of after sixty days following the day of the official publication.).
  13. ↑ Official on the whole territory of Russia according to Article 68.1 of the Constitution of Russia.
  14. ↑ Russian Federal State Statistics Service (May 21, 2004). "Численность населения России, субъектов Российской Федерации в составе федеральных округов, районов, городских поселений, сельских населённых пунктов – районных центров и сельских населённых пунктов с населением 3 тысячи и более человек" [Population of Russia, Its Federal Districts, Federal Subjects, Districts, Urban Localities, Rural Localities—Administrative Centers, and Rural Localities with Population of Over 3,000] (XLS). Всероссийская перепись населения 2002 года [All-Russia Population Census of 2002] (in Russian). Retrieved August 9, 2014.
  15. ↑ Demoscope Weekly (1989). "Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 г. Численность наличного населения союзных и автономных республик, автономных областей и округов, краёв, областей, районов, городских поселений и сёл-райцентров" [All Union Population Census of 1989: Present Population of Union and Autonomous Republics, Autonomous Oblasts and Okrugs, Krais, Oblasts, Districts, Urban Settlements, and Villages Serving as District Administrative Centers]. Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 года [All-Union Population Census of 1989] (in Russian). Институт демографии Национального исследовательского университета: Высшая школа экономики [Institute of Demography at the National Research University: Higher School of Economics]. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
  16. ↑ http://www.gks.ru/free_doc/2012/demo/edn12-12.htm
  17. ↑ http://www.gks.ru/wps/wcm/connect/rosstat_main/rosstat/ru/statistics/publications/catalog/doc_1137674209312
  18. ↑ http://www.perepis-2010.ru/news/detail.php?ID=6936
  19. 1 2 3 Arena - Atlas of Religions and Nationalities in Russia. Sreda.org
  20. ↑ 2012 Survey Maps. "Ogonek", № 34 (5243), 27/08/2012. Retrieved September 24, 2012.

Sources

External links

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