Chernivtsi region is a unique
region where historical fate of Northern Bukovyna and a part of Bessarabia are united. Oblast’ was established on August 7,
1940 in the result
of the reunion of Northern part of Bukovyna and
Khotyns’k district of Bessarabia.
Situated at the turn of trunk-roads of Central, Southern and Eastern Europe, this part of Ukraine on account of its geopolitical allocation
formed a part of other states for quite a long time. After the collapse
of Halych state lands of the present Chernivtsi region got under power of Hungarian
Monarchy. In the course of time, (the middle of the XIV century) a
Moldavian princedom appeared here which very soon got under vassal
dependence of Turkey. At the end of the XVIII – the beginning of the XIX century these
lands formed a part of Dual Monarchy (Bukovyna)
and Russian Empire (Bessarabia).
Oblast’ is
divided into 11 administrative districts: Kitsmans’ky,
Zastavnivs’ky, Khotyns’ky,
Novoselyts’ky, Kel’menets’ky,
Sokyryans’ky, Hlybots’ky,
Storozhyts’ky, Putyvl’s’ky,
Vyzhnyts’ky and also the city of Chernivtsi.
Authority
Representatives of nationalities are active participants of the
state management processes in the region. Among 4153 deputies of
regional, city, district, village and settlement councils – 477 are
Romanians and 147 and Moldavians (22,8% of all
deputy corps). In Chernivtsi regional council
the number of Romanians and Moldavians constitutes 18%, in Hertsajivs’ky district council – 95%, Hlybots’ky – 50%, Novoselyts’ky
– 63,3%, Storozhynets’ky
_ 30%. 37 Romanians and 22 Moldavians are heads of 283 regional, city,
village and settlement councils, totally– 22,8%
on 19,7% of general quantity of Roman speaking population of the region.
Regional power supports national communities in organization of
massive national and cultural measures. Traditional are Romanian national
holidays in Chernivtsi – “Mertsishor”,
“FlorileDalbe” and “Limbanoastre” in which
other national and cultural communities take part.
Regional state administration, bodies of local government keep in
touch nationalities with ethnical homelands as well as with Ukrainians
who live abroad.
Borders
Chernivets’ka oblast’,
known as “Bukovyna”, is situated on the
southern east of Ukraine. Area is 8,1 thousand
sq. km. The region borders upon Vinnytsya, Ivano-Frankivs’k, Ternopil’
and Khmelnytsky regions. On the south passes
the frontier with Moldavia and Romania. Regional center
is the city of Chernivtsi.
Population
Total number
of the population is 935 thousand people, density of population – 115
people on 1 sq. km. There are 11 cities, 8 urban villages, 398 villages.
Economic
potential
Forests play important role in economic and social development of
oblast’. General area of forests is 258 thousand hectares. Main forest
constitutive kinds are fir, beech and oak. Middle age of plantations is
60 years.
Mineralogical resources of Chernivtsi
oblast’ comprise mineral water and mud deposits. There are about 60
mineral water deposits known as “Izhevs’ka”, “Matsesta”, “Borzhomi” and “Naftusya”.
Chernivtsi region counts about 243 territories and objects of nature and
reserve fund, including 7 reserves, 8 memorials of nature, botanical and dendrology
park of Chernivtsi State University, Vyzhnyts’ky national park, Storozhynets’ky
dendrology park, Chernivets’ki regional landscape
parks “Tsestyni”, “ValyaKuzmina” (beech grove of 250-300 years old,
picturesque lake, unique plants, mineral sources) as well as 136
memorials of nature, 40 parks of landscape art, and 39 reserve tracts.
Various memorials of culture such as zarubynets’ka
(the I century B.C. – II century B.C.), chernyakhivs’ka (II-V century B.C.) found in 150
places prove that the northern Bukovyna is a
Slavonic land.
Slavonic sites of ancient settlements (IX-X c.), old Russian sites
of ancient settlements (XII-XIII c.) are rich in archeological
and architectural monuments, memorials of spiritual architecture.
Nature and ecology
Landscape of Chernivtsi region is verified: alps of the
Carpathians and banks of foothills transforming gradually into the wide
plain, situated between the rivers of Dnister
and Prut. Water
resources: rivers of Dnister, Prut, Seret, Cheremosh. Soil – predominantly brown and sod-podzol. Climate: warm moderately continental,
rainfalls 650-750 mm. Minerals: the region is rich in building materials
deposits (gypsum, anhydride, mar, lime), different kinds of sand, mineral
water sources. Attract recently found oil-and-gas deposits as well as
development of gold-bearing and complex ore.
