(,
Translit. ''Odes’ka oblast’''; also referred to as '''
Odeshchyna '''—'''') is an
Oblast (province) of south-western
Ukraine . The
Administrative Center of the oblast is the city of
Odessa .
The finds from the settlements and burial grounds of Gumelnitsa,
Tripolie and
Usatovo Culture , barrows and hoards of the Bronze Age are of special interest. In the first millennium B.C. ancient Greek colonies, such as
Olbia ,
Tyras ,
Niconium ,
Panticapaeum ,
Chersonesus , were founded on the North Black Sea Coast. Painted vessels, terracottas, sculptures, inscriptions, articles of craft art, represented in muzeum, testify about prosperity of the antique civilization.
The culture of Scythian tribes, inhabited in Black Sea littoral steppes, is represented by finds from settlements and barial grounds. There are weapon items, bronze cauldrons, other utensils, adornments. By the beginning of the first millennium A.D. the
Sarmatians displaced the
Scythians . In the IIIrd–IVth centuries A.D. the tribal alliance, represented by the items of
Chernyakhovo Culture , was created. Since the middle of the first millennium the formation of Slavic people began. In the IXth century they were united into a state with Kyiv as a centre. The Khazars, Polovtsy, Pechenegs were the Slavs' neighbours during the different times. The period of the IXth–XIVth centuries is reflected by the materials from the settlements and cities of Kyiv Rus, Belgorod, Caffa-
Theodosia ,
Berezan Island .
Formerly ruled by the
Ottoman Empire , the territory of the Odessa oblast passed into Russian and Soviet hands in various stages between the eighteenth century and
20th Century . The
Russian Empire 's expansion along the
Black Sea coast led to the creation of the territory of
Novorossiya , which was colonised by a variety of peoples, of whom the Russians were dominant. The Odessa oblast corresponds to the most westerly portion of "New Russia".
The oblast was created on
February 27 ,
1932 as part of the
Ukrainian SSR . It was expanded further following the annexation in
1940 of the
Romania n territory of
Budjak , the part of southern
Bessarabia that lay north of the
Danube River . This was part of the deal reached between
Nazi Germany and the
Soviet Union in the
Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact . However, the area in the far south around
Izmail was not incorporated into the oblast until
1956 .
The oblast occupies an area of around 33,300 square kilometres (12,850 sq miles). It is characterised by largely flat
Steppe s divided by the estuary of the
Dniester river. Its
Black Sea coast comprises numerous sandy beaches, estuaries and lagoons. The region's soils are renowned for their fertility, and intensive
Agriculture is the mainstay of the local economy. The southwest possesses many
Orchard s and
Vineyard s, while arable crops are grown throughout the region.
Significant branches of the oblast's economy are:
The region's industrial capability is principally concentrated in and around Odessa.
The oblast's population (as of
2004 ) is 2.4 million people, nearly 40% of whom live in the city of Odessa.
Significant
Romanian /
Moldovan ,
Bulgarian and
Greek minorities reside in the province. The
Greek minority is mostly preponderant in the city of Odessa.
Bulgarians and
Romanians represent 21% and 13% respectively, of the population of the formerly Romanian region of
Budjak , within Odessa oblast.
The Odessa Oblast is administratively subdivided into 26 ,
Illichivsk ,
Izmail ,
Kotovsk ,
Teplodar ,
Yuzhne , and the administrative center of the oblast,
Odessa .
Most of Ukraine's oblasts are named after their
Capital cities, officially referred to as "oblast centers" (,
Translit. ''oblasnyi tsentr''). The name of each oblast is a
Relative Adjective , formed by adding a feminine
Suffix to the name of respective center city: ''Odessa'' is the center of the ''Odes’ka oblast’'' (Odessa Oblast). Most oblasts are also sometimes referred to in a feminine noun form, following the convention of traditional regional place names, ending with the suffix "-shchyna", as is the case with the Odessa Oblast, ''Odeshchyna''.
