| The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07. |
| |
| oblast |
| |
| |
( ´bläst,  ´–, Rus. ô´bl sty) (KEY) [Rus.,=region], administrative and territorial division in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and the former USSR. In the USSR, oblasts in which the majority of the population was of a nationality different from that of the constituent republic in which they were included generally enjoyed autonomous status. There is only one surviving autonomous oblast in Russia; the others became republics. The boundaries of oblasts are usually based on economic and administrative considerations; as a result, oblasts vary considerably in size and population. |
| |
| | | The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright © 2007 Columbia University Press. |
|
|
