Kherson Oblast
Kherson Oblast
Херсонська область | |
|---|---|
| Khersonska oblast | |
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| |
| Nickname: Херсонщина (Khersonshchyna) | |
Pre-July 2020 boundary shown | |
| Country | Ukraine |
| Established | 1944 |
| Administrative center | Kherson |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Oleksandr Prokudin |
| • Oblast council | 64 seats |
| • Chairperson | Oleksandr Samoylenko |
| Area | |
• Total | 28,461 km2 (10,989 sq mi) |
| Population (2022) | |
• Total | 1,001,598 |
| • Rank | Ranked 22nd |
| • Density | 35/km2 (91/sq mi) |
| GDP | |
| • Total | ₴ 88 billion (€2.3 billion) |
| • Per capita | ₴ 87,378 (€2,300) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Area code | +380-55 |
| ISO 3166 code | UA-65 |
| Vehicle registration | ВT |
| Raions | 5 |
| Cities (total) | 9 |
| • Regional cities | 3 |
| Urban-type settlements | 30 |
| Villages | 658 |
| HDI (2022) | 0.740 high |
| FIPS 10-4 | UP08 |
| NUTS statistical regions of Ukraine | UA43 |
| Website | khoda.gov.ua |
Kherson Oblast (Ukrainian: Херсонська область, romanized: Khersonska oblast, IPA: [xerˈsɔnʲsʲkɐ ˈɔblɐsʲtʲ]; Russian: Херсонская область), also known as Khersonshchyna (Херсонщина, IPA: [xerˈsɔnʃtʃɪnɐ]), is an oblast (province) in southern Ukraine. It is located just north of Crimea. Its administrative center is Kherson, on the northern or right bank of the Dnieper river, which bisects the oblast. The oblast has an area of 28,461 km2 and a population of 1,001,598 (2022 estimate). It is considered the 'fruit basket' of the country, as much of its agricultural production is dispersed throughout the country, with production peaking during the summer months.
Most of the area of the oblast has been under Russian military occupation since early in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. In September 2022, Russia claimed to have annexed Kherson Oblast after arranging a disputed referendum. The referendum and the subsequent claimed annexation are internationally unrecognized. As the result of a counteroffensive operation, Ukrainian forces retook the whole area on the right bank of the Dnieper, including Kherson city, by mid-November 2022.