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Hrodna Voblast Гродзенская вобласць Гродненская область
FlagCoat of arms
Administrative center	Hrodna
Largest cities	Hrodna - 332,300 Lida - 98,200 Slonim - 51,600
Raions	17 Cities: 12 Urban localities: 21
City raions	6
Area
• Total	25,000 km (10,000 sq mi)
Highest elevation	323 m (1,060 ft)
Lowest elevation	80 m (260 ft)
Population
• Total	1,123,400
• Density	45/km (120/sq mi)
Website	region.grodno.by

Hrodna Voblast or Grodno Oblast (Template:Lang-be, Hrodzienskaya voblasts; Template:Lang-ru Grodnenskaya Oblast; Template:Lang-pl) is a voblast (province) in northwestern Belarus.

The capital - Hrodna is the biggest city of the province. It lies on the Neman River. Hrodna's existence is attested to from 1127. Two castles dating from the 14th - 18th centuries are located here on the steep right bank of the Nemen. Many consider this city one of the most beautiful in Belarus: one of its masterpieces survived through the centuries, Orthodox St Barys & St Hleb (Kalozhskaya) Church dating back to the 12th century, is the second oldest in Belarus.

History

This region was the westernmost "border" of the Early East Slavs (tribal union Dregovichs?) on the lands of the Balts in the 6th-9th centuries. In the 13th-14th centuries it was a center of the area sometimes known as Black Ruthenia, that with neighbor the Grand Duchy of Lithuania became a basis for Baltic-Slavic state - Grand Duchy of Lithuania (GDL). Being a part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, amounting to the GDL's Trakai Voivodship, it was annexed by Russian Empire in 1795 during the partitions of Poland. The city of Hrodna then became a seat for Grodno Governorate. During the World War I the area was occupied by Germany. During the German occupation the Belarusian National Republic declared its independence from the Soviet Russia in March 1918 in Minsk, Hrodna was the site of the last stand of the BNR's Council (Rada). They were then forced to emigrate before Soviet troops captured the region in 1919. Since 1921 under the Peace Treaty of Riga the territory belonged to Second Polish Republic, in 1939 it became a part of the USSR and since its fall in 1991 - one of 6 provinces of independent Belarus.

The Mir Castle Complex, a 16th century historical landmark as well as part of the Belovezhskaya Pushcha nature reserve, both UNESCO World Heritage sites are located in this region.

Demographics (2002)

The province covers an area of 25,000 km² and has a population of 1,146,100 (2004 estimate), giving a population density of 46/km². About 63.5% live in cities and towns, while 36.5% live in rural areas. Females account for 53% of the region's population and men 47%. There are about 310,000 children under 19, and about 240,000 people aged over 60.

Belarusians account for 62.3% of the population. The region is home to a significant minority population: Poles (24.8%), Russians (10%), Ukrainians (1.8%), Jews (0.4%), Tatars (0.2%), Lithuanians (0.2%), other nationalities (0.4%).

Whereas Belarus as a whole is primarily Russian Orthodox, Hrodna Voblast has two major religions, Roman Catholic and Russian Orthodox. There are 449 religious communities and 18 denominations, 2 Russian Orthodox eparchial districts, 1 Orthodox nun sorority, 2 Catholic monk brotherhoods, 1 Catholic nun sorority, 2 Orthodox and 4 Catholic monasteries, 165 Orthodox and 169 Catholic churches. The Catholic minority is made up mostly of Poles, although the identifier "Pole" has also been historically applied to Catholic Belarusians.

There are a number on national minority associations: 6 Polish, 6 Lithuanian, 4 Jewish, 1 Ukrainian, 1 Russian, 1 Tatar, 1 Georgian, 1 Chuvash.

Administrative subdivisions

The Grodno Region is subdivided into 17 districts (raions), 194 selsovets, 12 cities, 6 city municipalities, and 21 urban-type settlements.

• Berestovitsa District
• Volkovysk District
• Voronovo District
• Grodno District
• Diatlovo District
• Zelva District
• Ivje District
• Korelichi District
• Lida District
• Mosty District
• Novogrudok District
• Oshmyany District
• Ostrovets District
• Svisloch District
• Slonim District
• Smorgon District
• Schuchin District

Cities and towns

• Hrodna - 332,300
• Lida - 98,200
• Svisloch - 7 300
• Słonim - 51,600
• Vaŭkavysk - 46,800
• Smarhoń - 36,700
• Navahrudak - 30,800
• Kareličy - 30,000
• Masty - 17,400
• Ščučyn - 16,000
• Ašmiany - 14,900
• Vialikaja Bierastavica - 12,000
• Skidziel - 10,900
• Iŭje - 8,900
• Dziatłava - 8,300
• Astraviec - 8,300
• Voranava - 7,000

See also

• Subdivisions of Belarus
• Poland’s Nowogródek Voivodeship (1919-1939)
• Hrodna is one of the most ancient towns in Belarus.

References

1. Highest point: Zamkovaya Mountain
   Lowest point: Spot were the Neman
   crosses the country's border

External links

• Hrodna Regional Executive Committee, in Belarusian, Russian, English and Chinese

v t e Subdivisions of Grodno Region, Belarus
Districts (raiony)	Ashmyany Astravyets Byerastavitsa Dzyatlava Grodno Iwye Karelichy Lida Masty Novogrudok Shchuchyn Slonim Smarhon Svislach Vawkavysk Voranava Zelva
District centres	Grodno Astravyets Ashmyany Dzyatlava Iwye Karelichy Lida Masty Novogrudok Slonim Smarhon Shchuchyn Svislach Vawkavysk Vyalikaya Byerastavitsa Voranava Zelva
Cities and towns	Grodno Astravyets Ashmyany Bruzgi Byarozawka Dzyatlava Iwye Karelichy Lida Masty Novogrudok Skidzyel' Slonim Smarhon Shchuchyn Svislach Vawkavysk Vyalikaya Byerastavitsa

• Hrodna Voblast
• Provinces of Belarus