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| Administrative center | Tula | ||||
| Area - total |
Ranked 69th - 25,700 km² |
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| Population - Total |
Ranked 27th - est. 1,675,758 (2002) |
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| Political status | Oblast | ||||
| Federal district | Central | ||||
| Economic Region | Central | ||||
| Cadaster # | |||||
| Official language | Russian | ||||
| Governor | Vyacheslav Dudka | ||||
| Vice-Governor | Alexey Korablyov | ||||
| Legislature | Tula Regional Duma | ||||
| Anthem | |||||
Tula Oblast (Russian: Ту́льская о́бласть, Tulskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast) with its present borders formed on September 26, 1937. Its administrative center is the city of Tula. It has an area of 25,700 km² and a population of 1,675,758 (2002 Census). The oblast's current governor is Vyacheslav Dudka. For a sketch on its early history, see Upper Oka Principalities.
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Geography
Tula Oblast is located in Russia's Central Federal District and borders Moscow, Ryazan, Lipetsk, Oryol, and Kaluga Oblasts.
Time zone
Tula Oblast is located in the Moscow Time Zone (MSK/MSD). UTC offset is +0300 (MSK)/+0400 (MSD).
Rivers
Tula Oblast contains more than 1,600 rivers and streams. Major rivers include:
Natural resources
The oblast is rich in iron ore, clay, limestone, and deposits of lignite (coal). [1] The lignite deposit is part of the Moscow coal basin.
Climate
Tula Oblast has a moderate continental climate.
- Average temperature in January: −5.7°С
- Average temperature in June: +19.1°С
- Average Annual Precipitation: 470-575 mm
Administrative divisions
Demographics
According to the 2002 census, ethnic Russians at 1,595,564 make up 95% of the population. Other prominent ethnicities in the region include Ukrainians at 22,260 (1.3%), and Tatars at 8,968 (0.5%). The rest of the residents identified themselves with 120 different ethnic groups, each group accounting for less than 0.5% of the population. [2]
- Population: 1,675,758(2002)
- Urban: 1,366,818 (81.6%)
- Rural: 308,940 (18.4%)
- Males: 755,057 (45.1%)
- Females: 920,701 (54.9%)
- Females per 1000 Males: 1219
- Average age : 41.7 years
- Urban : 41.5 years
- Rural : 42.8 years
- Male : 37.8 years
- Female : 44.9 years
Birth Rate: 7.88 (2004), being the lowest in Russia. Decreased to 7.6 in mid-2006. Birth rate was 7.9 in the first half of 2007. [1]
Economy
Tula Oblast is part of the Central economic region. It is a prominent industrial center with metalworking, engineering, coalmining, and chemical industries.[3] Major industrial cities include Novomoskovsk and Aleksin. Historical industries, such as firearm, samovar, and accordion manufacturing, still play an important role in the region. The oblast also has a developed agricultural sector, which ranks 33rd in Russia in agricultural production.[4] The sector includes grain cultivation (wheat and rye), potato, sugar beet, and vegetable growing, livestock raising, and dairying.
Culture
Tula's dominant religions are Orthodox Christianity and atheism. Tula Oblast has as many as 32 museums. Several are located in the administrative center of the oblast, the city of Tula, notably the Tula State Arms Museum, the Tula Kremlin, and the Tula Samovar Museum . Another important cultural tourist attractions is the home and country estate of Leo Tolstoy, Yasnaya Polyana, located 12 km outside of the city of Tula. The region also has four professional theaters, a philharmonic orchestra, and a circus.
Notes and references
- ^ “Tula Oblast”. Merriam-Webster's Geographical Dictionary (2001). Retrieved on 2006-10-31.
- ^ “All Russian Population Census 2002”. Federal Service of Governmental Statistics. Retrieved on 2006-10-31.
- ^ “Tula”. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved on 2006-10-31.
- ^ “TulaRegion”. Kommersant Moscow. Retrieved on 2006-10-31.
See also
External links
- (Russian) Official website of Tula Oblast
- (English) Official website of the Museum-Estate of Leo Tolstoy "Yasnaya Polyana"
