Kherson Oblast Facts & Figures

Kherson Oblast

Kherson.jpg (36200 bytes)

Facts and Figures How to get there

Geographical Information

Area-28,500 sq. km.
Population -1 ,247,000

The Kherson region is the developed industrial and agrarian territory in the south of Ukraine. It borders on Zaporizhia region in the east, the Crimea in the south (along the Sivash and the Perekop isthmus, Mykolaiv region in the northwest, Dniepropetrovsk region of Ukraine in the north.

The Kherson region is located in the Black Sea lowland in the Steppe zone, along the lower Dnieper.

The seaside and frontier position, closeness of the Azov Black Sea basin and outlet to the Dnieper river main are the basic features of the region's economic and geographical location.

The region area makes up 4.7% of the Ukraine territory.

The region's climate is temperate continental, arid with unstable agriculture.

Frostless period makes up 179 days a year.

Average annual temperature is +10 C.

The region is divided into 3 rural districts and 3 urban ones in the city of Kherson. There are 9 cities in the region territory, 30 town type villages, 660 rural settlements.

The population at the beginning of 1998 was 1,246,800, 2.5% of the total number in Ukraine.

The region is characterized by low concentration of the population, which density is almost 2 times lower than the average index in Ukraine (44 persons per 1 sq. km.). The urban dwellers make 61.5% of population (766,200 persons), rural dwellers- 38.5% (480, 600 persons). People below ablebodied age make almost 23%, work capable -57%.

A wonderful climate, the Azov and Black Seas, medicinal muds of Hola Prystan are the basic natural resources of the region.

The region's sea coastline is 120 km long.

The corresponding climatic conditions, availability of recreation resources favored the formation of a broad network of boarding houses, rest houses, sanatorium, children's health camps.

Minerals, occurring in the region include cements and brick tile clays, marl, limestone, salt, turf, gas.

Economic Activities

In the sphere of its economic activities the Kherson region manufactures about 2% of the gross output and the gross extra cost of Ukraine.

Characteristic is the region's industrial and territorial structure. Agriculture and industry, with 31% and 16% of the gross extra cost respectively, occupy the leading position in formation of productive structure of the region.

Industry

The branched formation of the region industry has been determined in the 50s, when Shipbuilding Plant, OSC "Pulp and Paper Integrated Plants", OSC "Kherson Cotton Integrated Plants", OSC "Kherson Petroleum Refining Complex" started to operate.

The region's industry is considerably affected by the work of OSC "Kherson Petroleum Refining Complex", producing essential amounts of motor petrol, fuel and other petroleum refining products.

In the intrastate, international division and integration of labor the region is specialized in production of electric motors, electric welding instruments, equipment for processing branches of agro industrial complex.

The Kherson region in the present is the highly developed industrial and agrarian land. Production of electro/technical machines, equipment, facilities and articles of industrial purpose occupies the first place in the volume of machine building production.

OSC "Southern Machine Building Plant" in Nova Kakhovka and OSC "Kakhovka Plant of Electric Welding Equipment" are the largest enterprises of this branch.

Production of Kherson Shipbuilding Plant, CSC "Kherson Electromechanical Plant", OSC "Kherson Plant of Cardan Shafts", OSC "Beryslav Machine Building Plant" occupies a firm position in the structure of machine building of the region.

Such enterprises as OSC "Electric Machine Building Plant", OSC "Plant of Cardan Shafts" in the city of Kherson and OSC "Sokil" in the city of Nova Kakhovka produce spares for cars, occupying a leading position in the region's production volume.

Stock company "Kherson combines", producing maize combines belongs to the leading enterprises of agricultural machine building. They make harvesting, irrigation and other machines. A new experimental Ukrainian grain combine X3C-9M "Slavutich" was subjected to commercial tests.

The corresponding part in the structure of industrial production belongs to light industry. The Kherson Cotton Plant occupies a leading position. Footwear and clothing branches are meant to meet the public needs.

CSC "Krasen' " has established economical production relations with foreign customers, it produces various modern models, being in great demand.

The canning, wine making, confectionery, meat and milk, flour grinding, fishery and other industries are well developed in the structure of food production.

One should distinguish enterprises engaged in this branch whose production make a considerable share in the total volume. These are: CSC "Kherson Confectionery", OSC "Kherson Cannery", OSC "Novotroitsk Food Products".

A joint Ukrainian-Swedish venture "South Food Inc.", rising the rates of production of canned food, works in the region since 1996. It should be mentioned that this enterprise products are in demand owing to their high quality and modern packing.

Agriculture

As to the volume of production and employment agriculture is the basic branch of material production in the region. It occupies 1,700,000 ha of lands, including 1,600,000 ha of arable land, 29% of them being irrigated lands.

In accordance with natural geographical conditions the zone territories of the region possess their agricultural specialization: northern and eastern zone mainly grow grains and technical crops, southern and central zones successfully develop vegetable growing, horticulture and viticulture.

Seven irrigation systems have been constructed in Ingulets, Kakhovka, Rubanivka, Gornostaivka, Zolota balka, Sofiivka, Chervonopraporka for more rational use of the arable lands. Plant growing makes 56% and cattle breeding -44% of the total volume of commercial production of agriculture.

Grain cultures occupy 63% of all sowing areas which permits the farmers to produce about 3,000,000 tons of the gross grain yield and to realize not less than 1,000,000 tons (the 5-8th place in Ukraine).

The region also has favorable conditions (climate, humus and dark chestnut soils) for growing sunflower. This culture yield in some districts reaches 14-15 c from a hectare.

Sweet and tender Kherson watermelons which weight often reaches 12-14 kg are known far outside the region.

Cattle breeding is oriented to milk production. Chervona Stepova is the main breed grown under the conditions of arid climate and characterized by high acclimation potentialities.

The Askanian fine fleeced breed prevails in sheep breeding, Ukrainian steppe white pig, swine, breeding.

Above 383 000 heads of cattle, including 184,600 heads of swine and 500,000 heads of sheep were kept this year at all the farms in the region.

Though there is the tendency of to transfer to farmers and population (12% of arable lands),the collective sector remains main producer in agriculture.

Transport and Communications

A developed network of railways, motor roads, air transport, river and sea ports operates in the Kherson region. The ferry service between Skadovsk and Turkey is in operation, the ferry service Skadovsk to Greece, Skadovsk to Batumi is planned to start operation in 1998.

The motor roads of general use are 5,467 km long, those with rigid pavement, 5,216 km. The operational length of railways is 459.4 km, those of electric traction 84.5 km, diesel locomotive traction 374.9 km .

The telephone and cable communications are developed in the region. There were 206,100 telephone sets for January 1998, including 170,800 telephone sets in the cities and 35,300 sets in the rural area. Density in the region Centre makes 57.6 sets per 100 families. They have put into operation 7,752 numbers during 1997. Above 700 subscribers use mobile communication sets.

A new digital ATC-42/43 for 15 000 subscribers is under construction in the region; 4,000 more clients were added to the network in1997.

The above information was obtained from a CD-ROM entitled "Ukraine - A look to the 21st Century" published by the Regional Business Assistance Center (RBAC), Kharkiv. Copies of the complete CD-ROM can be obtained from either CEI or RBAC.

Kherson Oblast

Facts and Figures How to get there

The above information was obtained from a CD-ROM entitled "Ukraine - A look to the 21st Century" published by the Regional Business Assistance Center (RBAC), Kharkiv. Copies of the complete CD-ROM can be obtained from either CEI or RBAC.

Page last updated: January 19, 2004.