Zaporozhye region

The region occupies 27.2 ths. sq. km making 4.5% of Ukraine’s territory. The region stretches for 208 km from the north to the south and for 235 km from the east to the west.
Center of the region: city of Zaporozhye.
The region unites 20 districts and manages 5 towns of regional submission: Zaporozhye, Melitopol, Berdyansk, Energodar, and Tokmak.
Population of the region amounted to 1 791.7 ths. people.

Geographical position

Zaporozhye region has favorable economical geographical position. It is situated in south-eastern part of Ukraine and borders on Kherson, Dnepropetrovsk, and Donetsk regions. South borders of the region are washed by waters of the Azov sea. Its coast line in borders of the region exceeds 300 km. Dnieper with large Kakhovskoye water storage is the main river in the river. There are estuaries and salt lakes along Azov sea shore.

Transportation network

Ramified network of railroads unites all main industrial centers of the region with towns of Ukraine and the CIS states. Melitopol, Zaporozhye, and Berdyansk are main railway junctions. Motorway transport is well developed.

Sea transportation plays an important role (Berdyansk is the main regional port). Freight and passenger carriages are fulfilled over Dnieper river and Kakhovskoye water storage. Zaporozhye is connected with many large cities of Ukraine by air.

A number of strategic highways like Odessa-Melitopol-Novoazovsk, Kharkov-Simferopol-Sevastopol, and Boryspol-Dnepropetrovsk-Zaporozhye cross the territory of the region.

Economic potential

At present industry of Zaporozhye region is a powerful industrial complex. Ferrous metallurgy, electric power engineering, machine building, metal work, and non-ferrous metallurgy are the weightiest in pattern of regional industrial output.

Zaporozhye region is one of the most technologically developed regions of Ukraine with significant scientific, technical, and industrial potential.

The region is a leading Ukrainian center of air engine engineering, production of transformers, and other highly technological output being a famous Zaporozhye brand, trademark of world class quality and reliability.

Power engineering complex of the region is the most powerful in Ukraine. Zaporozhye nuclear plant, the largest in Europe, is located in the region. Its installed capability is 6,000 MV. Zaporozhye power plant today is a modern highly technological enterprise recognized by the whole world. A number of measures are envisaged at the plant to guarantee security and environmental purity of electric energy generation.

The share of foodstuffs in pattern of consumer goods production is 56%.

Natural and recreational potential

Conditionally the region is divided into three natural and agricultural zones: steppe zone (50.8%), arid steppe zone (34.8%), and dry steppe zone (14.4%).

There are 299 territories and objects of natural and reserve fund, 181 reserves (including 7 of state importance), 95 natural monuments (including 6 of state importance), 3 natural landmarks, and 20 parks – monuments of landscape architecture.

There are favorable climatic conditions in the region. There are convenient sand beaches on the shore of the Azov Sea, springs of mineral waters and curative muds concentrated in coastal estuaries, lakes, and bays.

Cultures and traditions

Activities of educational establishments are directed at development of Ukrainian culture and culture of all national groups residing in the region.

69 companies and private entrepreneurs operate in the sphere of providing tourist services in the region. Operations of tourist center are based on interest to land of Zaporozhye Cossacks’ movement, spiritual values of Ukrainian people, and good traditions of guests’ reception and servicing.

The following are the most attractive tourist objects: National reserve Khortitsa, humaniform steles of the years three-two thousand B.C., stone images of ХІ–VІІІ centuries B.C., Cossack fortress at unassailable island Khortitsa of ХV–ХVІІІ centuries, Svyatonikolayevskiy/St. Nicholas cathedral of 1836, county council of 1912, Zaporozhye 700-years old oak, museum of Zaporazhye Cossacks’ history, ancient burial mounds, Zakharyevskaya fortress of 1770, Cathedral of Saint Alexander Nevskiy of ХVІІ century, historical and archeological reserve Kamennaya mogila/Stone grave, local lore museums, and museum of folklore and ethnography.

The following materials were used for preparation of the article:
Zaporozhye regional state administration,
Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine,
Ministry of foreign affairs of Ukraine